Risk management
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
Quantifying technical analysis
In the last of our series of tutorials on risk management tools, Richard Weissman provides an overview of technical analysis for the energy business
At the end of the tail
When fat tails are present, extreme value theory provides a framework for estimating value-at-risk at higher confidence levels with greater accuracy than traditional Var methods. Naveen Andrews and Mark Thomas explain
Covering the threat
Since September 11, energy companies have had to re-assess the threat of terrorist attack. Despite the insurance industry introducing new terms and products, some companies remain unprotected, as Joel Hanley discovers
Building blocks for complex probability distributions
Brett Humphreys demonstrates how to construct more accurate return distributions and use them to price options
Counterparty concerns
Following the California crisis and the fall of Enron, energy firms are finally paying more attention to credit risk. Here Fred Cohen, Satyan Malhotra and Rafael Cavestany present some overarching issues senior management must address in implementing an…
Dealing with price risk
FAME Information Services outlines the main issues currently affecting power prices and looks at how companies should be covering themselves against the risks posed by the continuing process of deregulation
Navigating a troubled road
Don Stowers finds the online energy trading market place as competitive as ever, with several new platforms ready to enter the fray
Hedging ahead
Continuing our series of tutorials on risk management tools, Dan Rowe looks at how physical positions can be hedged with exchange-traded futures and options contracts
Growing quietly
The liberalised German markets now allow large industrial end-users to manage their energy price risk. But, while the competition to manage their exposures is large, these firms are playing their cards close to their chests, reports Joel Hanley