In this paper, we present a straightforward economic model that explains the incentives to manipulate nodal energy prices in a “Day 2” RTO market. The model distinguishes between legitimate market participation that increases overall market efficiency and manipulative behavior that distorts...

This article investigates the pricing of volatility risk in agricultural commodity markets. We show theoretically that the cost of bearing volatility risk can be measured using returns to delta-neutral straddles. Using a sample of options for five commodities (corn, soybeans, Chicago wheat, live...

Many stock exchanges implement advanced procedures toward preventing manipulative orders from distorting informative price discovery during preopening sessions. Often, such sessions involve both the stock and options markets, with book-based indicative stock prices and traded index options,...

The complexity of managing physical and financial risk throughout the commodity production, processing and merchandising chain presents numerous challenges. To solve this problem commercials are increasingly turning to Energy and Commodity Transaction Risk Management (E/CTRM) systems. Still,...

In a well-functioning futures market, the futures price at expiration equals the price of the underlying asset. This condition failed to hold in grain markets for most of 2005-10. During this period, futures contracts expired up to 35% above the cash grain price. We develop a rational...

Our research question focuses on how more informatives prices affect operators. Above all, I wonder who are the winners and the losers of the lower risk generated by a higher price informativeness. I study a two-period model with a spot market and a futures market for a commodity. Hedgers are...

We derive new bounds on the rational variation in asset prices over time. The resulting test requires no proxy for fundamental value, and it allows significantly more flexibility in preferences and discount rates than in standard volatility tests. We gain traction by focusing specifically on...

We present a portable model of distorted learning which embodies Tversky and Kahneman's (1971) “belief in the law of small numbers.” When adjusting beliefs in response to new information the decision maker overweights the sample, updating as if the sample size were inflated. The degree of...

We examine the role that spot markets and physical inventories play in revealing to uninformed traders the expectations of informed traders. Although many papers investigate potential mechanisms by which futures markets may disseminate such information, the role of spot markets has not been...

The liberalisation of energy markets entails the appearance of market risks which must be borne by market participants: producers, retailers, and final consumers. Some of these risks can be managed by participating in the forward markets and transferring it to other agents who are willing to...