Infrastructure
Reliably informed
Pat Wood, chairman of US interstate energy regulator the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission, talks to James Ockenden about reliability, regulation, and wherenext for the competitive market in the US
Price wars
Ferc is preparing to analyse the results of its survey on energy price reporting.But the American Public Gas Association is concerned that a voluntary reportingscheme cannot guarantee reliable indexes. By Paul Lyon
Heroes or cowboys?
Banks and energy companies alike are sceptical about the role that hedge fundsplay in energy markets. Are they really an aid to market stability, or is theirpresence compounding market volatility? Paul Lyon reports
Nord Pool’s back-up
Nord Pool Clearing is the first pure electricity clearing house to obtain capitalsupport through insurance to cover defaults by its trading counterparties. Areenergy companies set to follow suit? Joe Marsh reports
The cost of optimism
Petroleum engineers and financial regulators have never spoken the same language,as the recent Royal Dutch/Shell debacle has shown. And this has led to confusionover state oil reserves. By Maria Kielmas
A history lesson
Abstract: The size of bid/ask spreads in electricity options has both valuationand credit implications. Here, Ted Kury of The Energy Authority shows how toderive theoretical spreads using historical option price data so they can beused as liquidity…
The waiting game
The Italian power market has finally opened to competition, but how long willenergy users have to wait until they can trade on the new electricity exchange? Joe Marsh reports
Mark-It acquires Totem
Mark-It Partners, the UK-based credit pricing information company, has agreed to purchase its London-based rival Totem Market Valuations, a provider of over-the-counter derivatives market price information.
ESB wins Esso price battle
Esso and Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board entered into a seemingly straightforward15-year contract for the sale and purchase of natural gas in 1999. But the contracthas raised the issue of how to define ‘market price’. By James Ockenden
Isda raises Basel-linked concerns
Bankers have been preparing for the implementation of the Basel II Capital Accordfor a number of years. But Isda says that it is still concerned about the effectthe Accord may have on the commodities markets. By Paul Lyon
NAB currency options desk 'back in the market', with limited trading
National Australia Bank (NAB) has resumed limited trading in currency options, as an April 30 deadline to amend its shortcomings passed last week, reports RiskNews ' sister publication FX Week .
Wayne's WirelessWorld
Playing to the strengths of its management team, the Perennial Growth Fund is finding opportunity in the technology and media sectors
Russian renaissance
Russia was once regarded as a risky play in thin markets of a deeply indebted nation. however, Brunswick's Russian Directional Fund finds otherwise
The fund of hedge funds reporting quandry
Performance reporting
Pioneer spirit
Business Profile
A taste of corporate risk
Profiles
The case for independent risk management committees
Corporate governance
Severity of default is key
CDO guide: recovery rates
A sterling effort
exchange-traded funds
Uncovering covered bonds
Credit forum
The return of event risk
event risk
Out of the ordinary
CDO guide: investor demand
Diverse and sophisticated
CDO guide: product innovation