Futures
Volatility: the next mainstream asset class?
Trading volatility used to be the domain of an elite group of sophisticated investors but this year pension funds and even retail investors started snapping up the latest generation of products. It could be a flash-in-the-pan fad but more likely…
ETFs: investors’ flexible friends
Exchange-traded funds have proliferated in Europe, offering institutional investors enormous investment choice and liquidity at a low cost. We find out how and why these products are attracting the interest of a diverse range of investors and look at the…
Bafin shorting ban may be narrower than feared
Lawyers say decree appears limited
Shanghai exchange launches China's first index futures
Investors in Chinese stocks have been given more flexibility, with the launch of the country's first stock futures and a rule-change allowing short-selling of cash shares.
CFTC to examine metals trading
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced details of a public meeting on March 25 to examine the trading of futures and options in the precious and base metals markets.
Massachusetts REC futures start trading on CCFE
The Chicago Climate Futures Exchange (CCFE) has announced the successful completion of the first Massachusetts Renewable Energy Certificate (REC-MA) futures contract trade.
CCX launches new offset contract
The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) announced details of two new contracts on Friday, covering certain types of US offset and direct emission cuts taken in the US.
Amaranth report to ring changes
Release of report into collapse of energy hedge fund Amaranth Advisors looks set to change the way OTC markets operate in the US
Dubai plans to develop first exchange-traded jet fuel futures contract
The Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) and Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) plan to jointly develop the first exchange-traded jet fuel futures contract.
Nikkei 225 futures to list on Globex and CME-SGX trading link
The Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) yen-denominated Nikkei 225 futures contracts will be traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s Globex electronic trading platform, as well as on the two exchanges’ Mutual Offset trading link, as of February 23.
Profiting from gas prices
Rachel Jacobson of energy information and software provider Fame looks at how natural gas prices are likely to rise and what firms can do to protect against them
Detecting market transitions: from backwardation to contango and back
Svetlana Borovkova looks at detecting market transitions between backwardation and contango states using the forward curve. In this first part of a two-part article, she introduces two change indicators, which she applies to oil futures prices. Next…
Blurring the lines
A turf war between Atlanta’s IntercontinentalExchange and the New York Mercantile Exchange reveals a shift in the traditional role of over-the-counter brokers and exchanges, finds Catherine Lacoursière
Derivatives of increasing importance to ASX
The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) has seen a 5% drop in net profit for the year to June 30, but revenues from derivatives trading, clearing and settlement rose 15% to $32.5 million, with 46,226 options contracts traded – 20% higher than the 38,519…