OpenMarkets

The 10 Most Popular OpenMarkets Stories in 2012

Dec 28, 2012 || OpenMarkets || No Comments

In 2012, markets and the economy were shaped by drought, the U.S. Presidential election, the continuing European fiscal crisis, changing market technology, a new regulatory environment and a new energy landscape, among other factors. Most of these topics are represented in our most popular stories and blog posts from the past year. The drought especially caught the attention of OpenMarkets readers, with three of the top 10 most viewed stories covering drought-related issues, including the top two. Here’s the full list:

1. Understanding Margins in Ag Markets 

Tim Doar, CME Group’s chief risk officer for clearing house risk, wrote at the onset of the drought about the factors that determine margin levels for those trading grain futures and options.

2. Gauging The Damage of The 2012 Drought

Debbie Carlson wrote in July about how the drought is affecting farmers, ranchers and grain market participants; and how it compares to past droughts.

3. What We’ve Learned About Speculation

Guest blogger Scott Irwin, ag economist at the University of Illinois and blogger at FarmDocDaily, wrote in October about the history of speculation debate.

4. Three Factors Impacting Oil Market Benchmarks

Bob Levin, Managing Director of Energy/Commodity Research and Product Development at CME Group, wrote in June about the factors causing the oil benchmark picture to shift.

5. Rove/Carville Debate Fiscal Cliff

The discussion between two of the world’s most influential political strategists was our most popular blog post from the Global Financial Leadership Conference in November.

6. Electronic Trading: Is Speed Really What’s Most Important? 

Ari Studnitzer, CME Group’s managing director of enterprise architecture, wrote in October about why speed is only one element of efficient markets.

7. The New Role for Commodity Indexes

Debbie Carlson wrote in July about why these are increasingly popular products for investing in commodity markets.

8. 2012 Drought: Why the Midwest Matters

The drought took a toll on crops in the Midwestern United States. Debbie Carlson explored how this impacts the rest of the world.

9. Q&A with Don Wilson, Founder of DRW Trading Group

Wilson spoke with us in this video interview about how his firm started, his thoughts on high-frequency trading and his view of the regulatory landscape.

10. Markets and the Election: 5 Economists Weigh In

In the days before the November election, we asked five influential economists for their outlook for markets depending on who won. This is what they told us.