Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) articles from January 2007

Futures (Cedar Falls, IA) archives from January 2007

The ICEman cometh.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
January 1, 2007... In December the New York Board of Trade (Nybot) membership over-whelmingly voted to be acquired by the IntercontinentalExchange (ICE). Ironically, Nybot is one of the last U.S. exchanges to shun electronic trading. Correction: it is the last....

Report to survive/expand.(NEW AND IMPROVED COT)
January 1, 2007... How vital is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) commitment of traders report to futures traders? Judging from the volume of and invective in the responses to the CFTC query to either amend or possibly end producing the report,...

Chartview: side by side.(Trendlines)(The Clearing Corp.)(Commodity Exchange Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... No winner can be declared after five days of direct competition between the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and Nymex's Comex division in electronically traded gold futures, but there are a few items of interest to report. First, users of the New...

DOJ probes CME/CBOT merger.(JUST THE FACTS)
January 1, 2007... That the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating the antitrust implications of the proposed merger between the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the CBOT is no surprise. The DoJ's second request for additional information wasn't a...

Patent fight heats up.(OPTIONS PUNCH)
January 1, 2007... In what the International Securities Exchange (ISE) is calling an independent action not related to its battle with the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) over index licensing, the ISE filed a patent infringement lawsuit against CBOE in late...

NYSE-Euronext close to reality.(DB DROPS OUT)(New York Stock Exchange Inc.)(Deutsche Borse AG)
January 1, 2007... The proposed merger between Euronext and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) took a giant step towards reality in December, with Deutsche Boerse calling off its bid for Euronext and regulators from the countries in which Euronext has hubs:...

Nybot says yes to ICE.(DIAMOND RINGS?)
January 1, 2007... The 977 members of the New York Board of Trade (Nybot) approved their proposed acquisition by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) by 93%, but days before the Dec. 11 vote, Nybot permit holders filed a lawsuit attempting to stop the vote and...

CBOE says merger sets it free.(EXERCISING RIGHTS)(Chicago Board Options Exchange Inc.)(CME Holdings to acquire The Clearing Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The board of directors of the CBOE on Dec. 12, submitted a rule filing with the SEC declaring that upon the closing of the proposed CME Holdings acquisition of the CBOT, the CBOE exercise rights will be terminated. The exercise right was...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2007... In "Asia upgraded and primed to trade," December 2006, we used the incorrect flag for Taiwan. Here is Taiwan's correct flag. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Corrections.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2007... Matthew Hoffman, chief investment officer at Weston Capital Management was previously a founding partner and chief investment officer for Mayer & Hoffman Capital Advisors LLC. Futures regrets the errors.

Indian regulators get serious.(International News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... India's Forwards Market Commission (FMC) has ordered exchanges to clamp down on member firms trading on behalf of customers--a practice not yet allowed there. The FMC says all customers must place their own trades through brokers until a...

Hong Kong goes global.(International News)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A new wave of futures contracts may come to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (HKEx), a major platform for securities and options trading that also offers a narrow band of Chinese and Hong Kong futures products, according to the HKex. The...

IB offers penny-priced options.(International News)
January 1, 2007... Interactive Brokers (IB) has cut the minimum price difference on its trading system for U.S. listed options to a penny from a nickel ahead of the launch of the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) mandated penny pilot program, which...

LaSala is Nymex's new chief regulator.(Trading Places)
January 1, 2007... Thomas LaSala is now chief regulatory officer for New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (Nymex). Previously he was senior vice president of compliance and risk management. He joined Nymex in 1984 as a market surveillance analyst and was promoted to...

RJO jumps in commodity pool.(Managed Money Review)(R.J. O'Brien and Associates Inc. acquired JWH Global Trust )(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... The JWH Global Trust commodity pool has been somewhat of a vagabond in recent years moving from Cargill Investor Services to Refco Commodity Management and then into limbo with the Refco bankruptcy, but it recently has been acquired by R.J....

Hot commodities.
January 1, 2007... What euro strength? In early December, the Eurodollar rallied to a 20-month high against the U.S. dollar, trading up to 1.3360. "It's more a U.S. dollar story than a euro story," says Todd B. Crosland, chairman and president of Interbank...

Options strategy.(Interview)
January 1, 2007... Question: How can you protect a potentially profitable but volatile position? Answer: An option collar Sometimes called a hedge wrapper or a fence, the collar is considered a good starting point for new options traders because it can...

