“Dysfunctional” Futures Market May Lead To Sharp Energy Price Swings

Europe's energy sector is facing a perfect storm as a dysfunctional futures market may lead to a new crisis where prices move higher due to a liquidity crunch, according to Reuters.  Sharp market swings in natural gas and electricity prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine have left some oil and gas companies without the necessary funds to hedge their physical trades if they cannot satisfy margin calls, an exchange requirement for extra collateral to guarantee trading positions when prices rise... "We have a dysfunctional futures market,…