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New GlobalView head makes u-turns on hubs
Contrary to reports in September, new GlobalView chief Steve Gott says he remains committed to the Energy Data Hub and ConfirmHub ventures. Following a management overhaul, it seems it is business as usual
What drives natural gas?
Natural gas prices in the US are at an all-time high. The Gulf Coast hurricanes and record summer heat have taken their toll, and business is feeling the effect. Studying and applying seasonality can often protect aganst the volatility of these markets,…
SocGen opens Calgary office, launches Canadian energy-services partnership
SG Corporate & Investment Banking (SG CIB) has partnered with Calgary-based energy-sector investment dealer FirstEnergy Capital Corp to jointly offer energy-financing services to the firms’ Canadian clients. SG CIB, part of French bank Société Générale,…
Weather broker Parker leaves Fimat
Weather broker Dan Parker left brokerage Fimat in mid-October, having joined the company earlier this year. He says he is currently “on the sidelines”, considering his next move. Fimat declined to comment on Parker’s departure.
CFO Burns to leave Mirant after Chapter 11
Michele Burns, who has overseen the recent Chapter 11 restructuring of US energy marketer Mirant, will leave the company once it has emerged from bankruptcy.
Counting on coal
NRG Energy's move to buy Texas Genco seems a wise one for a company with strong dark-spread exposure, but it has its risks, despite the target company being backed by an active hedging programme. Joe Marsh reports
National Bank of Canada reunites heavy hitters for energy push
National Bank of Canada (NBC) has expanded its energy derivatives team in Calgary with three new managing directors, with the aim of attracting more utility and energy-consumer customers.
Papering over the cracks
High energy prices are forcing pulp-and-paper makers to take action against falling profits, yet most companies are still shying away from energy price hedging. But that situation may be slowly changing. Joe Marsh reports
BEAU TAYLOR
Beau Taylor , global head of energy at JP Morgan, plans to turn the bank from a niche participant into a dominant player in the energy markets. By Joe Marsh
Amerex's Prokop joins Energy Data Hub board
The Energy Data Hub has appointed Mike Prokop, senior vice president at energy brokerage Amerex, to its board of directors.
Nymex pit opens in London
Some 76 individuals and 12 companies showed up to trade Brent and gas oil futures on the first day of trade at the New York Mercantile Exchange’s London trading floor today (Monday).
TFS starts brokering CDM and JI emissions credits
TFS, a New York-based inter-dealer broker, has started brokering emissions credits under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) schemes.
King coal still fired up
Despite the soaring cost of emissions reduction credits, the EU emissions trading scheme has yet to dampen utilities’ demand for coal. But, finds Oliver Holtaway, it may affect their long-term investment decisions
James Tweed and Dave Wardley
At the end of last year, JAMES TWEED and DAVE WARDLEY launched the first hedge fund dedicated solely to trading freight. Stella Farrington meets them
Baiting the hook
End-users such as utilities and industrial companies are not showing the same keenness as hedge funds for trading weather derivatives, despite the efforts of banks, dealers and brokers to lure them in. By Joe Marsh
Pricing the weather
Pricing weather derivatives is different from valuing other derivatives contracts – actuarial methods play a greater role. Steve Jewson looks at the varied approaches available
Strength in numbers
Weather derivatives seem to have a bright future: the market is enjoying record liquidity levels as new players, trading ever more diverse products, flood into the market. Oliver Holtaway reports
Former Swiss Re weather experts launch hedge fund
Weather risk veterans Mark Tawney and Bill Windle, who left global reinsurer Swiss Re on July 7, are starting a hedge fund, named Takara, Energy Risk has learned. Weather trader Bill MacLauchlan departed Swiss Re at the same time, for personal reasons.
BNP Paribas strengthens energy derivatives team
French bank BNP Paribas has strengthened its commodity derivatives team in New York, London and Singapore, particularly on the energy side.
In pole position
Sakonnet’s Thurstan Bannister says a sound footing in risk management and a customer-facing approach is the secret of his company’s success. By Stella Farrington