2007 economic outlook: the housing market, labor numbers, inflation and the dollar rank high on economists' list for unlocking the direction of next year's economy. But where will interest rates end up? And just how good or bad of an economic performance are we in for? Traders and analysts mull over the issues and provide some predictions.(MARKETS)(Industry overview)(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... While interest rate forecasts lately seem to change with the wind, there is some consensus coming from economists on this year's economic outlook. The housing slump seems destined to be the main negative factor for the economy, the Fed will...

Tech talk: short-term trading method.
January 1, 2007... Some concepts and indicators from author and technical analyst Joe DiNapoli were used to come up with a short-term trading method trader's can use for intra-day trades. Indicators Used MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence)...

The year 2007 could be historic.(Market Strategy)
January 1, 2007... In developing a market strategy for 2007. it is important to be aware we are currently in what is arguably the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, which began in 1933 with the Great Depression. The significance is that all long U.S...

Lessons in chaos and currencies.(Forex Trader)
January 1, 2007... Trading activity during the recent Thanksgiving holiday was a classic example of the dynamics forex markets. While U.S. traders were taking holiday time off with the markets closed, global sentiment led to a significant decline in the value of...

Choosing the right option: futures, equity and ETF options are not as straightforward as they sometimes are made out to be. Trading the wrong vehicle can have a big negative impact on your bottom line. Here are some tips on which instrument to select when.(EQUITY TRADING TECHNIQUES)(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... One of the main differences between futures and equity products is that a futures contract is an obligation to buy or sell an underlying instrument at a pre-set price and date while equities are actual securities. That being said, several of...

Putting time on your side: in option trading you can position yourself to profit with time as your ally. Knowledge of the effects of time on option prices can greatly enhance your chance of success.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2007... Time is both an advantage and a problem in option trading. Time to expiration acts like gravity--continuously tugging option values toward final price premiums of zero. Those who buy and sell options try to take advantage of temporary...

Trading the plan: successful traders approach the markets with a solid trading plan--and sticking to that plan will guarantee long term results.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2007... A conversation with a trader should not go like this: "Hey, went short the EUR and made 50 tics." "That's great, what prompted the short?" "Just liked it...." At this point in the conversation, you should leave the room, remove...

Reading economic reports: given the important role that economic data plays in the behavior of the financial markets, it is crucial for investors to have an understanding of how to read these reports and how to use that data.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2007... Most retail traders would be surprised at how little many professional traders on Wall Street know about economic reports. With a little work, anyone can take their knowledge to a level that many on Wall Street take years to obtain--and that...

Trading systems: build or buy?(Online Trading)
January 1, 2007... Trading system development is an arduous task and with many popular off-the-shelf systems available a trader must determine whether to build or buy? A trading system is a group of specific rules that determine entry and exit points for a...

Driving the dollar: several factors affect the relative value of the U.S. currency. Examining these, and what variables those factors depend on, gives us a clear direction of the future value of the dollar.(TRADING TECHNIQUES)
January 1, 2007... As Federal Reserve monetary policy further cements its impact on currency markets, forex players have no choice but to scrutinize every signal subtlety communicated by policymakers. Yet, at a time when Fed officials maintain tremendous...

Forex fundamentals: moving the markets: for many traders, foreign exchange is all about technical analysis, but regardless of what technical studies you use to signal a trade, a solid understanding of the fundamental drivers is necessary for long-term successful trading.(FUTURES 101)
January 1, 2007... Because of higher housing prices and increased consumer confidence, the Bank of England was widely expected to temper rejuvenated economic growth with an interest rate hike at its meeting on Nov. 9. And it did, boosting the bank rate 25-basis...

Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management: How to Build Optimal Portfolios That Account for Investor Biases.
January 1, 2007... Behavioral Finance and Wealth Management: How to Build Optimal Portfolios That Account for Investor Biases By Michael M. Pompian John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2006 317 pages, $60 There have been numerous research projects conducted...

The Handbook of Pairs Trading: Strategies Using Equities, Options and Futures.(Book review)
January 1, 2007... The Handbook of Pairs Trading: Strategies Using Equities, Options and Futures By Douglas S. Ehrman John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2006 249 pages, $95 If you have never undertaken a pairs trade, you may be tempted to try it after...

Putting the commodity back in CTA: a few years ago grain trading programs were headed the way of the open outcry pits they traded in: both were on the endangered species list. Ag programs now have new life with new attention coming from the commodity bull market, long-only funds, bio-fuels and the electrification of trading.(MANAGED MONEY)
January 1, 2007... The term commodity trading advisor (CTA) has become a misnomer of sorts. It describes active managers in the futures arena and is a legal definition, but most CTAs--particularly the larger ones--have a small portion of their portfolios...

