Schroders, D.E. Shaw among top 2008 commodities speculators

[bananas]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK — Schroders PLC, Bridgewater Associates and D.E. Shaw topped a list of the biggest speculators in commodity markets as prices spiked in early 2008, according to a confidential regulatory document seen on Thursday.

<snip>

For a copy of the document: http://r.reuters.com/neq33s

A copy of the spreadsheet: http://r.reuters.com/veq33s

<snip>

The leak of the data — which had been given to regulators confidentially in order to protect the firms’ positions — has sparked concern at the CFTC and outrage among some in the industry at a time when increasing government oversight is already threatening to curb some trading.

Copies of the reports, which were initially given by staunch speculator critic Senator Bernie Sanders to the Wall Street Journal, were obtained by Reuters.

The data also included a spreadsheet showing the names and long and short positions of hundreds of traders in the oil and natural gas markets, predictably dominated by banks like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, trading houses like Vitol and oil companies like BP.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Schroders+Shaw+among+2008+commodities+speculators/5278681/story.html

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Congratulation to Bernie Sanders and Reuters for getting this out to the public.
:applause:

[BadgerKid]

1. Thought DE Shaw had left finance

to build computers.

[Lucky Luciano]

4. The fund still manages $20B+, but David Shaw went back to

...academia to earn fuckloads of moneywithout actively managing the fund. Great deal!!!

[DJ13]

2. K&R

[banned from Kos]

3. Well, I looked at the spreadsheet and Barclay's was by far the largest

speculator.

The headline writer should have looked.

[3waygeek]

5. DE Shaw is one of the leaders in algorithmic trading...

When I was a physics undergrad back in the 80s, they ran job ads in every issue of Physics Today looking for geeks to develop their trading programs. 30 years later, it sounds like they're still at it.

[rdking647]

6. i looked at the data

I dont see anything incriminating in it.. I looked at the crude oil contract. I dont see the speculators really being net long... in fact if you add up the total position of all the specs they are net short.
Of course to see the real positions you have to see the totals for the brent crude contract in london