Politics
CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam Gears Up for Full CFTC
Rostin Behnam had the advantage of being a CFTC commissioner since 2017 before being confirmed as chairman in December of 2021, giving him insight into the organization and good working relationships with its staffers.
JLN spoke to Behnam at the International Futures Industry Conference in Boca Raton, Fla., about the start of his chairmanship and what he hopes to accomplish.
John Damgard – The History of Financial Futures
Longtime Washington Hand Who Led FIA, Reflects on the Start of CFTC, FIA and NFA as Financial Futures Began
John Damgard spoke in 2019 to John Lothian News for The History of Financial Futures video series, when he was attending the FIA conference in Boca Raton.
John Damgard was a key player in creating the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the 1970s. Many reasons pointed to the need for a regulator with greater capabilities than those of the Department of Agriculture, which had meager resources available for overseeing the agricultural futures of the day.
FIA Expo: Sustainability Markets Growing, But Participants Search for Clarity of Its Parameters
Although the five speakers at a Thursday FIA Expo panel titled “Sustainability/ESG and Markets” agreed that the ESG sector is one of the biggest growth areas in the marketplace, they said it can be difficult to define exactly what ESG encompasses.
The “E” (for environmental) is self-evident, but the “social and governance components are much more challenging,” said Elizabeth Turner, Qontigo’s director of index product management.
Cboe’s Dave Howson Details His ‘Once in a Career’ Mission in Europe, Asia – Part 2
Cboe Global Markets’ Dave Howson took over as EVP and president, Europe and Asia Pacific in January 2020, a time marked by the challenges of Brexit and shutdowns related to the global pandemic.
In the second part of a two-part video interview, Howson talks about the timing of the September 2021 debut of Cboe Europe Derivatives, Cboe’s EU-based derivatives exchange. Customers had been requesting that Cboe start one for years, especially after its acquisition of Bats in 2017, he said, but the pieces finally aligned this year with Cboe’s purchase of EuroCCP, its clearing house in Amsterdam.
Analysis: What Can We Learn From the DOJ’s Latest Spoofing Conviction?
“I know how to game this stuff.” “One can definitely manipulate if you’re aggressive.” “If you spoof this it really moves.” These excerpts from online chats among traders and hedge fund managers more than a decade ago played a key role in the Justice Department’s successful prosecution of two Wall Street traders in the latest trial to take on ”spoofing,” a form of market manipulation that was criminalized in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
Hemp Biomass Prices Dip as 2021 Harvest Adds Supply, But Emerging Demand Seen
Mid-range prices of hemp biomass were bobbing in a sea of red in the September PanXchange Hemp: Benchmark & Analysis report, but the exchange said it was standing by its forecast that prices for “quality 2021” biomass will rally after the current harvest.
Names for Consideration as Chair of the CFTC
I have written a letter to the President of the United States about the need for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have a permanent chair named and confirmed. I have suggested that Rostin Behnam, the current acting chairman of the CFTC, should become the permanent chair of the Commission.
Dear Mr. President: The CFTC Needs A Permanent Chairman, Not An Acting One
Because of the importance of cotton to our nation’s beginnings and all the other commodities it residually drove the production of, the U.S. commodity and related derivatives markets are among the most important in the world. I am writing to you today to urge you to appoint a permanent chairperson of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Meet El Salvador, Newest Bitcoin Paradise
On Saturday, June 5, President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador announced that he would ask his country’s legislature to declare bitcoin “legal tender” in the country. This statement was part of a pre-recorded presentation to Miami, Florida’s Bitcoin 2021 conference.
OIC 2021: ‘Washington Outlook’ is for a mix of clouds, not sunny skies, for Biden’s proposals
The main question batted around at The Washington Outlook panel at the 2021 Options Industry Conference on Wednesday was whether President Joe Biden can realize his hope for bipartisanship on his agenda, given that a large chunk of his new American Families Plan proposal is anathema to Republicans – in particular the proposed tax increases on the wealthy that would pay for much of it.
OCC reduces clearing fees; Coinbase CEO sells $292 million worth of COIN shares – The Spread
This week on The Spread, major exchanges begin trading options on Coinbase stock, Eurex announces record volume for ESG derivatives, Gary Gensler is confirmed as head of the SEC, and more.
The Spread: Brexit Stage Right
This week on The Spread, MIH and MGEX complete their merger, Cboe’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Carol Kennedy and the CFTC’s Chairman Heath Tarbert announce their retirement, and more.
Andy Busch Post Election Regulatory Analysis
Andy Busch is the former chief market information officer of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Today he is a consultant, speaker and market analyst offering his unique perspectives and analysis to corporate clients.
Election 2020: Tight Races Set Stage for Continued Period of Volatility
Here’s how the presidential election 2020 is unfolding in its final days: A massive early voter turnout is outpacing that of 2016, an estimated 11 million more Democrats than Republicans have requested mail-in ballots, and both President Donald Trump and former Vice...
The Spread: Is 2020 Over Yet?
This week on The Spread: the CME launches futures trading on the VOLQ, Eurex launches futures and options trading on two ESG indices, and more.
ICE to Start Rival Gas Market in London to Sidestep EU Price Cap
First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Thank you to all who replied to my request to help one of my Eagle Scouts who was recently laid off on the West Coast and is looking for new opportunities in the climate tech and sustainability space. You are...
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The Spread
OPTIONS DISCOVERY EPISODE 12: SPREAD TRADING; DAN KEEGAN OF OPTIONTHINKER.COM TALKS CALL AND PUT SPREADS WITH JLN’S ALEX TENG
In this episode of Options Discovery, Alex Teng introduces some bearish spread strategies with the bear call spread and the bear put spread.
Tesla Has Become One of the Hottest Stock-Option Trades on Wall Street
Observations & Insight Lead Stories Tesla Has Become One of the Hottest Stock-Option Trades on Wall Street; Electric-vehicle maker accounts for roughly 7% of all options trading on an average day Eric Wallerstein - The Wall Street Journal Speculators' love...