The New York Mercantile Exchange Inc.(EXCHANGES)
January 1, 2007... The New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (Nymex) has launched side-by-side trading of Comex miNYs, Asian metals and London metals futures contracts on the CME Globex and migrated the gold, silver, copper and aluminum futures contracts. Nymex will...

The International Securities Exchange.(EXCHANGES)
January 1, 2007... The International Securities Exchange (ISE) launched the ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index, a sector benchmark developed with Revere Data LLC. Additionally, ISE has listed cash-settled options based on this new index. The index contains 30 companies...

The London Metal Exchange.(EXCHANGES)
January 1, 2007... The London Metal Exchange now trades LMEmini contracts for copper, aluminium and zinc. LMEminis are cash-settled, electronically traded monthly futures contracts in lot sizes of five tonnes, with the same specification as the exchange's parent...

PHLX XLE.(EXCHANGES)
January 1, 2007... The Philadelphia Stock Exchange launched its PHLX XLE, an electronic Reg. NMS-compliant equity trading system. PHLX XLE is an anonymous, open access system with a central limit order book that operates on the principle of price-time priority...

GL Trade.(SOFTWARE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... GL Trade now has direct connectivity to the South African Futures Exchange (Safex), offering direct market access to both financial and agricultural futures markets. GL Trade will offer Safexvia GL NET, its international proprietary network,...

Strategy Runner.(SOFTWARE)
January 1, 2007... Strategy Runner's server will connect to Trading Technologies' (TT) exchange gateways via TT's FIX Adapter. The integration allows Strategy Runner customers to leverage the integration between TT's exchange gateways and Strategy Runner's...

OptionsXpress Holdings Inc.(SOFTWARE)
January 1, 2007... OptionsXpress Holdings Inc. announced 24-hour trading of more than 40 different futures contracts traded at the CME, the Chicago Board of Trade and Nymex. www.optionsexpress.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Send new product information to:...

Foresight-A.I.(SOFTWARE)(Strategic Trading Institute )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The Strategic Trading Institute now offers Foresight-A.I., an artificial intelligence tool that forecasts next day market highs, lows and direction. The service is available through GFT's DealBook 360trading software. Subscribers receive the...

Dow Jones Indexes and Wilshire Associates Inc.(INDEXES)
January 1, 2007... Dow Jones Indexes and Wilshire Associates Inc. will launch the Dow Jones Wilshire Global Index Family. The index includes more than 12,000 stocks in 56 countries with a float-adjusted market capitalization of nearly $34 trillion....

Stoxx Ltd.(INDEXES)
January 1, 2007... Stoxx Ltd. launched the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 BuyWrite Index, which measures the performance of a hypothetical portfolio of a long position of the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 Index and a sold call option based on the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50...

Events coming up.(Calendar)
January 1, 2007... Call the numbers listed for more information. For other seminars, see the classifieds on pages 69-73. GAIM USA 2007. JAN. 22-24, 2007. Boca Raton resort, Boca Raton, Fla.. www.gaimusa.com. (212) 661-3500. The World Money Show. FEB....

Patrick Weber: the strategy of carbon.(Trader Profile)(Interview)
January 1, 2007... "Trading is a lot like chess," says Patrick Weber, 27, who runs the greenhouse gas emissions books for Dresdner Kleinwort out of London and is one of the world's first full-time emissions traders. "You follow your own strategy, but also need to...

Categories of futures/options firms.(Directory)
January 15, 2007... The firms listed in Futures' 2007 SourceBook are broken into five groups--brokers/advisors, information suppliers, electronic suppliers, professional services and exchanges. Some categories are defined by the NFA or CFTC; some are...

Futures & options industry firms.(Directory)
January 15, 2007... The following is an alphabetical listing of U.S. firms serving the futures and options industry that responded to our requests to be listed in the Futures' 2007 SourceBook. The basic listing includes the firm name in boldface type followed...

Futures & options exchanges.
January 15, 2007... Here we list the world's futures and options exchanges, U.S. exchanges first, then overseas exchanges, alphabetically by country. Only U.S. contracts with a minimum average daily volume of 100 are listed while only non-U.S. contracts with a...

Industry regulators.(Directory)
January 15, 2007... CHECKING ON YOUR BROKER Most of us will be involved with an industry regulator only when checking on the disciplinary history of brokers and trading advisors. The best way to check on U.S.-based firms is through the National Futures...