abu yahya's definitions
(FINANCE) a financial derivative that consists of a contract to buy a fixed amount of a thing at a fixed price at a fixed time in the future,. For example, a commodity future may specify 1000 British barrels (bbl) of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil for $85.75/bbl, for delivery at Cushing, OK, on 31 November 2010.
Futures are "written" by the person with the commodity to sell, and sold to either a financial speculator or else to someone who wants the product--in this case, an oil refinery. Sellers/owners do this because they want to be assured of a fixed price for the thing they're selling. The official reason for buying a future is to get a fixed price for something. This allows businesses to plan ahead.
However, since futures contracts are traded on secondary markets, it's possible to make (or lose) a lot of money trading them.
Futures are "written" by the person with the commodity to sell, and sold to either a financial speculator or else to someone who wants the product--in this case, an oil refinery. Sellers/owners do this because they want to be assured of a fixed price for the thing they're selling. The official reason for buying a future is to get a fixed price for something. This allows businesses to plan ahead.
However, since futures contracts are traded on secondary markets, it's possible to make (or lose) a lot of money trading them.
SOMEBODY: A futures contract can be extremely valuable for doing business. One of the best examples was Southwest Airlines, which weathered the oil crisis of 2007-2008 with futures for aviation fuel. When the market price of fuel doubled, Southwest was able pay a low, low contract price.
SOMEBODY ELSE: Doesn't it ever backfire?
SOMEBODY: Yes, the market price could fall through the floor and you'd be stuck paying THAT instead of the new, lower price. But at least you know what your cash flow will be.
SOMEBODY ELSE: Doesn't it ever backfire?
SOMEBODY: Yes, the market price could fall through the floor and you'd be stuck paying THAT instead of the new, lower price. But at least you know what your cash flow will be.
by Abu Yahya April 5, 2010
Get the futures contractmug. A currency whose value is set by the currency markets; money whose exchange rate relative to other currencies is determined mainly or entirely by unrestricted trading in the currency. Most currencies are dirty float|dirty floats, which means that the government issuing them attempts to manage their traded value in some way; or else hard peg|hard pegs, in which the value is tied to something specific.
When a currency is floating, then its value may rise because the county is running a trade surplus, or it is running a capital account surplus. Floating currencies are not fiat money, although they are often confused for each other.
When a currency is floating, then its value may rise because the county is running a trade surplus, or it is running a capital account surplus. Floating currencies are not fiat money, although they are often confused for each other.
by abu yahya September 28, 2008
Get the floating currencymug. a type of shantytown whose buildings are made with mud brick, mortar, or found materials.
Prior to the 1950's, a "hutment" could mean any sort of temporary barracks.
Prior to the 1950's, a "hutment" could mean any sort of temporary barracks.
These hutment colonies consist of hovels made of a variety of hard and soft materials like pieces of wood, rags, tin sheets, mud, bricks and any such thing that comes in handy.
Pushpa Agnihotri, *Poverty amidst prosperity: survey of slums* (1994), p.44
Pushpa Agnihotri, *Poverty amidst prosperity: survey of slums* (1994), p.44
by Abu Yahya April 10, 2010
Get the hutmentmug. (US GOVERNMENT) one of two governing boards of the US Federal Reserve System (the Usonian Central Bank). The FRB consists of seven governors appointed by the White House to staggered terms of 14 years.
Governor appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
The FRB sets monetary policy. Its seven members also serve on the other governing board of the Fed, the FOMC. However, the FRB has sole responsibility for discount rates and reserve requirements, and it is also responsible for enforcement of banking regulation.
Governor appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.
The FRB sets monetary policy. Its seven members also serve on the other governing board of the Fed, the FOMC. However, the FRB has sole responsibility for discount rates and reserve requirements, and it is also responsible for enforcement of banking regulation.
Despite the fact that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board has the same power as the other six governors, most people have only heard of Alan Greenspan (1987-2006) or Ben Bernanke (2006-present). About the same time, Susan M. Phillips (1991-1998) held approximately equal power on the Board; so did Roger W. Ferguson, Jr. (1997-2006).
Because governors almost never serve their full terms, there are currently only five governors on the board. The two longest-serving members, Bernanke and Vice Chair Donald Kohn, have only been there since August 2002.
Because governors almost never serve their full terms, there are currently only five governors on the board. The two longest-serving members, Bernanke and Vice Chair Donald Kohn, have only been there since August 2002.
by Abu Yahya June 17, 2010
Get the Federal Reserve Boardmug. the net purchase of financial assets in a country by foreigners. Put another way, the capital account balance is the net influx of money from overseas investors. It includes net purchases of domestic financial assets by foreigners minus net purchases of foreign financial assets by domestic citizens.
The capital account balance over short periods of time (e.g., a fortnight) is extremely volatile; over a period of a year, however, it usually offsets the current account balance. For example, in all years since 1980, the USA has run a large-to-huge current account deficit, but in most years it has run a capital account surplus that is almost as big as the current account deficit.
The capital account balance over short periods of time (e.g., a fortnight) is extremely volatile; over a period of a year, however, it usually offsets the current account balance. For example, in all years since 1980, the USA has run a large-to-huge current account deficit, but in most years it has run a capital account surplus that is almost as big as the current account deficit.
The capital account balance often permits a huge trade deficit to persist over several decades without a significant fall in the exchange rate of a nation's currency.
by Abu Yahya February 14, 2009
Get the capital account balancemug. (FINANCE) the widely-held belief by most traders or speculators that Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (s.1987 to 2006) would use monetary policy to ensure that asset prices would not fall below a certain level.
A "put" here refers to the put option, a financial derivative that allows the owner the guaranteed right to sell a fixed amount of the underlying asset for a fixed strike price. A person who has a put for the assets she owns therefore is immune from the risk of those assets falling below a particular floor.
In the case of the Greenspan put, it was widely observed that Greenspan intervened in order to protect gains in asset values; this tended to guarantee that purchases of financial assets during Greenspan's tenure were very unlikely to be mistakes. This, of course, created conditions of moral hazard in the asset markets. particularly in financial stocks and in housing prices.
A "put" here refers to the put option, a financial derivative that allows the owner the guaranteed right to sell a fixed amount of the underlying asset for a fixed strike price. A person who has a put for the assets she owns therefore is immune from the risk of those assets falling below a particular floor.
In the case of the Greenspan put, it was widely observed that Greenspan intervened in order to protect gains in asset values; this tended to guarantee that purchases of financial assets during Greenspan's tenure were very unlikely to be mistakes. This, of course, created conditions of moral hazard in the asset markets. particularly in financial stocks and in housing prices.
The outcome of that (October 1994) rate cut turned out to be far worse, as the committee's actions came to be viewed as the Greenspan Put, meaning speculators could take enormous amounts of risk trusting that Greenspan would do anything to stop the market from a serious decline.
William A. Fleckenstein & Frederick Sheehan, *Greenspan's bubbles* (2008), p.61
William A. Fleckenstein & Frederick Sheehan, *Greenspan's bubbles* (2008), p.61
by Abu Yahya April 15, 2010
Get the Greenspan putmug. (ECONOMICS) Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate). Does not include discouraged workers. Also referred to as "headline unemployment" because it is the statistic reported in the news.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
U-3 is the official unemployment rate in the USA; it excludes passive jobseekers (people who are just looking for available job openings without applying). Passive jobseekers are counted as part of the labor force in Europe, but not in the USA. Prior to the 2008 economic crisis, this caused unemployment rates in the USA to be about 1% lower than they would have been if the BLS had used European methods of estimating.
by Abu Yahya July 17, 2010
Get the U-3mug.