Market risk
BoA’s head of energy trading lands at hedge fund
Julian Barrowcliffe, formerly global head of energy trading for Bank of America in New York, has joined Vega Asset Management – a New York-based hedge fund with $11 billion under management. In his new role Barrowcliffe will manage a commodities trading…
TXU and CSFB form energy trading company
Dallas-based TXU has entered into a joint partnership with Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) to create an independent entity to market and trade power, natural gas and other energy-related commodities in North America.
Customerservice
Gas trading technology vendors are finding that continued market volatility is attracting clients keen to manage their exposures. But new entrants are forcing them to pick a model and stick with it. By Paul Lyon
Made in America
Bank of America has arguably built one of the most successful North American gas trading desks. Here Paul Lyon talks with Eric Nobileau, the bank’s global head of commodity sales
Ofgem finds no evidence of market abuse
Britain’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) says it has found no evidence of market abuse following its probe into the high gas prices between September 2003 and October 2003, when wholesale spot prices rose by 80%.
Mooney quits Trafigura to launch Merrill fund of funds
David Mooney, formerly head of power and gas trading at Trafigura in London, has left the Swiss commodity trading house to join Merrill Lynch. Mooney will join Merrill in mid-June as a managing director where he will be charged with evaluating commodity…
FOA close to releasing UK power trading guidelines
The UK Futures and Options Association (FOA) says it is close to releasing final drafts of guidelines on various areas of the UK power market. The problem areas identified by the FOA's Power Trading Forum (PTF) are reference pricing, credit risk…
Nymex introduces trading in western electricity futures
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) is to introduce trading in four western electricity futures contracts, based on Dow Jones Electricity Indexes, on its ClearPort electronic platform beginning with the June 4 trading session, which starts at 3:15…
Liquidity, not regulation, is key to avoid manipulation, says CFTC
Regulators should avoid the temptation to implement over zealous regulation of the energy derivatives market, and instead encourage the development of liquidity, if market manipulation is to be avoided. That was the message delivered by Sharon Brown…
FEA unveils updated power exposure solution
Financial Engineering Associates (FEA), the Berkeley-based subsidiary of technology company Barra, today unveiled its @Energy/Power Generation 2.0 solution for power plant optimisation, risk exposure assessment and valuation
Broker Prebon hires Innogy coal trader
London-based broker Prebon may have failed in its bid to lure three coal traders from fellow broker Icap, but it is continuing to build a coal team. In mid-May, Sharon Millar, who previously traded paper and physical coal at UK utility RWE Innogy, joined…
Prebon sets up coal desk
London-based broker Prebon may have failed in its bid to lure three coal traders from fellow broker Icap, but it is continuing to build a coal team. In mid-May, Sharon Millar, who previously traded paper and physical coal at UK utility RWE Innogy, joined…
Price reporting is improving, says CCRO director
Confidence in the energy markets is returning partially thanks to an improvement in the price reporting practices of energy companies, according to Robert Anderson, executive director of the US-based Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO).
Nymex to clear contracts on OTC oil and gas options
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) and broker Icap are set to launch an electronic market in options on oil and gas inventory statistics. The over-the-counter options will be offered through an auction process and cleared by Nymex.
Bayer signs up for SunGard Adaptiv
Bayer, the Leverkusen-based pharmaceuticals and chemicals company, has chosen Sungard’s Adaptiv trading and risk management product to support its commodity, foreign exchange and fixed-income trading operations.
De Vitry warns of energy market regulatory pressures
Benoit de Vitry, global head of commodities and emerging markets rates at Barclays Capital in London, today said that regulatory rules could adversely impact the development of a mature energy trading market.
Energy clearing in Catch 22 situation, says Fitch
Denise Furey, New York-based senior director of global power at rating agency Fitch believes that the clearing of OTC energy derivative contracts is in something of a ‘Catch 22’ predicament. “We need standardization of contract documentation to get to…
S&P places focus on energy merchant liquidity risk
Rating agency Standard & Poor’s is to issue new liquidity adequacy guidelines for US energy merchants, which are particularly vulnerable to large and sudden liquidity demands related to collateral calls.
European power trading on the up, says Prospex report
European electricity trading volumes increased in 2003, with Germany seeing the biggest volumes, overtaking the Nordic region for the first time. So says a new report from London-based Prospex Research, European Power Trading 2004 .
LCH Clearnet set to clear US trades
LCH Clearnet, Europe's largest derivatives clearing house, has won approval from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission to clear financial futures and options contracts on US exchanges.
ABN Amro poaches BNP Paribas energy heads
Dutch bank ABN Amro today said it has hired Wayne Harburn, BNP Paribas’ former head of European energy trading, as well as Vincent Chevance, the French bank’s head of marketing for energy derivatives. BNP Paribas was not immediately able to say who would…
Fair weather future
Judging from the success of the weather risk market in the Asia-Pacific region,the Chicago Mercantile Exchange couldn’t have picked a more opportune timeto launch Japanese weather futures. By Paul Lyon
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
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…