1.6.2008 - US regulators to tighten grip on commodities
US regulators plan to strengthen their oversight of booming agricultural commodities markets that have increasingly attracted hedge funds and other speculators.

2.6.2008 - Man To Launch Third Guaranteed Futures Fund
The Man Group has opened its third principal-guaranteed futures-linked product for subscriptions in Hong Kong. Man AHL Guaranteed Futures 3 Ltd is open for subscriptions ...

3.6.2008 - U.S. regulation of commodity markets to toughen
Federal regulators will look more closely at investors to determine whether they are evading market limits on speculation and artificially driving up world food prices.

3.6.2008 - Japanese Retail Investors Get Winton-Based Fund
Japan’s biggest bank has enlisted the help of a major British hedge fund to tap into the US$14 trillion in the country’s household savings.

3.6.2008 - CFTC says it won't pursue higher speculative position limits
The Commodities Futures Trading Commission said Tuesday it was withdrawing proposed rulemakings that would have raised limits on the positions traders classified as speculators could take on certain agricultural futures contracts.

4.6.2008 - Soros blasts commodity 'bubble'
George Soros, the billionaire financier, stood before US lawmakers this week and witheringly described the current boom in commodity markets as a “super-bubble” that could result in instability. Mr Soros told the Senate commerce committee on Tuesday that institutional investors were inflating a bubble by investing in commodity indices.

9.6.2008 - NFA Drains New Jersey Commodity Pool Operator
The National Futures Association has taken an emergency enforcement action against Progressive Investment Funds, a commodity pool operator located in Glenrock, N.J., and its sole principal, Victor Cilli.

11.6.2008 - Blacksquare Commodities Fund Of Fund Debuts
Blacksquare Capital Management is going digging for double-digit returns.

12.6.2008 - Hedge funds and CME look in wary China for growth
The world's largest hedge funds and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange need to convince a "cautious" China of the benefits of their products, the groups said on a trip to the country, even as U.S. regulators look to rein them in.

12.6.2008 - Threadneedle plans commodity hedge fund
UK fund manager Threadneedle plans to launch a commodity-focused hedge fund this year that it hopes will manage $100 million within two years, the latest sign interest in the soaring asset class remains strong.

12.6.2008 - U.K. Treasury: Speculators not driving commodity prices
Speculators have had little to do with soaring commodity prices, the U.K. Treasury said in a report released Thursday. While commodities have become an increasingly attractive asset class, data show no consistent relationship between rising investment activity and prices across commodities, the report said. "In addition, were financial market activity itself driving higher commodity prices, it might be expected that stocks would be increasing as prices would be above that required to clear the spot market. However, current data shows that inventories, which for food commodities have been low for some time, have continued to fall or remain stable," the report said.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

13.6.2008 - MF Global secures $450M commitment from bank syndicate
MF Global Ltd. on Friday said that a bank syndicate has committed to provide a $450 million credit facility to the broker of exchange-listed futures and options. The move will complete the company's refinancing plan for a $1.4 billion bridge loan it took out when separating from Man Group Plc in July 2007. The credit facility will mature in two years. MF Global also said it had established an accrual of $10 million to cover penalties related to an unauthorized trading incident in February, as well as two other pending investigations before the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

20.6.2008 - Managed futures strong in May and is near 10% mark this year
Despite continued uncertainty in financial markets managed futures managers posted a solid return of 1.4% and are still maintaining the position of the best-performing strategy of 2008. On futures markets – crude oil edged up another 10% while other markets experienced choppy trading.

CS/Tremont managed futures index was up 1.4% (S&P 500 1.1%). Year to date result is now at 9.6% (S&P 500 –4.6%). Other managed futures indices: Barclay CTA Index 1.3%, ManagedFutures.eu 1.9%.

23.6.2008 - CME 'sweetens' Nymex offer with buyback, dividend
CME Group Inc. announced plans Monday for a share buyback and special dividend that effectively sweetens its agreed bid for Nymex Holdings Inc. (NYX). The world's largest futures exchange operator said it will buy back $1.1 billion in stock over the next 18 months and pay a $5-a-share dividend if its bid for the specialist energy and metals exchange succeeds. The proposed cash-and-stock acquisition, first announced in late January, has been jeopardized by a slump in CME's share price that cut the indicative sale price by as much as $3 billion to around $8 billion.

24.6.2008 - New Indexes Take Different Angle On Commodities
Jim Rogers and Van Eck Global launch equity indexes that track commodity companies.

24.6.2008 - Billion Dollar Hedge Fund Shop To Unveil ‘Intelligent Portfolio’
New York-based Castlestone Management, a $1 billion multi-strategy hedge fund shop, is adding to its list of products. read more

24.6.2008 - LJM Partners Snags UBS-O’Connor Exec.
Managed futures shop LJM Partners has hired Guillermo Bublik as chief risk officer. read more

24.6.2008 - CFTC focuses on swaps, says 'Enron loophole' already closed
The acting chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission told Congress Tuesday that an exemption known as the "Enron loophole" has already been closed but that the regulator was ratcheting up its scrutiny of traders using an alternate exemption called the "swaps loophole" to avoid limits on excessive commodities speculation. In an answer to a question at a Senate panel hearing in Washington, D.C., which was Web cast, the CFTC's Walter Lukken said Congress has "absolutely" closed the Enron loophole. Over the weekend, presidential candidate Barack Obama proposed further curbs on this trading exemption than the ones incorporated in the recently passed U.S. farm bill. Plus, Lukken said: "If people are purposely evading speculative limits, through swaps dealers, we'll have concern about and take action against," that activity. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

25.6.2008 - Carbon trading set to dominate commodities
The market in greenhouse gas emissions could outstrip the conventional commodities markets to become the biggest traded commodity, the head of the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission said on Wednesday.

25.6.2008 - AltEdge Launches Two Funds of Hedge Funds
London-based AltEdge Capital Management has added a pair of funds of hedge funds to its stable of products. The firm in March launched a commodity trading adviser fund followed by a distressed fund in May. The US $23 million CTA portfolio currently invests in 13 underlying managers, while the $22 million distressed portfolio invests in 12. read more

25.6.2008 - $4.8 Billion London Quant Shop Goes East
Aspect Capital Limited, a $4.8 billion London-based quantitative hedge fund shop, is expanding its presence into Asia with the opening of a new office in Hong Kong. read more

25.6.2008 - U.S. moves to ban pension funds from commodity markets
Critics worry that a ban could further squeeze retirement plans whose funds are already lower because of a woeful stock market.

27.6.2008 - Emerging market commodity fund is latest launch for Schroders
Schroders is giving investors an additional way to play on the demand for resources and agriculture with ...

30.6.2008 - Castlestone Launches Commodities Fund
New York-based Castlestone Management last month launched its first UCITS-compliant fund, the Dublin-listed Aliquot Active Commodity Index (UCITS) Fund. read more

30.6.2008 - CME extends license for Nasdaq funds through 2019
CME Group said Monday it has reached a deal with the Nasdaq OMX Group, Inc. to extend its exclusive rights to offer futures and futures options contracts based on Nasdaq indices, for an additional seven-year period, through 2019. It said it had also agreed to single-list its common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select, with its ticker symbol to remain "CME."Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.