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Agriculture

  • November

    News analysis: Position limits face legal challenge 11 November 2011

    After a number of false starts, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission finally voted on the long anticipated issued of position limits on 18 October, 2011.

  • October

    Data gap remains in commodity speculation row 06 October 2011

    Two conflicting reports released last month have exposed the gap in data on the impact of futures trading on the agricultural commodities spot markets as a study by IOSCO recommends position limits and increased transparency in global commodity markets.

  • September

    Belchambers: A note on speculation in the commodity markets 22 September 2011

    Regulators should focus on market integrity and not prices in the commodity markets.

  • Are speculators to blame for high commodity prices? 02 September 2011

    Global food prices in July hit the highest levels ever recorded, with staples such as wheat and sugar a third more expensive than a year ago. In the face of the global economic slowdown, the commodity price spiral shows no signs of abating, and as policy makers seek an explanation, the derivatives market is again in the spotlight. David Wigan looks in to whether accusations that speculation pushes up prices are justified.

  • Commodity derivatives: Navigating volatile markets 02 September 2011

    The monumental events of the first half of 2011 have impacted the way derivatives are traded. The Arab Spring, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the debt crisis in Europe, and the US debt ceiling debate and its subsequent historic credit downgrading all monumental events on their own, have converged to produce a different landscape in which large commodity derivative positions are, quite simply, out of favour, writes Elise Coroneos.

  • August

    Michael: Are CTAs a quasi investment into a commodity index? 02 August 2011

    We generally think of managed futures as a legitimate diversification tool for a sophisticated investor’s traditional portfolio of stocks, bonds and real estate. According to Lintner, managed futures are a very powerful tool when used to diversify the typical portfolio. It is this belief that has driven the growth of alternative investments over the last three decades.

  • April

    Bunge settles CFTC charges 01 April 2011

    The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has settled charges of $550,000 as a civil monetary penalty against New York’s Bunge Global Markets.

  • February

    NZX creates two new milk futures 23 February 2011

  • Position limits might be unenforceable, say analysts 01 February 2011

Poll

What concerns you most about the upcoming regulation changes?

Opportunity for regulatory arbitrage
15%
Impact on revenues
35%
Unnecessary complexity
11%
Workability of central clearing for OTC derivatives
9%
Workability of forcing complex derivatives onto exchanges
31%