What affects the supply of oil? How important is the weather in determining grain prices? Why has the price of copper skyrocketed? This unique book analyses the economics of key commodity groups, including energy, agriculture and metals. It examines the supply/demand fundamentals of several major and minor commodities, physical characteristics, production and consumption patterns, trade flows and pricing mechanisms. It also explains the main tools used to hedge price risk, such as futures, options and swaps. This second edition has been fully revised and restructured, and contains four new chapters, including oil refining, electricity and price risk management for energy, metals and agricultural commodities This book is an indispensable reference text for students, academics and those working in the commodity business.

The early 21st century has seen a prolonged price boom in non-fuel commodities, coupled with a volatile performance in fuel prices. This new collection presents the latest research on commodity prices and economic development in the context of this changing globalized economy. Global Commodity Markets and Development Economics brings together analyses from a number of perspectives in order to explore commodity price developments. Chapters explore long term commodity trends, the evolution of relative price developments, the relationship of the domestic commodity sector with global supply chains, agri-food prices, and the role of oil markets in the global economy. Through considering a diverse range of countries including China, Russia and the United States, the authors examine key fuel and non-fuel commodity markets and offer a window into important trends and developments. This book will be relevant to those with an interest in development economics, international economics and energy markets.

""Commodities Rising," part memoir and part investment guide, provides a unique and practical perspective that is based on a rare combination of professional experiences."

-Donald F. Larson, Senior Economist, World Bank

"Jeffrey Christian brings twenty-five years of commodity market experience to his thoughtful and insightful new book. A keen analyst, Christian debunks many commodity market myths. There has been a substantial underinvestment in commodity research of late. His book is a 'must-read' for any investor wishing to avoid the pitfalls present in physical commodity investments."

-Terrence F. Martell, PhD, Saxe Distinguished Professor of Finance, Director, Weissman Center for International Business, Baruch College, CUNY;Public Governor, New York Board of Trade

"If you've read one of the recent 'commodity craze' books, you'll appreciate the more careful, thorough account Christian provides here. His anecdotes and analysis will convince you that this is truly an insider's assessment."

-Peter A. Biebel, Vice President, Director of Futures Research, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

"In addition to its depth, Christian's book is extremely reader-friendly, presenting commodity issues from various angles. I strongly recommend to anyone interested in commodities that they read this book; and to those still unfamiliar with the subject, I recommend that they take a look. The rewards will be significant, intellectually and possibly financially."

-Takamasa Akiyama, Professor of Development Economics, Nihon University, Mishima, Japan, and Senior Advisor, Foundation for Advanced Studies onInternational Development (FASID), Tokyo, JapanAnalyze the current commodity environment and look out over the next few years to identify potential profit situations in Commodities Rising. You'll learn how commodities can be used to reduce risk and increase returns in a balanced investment portfolio. Author and commodities expert Jeffrey Christian debunks much of the misinformation currently circulating about commodities and provides a reasoned reality-check you can use to evaluate the claims and promises of various publications and brokerages in the commodity field. Specific issues addressed throughout this book include: the variety of commodity investments?exchange traded funds, stocks, futures, and options;commodities in the global economy;commodity trading/investing strategies.Filled with in-depth insights and engaging anecdotes gleaned from the author's 30 years in the commodity markets, this is an invaluable resource for the serious investor or trader.

A timely contribution and incisive analysis, this is the story of the British experiment in privatizing the nuclear power industry and its subsequent financial collapse. It tells how the UK's pioneering role in nuclear power led to bad technology choices, a badly flawed restructuring of the electricity industry and the end of government support for nuclear power. In this volume Simon Taylor has combined interviews with former executives, regulators and analysts with his own unique insight into the nuclear industry to provide an analysis of the origins of the crisis and the financial and corporate strategies used by British Energy plc. Arguing that the stock market was a major factor in the company's collapse by misunderstanding its finances, over-valuing the shares and giving wrong signals to management and that the government policy of trying to put all responsibility for nuclear liabilities in the hands of the private sector was neither credible nor realistic. The book concludes that failure was not inevitable but resulted from a mixture of internal and external causes that casts doubt on the policy of combining a wholly nuclear generator with liberalized power markets. This book will be of great interest to students engaged with the history of nuclear power in the UK, privatization, regulation and financial and corporate strategy, as well as experts, policy makers and strategists in the field.

