Upon learning of these circumstances, MG’s board of supervisors fired the
firm’s chief executive and installed new management. The board instructed
MG’s new managers to begin liquidating MGRM’s hedge and to enter into
negotiations to cancel its long-term contracts with its customers. This action further
complicated matters, however. NYMEX withdrew its hedging exemption
once MGRM announced the end of its hedging program. Hedging exemptions
permit firms to take on much larger positions in exchange-traded futures than those allowed for unhedged, speculative positions. The loss of its hedging
exemption forced MGRM to reduce its positions in energy futures still further
(Culp and Miller 1994b).