The HC Commodities Podcast

A brief final episode of 2024. Host Paul Chapman reflects on some of the key themes of the year, offers his deepest thanks to listeners, guests and his colleagues at HC Group (www.hcgroup.global) and Enco Insights (www.encoinsights.com) and looks at the coming year and goals for the podcast. 

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For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

A still timely discussion as the Federal Reserve comes under pressure to decrease rates... How low interest rates since the financial crisis have caused inequality, populism and inflation. Christmas re-release of one of host Paul Chapman's favorite discussions. 

Award-winning, financial journalist and historian Edward Chancellor join us to discuss interest rates and the impact on the commodities sector. Interest rates – the price of money and time – have been unnaturally low since the global financial crisis. This has led to a profound impact on finance and society. Global corporates found financial engineering more “profitable” than focusing on products and operations. Assets inflated and inequality widened. In the commodities world, the cost of carry and cost of finance, was essentially zero. Energy tech plays were awash in money and valuations sky high. Rates are now rising and those same engineered corporates are becoming zombies. China risks economic Armageddon as the global carry trade ends. Assets prices are falling and financially stressed commodity traders, now face higher rates. Edward argues higher rates will return the world to profitable growth and risk allocation unless political will to reverse rates wins…

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

The skillsets required to be in a commodity trading team have always been evolving. However, that evolution is accelerating in the wake of new technologies and especially AI. In this episode we trace the changing roles and skills traders have needed over the last century and what the future holds as AI becomes ever more involved in the day to day activities of a trading desk. What are the skillsets of the past and their future? Are they fundamentally different? How is AI already affecting teams?  And how will AI shape the teams, careers and opportunities within the sector?  Our guest is Daf Davies, long time commodity trader, and founder and CEO of Deus AI – a consulting firm focused on preparing companies for the commodity trading future.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Will nuclear fusion change the world and if so how far away is it? What is fusion power? What are the technological, regulatory and financial developments that are accelerating our path to it? What has changed that has meant private companies are now racing to develop it alongside governments? And what will it mean for fusion power to be deployed at scale. Our guest is Jay Brister, an independent investor and consultant with over 40 years experience in the nuclear sector who has focused on fusion over the last five years

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Award winning journalist and author, Vince Beiser, joins us again to talk about his new book; Power Metal: The Race for the Resources that will Shape the Future. The energy transition consumes immense amounts of critical metals and minerals. What are the trade-offs being made in mining and processing them? How and where is recycling of these metals ongoing? What are the human stories and impacts behind this enormous industry and what might the solutions be to make the transition more sustainable and achievable? Vince’s book is out and available in all good book stores and published by Penguin Random House.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Weather is a key driver in energy markets – from trading in the day ahead markets to weather events that can disrupt operations for months on end. Accurate forecasting has always been an edge. New technologies are making some aspects of forecasting ever more accurate. At the same time, climate change is making extreme events more frequent and significant. What keeps a meteorologist up at night? Why do energy traders employ meteorologists? How is technology changing the profession? Our guest is Matt Lanza, who has over 20 year’s experience working on trading floors as a meteorologist .

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In the wake of the energy crisis and the demands of the energy transition, the EU has enacted a series of regulations, and considering more, in the European energy markets. These will bring changes to how power, carbon and gas markets operate and some proposals under consideration could have profound effects. What are these changes? What is the impact on how markets operate and the opportunity for participants?  And are we entering a period of re-regulation and intervention after the steady march of liberalization over the past 25 years? To discuss this and more is our guest Bart Verest, the Lead Partner at E&C Consultants, an international consultancy focused on energy procurement and markets with their headquarters in Belgium. Bart is an expert in energy markets and energy contracts.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

Metals have had an interesting year so far. Prices have been volatile along with sentiment and narratives. Trading Houses have been rapidly expanding metals trading teams and funds have piled in. In this episode, David Wilson, Senior Commodities Desk Strategist at BNP Paribas Markets 360, takes an in depth look at the reality behind these trends across copper, aluminum, nickel, gold and the battery metals in 2024 and what that may presage for 2025.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

May you live in interesting times - as the proverb goes. Will those times continue? On October 16th, at the Yale Club in New York City, we held our latest Live Event hosted by ITFA with additional sponsorship from Brown Brothers Harriman, The Mercury Group, Goba Capital and HC Group. The commodities sector has seen unprecedented volatility. What has that meant for the sector’s ecosystem? How has it shaped the opportunities and risks? Is the volatility structural or ephemeral? A group of leaders from across the sector  joined our panel to discuss in front of an audience of 150 industry participants. Rob Walsh, CEO of IMI,  William Tully,Head of Business Development, BBH Commodities & Logistics, Sunil George, Head of Client Financing Solutions for the Americas at Louis Dreyfus Company, Todd Lynady, Regional Head of Financial Solutions @ WTW  and Alexandre Lacreu Chief Underwriting Officer, Coface North America moderated by podcast host Paul Chapman.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global

In mid -November, in Azerbaijan at COP29, momentous decisions could be made that would advance the carbon markets globally. What are they and what are the chances of that happening and what is the state of the carbon market today? Our guest is Nick Marshall, co -founder of TASC, a project developer focused on channeling funds into carbon reduction projects around the world.

For related content and to find out more about HC Group, a search firm dedicated to the energy & commodities sector, visit https://www.hcgroup.global