A rare opportunity to go one-on-one with an industry giant and one of today's most respected financial thinkers, Merton Miller on Derivatives is a refreshingly accessible overview of derivatives, the revolution they have wrought, and the disasters they've supposedly caused.

Though routinely assailed by regulators and the media, derivatives are hailed by a celebrated group of practitioners, analysts, and theorists, led most notably by Nobel laureate Merton Miller. Miller is legendary for repeatedly demonstrating—often with humor and always with grace—the value of derivatives in price discovery, managing financial risk, and tailoring a risk-return profile.

Here, in this collection of his recent essays, Miller expounds on a number of critical derivatives issues. Is it a problem that some organizations have lost substantial sums on derivatives? Miller's short answer: Some organizations will always find ways to lose money. Nor does he believe that more government regulation is the answer. He notes, for example, that for all the horror stories about derivatives, the world's banks have lost vastly more in bad real estate deals than they'll ever lose on their derivatives portfolios.

Merton Miller on Derivatives offers twenty-two provocative chapters. A sampling: "The Recent Derivatives 'Disasters': Assessing the Damage" takes a close look at such debacles as Procter & Gamble, Orange County, and Barings Bank. "Financial Regulation: The Inside Game" uses an apt sports analogy to show how the derivatives regulatory game is really played, as opposed to the way outsiders imagine it is played. "Japanese-American Trade Relations: Can Rambo Beat Godzilla?" succinctly sums up the nature of Japanese-American trade. And "Risk and Return on Futures Contracts: A Chicago View" highlights the pivotal role derivatives play in hedging risk.

There are also penetrating pieces on corporate governance that compare the system existing in the United States and England with the one existing in Germany and Japan. To complete the collection, a section called "Questions I'm Often Asked" features Miller's unique perspective on a wide range of topics, from what's ahead for China to what we've learned from the Crash of 1987.

Contrary to widely held perceptions, the so-called "derivatives revolution" has made the world safer, not more dangerous. This explains the phenomenal growth of financial futures. As Miller shows, derivatives enable organizations to deal effectively with risks that have plagued them for decades, even centuries.

Praise for merton miller on derivatives

"Miller is one of the clearest thinkers of our time. Once again, he provides a simple, insightful, and witty analysis of an important and complex topic. This book is truly fun to read." —Kenneth R. French Beinecke Professor of Management Studies and Finance Yale University School of Management.

"Some of us trade markets; others of us observe markets; Merton Miller understands markets. As this volume demonstrates, Professor Miller is unsurpassed at cutting through fluff, misinterpretation, and even obfuscation to get to the heart of highly charged issues." —Charles W. Smithson Managing Director, CIBC Wood Gundy.

"Vintage Merton Miller: zesty writing and forcefully communicated ideas, not only on derivatives, but on a wide range of topics in financial markets. This is no ponderous academic tome, but rather a series of entertaining, yet devastatingly analytical essays on controversial issues in finance. Great reading and great analysis." —Hans R. Stoll Walker Professor of Finance and Director of the Financial Markets Research Center, Vanderbilt University.

"I am grateful to Merton Miller for setting the record straight, once again, regarding derivatives. With his customary brilliance, Merton cuts through the fog of misunderstanding and nonsense that too often surrounds derivatives and reveals them for what they truly are: phenomenally successful and essential risk management tools." —Jack Sandner Chairman, Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

"This book brings together Merton Miller's most important works on derivatives markets. One of the most creative and analytical minds of our time, Merton is also a great writer and storyteller. This book is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in derivatives markets." —Rick Kilcollin President and CEO, Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

