Forward Markets Commission proposes call auction for spot prices

30 Dec 2014 Evaluate

The Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the commodity markets regulator, has sought public comment on introduction of call auction in commodity markets for all contracts, which are settled in deliveries, by January 2015. Call auction is a mechanism whereby exchanges invite bids and actual trading takes place. Spot prices are based on actual trading. Contracts not settled in deliveries can continue their existing system of arriving at spot prices. The new arrangement will be for agriculture commodities, where exchanges are currently using spot prices arrived through polling for fixing settlement prices.

FMC has proposed call auctions as polling is not considered a transparent method. Exchanges fix settlement price of futures contracts based on the spot market price but since the latter are not transparent and not available nationally, polling has been an accepted market practice since 2003, when national commodity exchanges started trading. FMC has also proposed a mechanism and guidelines for arriving at final settlement prices based on call auction. Considering final settlement price is merely on the basis of volume weighted average price of all the trades on the date of expiry in the expiring futures contract is potentially risky in illiquid contracts. FMC has proposed March 15 as the date for starting call auction trading.

Another aim of introducing call auction trading on the commodity market is to bring liquidity in illiquid contracts. Instead of spot price polling, there will be actual trading and the price will be decided. Draft guidelines say the auction shall be for quality and delivery centre of the commodity, traded and the duration will be 20 minutes. Of this, 15 minutes will be for order entry, modification and cancelling, and the last five minutes for order matching and confirmation. The time for call auction will be from 4:40 pm to 5 pm in the evening for commodities which will be traded till 11:59 pm. The exchange can also conduct call auction every day and multiple times a day to arrive at a spot price.

 

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