Kate Kelly, acclaimed journalist and author of Street Fighters, investigates the world of commodities traders When most of us think of the drama of global finance, we think of stocks and bonds. But commodities? Crude oil and soya beans? Copper and wheat? What could be more boring? That's exactly what the elite commodity traders want us to think. They don't seek the spotlight. They don't want to be as famous as Warren Buffett. Their astonishing wealth was created in obscurity, because they dwell in private companies or deep within large banks and corporations. But if the individuals in the commodities boom have gone unnoticed, their impact has not. Prices of raw materials have exploded. Are the big traders jacking up the cost of petrol, food, and essentials bought by people around the world? How did such immense power end up in the hands of a few? In this riveting book, Kate Kelly takes us inside the inner circle that affects so many things we all depend on. Following a trail from New York to London to Dubai, from hedgefunds and banks to brokers and regulators, she reveals the fullest ever picture of the men who gamble with our future every day.

This guide to investing in the bioenergy market covers the topic from both a scientific, economic and political perspective. It describes the increasing number of second generation biodiesel projects which are now emerging in anticipation of growing sustainability concerns by governments, and in response to market demands for improved process efficiencies and greater feedstock production yields.
The book also closely examines the science and technology involved in second generation biofuels and gives concrete examples, such as in the aviation industry. The result is an essential guide for scientists, investors, politicians and decision-makers in the energy sector.

More than 50 developing countries depend on three or fewer commodities for more than half of their exports and, in fact, many rely on a single commodity for a large share of export earnings. This reliance inevitability exposes countries to the risk of export earnings instability as a result of price shocks and, perhaps even more significantly, the falling purchasing power of exports over the long run due to declining real prices. Presenting for the first time a complete analysis of the issues surrounding commodity prices and development, this book is the culmination of three years of research commissioned by the Commonwealth Secretariat to look at various aspects of commodity prices.
The problems faced by commodity dependent developing countries are formidable. Although diversification is the most appropriate response to the problem of the secular decline in commodity prices, long-term transformation in the economy can be a slow process and its success will depend on a host of factors such as the development of human resources, institutional capacity building, poverty alleviation, and appropriate domestic policy and environment. By granting increased aid flows and debt relief, and providing assistance to encourage production of non-traditional export items, the international community can play a proactive role in the development of the commodity dependent poor countries. Only concerted efforts both at the domestic fronts of these countries and via co-operation extended by the international community can help mitigate the problems of the world's most vulnerable economies.

The investment industry is increasingly a global business. This is partly due to the needs of multinational corporations to obtain financing in more than one nation. Cross-border investments and acquisitions continue at a rapid pace. The asset management business is becoming larger, more complex and more competitive, while hedge funds and private equity dominate large portions of the industry. This carefully-researched book is a complete investments, securities and asset management market research and business intelligence tool--everything you need to know about the business of investments, including: investment banking, stock brokers, discount brokers, online trading, trends in financial information technologies, asset management, stock ownership by individuals and households, 401(k)s and pension plans, mutual funds, ETFs, ECNs and exchanges. The book includes vital industry statistics; a glossary; industry contacts such as industry associations and government agencies; and our profiles of 400 leading global firms in the investment and asset management business, both public and private. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

This book is the first to draw together the numerous different regulations which affect how commodities are traded in the EU. Having long been a largely deregulated industry, intense scrutiny in the aftermath of the global financial crisis has left commodities trading subject to a raft of harmonized regulations, many of which have yet to be finalized. Regulation of both the physical and the financial commodities markets is undergoing significant change and participants and their advisors are struggling to understand the changes in each jurisdiction as well as the cross-border implications. The book pulls together these various pieces of EU legislation and examines how they influence the way that commodities are traded in Europe. It also provides coverage of regulation at domestic level in key jurisdictions active in the marketplace, namely the UK, USA, Switzerland, and Singapore. Divided into eight sections, the book includes analysis of the commodities trading houses (including their motives and methods), the main trading venues, trading practices, and potential illicit practices and market abuses. Each section has a detailed transnational component in which the position in each specific jurisdiction is explained, drawing parallels and setting out the differences between these countries. This extremely topical publication is an essential reference work for all those advising on or researching the increasingly complex and globalized field of commodities trading.