The phenomenon of collusive international agreements (cartels) became widespread in the 1930s. At that time, attempts to control production and prices were mainly the prerogative of multinational firms operating in the developing (then colonized) world. The "modern era" of cartels began in the 1960s, when the governments of developing nations began to participate in commodity agreements to achieve increases and stability in the world price of their commodities. This book is principally concerned with the modern era of cartels. It goes beyond the singular example of petroleum and OPEC to examine the structure of international commodity markets for bauxite (aluminum ore), cocoa, coffee, rubber, sugar, and tin, and the conditions that led to the formation of cartels in those markets during the latter half of the twentieth century. Specifically, the work focuses on four major aspects of international commodity markets: patterns of production and consumption; economic dislocations to both importers and exporters due to price fluctuations; the formation of cartels as a solution to weak and variable commodity prices; and the likely effects arising from tightening raw material markets. The book concludes with a detailed examination of what the future holds for each of the cartels, and what role technology, 24-hour market trading, and decreasing foreign direct investment in producing countries will have on the management of commodity markets.

The collapse of Souq Al-Manakh in Kuwait in August 1982 was the most spectacular financial crash of recent years. The market had developed as a parallel stock exchange dealing in the shares of Gulf companies not resident in Kuwait. Fuelled by manic speculation, the market grew at a phenomenal rate throughout 1981 and early 1982. Inexperienced investors gambled huge sums on the shares of shell companies promoted largely for share speculation. At the height of the market US$92 billion was outstanding on nearly 30,000 postdated cheques, the usual form of payment used in the market. The financial crisis created by the collapse of the Souq Al-Manakh threatened the stability of Kuwait. The government was forced to intervene and absorb the major part of the loss. This book, first published in 1986, traces the growth of the stock market and analyses its collapse. It also discusses in detail the wider impact of this debacle on the economic life of the Gulf.

The collapse of Souq Al-Manakh in Kuwait in August 1982 was the most spectacular financial crash of recent years. The market had developed as a parallel stock exchange dealing in the shares of Gulf companies not resident in Kuwait. Fuelled by manic speculation, the market grew at a phenomenal rate throughout 1981 and early 1982. Inexperienced investors gambled huge sums on the shares of shell companies promoted largely for share speculation. At the height of the market US$92 billion was outstanding on nearly 30,000 postdated cheques, the usual form of payment used in the market. The financial crisis created by the collapse of the Souq Al-Manakh threatened the stability of Kuwait. The government was forced to intervene and absorb the major part of the loss. This book, first published in 1986, traces the growth of the stock market and analyses its collapse. It also discusses in detail the wider impact of this debacle on the economic life of the Gulf.

"This is the book on porcelain we have been waiting for. . . . A remarkable achievement."-Edmund de Waal, author of The Hare with Amber Eyes A sweeping cultural and economic history of porcelain, from the eighteenth century to the present Porcelain was invented in medieval China-but its secret recipe was first reproduced in Europe by an alchemist in the employ of the Saxon king Augustus the Strong. Saxony's revered Meissen factory could not keep porcelain's ingredients secret for long, however, and scores of Holy Roman princes quickly founded their own mercantile manufactories, soon to be rivaled by private entrepreneurs, eager to make not art but profits. As porcelain's uses multiplied and its price plummeted, it lost much of its identity as aristocratic ornament, instead taking on a vast number of banal, yet even more culturally significant, roles. By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it became essential to bourgeois dining, and also acquired new functions in insulator tubes, shell casings, and teeth. Weaving together the experiences of entrepreneurs and artisans, state bureaucrats and female consumers, chemists and peddlers, Porcelain traces the remarkable story of "white gold" from its origins as a princely luxury item to its fate in Germany's cataclysmic twentieth century. For three hundred years, porcelain firms have come and gone, but the industry itself, at least until very recently, has endured. After Augustus, porcelain became a quintessentially German commodity, integral to provincial pride, artisanal industrial production, and a familial sense of home. Telling the story of porcelain's transformation from coveted luxury to household necessity and flea market staple, Porcelain offers a fascinating alternative history of art, business, taste, and consumption in Central Europe.

First published in 1986, this book discusses many important aspects of the theory and practice of Futures Markets. It describes how they, at the time, grew to be an increasingly important feature of the world's major financial centres. Indeed, they adopted the role of being efficient forward pricing mechanisms and this was reflected by the interest of economists in the study of risk, uncertainty and information. Here, the contributors focus on areas that were of concern in the late 1980s such as feasibility, forward pricing and returns, and the modelling of price determination in Futures Markets. Evidence is drawn from twenty-five different commodities representing all the major commodity groups; and from all the world's major centres of Futures Trading.

