By Nathaniel Popper and Peter Eavis
November 19, 2014
A two-year Senate-led investigation is throwing back the curtain on the outsize and sometimes hidden sway that Wall Street banks have gained over the markets for essential commodities like oil, aluminum and coal.
The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations found that Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase assumed a role of such significance in the commodities markets that it became possible for the banks to influence the prices that consumers pay while also securing inside information about the markets that could be used by the banks’ own traders
Bankers from both firms, along with other industry executives and regulators, will testify about the allegations at hearings on Thursday and Friday.
The 400-page report, which was made public on Wednesday evening, included case studies on nine different commodities in which banks have taken big positions, including the 100 oil tankers and 55 million barrels of oil storage that were owned by Morgan Stanley, and the 31 power plants owned by JPMorgan at one point.
The subcommittee discussed several reasons that these commodity operations could create problems. The potential for price manipulation and the unfair advantage that banks can gain in these markets were among the top concerns expressed by Senator Levin and Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the subcommittee.
But both senators also echoed previous warnings that the enormous holdings of oil, uranium and other hazardous materials could expose the banks to significant legal liability that could, in turn, lead to runs on the banks.
A 2012 study by the Federal Reserve, cited in the report, found that banks have not put aside enough money and insurance to adequately prepare for the “extreme loss scenarios” involving commodities...
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