Futures Magazine February 01, 2008
Cover Story
Energy 2008: Higher prices and volatility
Prepare yourself for some sticker-shock because 2008 will be another year of eye-popping oil prices. Tightening supply/demand balances will put a floor in prices, not unlike what has been seen in the
Trading Techniques
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Pinpointing entries across time frames
When trading highly leveraged auction markets, it’s critical to stay on top of changes in the market environment with a strategic management approach that continuously reviews and enhances all
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The other side of midnight
Few careers offer as much flexibility as trading. With a computer and Internet access, trading is a mobile vocation. In fact, you can get on a virtual train and travel around the world electronically
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A powerful strategy for energies in 2008
We’ve all witnessed the volatility in the commodity markets in 2007. Major moves in markets such as soybeans, crude oil and equities have reminded us that investing can be a thrill ride, no matter
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It's the close, stupid
A simple daily bar chart can be a powerful predictive tool. As traders, we all have, at one time or another, been guilty of making our analysis more difficult than it needs to be. On the one hand, we
Technology & Trading
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Will U.S. SSFs rise to the surface?
Around the world, more and more market participants are diving into single stock futures (SSFs). The asset class is booming in Europe on Euronext Liffe, Eurex and MEFF, on the South African Exchange
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Techniques for trading Asian markets
Asian markets are no stranger to financial scandals. However, in 1995, a scandal broke that may not be history’s largest in monetary terms but arguably is the most infamous. By losing about $1.4
Forex Trader
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ETFs and forex trading
One of the important questions for 2008 will be whether the downtrend in the dollar will continue or change. The forex traders that succeed in picking a bottom in the dollar will reap significant
Futures 101
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Avoiding bad trades
When it comes to distinguishing a bad trade, perspective is everything. If you’re only interested in immediate financial satisfaction, then the definition is simple: winning trade, good; losing
Industry Trends
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Tops & Bottoms of 2007
When the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) announced they would merge in October 2006, it was the climax of more than a century of competition between the two. The
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Rube Goldberg’s regulatory legacy
Back when the American regulatory apparatus was being pieced together, securities transactions weren’t considered cleared until a runner physically delivered the stock certificate to its new owner.
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EU/U.S. ponder mutual processes
Several respondents to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s call for comments supported the SEC’s recent overtures towards letting non-SEC-registered foreign firms and exchanges participate in U.S.
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Paulson's Petition
With more and more listings going overseas, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson asked participants in the financial services industry to submit comments on issues ranging from broad subjects, such
Markets
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Can Elliott solve the oil conundrum?
World oil production is near its peak. Global oil depletion is a little more than 30 billion barrels per year, while the finding rate is much less at about 16 billion barrels per year. Peak oil means
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Tech Talk: Pull-back coming but bull not over
While the weekly, monthly and annual candlestick formations on the Nymex crude oil futures chart indicate another year of solid gains are in the works, other technical indicators suggest an early
Book Reviews
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A Maniac Commodity Trader’s Guide to Making a Fortune: A Not-So-Crazy Roadmap to Riches
Considering the title and the cover shot of a guy staring upside-down at his computer screen while standing on his head, you’re forgiven if you conclude you’re going to get some unorthodox trading
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Forecasting Volatility in the Financial Markets
The editors’ focus is to present recent research on volatility in the financial markets with an emphasis on forecasting volatility. The recommended audience, advanced traders with a grasp of the
Market Analysis
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Flight to quality
Since the head-and-shoulder formation that occurred near Christmas, 10-year Treasury note futures have rocketed from below 112-00 to beyond 115-00. “People are really nervous about what’s going on in
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Beans in the teens, really
Unless there is a secret stash somewhere in Argentina or Brazil, the current-season soybean production deficit could soon drive record-high prices even higher. Even before the USDA announced the
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Good as gold
Since December, gold has rallied more than $100 per ounce, breaking its all time high of $873 from 1980 and surpassing $900 on Jan. 11. “The big drivers here, and it’s the same old story, are the
Managed Money
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Hedge funds steady in 2007
The first hint of the growing subprime calamity came with a series of hedge fund blow-ups this summer. Given the exponential growth of the subprime debacle and credit crunch you might expect that
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Find a top of the morning set-up
The U.S. Treasury futures is an often overlooked market. Most traders – novice and professional alike – look at the grinding nature of the trade and assume there is no trade there. In fact, the bonds
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Contingency planning for all sizes
Having a plan for operational risks is just as important as the risk management in your trading program. The news is constantly bringing to our attention the fact that disasters occur. Whether it is
New For Traders
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New for Traders
Also, ICE Futures U.S. is implementing block trade capability for the Sugar No. 11, Coffee “C” and Robusta Coffee futures and options contracts, and for the Cotton No. 2, Cocoa and FCOJ-A options
People
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Eberle to head Man Investments USA
Uwe Eberle is now CEO and president of Man Investments Inc., USA. He became CEO for Man’s institutional business in August 2006 and is now responsible for leading Man’s U.S. institutional initiative.
News
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Chartview: Top 10 systems
Here are the top 10 systems for the 12-month period ending Sept. 31 based on simulated trading by Futures Truth. The results are based on an initial investment of three times margin with no
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International News
Start-up equities exchange Chi-X Europe Ltd., which is majority-owned by Japanese bank Nomura Holding through its Instinet subsidiary, says it has drawn a slew of new investments from a consortium of
Trader Profiles
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Northfield Trading: Upward bound
Just about everything that Douglas Bry does is systematic and back-tested; so much so that his decision to become a trader seems almost impulsive by comparison. He remembers sitting on a plane in
Breaking News
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ICE Futures U.S. goes electronic
The trading floor where Dan Akroyd and Eddie Murphy’s fictional characters cornered the frozen concentrated orange juice market in the movie “Trading Places” will shut down and make way for all
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Ag spec limits increase pain
“We know that the index funds have had an effect on the volatility of the market and this volatility is simply not good for the consumer because they are the ones who pay for it in the end,” says
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The CCorp to rise again
The Clearing Corporation has completed a restructuring that resulted in 17 shareholders owning the company, including 12 global dealers, three inter-dealer brokers, Eurex and ICAP. The new board of
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LCH, ICE dispute leaves ECX cold
The European Climate Exchange (ECX) could lose its hard-earned position as the world’s leader in carbon emission reduction trading, thanks to a dispute between the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and
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Financial heavyweights challenge CME
With the CME Group consolidating power through its recent purchase of the Chicago Board of Trade, the big brokerage houses, who are its largest customers, got together once again to try to compete