First published in 1972, this book provides an important critical review on the theory of futures trading. B. A. Goss looks at the work and ideas of Keynes and Hicks on futures, and considers how these have also been developed by Kaldor. He discusses the evolution of the concept of hedging in the context of buying forward into the markets, and considers theories of market and individual equilibrium. Goss draws on the work of other economists in this field, including Stein, Telser, Peston and L. L. Johnson, in order to illustrate the development of theory in futures trading. The book includes fifteen figures that illustrate diagrammatically the concepts involved, and the concluding section contains a series of problems for examination by the student.

The last few years have been a watershed for the commodities, cash and derivatives industry. New regulations and products have led to an explosion in the commodities markets, creating a new asset for investors that includes hedge funds as well as University endowments, and has resulted in a spectacular growth in spot and derivative trading.

This book covers hard and soft commodities (energy, agriculture and metals) and analyses: Economic and geopolitical issues in commodities marketsCommodity price and volume riskStochastic modelling of commodity spot prices and forward curvesReal options valuation and hedging of physical assets in the energy industry

It is required reading for energy companies and utilities practitioners, commodity cash and derivatives traders in investment banks, the Agrifood business, Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) and Hedge Funds.

In "Commodities and Commodity Derivatives," Helyette Geman shows her powerful command of the subject by combining a rigorous development of its mathematical modelling with a compact institutional presentation of the arcane characteristics of commodities that makes the complex analysis of commodities derivative securities accessible to both the academic and practitioner who wants a deep foundation and a breadth of different market applications. It is destined to be a "must have" on the subject."
--Robert Merton, Professor, Harvard Business School

"A marvelously comprehensive book of interest to academics and practitioners alike, by one of the world's foremost experts in the field."
--Oldrich Vasicek, founder, KMV

Praise for Pattern, Price & Time Second Edition

"Jim's breadth of knowledge spans futures, Forex, stocks, Gann, charting, price patterns, and the list goes on and on. He is a valued contributor to the TraderPlanet.com community and this book further demonstrates his unwavering commitment to educating traders to help them become more successful."
--Lane J. Mendelsohn, Publisher, TraderPlanet.com

"James Hyerczyk provides an illuminating guide to the fascinating world of Gann Theory and the combined analysis of price, pattern, and time. This book is very interesting from both a historical and practical technical perspective."
--Dan Blystone, Editor, TradersLog.com

"I have known James Hyerczyk since 1991. I have always valued W. D. Gann's methods. Reading Jim's book, Pattern, Price & Time, Second Edition is a good way to get started in learning the concepts of Gann's methodology. I highly recommend this book."

---Michael Popilchak, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Sweet Futures Division of Rosenthal Collins Group LLC

"Hunting out good opportunities involves good tracking. Jim has taken his vast experience with Gann's proven technical analysis, to show the savvy investor the foot prints in the snow to find those successful trades. As the Chief Investment Officer of LaSalle St. Securities, I have found over the last thirty-five years that good technical analysis is invaluable."
--Jay C. Carstensen, Chief Investment Officer, LaSalle St. Securities, LLC

