Scratch

Even as cash and futures traders continue to scratch their heads over the recent strength in natural gas prices, the nation’s market points on Thursday were mostly higher with the exception of a few northeastern points and a number of delivery points out West.

The scope, complexity and frequency of major new financial schemes promise to make energy state regulators increasingly scratch their heads and yell for help, a panel of three regulators from the diverse states of California, Missouri and Ohio concluded at the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) annual utilities conference May 31 in New York City. The three regulators said they and their colleagues around the nation are going to have to “raise their game to grapple with a set of issues that are qualitatively different than what they were only a few years ago.”

The scope, complexity and frequency of major new financial schemes promise to make energy state regulators increasingly scratch their heads and yell for help, a panel of three regulators from the diverse states of California, Missouri and Ohio concluded at the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) annual utilities conference May 31 in New York City. The three regulators said they and their colleagues around the nation are going to have to “raise their game to grapple with a set of issues that are qualitatively different than what they were only a few years ago.”

Continuing to scratch new lows as it approaches expiry, the September natural gas futures contract in overnight Access trading and the regular session Tuesday carved out lows of $5.25 and $5.26, respectively, the lowest the contract has traded since Feb. 25, when it notched $5.22.

As most investors and analysts continue to scratch their respective heads in search of evidence as to why the country’s natural gas storage facilities are continuing to fill at an exceptionally fast pace over the past three months despite falling prices, Fred Schultz, of Raymond James & Associates, thinks the answer might lie in an overlooked indicator, namely nuclear power.

As most investors and analysts continue to scratch their respective heads in search of evidence as to why the country’s natural gas storage facilities continued to fill at an exceptionally fast pace over the past three months with prices falling, Fred Schultz, of Raymond James & Associates, thinks the answer might lie in an overlooked indicator, namely nuclear power.