MGRM’s fixed price forward delivery contracts exposed it to the risk of rising energy
prices. MGRM hedged this price risk with energy futures contracts of between one to three
months to maturity at NYMEX and OTC swaps. The objective of its hedging strategy was to
protect the profit margins in its forward delivery contracts by insulating them from increases in
energy prices. MGRM would gain substantially from its derivative positions if the energy prices
rise. During the later part of 1993, however, energy prices fell sharply ($19 a barrel in June 93 to
$15 a barrel in Dec. 93) resulting in unrealized losses and margin calls on derivative positions in
excess of $900 million. To complicate the matter, the futures market went into a contango price
relationship for almost entire year in 1993 increasing cost each time it rolled its derivatives. The
MG’s Supervisory Board responded to the situation of mounting margin calls by replacing MG’s
top management and liquidating MGRM’s derivative positions and forward supply contracts
which ended MG’s involvement in the oil market. It suffered derivative related loss of $1.3
billion by the end of 1993. The new management team declared that “speculative oil
deals…..had plunged MG into the crisis…..” Only a massive $1.9 billion rescue operation by
150 German and international banks kept MG from going into bankruptcy.