Equity and index options expire on the third Friday of each month. As that moment approaches, unusual market forces create option price distortions, rarely understood by most investors. These distortions give rise to outstanding trading opportunities with enormous profit potential. In Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame, leading options trader Jeff Augen explores this extraordinary opportunity with never-before published statistical models, minute-by-minute pricing analysis, and optimized trading strategies that regularly deliver returns of 40%-300% per trade. You'll learn how to structure positions that profit from end-of-contract price distortions with remarkably low risk. These strategies don't rely on your ability to pick stocks or predict market direction and they only require one or two days of market exposure per month. Augen also discusses: * Three powerful end-of-cycle effects not comprehended by contemporary pricing models * Trading only one or two days each month and avoiding overnight exposure * Leveraging the surprising power of expiration-day pricing dynamics If you're looking for an innovative new way to reignite your returns no matter where the markets move, you've found it in Trading Options at Expiration. "Learn and profit from Jeff Augen's book: It clearly explains how to take advantage of market inefficiencies in collapsing implied volatility, effects of strike price, and time decay. A must-read for individuals who are options oriented." --Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Director of Technical Analysis Studies, New York Institute of Finance "A fantastic, insightful book full of meticulously compiled statistics about anomalies that surround option expiration. Not only does Augen present a set of effective trading strategies to capitalize on these anomalies, he walks through the performance of each across several expirations. His advice is practical and readily applicable: He outlines common pitfalls, gives guidance on timing your executions, and even includes code that can be used to perform the same calculations he does in the text. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you a true edge in your option trading." --Alexis Goldstein, Vice President, Equity Derivatives Business Analyst "Mr. Augen makes a careful and systematic study of option prices at expiration. His translation of price behavior into trading strategy is intriguing work, and the level of detail is impressive." --Dr. Robert Jennings, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelly School of Business "This book fills a gap in the vast amount of literature on derivatives trading and stands out for being extremely well written, clear, concise, and very low on jargon--perfect for traders looking to evolve their equity option strategies." --Nazzaro Angelini, Principal, Spearpoint Capital "Instead of considering macro-time strategies that take weeks to unfold, Jeff Augen is thinking micro here--hours or days--specifically the days or hours right before expiration, and harnessing grinding, remorseless options decay for profit. He builds a compelling case for the strategy here. The concept of using ratio spreads plus risk management for as brief a period as one day--open to close--to capture expiring premium is worth the price of admission alone. A superb follow-up to his first book. Must-read for the serious options student." --John A. Sarkett, Option Wizard software

"Trading Catalysts takes you into the market and recounts moment-by-moment price action. From an almost 14% rise in the Nasdaq following a surprise Fed rate cut to an incredible (and temporary) 22% decline in the S&P 500 futures price folliwng a single large sell order, Trading Catalysts is loaded witih real-life examples of how events move markets. Must reading for traders and investors alike." --Victor Canto, Pd.D., founder of La Jolla Economics and a columnist for The National Review "At last...an invaluable investment book that shows in detail how markets actually behaved during extreme events, times when fortunes were won or lost in the blink of an eye. This is the real world of trading and risk, not academic theory. Read, learn and prepare yourself because these types of extraordinary events will happen again." --Peter Matthews, Managing Partner, Optimation Investment Management LLC Understand the Triggers of Market Volatility-and Take Advantage of Them Actionable lessons from 25 years of major events-and the market's reactions to them Predicting the market impact of everything from Fed statements to natural disasters Separating real information from noise, major "market movers" from trivia In Trading Catalysts, Robert I. Webb examines the various factors that move markets. Webb focuses on the catalysts that spark the biggest price changes-and the greatest potential for substantial profits or losses. Using numerous real market examples, Webb demonstrates the often inconsistent response of prices to similar trading catalysts across markets and over time, the occasional significantly delayed response, and the frequent market overreaction. Whether traders bet directly on a trading catalyst, on the presumed market reaction (or overreaction) to it, or not at all, the potential impact on market prices and volatility means that all traders must pay attention to trading catalysts and the market reactions that they induce. At the very least, the prospect of significant volatility around some event may affect the timing of a trader's entry or exit of positions and may cause a trader to reduce his position size. If you're a serious trader, this book will help you understand the influence of trading catalysts and identify potential trading opportunities. Volatile financial markets create both the risk of substantial losses and the opportunity for substantial gains. Sudden jumps or breaks in prices can impart a roller-coaster-ride-like quality to trading or investing in financial markets. Trading Catalysts is the first complete guide to the events that spark large changes in prices. These include: central bank actions; ill-advised comments by policymakers; news of natural disasters; elections; certain economic reports; terrorism; company specific announcements; the unwinding of large positions by key market participants; and simple trading errors among others. The varied origin of trading catalysts means that some traders may have an edge in anticipating the market's reaction to certain trading catalysts. Numerous real market examples take the reader into the heart of the market to illustrate the direction, magnitude, speed, duration, intensity and breadthof influence of trading catalysts on market prices. Because a minute can be a "lifetime" in the world of trading, many of the detailed examples recount moment-by-moment and tick-by-tick changes in market prices. This book discusses the role that trading theses(or prevailing beliefs about market relationships), market conditions,and sentimentplay in determining how prices react and sometimes overreact to various trading catalysts over time. Trading Catalysts will help readers anticipate potential events that could spark rallies or breaks; predict situations with feedback loops that drive markets up or down; and identify situations where substantial overreactions are likely to occur. Size Matters: When key players unwind positions and move the markets The Information in Economic Reports: Rout or Rally? Uncertain market reaction to the forecast errors from economic reports Talk Isn't Cheap: When the comments of politicians and policymakers move markets Market Interventions: When governments intervene: case studies, from currencies to oil Geopolitical Risk: From elections to terrorism to wars Bubbles, Crashes, Corners, and Market Crises: Lessons from the "silver corner," the 1987 stock market crash, and the Asian Financial Crisis Quantifying the Market Impact of Natural Disasters: From earthquakes to floods to mad cow disease Fat Fingers: When trading errors and mistranslations move the market Of Straws and Camels' Backs: When trivial news sparks huge moves Preface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Market Conditions and Sentiment Chapter 3: Talk Isn't Cheap Chapter 4: Geopolitical Events Chapter 5: Weather and Natural Disasters Chapter 6: Market Interventions Chapter 7: Periodic Economic Reports Chapter 8: Size Matters Chapter 9: Bubbles, Crashes, Corners, and Market Crises Chapter 10: The Accidental Catalyst Index

