Risk management
Techno prisoners
IT disasters can bankrupt companies, so software vendors should be available 24-7. But often mergers and sales mean the software supplier no longer exists in its original form. What can the buyer do then? Joel Hanley reports
APB Energy’s winning formula
Kentucky-based APB Energy is one of the leading energy brokerage firms in North America. It has maintained its growth despite Enron fallout, perhaps due to its diverse range of services and locations. Kevin Foster reports
The value of volatility
Brett Humphreys and Tim Essaye seek out the best method for calculating volatility by comparing different measures, and find that complex approaches aren’t necessarily the best ones to use
Building a bridge to Var
Value-at-risk (Var) is a technique often applied to the energy industry. But there are limitations to its use. Here, Leslie McNew aims to bring these limitations to light, and thereby give practitioners confidence in the use of Var
Rating agencies raise the bar
Confidence in energy traders has never been lower, and the metrics the rating agencies apply to their business are changing. James Ockenden assesses the damage
Tools for the trade
Ken Nichols examines the mechanisms available for incorporating credit risk management into an energy company’s portfolio
Avoiding over-exposure
Eurof Thomas finds the European energy market is increasing its focus on credit risk mitigation in the wake of Enron’s demise
Higher or lower?
Kevin Foster looks at how credit rating agencies assign a rating to companies in the energy sector and what kind of factors are taken into account
Demystifying credit risk
Satyan Malhotra, Fred Cohen and Rafael Cavestany formulate an analysis for the measurement of credit risk in the energy industry
A whole new ball game
Enron’s bankruptcy has changed the playing field for credit risk in the energy sector. Kevin Foster reports on the renewed significance of assessing credit quality
Heeding the warning signs
Following the Enron bankruptcy, the use of bond-spread analysis has become increasingly important. Mark Williams looks at how firms can benefit from it
Proper procedures
Rajiv Arora examines the processes necessary for effectively measuring, managing and hedging credit risks
Finding a solution to the credit problem
Peter Stockman of Accenture outlines what energy companies can do, internally, to manage credit more effectively and addresses the potential benefits of participating in a multilateral netting solution for the industry
Utilities renegotiate to survive
For the past 10 years, Argentina’s privatised utilities have been icons of successful energy sector reform. But with the country’s deepening crisis, they face increased difficulties. What can investors do to mitigate such risks, asks Maria Kielmas
A cure for Enron flu
Brett Humphreys discusses recent events in the energy sector and the role risk managers can play in improving the industry
Keeping score
This month Brett Humphreys and Zach Jonasson show how energy trading firms can compare performance using publicly available corporate information
Banks take shelter in derivatives
While some banks have found the weather derivatives market a non-starter, others are doing deals worth more than $100 million. Eurof Thomas reports