Risk management
NGL hedging takes off amid shale gas boom
US production of natural gas liquids (NGLs) has surged in recent years, causing NGL derivatives trading to expand as market participants hedge more of their output. But the market for NGL risk management products remains a work in progress, finds…
Financial transaction tax could raise energy company hedging costs
FTT will increase hedging costs for energy companies and deter them from trading with financial counterparties, firms say
Collateral and commodity market dynamics in the new normal
Collateral quality and depth are playing an increasingly important role in a market characterised by systemic risks and high correlations among asset classes, including commodities. That is a trend that should concern energy risk managers, argues Stephen…
Energy Risk Software Survey and Rankings 2013
Energy trading and risk management (ETRM) software budgets are declining, just as new regulatory requirements are putting more demand on ETRM platforms than in previous years, according to the results of Energy Risk’s 2013 Software Survey and Rankings…
Sommers to leave CFTC
Deutsche Bank appoints commodity co-heads; top analyst leaves Morgan Stanley; Icap Energy appoints in Singapore; Barclays loses energy research head; Huntington Bank launches hedging business
Bank commodity VAR remains muted in Q4
Fourth-quarter results show low risk appetite continues to prevail at banks, reflecting tougher capital requirements and a continuing lack of trading opportunities, writes Jay Maroo
Futurisation worries end-users of OTC energy derivatives
Regulation has caused much of the over-the-counter energy derivatives market to move to exchange-traded futures. While many market participants welcome the shift, derivatives end-users worry that it could harm their ability to hedge. Alexander Osipovich…
Energy firms increasingly using stress tests to cope with regulatory change
Utilities and other energy firms are working hard to refine and enhance the scenarios they use for stress testing. Given recent market events, the impact of regulatory change and large-scale liquidity crises are taking on an increasingly important role…
Applied risk management series: OTC commodity swaps valuation, hedging and trading
In this article, Carlos Blanco and Michael Pierce provide an overview of swap instruments and discuss the pricing, valuation, hedging and risk management of over-the-counter commodity swaps. They also comment on the expected ramifications of new…
Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings 2013 – energy
Muted volatility, sluggish trading activity and regulatory changes have conspired to create a tough environment for energy market participants over the past year. That has fuelled a lot of movement in this year’s Risk and Energy Risk Commodity Rankings,…
Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings 2013 – metals
In a torrid year for metals traders, Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking retained first place in base metals, with UBS again leading the way in precious metals. By Tom Newton
Morgan Stanley loses head of commodity research
New York-based head of commodity research departs for Canadian pension fund
Commodity correlation returning to pre-2008 levels, say analysts
The tight link between commodities and equities is easing as firms become less worried about macro shocks, say analysts
Isda seeks to dispel speculation myths with commodity website
Isda turns up the volume in controversial debate over commodity speculation and position limits
Post-MF Global segregation reforms spark fierce debate
The failures of brokers MF Global and PFGBest have shaken the faith of commodity hedgers in their futures commission merchants (FCMs). But are regulators doing enough to protect customers from another FCM implosion? Alexander Osipovich reports
Deutsche Bank to lose commodities head
Silbert expected to depart Deutsche Bank; Constellation loses power trading head; Goldman appoints Asia-Pacific trading head; ex-Duet duo launch commodities fund; FSA regulator joins FOA
Turning points: Frédéric Lasserre, Belaco Capital
Recent years have seen an outflow of commodity derivatives talent from banks towards hedge funds and independent traders. This is the path trodden by Frédéric Lasserre, former head of Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking’s commodity research…
Energy Risk's Europe and North America awards open for submissions
Energy Risk's prestigious Europe and North America awards open for entries from market participants
Coal derivatives activity rises in Europe and US despite differences
The market for coal is being drastically reshaped by changes in the pattern of global supply and demand. In both Europe and the US, this is causing an increase in coal derivatives trading, albeit for different reasons. Gillian Carr investigates
Cutting edge: Hedging price and volumetric risks of fixed-price load-serving contracts in natural gas markets
In this article, Ning Zhang and Robert Cumbie propose a utility maximisation method for natural gas marketers to find optimal hedging strategies to deal with price and load uncertainty by using price and weather derivatives. Monte Carlo simulation…
Railroad indexing to API 2 could help US coal exporters manage risk
Link to API 2 could make exports look more attractive and reflects growing participation in coal market by US firms
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The art of creating a corporate energy hedging programme
Risk managers and consultants say hedging corporate exposures to energy prices is more art than science. As a result, the development of a truly successful hedging programme requires several important questions to be carefully considered. Jay Maroo…