An in-depth survey of the major commodities of the world
* Profiles each commodity in detail
* Provides in-depth statistics on production
* Includes an invaluable directory
Contents:
* Introductory essays
* Covers all major agricultural and mineral products including aluminium, coal, cotton, nickel, petroleum, bananas, rice, rubber, tea, coffee, tobacco, wheat, natural gas, soybeans, zinc, lead and phosphates
* Each commodity is profiled in detail with information on physical appearance, history, uses, major markets, trends in demand, major importers and exporters
* Statistical details of recent levels of production at a global and individual country level
* Recent trends in prices with indexes of export prices
* A directory of organizations concerned with commodities.

Gaming the Market: Applying Game Theory to Create Winning Trading Strategies is the first book to show investors how game theory is applicable to decisions about buying and selling stocks, bonds, mutual funds, futures, and options. As a practical trading guide, Gaming the Market will help investors master this revolutionary approach, and employ it to their advantage.

Although game theory has been studied since the 1940s, it has only recently been applied to the world of finance. Game theory champions garnered the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics, and, today, this theory is used to analyze everything from the baseball strike to FCC auctions. Increasingly, game theory is making its mark as a potent tool for traders. In Gaming the Market, economist Ronald B. Shelton provides a model that enables traders to predict profitability and, as a result, make effective buy and sell decisions.

Stated simply, game theory is the study of conflict based on a formal approach to decision making that views decisions as choices made in a game. Whether playing individually or in a group, each player in a conflict has more than one course of action available to him, and the outcome of the "game" depends on the interaction of the strategies pursued by each. Shelton offers real-world examples that reveal how the principles of game theory drive financial markets --and how these same principles can be used to develop winning investment strategies. Through Shelton's organized and precise explanations--he uses familiar games such as chess and checkers to illustrate his points --readers gain a solid understanding of the key principles of game theory before applying them to actual financial market situations.

Gaming the Market examines the interaction between price fluctuations and risk acceptance levels and gradually constructs a game theory model which proves that there are probability-based formulas for determining the profitability of any given trade.

With appendixes on T-Bond futures, mathematical representations of the model, and QuickBasic code for calculating relative frequencies, Gaming the Market provides a thorough overview of the rules and strategies of game theory. This indispensable reference will prove invaluable to novice and seasoned players alike.

Are the markets a game? What are the rules? Who are the players?

How can you, as a player, come up with a winning strategy?

Now, acclaimed economist Ronald B. Shelton shows you how to master the power of game theory in the first trader's guide to this revolutionary approach to investment decisions!

