Energy Risk
CFTC chair nominated as Chilton exits
Goldman's Shenouda and O'Hagan retire; BNP Paribas takes Flax; ABN Amro appoints global head of energy; Hederman joins DoE; JP Morgan lures origination head
Study casts doubt on mandatory futures insurance
Mandatory insurance for assets held by futures brokers would be extremely costly, concludes industry-backed report
Revived Dodd-Frank position limits worry energy firms
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is gearing up for another big fight over position limits, after its original rule was rejected by a federal court. The agency’s latest proposal, released in November, gives market participants little reason for…
Cutting edge: Valuation and optimal hedging of storage contracts in incomplete gas markets
In this paper, Magnus Wobben, Tilman Huhne, Yuri Ivanov and Sebastian Hanneken examine the impact of market incompleteness on the valuation of gas storage contracts. In contrast to prior research, their proposed valuation framework accounts for the…
Power market flux creates threats and opportunities for exchanges
Financial regulation, low volatility, flattened prices and the integration of regional markets have put European electricity trading in a state of flux. That poses threats and opportunities for power exchanges – and some industry observers say it could…
Sovereign hedging picks up as developing countries end fuel subsidies
A push to eliminate fuel subsidies across much of Africa, the Middle East and Asia is raising interest in the use of commodity hedging by governments as a way of containing social unrest. But it remains a challenge to get sovereign commodity hedging…
Energy trading firms must be whiter than white
Allegations of manipulation are particularly bad for energy trading firms, which should respond by holding themselves to higher standards
Risk management should be more than just a decoration
Despite massive investment in human capital and technical resources, risk managers failed to warn about the dangers of toxic assets and excessive leverage in the run-up to the global financial crisis. Their lack of authority is partly to blame, writes…
Acer investigated 10 potential breaches of Remit in 2012
Acer probed 10 cases under Remit in 2012, agency says, in report that sheds light on the development of monitoring regime
Tradition's Mike Anderson cheerful despite headwinds for energy brokers
Regulatory change and tough market conditions are creating deep uncertainty for energy brokers. But Tradition’s Mike Anderson remains optimistic about the business, he tells Stella Farrington
CFTC proposes 'unassailable' position limits rule
CFTC puts forward another Dodd-Frank position limits rule, generating concerns among commodity derivatives end-users
Sovereigns look to hedge fuel imports after Morocco deal
More energy importing countries are in talks about hedging fuel purchases after Morocco’s sovereign hedging deal, say bankers
Commodity investment goes back to fundamentals
The past year has not been a good one for commodity investment. Passive commodity indexes have delivered disappointing returns, while a number of high-profile commodity hedge funds have been forced to close. What is the outlook for investor interest in…
Remit insider trading rules continue to confuse energy traders
Despite coming into force in December 2011, Remit insider trading rules continue to raise questions among energy traders
EU energy firms face uphill struggle to comply with market abuse rules
The European Union is implementing new legislation and adopting an increasingly aggressive stance on energy market abuse. But the continent’s energy trading firms face an uphill struggle to comply with the rules. Stella Farrington reports
Dodd-Frank special report
Energy Risk looks in detail at the US Dodd-Frank Act and its implications for commodity and energy market participants
Nord Pool Spot denies UK virtual hub will delay NWE coupling
APX says creation of UK virtual hub could delay NWE power market coupling, but claim is strongly denied by Nord Pool Spot
CFTC backs down on FCM residual interest rule
CFTC softens post-MF Global reforms to rules on segregated customer funds held by futures brokers
Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings open for voting
Vote now in the 2014 Risk & Energy Risk Commodity Rankings
Correlation suggests ‘return to normal’ for commodities
Commodities are being increasingly driven by market fundamentals, say analysts, forcing investors to search harder for returns
Liquidity seen as top concern for energy risk managers
Falling over-the-counter energy volumes in Europe and the US push liquidity to top of risk management agenda
Applied risk management series: Integrating stress tests with risk management
Stress testing is a vital part of successful risk management, but risk managers at energy trading firms frequently face obstacles in designing and implementing successful stress testing programmes. In this article, Carlos Blanco provides some advice on…
Ice Brent changes prove a hard pill to swallow
Ice says a plan to shift the expiry dates of futures and options on Brent crude oil is an important fix that will tighten the link between the physical and futures markets. However, carrying out the necessary changes could be painful for market…
Liquidity forces energy firms to get creative with risk management
In some corners of the over-the-counter energy market, liquidity has become increasingly thin during the past few years. As a result, firms need to think more creatively about how they handle liquidity, say risk managers. Stella Farrington reports