The Disunited Kingdom and what it could mean for commodities
The United Kingdom’s In/Out referendum on continued membership of the European Union on June 23 may serve as a welcome distraction from the interminable circus of a campaign that precedes every US...
View ArticleWhere’s the silver lining? Metals market airs concerns over global benchmark...
Regulation. Regulation. Regulation. Once again it is being blamed for the London Bullion Market Association Silver Price — operated and administrated by CME Group and Thomson/Reuters — settling around...
View ArticleAgainst the grain: Agriculture grapples with price pressures
The gathering storm swirling around commodity markets augers of troubled times ahead. For agriculture, beset by the common concerns of currency fears, counterparty risk, an increased regulatory...
View ArticleDollar Tree, Dollar General, King Dollar … and now, Dollar Diesel in the US
Big-time refined product traders are now shopping at the dollar store for their diesel. Platts assessed the spot market of benchmark US Gulf Coast ultra low sulfur diesel at exactly $1/gal on...
View ArticleRainy days and airlines — there’s probably a song here
Jet fuel may be half the price it was a year ago, but airlines used to so many sad-song years aren’t taking anything for granted. Just look at the semi-annual jet fuel forum held in always-sunny Cancun...
View ArticleLook to Mexico for some of the best oil market story lines through 2020
“Reform” is one of those words that means anything you want it to mean. It’s been deployed in so many political fights, it has really lost its meaning in most contexts. I suppose some people still say...
View ArticleDon’t lose your head over bad times — the oil markets will sort everything out
Back in the day six weeks ago, I used to tell this joke when I was explaining how Platts was sending me on the road for the rest of the year to get the pulse of the oil markets. I hate to travel, and I...
View ArticleData downpour to reveal all in EU gas and power markets
EU energy regulators are about to find out what really goes on in the wholesale gas and electricity markets, as a new trade reporting obligation starts on October 7. This is a huge step toward more...
View ArticlePaper and barrels, pushing and pulling oil prices: Petrodollars
It’s an old debate: Is it fundamentals or trading that primarily drive oil prices? As John Kingston, previously of Platts and now president of the McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute, explains in...
View ArticleBanks see second quarter revenue dip from commodities
Pinning down the financial performance of energy commodity trading at top financial institutions is complicated by the manner in which banks segment their operations and lump together certain revenue...
View ArticleIn the maelstrom of oil price news, has bias triggered trading mistakes?...
In this week’s Oilgram News column, Petrodollars, Ned Molloy asks the question, have emotions and confirmation bias triggered trading mistakes in the maelstrom of oil price news? How often did one...
View ArticleColonial Pipeline is turning some in US gasoline market into history buffs
A new oil commodity with a clunky name began grabbing headlines this spring: Colonial Pipeline shipper history. Here’s the history of this so-called history, and why it’s likely to stick around after...
View ArticleJust a second … hold that trading timestamp, please
The world’s next ‘leap second’ event will occur on June 30, 2015 — and, for the first time ever, according to the Futures Industry Association (FIA), it will happen “during active trading hours in an...
View ArticleGuest post: A driving force behind the Low Carbon Fuel Standard sees credit...
John Kingston is President of the McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute and Director of Global Market Insights. He continues to observe energy markets after his many years with Platts. The price of...
View ArticleWill US Gulf Coast gasoline trade ever see a $3 million deal again?
So what can you get these days for $3 million? Well, this apartment. Or 250,000 pairs of those khakis that Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh loves so much. How about two islands due south of...
View ArticleThe price of oil reaffirms the lesson of a legendary wager
John Kingston is President of the McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute and Director of Global Market Insights. He continues to observe energy markets after his many years with Platts. When you look...
View ArticleOpportunities are strong in the European oil storage business
The room was pretty full for the first day of the Platts European Storage conference in Amsterdam this week, and it’s not surprising: the opportunities in this segment appear to be as strong as they’ve...
View ArticleCalifornia’s cap-and-trade no more than road bump in gasoline’s steep price...
Drivers in car-crazed California paid more than 10% more for their gasoline at the start of the year. They just didn’t realize it. As expected, California’s introduction of the emissions cap-and-trade...
View ArticleIndexology: A strong US dollar isn’t bad for all commodities
Jodie Gunzberg is the global head of commodities for S&P Dow Jones Indices, which like Platts is part of McGraw Hill Financial. She writes on commodity investing on the Indexology blog. Her post...
View ArticleGuest blog: Are low oil prices good or bad for oil traders?
Guest blogger Jonathan Kingsman is the founder of Kingsman SA, which is now a unit of Platts, and he remains a Platts consultant. Are low oil prices good or bad for oil traders? In theory oil traders...
View Article