Hard on commodities

Amaranth Advisors is the second high-profile casualty to be taken out of the natural gas market this year, while other funds have racked up losses elsewhere in the commodity markets. Are other investors changing their strategies to avoid a similar fate? Jayne Jung reports

Losses racked up by Greenwich-based hedge fund Amaranth Advisors have hammered home just how precarious the natural gas markets can be. The firm lost more than $6 billion after a series of natural gas derivatives positions, including spreads, went askew in September. And Amaranth is not alone. Earlier this year, MotherRock, a New York-based hedge fund, was also forced to close after incurring significant losses in the natural gas market.

This has prompted some analysts to question the wisdom of