Commodity Derivatives – A Financial Engineering Stadium Generale

Last Saturday, March 29, 2008 I joined the Stadium Generale in Seminar Room of Industrial Engineering Major of ITB. I went there for the duty, because all of the participants of Financial Engineering class must join the class. I got several knowledge about commodity derivatives, that maybe useful for me or you just to be a topic of conversation with someone who works in business and finance. Or, maybe,  You will be the one of a businessman on finance, next time? Who knows? If you are interested in that one.

The keynote speaker is Andri Dian Prihutomo, alumnus of Industrial Engineering who works in Singapore in Finance Major (I don’t know the details of his works) but, he has finished his Master Degree in NTU, Singapore, in Financial Engineering majoring.

Let’s start about the topic. The topic is “Commodity Derivatives in Business Practice”. The history is started from Ancient Sumerian, in Indonesia, it is called “Pengijon”. Pengijon is a person who buy a commodity or stuffs which haven’t mature yet, by the fixed price. In Indonesia, pengijon has a bad reputation because pengijon in Indonesia is usually use monopoly system. If it’s not in a monopoly system, maybe pengijon will get a good reputation. Then, the history continue to the first commodity exchange, Collapse of Bretton Woods System for currency valuation (1971), first oil crisis (1973), energy crisis (1979), wars, disaster, and global warming. Those contributed the style and model of commodity derivatives.

What is derivative?
It is a financial instrument whose value depends to the changes in one or more underlying variables. Future/Forward contract is included a derivatives, but equity is not included.

Why people use a derivative?
– to reduce a risk, or it is related to risk management
– for speculative purpose
– in some cases, it is cheaper than composing its structure from native products.

What kinds of derivative types?
They are Forward, Future, Swaps, Option, and Exotic Product.

The type of commodity derivatives?
They are energy (oil, gas, coil), base metal (iron, gold, silver, alummunium), precious, freight, and weather.

In case study, There are five cases, they are:
Nimex crude Oil Future, Gold Physical Spot and Forward, Option and Forward strategies, refinery swap, and others.

The topic of this stadium generale is really good, but unfortunately there are many keywords that I didn’t know and understand before. But, one thing that I want to share with you, people will have an instinc to save their investation by buying some derivatives of financial engineering. They can buy option, forward, swap, or a premi of insurance. By doing that, they will feel safe. A financial producer will get some profits from the premi…. so, there will be a new job, especially in Indonesia, that there are only few people who work in that job.

The stadium generale has finished in 2 hours at 12am. Thanks.

Playing Tennis in Bandung Air Force Mess Tennis Court

The sky was so dark when Nantha, Komeng, and I went to the Tennis Court. The clock showed 3 pm. Apparently, it was going to rain. The tennis court is located in Jalan Pajajaran, the part of Bandung Air Force Mess, and we hoped that in that place, it was not raining. We have fortune…, It was not going to rain anymore.

We have made an appoinment with Letnan Amos. He said that we can play tennis there, for free. It was a nice offer for us. We took it. Mmm, because Nantha and I never play tennis before, we are so amateur. It was my first experience playing tennis. But Komeng is the best tennis player among us.

Nantha and I played single and I have lose in the game for 4-6 score. It was a pity because I haven’t had ability to make a service better than him. Yes, that was my lack. But, the good point is I can do better than nothing. Yeah, finnaly, I have ever played tennis. Thank’s Amos for the free tennis court. I have been playing tennis for 3 hours there. If I compared with sabuga tennis court, I will spend 40 thousand rupiahs. Yeah, I save the money for the movie tonight, with my girlfriend. But, maybe I will sleep on the theatre because I am sleepy now.

Next time, We will play tennis again, right!

Thank You.

A Fortune Teller

This is just a fortune teller, you can or not trust about it. I just get it from my file in computer, that I got it from Apiz, my friend in Wira Angun-Angun. OK, enjoy it! You can use your own month.

ITB Graduation Ceremony

PSM ITB (ITB Students Choir) usually performs a graduation performance in the middle of the graduation ceremony at Sabuga. On last ITB Graduation Ceremony, Saturay March 8th, 2008, Cimol and Andre sang duet featuring PSM ITB.

I couldn’t wait for watching the performance of Cimol and Andre at ITB Graduation Ceremony. They would perform a song from Gita Gutawa and Delon, which is “Your Love”. I just wanted to see their performance. I wasn’t interested with the flow of ceremony because I have already attended it for several times.

They performed well. They were still nervous to sing that song. Cimol just stared to cry at the first lyrics. But, She could handle it. Andre was still nervous along the performance. But, I saluted to them who have already graduated from Bandung Institute Technology, the best Technology College in Indonesia. I am still dreaming whether I will graduate on the next ceremony or won’t. I can’t wait going out from this campus, coz I am bored now. But, I don’t know,… maybe by the time I have graduated, I will miss the atmospheres, friends, lecturers, and anybody on this campus. This campus is very unforgettable. It such a fast time. Yeah, perhaps I will miss them all.