Swings

As more trading volume swings to the electronic marketplace, Nymex Holdings, parent company of the more than 130 year-old physical energy and metals trading New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), is allegedly in talks with potential suitors to sell itself.

With volatile swings and record high prices over the past few years, the segment that “Enron made famous — energy trading — is springing to life again,” according to a new report by Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets.

With volatile swings and record high prices over the past few years, the segment that “Enron made famous — energy trading — is springing to life again,” according to a new report by Dublin, Ireland-based Research and Markets.

After a tumultuous week that saw wide price swings in both directions, significant heat, the coming and going of a tropical storm and the demise of a prominent hedge fund, September natural gas futures on Friday took a much deserved rest, trading within a slim 22-cent range before settling at $7.246, down 4.6 cents on the day and 6.2 cents lower than the previous week’s finish.

Despite enduring a topsy-turvy week of large swings in both directions, March natural gas futures finished the week within shouting distance of where they began. After hitting a high of $8.650 late in the afternoon, the prompt month settled at $8.613, up 26.6 cents on the day and 10.6 cents higher than the contract’s previous-week close.

Following a week full of downright scary price swings, December natural gas futures seemed to take Friday off ahead of the Halloween weekend. December settled the day up 4.1 cents at $8.725.

Following a week full of downright scary price swings, December natural gas futures seemed to take Friday off ahead of the Halloween weekend. December settled the day up 4.1 cents at $8.725.

Capping off a wild week of trading that saw wide swings, the June natural gas futures contract finished the week at $6.353, down 4.8 cents from last Friday’s $6.401 close. The big news on Friday was the strength of natural gas, despite a crude futures sell-off.

Due to a strong performance from its energy marketing and trading segment, in addition to asset sales, Williams announced 2Q2003 unaudited net income of $269.7 million, or 46 cents per share on a diluted basis, compared with a net loss of $349.1 million, or a loss of 68 cents per share, for the similar period of 2002.