Hedging
Commodity position limits could hurt entire market, experts warn
Proposals by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) - now also proposed in the recently approved Senate Bill on Finanicial Reform - to limit larger energy traders' positions, could drive down liquidity in energy markets across the board, causing…
First container derivatives trade could herald booming new market
Shipping broker claims it has hedged forward price of container freight from Shanghai to Europe
CVA desks trim hedges as bailout crushes CDS spreads
It was a hectic start to the week for CVA traders, as the eurozone bailout shrank the exposures many faced, leaving them over-hedged.
Oil supply outlook: Nigeria
An uptick in Nigerian oil production at the end of 2009 led to hopes of greater supply stability. However, with political uncertainty looming and attacks on oil facilities on the rise again, Lianna Brinded asks experts if they are still optimistic for…
OTC shake-up likely as regulators mull centralised clearing
US legislators are pressing for reforms that will lead to a big shake-up in how over-the-counter derivatives are bought and sold. The question is how this will affect the structured notes market. John Ferry reports
Hedging hit hard
The Reserve Bank of India issued draft guidelines last November proposing a ban on reduced-cost derivatives structures – the source of much controversy in India’s corporate market during the past three years. But some corporates are not happy with the…
Clearing exemption too close to call
Exempting commercial hedgers from mandatory clearing could create a loophole for the institutional investors often blamed for driving up commodity prices, according to the chief lawyer for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Risk management in vertically integrated energy companies
Once risk management is seen as more than just a control function, the business operations of vertically integrated energy companies present numerous opportunities, especially for hedging strategies. Jaime Román and Santiago Tejero of Endesa discuss
Sovereign debt and LatAm-related hedging key for Spanish dealers
Winners of the Risk España dealer rankings explain how hedging related to sovereign debt issuance and Latin America will be key revenue sources in 2010.
Economic uncertainty adds to challenge of hedging in US power markets
Uncertainty has plagued the US power sector since the financial crisis. Although many believe an economic recovery is in sight, forecasting load growth continues to be a headache for those looking to manage risk in this market. Pauline McCallion reports
A dynamic model for correlation
Equity markets have experienced a significant increase in correlation during the crisis, resulting in exotic derivatives portfolios realising large losses. As larger correlations in downward scenarios are already implied in the index option market in the…
Negative carry presents corporate hedging conundrum
Steep interest rate yield curves cause corporate treasurers to focus on the cost of carry.
Energy structured deals: dynamic vs quasi-static hedging
Traditional pricing and hedging approaches often fail to work properly for complex energy structures due to market incompleteness, liquidity problems or unusual price dynamics. In this article, Stefano Fiorenzani suggests some specific adjustments that…
Interview: Mexico's hedging plans: in crude health
Pauline McCallion speaks to Gerardo Rodriguez, deputy undersecretary for public debt at Mexico’s Ministry of Finance & Public Credit, about the government’s highly successful oil price hedging strategy
Mexico sees return to normality for oil hedging
Banks’ ability to act as a counterparty is “back to a very normal situation” after the credit crunch, according to one of the designers of Mexico’s oil price hedging programme.
Deals of the Year: Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse structures a crack-spread hedge for Alon USA refinery.
Mexico hedges oil price at $57 in 2010
The government of Mexico has hedged much of its 2010 oil exports at $57 per barrel following the successful completion of its 2009 hedging programme, which generated gross revenues of $5 billion.
The index artists
The past 12 months have posed a new set of challenges for the indexing and exchange-traded fund markets. But as delegates to the Art of Indexing Summit USA in New York heard on October 28, providers are adapting to the changed landscape. Now it is simply…
Knock-on FX
Many banks are now including a credit charge in swap and forward transactions, while increased volatility has upped the cost of options. At the same time, the financial crisis has sparked a suspicion of complex products. How are corporate hedgers and…
A market model on the iTraxx
A market model for the dynamics of credit-risky baskets and indexes such as the iTraxx has long been sought, but because of difficulties with the natural numéraire has remained elusive. Here, Philippe Carpentier proposes using hedging arguments to…
Corporate statement: Are you re-evaluating your energy risk management provider?
Many energy-price-dependent organisations, such as utilities, independent power producers and oil and gas producers, saw their hedges at risk with the crumbling balance sheets of several key hedge providers. The global credit crisis has forced many…