Electricity - could it be 2024 hot topic?
Many of us can remember the 2022 electricity prices that led to subsidies and government support after a turbulent time for many consumers.
Electricity is undoubtedly one of the most important commodities in our modern world. That this commodity also has a price, which can vary greatly, is something most people realise at the latest when they receive their electricity bill. This became clear by 2022, when the price of electricity more than tripled due to the war in Ukraine in both Germany and Sweden. However, until now it has been virtually impossible for investors to participate in the price movements of the electricity market. To make this possible, Vontobel is now offering, as the first issuer on the market, leverage products in the form of Mini Futures on the German electricity price. You can find out exactly what the underlying is and what a Mini Future is below.
EEX German power base Quarterly Future
Like trading in shares, trading in electricity takes place both on an exchange and OTC (Over the counter). Contracts for the supply of electricity can be concluded between producers and buyers through both channels. According to E.ON, 75 per cent of electricity trading takes place via OTC. However, the average prices in OTC trading are based on the official exchange prices. The largest trading centre for electricity in Europe is the European Energy Exchange (EEX) in Leipzig. The main players on the EEX are mainly energy producers, industrial companies with high electricity demand and financial institutions. Spot trading in Leipzig is carried out by a subsidiary of EEX. This allows power traders to balance their short-term surpluses or deficits. In addition, market participants can trade standardised electricity price futures via EEX. This allows traders to buy and sell power, with delivery dates in the future.
The range of power futures that can be traded on EEX covers a large number of European countries and maturities. The futures are further divided into baseload and peak load products. The former are used to cover baseload, while the latter can be used to cover peak load between 8:00 and 20:00. For Vontobel's new Mini Futures, the German futures with quarterly maturities and the baseload profile, called "EEX German Power Base Quarter Future", are used. This future reached an all-time high of EUR 993 per megawatt hour at the end of August 2022. After a significant correction, the price is currently around EUR 140 per megawatt hour. The Swedish and German prices correlate to some extent as energy is often sold and bought between neighbouring countries and thus the Swedish consumer is also sensitive to the German electricity price. See all products here!
Risks
This information is neither an investment advice nor an investment or investment strategy recommendation, but advertisement. The complete information on the trading products (securities) mentioned herein, in particular the structure and risks associated with an investment, are described in the base prospectus, together with any supplements, as well as the final terms. The base prospectus and final terms constitute the solely binding sales documents for the securities and are available under the product links. It is recommended that potential investors read these documents before making any investment decision. The documents and the key information document are published on the website of the issuer, Vontobel Financial Products GmbH, Bockenheimer Landstrasse 24, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on prospectus.vontobel.com and are available from the issuer free of charge. The approval of the prospectus should not be understood as an endorsement of the securities. The securities are products that are not simple and may be difficult to understand. This information includes or relates to figures of past performance. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.