Speculators trying to profit from the U.S. Natural Gas Fund’s roll of futures contracts got “slaughtered” and helped boost volatility as gas prices surged this week, said Adam Felesky, chief executive officer of BetaPro Management Inc.
Gas for October delivery rose 27 percent, through yesterday, on the New York Mercantile Exchange as traders had to cover their bets that the gas fund’s sale of the front month contract would reduce the price, said Felesky. Volatility jumped to the highest level since Amaranth Advisors LLC collapsed in September 2006.
Speculators shorted October gas, anticipating that the $4 billion gas fund would push prices down when it began selling its October contracts on Sept. 14, said Felesky, whose C$1 billion ($937.1 million) Horizons BetaPro Nymex Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF rolled around the same time as the larger fund.....Read the entire story
