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Bias and backwardation in natural gas futures prices

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  • Nahid Movassagh
  • Bagher Modjtahedi

Abstract

This paper tests the fair‐game efficient‐markets hypothesis for the natural gas futures prices over the period 1990 through 2003. We find evidence consistent with the Keynesian notion of normal backwardation. Regressing the future spot prices on the lagged futures prices and using the Stock‐Watson (1993) procedure to correct for the correlation between the error terms and the futures prices, we find that natural gas futures are biased predictors of the corresponding future spot prices for contracts ranging from 3 to 12 months. These results cast a serious doubt on the commonly held view that natural gas futures sell at a premium over the expected future spot prices, and that this bias is due to the systematic risk of the futures price movements represented by a negative “beta.” We also find evidence for the Samuelson effect. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 25:281–308, 2005

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  • Nahid Movassagh & Bagher Modjtahedi, 2005. "Bias and backwardation in natural gas futures prices," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(3), pages 281-308, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jfutmk:v:25:y:2005:i:3:p:281-308
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    Cited by:

    1. Fernandez, Viviana, 2020. "The predictive power of convenience yields," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    2. Seungho Baek & Mina Glambosky & Seok Hee Oh & Jeong Lee, 2020. "Machine Learning and Algorithmic Pairs Trading in Futures Markets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Kyle Olsen & James Mjelde & David Bessler, 2015. "Price formulation and the law of one price in internationally linked markets: an examination of the natural gas markets in the USA and Canada," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(1), pages 117-142, January.
    4. Fernandez, Viviana, 2017. "A historical perspective of the informational content of commodity futures," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 135-150.
    5. Martínez, Beatriz & Torró, Hipòlit, 2018. "Analysis of risk premium in UK natural gas futures," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 621-636.
    6. Modjtahedi, Bagher & Movassagh, Nahid, 2005. "Natural-gas futures: Bias, predictive performance, and the theory of storage," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 617-637, July.
    7. Marek Kwas & Michał Rubaszek, 2021. "Forecasting Commodity Prices: Looking for a Benchmark," Forecasting, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-13, June.
    8. Sheng-Hung Chen & Song-Zan Chiou-Wei & Zhen Zhu, 2022. "Stochastic seasonality in commodity prices: the case of US natural gas," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 62(5), pages 2263-2284, May.

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