"It's not often that a refreshingly new idea appears in the field of trading strategies or risk management, but Ronald B. Shelton has taken pieces from game theory and betting strategies and transformed them into a new, visual way to make trading decisions. . . . He has been able to put a value on trading situations which can increase your ability to manage risk as well as clarify expectations --both essential ingredients for success." --from the Foreword by Perry Kaufman author of The New Commodity Trading Systems and Methods.

"Gaming the Market is a very welcome and most useful new guide to playing profitably in the biggest and most complex game ever devised -- speculating in the financial markets. Investors and traders who study this book will gain valuable insights into the real nature of the markets and willlearn how to play the game to win." --Thomas A. Bierovic, President, Synergy Futures.

"Ronald B. Shelton has extended the field of excursion analysis with an innovative and provocative book that is sure to be widely read--and controversial. By examining the actual distributions of price excursion, he shows a technique to estimate your odds going in on a new position, and within the context of game theory, how to evaluate those chances. All traders and analysts seeking objective bases for trading will want to read this book." --John Sweeney, Technical Editor, Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities magazine.

The phenomenon of collusive international agreements (cartels) became widespread in the 1930s. At that time, attempts to control production and prices were mainly the prerogative of multinational firms operating in the developing (then colonized) world. The "modern era" of cartels began in the 1960s, when the governments of developing nations began to participate in commodity agreements to achieve increases and stability in the world price of their commodities. This book is principally concerned with the modern era of cartels. It goes beyond the singular example of petroleum and OPEC to examine the structure of international commodity markets for bauxite (aluminum ore), cocoa, coffee, rubber, sugar, and tin, and the conditions that led to the formation of cartels in those markets during the latter half of the twentieth century. Specifically, the work focuses on four major aspects of international commodity markets: patterns of production and consumption; economic dislocations to both importers and exporters due to price fluctuations; the formation of cartels as a solution to weak and variable commodity prices; and the likely effects arising from tightening raw material markets. The book concludes with a detailed examination of what the future holds for each of the cartels, and what role technology, 24-hour market trading, and decreasing foreign direct investment in producing countries will have on the management of commodity markets.

A Handy Road Map To Making Moneyin The Commodities Market

Getting Started In Commodities

"Having already proven his success as an options strategist and expert trader, George Fontanills reveals that he actually made his start in the world of commodities and futures, and presents a book that is easily digested by the novice trader yet still holds value for experienced traders. Fontanills applies the same reason and logic that has given his options analysis its distinctive edge, covering diverse topics in relation to commodities such as futures, ETFs, and fundamental and technical analysis. Pay particular attention to the distinctive risk management approach that has become his trademark."
--John-Paul Drysdale, CEO, HUBB Financial Group

"George Fontanills brings an options guru's spin to the commodities markets. This kind of 'risk managed' perspective makes this book a must-read for any commodities trader."
--Alex Jacobson, Vice President of Education, International Securities Exchange

"Since futures are a leveraged investment, it's critical to understand the risks and rewards of trading these instruments. George Fontanills applies his risk management philosophy in this must-read book for individual investors who are interested in participating in the commodities markets."
--Christopher Larkin, Vice President, E*TRADE Securities

Fund Custody and Administration provides an overall perspective of investment funds without limiting its analysis to specific fund structures, as other books do. Since governance and oversight of investment funds are now major regulatory requirements, administrators and custodians must place greater emphasis on the custody and safekeeping of fund assets, on the independent and robust valuation of the assets, and on collateral management. By focusing on both the asset transactions made by the investment manager for the portfolio and on the transactions in the shares or units of the fund itself, it gives readers insights about the essential elements of investment fund management and administration, regardless of their geographical backgrounds.

The authors provide a broad overview of economic aspects of commodity taxation, focussing in particular on theory and on policy applications in OECD countries. Some major papers in public economics have discussed whether these taxes should be levied at a uniform rate, or whether different commodities should be taxed differently, for reasons of either equity or efficiency. The authors begin with this question, and then discuss further issues, including the economic incidence of commodity taxes, the properties of the VAT, the taxation of financial services, the international aspects of commodity taxation, and environmental and health policy aspects.