speculation

John Lothian Newsletter: Investors skirt new shorting curbs to bet on EU woes; Regulators to fortify bank capital after Libor, fines and fraud; Barclays case shocks the energy market

by JLN Staff | Nov 2, 2012

Investors, told to stop speculating on EU government bond defaults, promptly begin the search for a different investment vehicle that will allow them to continue trading the same outcome. Bank regulators are increasing capital requirements after ongoing fraud and poor...

I am not a Futures Broker (Anymore)

by John Lothian | Jul 9, 2012

I am not a futures broker... anymore that is. Wow! What a feeling! (See Taking My Own Advice from Friday for why.) Since 1984 I have worked for a futures brokerage firm, been a futures broker, or a proprietary trader. Of course, since 2000 or 2003, depending on...

A Speculator Does Not Bet

by John Lothian | Jun 29, 2012

As I was listening to one of the High Frequency Trading subcommittee reports at the Technology Advisory Committee Meeting of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission a week ago, I took umbrage at some of the language being used to describe trading. Specifically, I...

John Lothian Newsletter: London Forms Bank Working Group To Expand Yuan-Trading Operations; Quote MTF venue to block unwanted bids; Obama administration targets oil speculators

by JLN Staff | Apr 18, 2012

The City of London starts a working group with banks to help them expand their already-in-motion plans to trade yuan in the city. Startup trading venue Quote MTF plans to provide the ability for traders to decline to participate with specific other parties, to help...

Interview with Anthony Neglia of Tower Trading

by JLN Staff | Dec 12, 2011

Anthony Neglia is president of Tower Trading of New York City, an open outcry floor brokerage firm specializing in options on precious metals at the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). His commentary regularly appears on CNBC and TheStreet.com. John Lothian News...

Keith Goggin – Integral Derivatives

by JLN Staff | Dec 6, 2011

Keith Goggin is a partner at Integral Derivatives LLC, the largest options specialist firm on the NYSE/Amex options marketplace. He has been a market-maker and specialist in options on ETFs since their inception. John Lothian News editor-at-large Doug Ashburn spoke...

Scoring Tuesday’s CFTC Open Meeting

by JLN Staff | Oct 19, 2011

Normally, one would not list CFTC meetings among top choices in televisual entertainment, but yesterday’s open meeting was a relatively raucous affair. The final rules on position limits, which required the cancellation of two prior meetings in order to give the...

Response to 12 U.S. Senators Letter to CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler Suggesting Higher Margins

by John Lothian | Apr 19, 2011

(Recently 12 Senators wrote to CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler urging him to apply higher margins to the energy markets to "restore integrity." Here is my response:) Dear Senators: I applaud your concern about the impact of rising oil prices on American consumers. No one...

Red Herring Futures Part 2: Fire is Always Hot, and a Woodstove Won’t Heat Your House

by JLN Staff | Apr 5, 2011

Read part 1 here. In Episode One of the quest for red herring futures (published in this newsletter last Monday), I talked about the need to properly identify a problem before it can be effectively fixed. Failing to do so often leads to a toaster-jerk reaction, which...

Red Herring Futures Part 1: Speculators, Bart Chilton and the Toaster-Jerk Reaction

by JLN Staff | Mar 28, 2011

Read part 2 here. I read Bart Chilton's commentary about speculators and speculative limits as it went into the Friday edition of this newsletter. In my new practice of staying calm and even-headed when reading government-related editorials, it took several seconds...