Risk management
Banks pull back from market-making
A lack of OTC market-making is causing concern about long-term liquidity in the energy markets. The future of market-making depends on the banking industry, reports Katie Holliday
DB and Stemcor forge steel trading alliance
Deutsche Bank has formed a strategic alliance with the world's largest independent steel trader Stemcor to offer steel derivatives products.
Farming fundamentals
While the ailing global economy is pressuring industrial commodity prices, the agricultural grains markets have some very different fundamental drivers, some of which appear fairly supportive, finds Pauline McCallion
Weather and force majeure - Force majeure provisions for power contracts
Hurricane Ike left many wholesale power purchasers facing serious financial losses if they could not invoke the force majeure clause in their contracts. Stan Jensen and Jonathan Hoff of Bracewell & Giuliani discuss different elements of force majeure…
Renewables Portfolios - Exposed to the elements
Optimising a renewables portfolio is fraught with challenges. Stephen Maloney discusses them, and suggests some methods that allow for a more robust approach to portfolio optimisation
All Clear?
Despite a recent large increase in volumes, clearing for commodities remains a contentious issue, with little agreement on what the best business model should be, and insufficient standardisation, say market participants. Rachel Morison investigates
Agora-X launches OTC platform for energy and metals
Agora-X, an electronic trading platform, has launched a new platform for the negotiation, execution and clearing of over-the-counter (OTC) trades in energy and metal contracts.
S&P GSCI Index Commodity Swaps to clear on CME ClearPort
Standard & Poor's has signed a licensing agreement with CME Group to clear swaps on the S&P GSCI Excess Return Index.
ICE offers margin offsets on coal and emissions contracts
ICE Futures Europe has introduced margin offsets between its Coal Futures and Emissions contracts.
VTB Capital enters steam coal market
Russian bank VTB Capital has joined coal trading marketplace globalCOAL to develop its risk management operations in the Pacific region steam coal market.
ICF offers risk management for energy companies
Consultant ICF International has announced that it will offer risk management services to the energy sector.
FCStone Group increases bad debt provision for energy trading account
FCStone Group expects to incur an additional $60m to $80m pre-tax bad debt provision in connection with previously-reported losses on a significant energy trading account.
Icap clears first ag swap through ICE
Interdealer broker Icap has executed the first ever cleared agricultural swap transaction through IntercontinentalExchange clearing house ICE Clear US. Regulatory approval for such transactions was granted by the CFTC in December last year.
Eurex to launch commodity index futures in March
Eurex will be the first European exchange to offer trading in commodity index derivatives with the launch of four new contracts on March 30.
Asian airlines struggle with volatile oil prices
A major contributor to the large fuel-hedging losses suffered by Chinese and Taiwanese airlines for 2008 were collar strategies - the purchase of call options and simultaneous sale of put options. But some Asian carriers, such as Malaysia's Air Asia and…
US and European firms in bid for LCH
A consortium of major US and European financial institutions is lining up a bid for London-based derivatives clearing house LCH.Clearnet. Deutsche Bank is acting as adviser on the acquisition, as well as being part of the bidding group.
Give us credit
Credit is widely seen as the biggest challenge facing energy risk managers in 2009, with many believing a radical overhaul of existing risk practices is due. Pauline McCallion investigates