MG's Strategy tarting in 1993 MG's trading subsidiary, MG Refining and Marketing, decided to create a new energy derivatives product in which they could market to American heating oil and gasoline retailers. This product was designed and targeted to American retailers who wished to hedge their oil and gasoline purchases. Many of these retailers previously faced many risks when the price of gasoline and oil unexpectedly rose. MG devised a forward contract product in which they would
offer these retailers five and ten year fixed-price contracts. This innovative forward contract was not previously widely available. This contract allowed many retailers to take monthly deliveries of either heating oil or gasoline. The forward contracts locked in the price of oil and gasoline purchases for these retailers in their respective determined contract length. MG's forward contract delivery prices were set at $3 to $5 higher than the current spot price. By offering this forward contract to oil and gasoline retailers, MG has entered into a short position on oil and gasoline. As the position currently stands, MG would benefit from a decrease in the price of oil and gasoline. However, an increase in the price of oil and gasoline would lead to devastating losses for the company. MG believed that an arbitrage opportunity existed between the spot price of oil and gasoline and the forward/future prices. By using the correct derivatives and entering into the right positions, the company believed it would be able to earn a profit from their short positions hedged by other derivatives. We will now examine how MG strategized to hedge their short positions. In order to hedge their short oil and gasoline positions, MG decided to enter long positions in futures contracts. MG implemented an interesting strategy when choosing between futures contracts. MG entered into short term futures contracts ranging from one-month contracts to three-month contracts. MG's strategy called for a "stacked" hedge, which used only one contract rather than spreading the contracts out to different periods. Essentially this strategy stacked all of MG's short positions into one contract. In order for MG to continuously keep their short positions hedged, they would roll over to a new short-term contract after each expiration date. Since MG is delivering oil and gasoline to retailers every month, the value of their short positions decreases with each delivery. Since MG entered into such short-term futures contracts to purchase oil and gasoline they were able to adjust their hedge every month. Once MG closes out their long futures position, they are able to open a new position adjusted to hedge their current delivery obligations. This hedging strategy that MG implemented is known as a "stack-and-roll" strategy. MG is stacking their long positions with short-term futures contracts that are liquidated after each period. They then enter into a new futures contract and repeat the process, rolling over the position. Their short forward contracts mature in the long-term future and oblige the company to make deliveries during the length of the contract. By using this strategy they are able to earn a profit margin from their short forward contracts while hedging price increases with their long futures contracts.