Our network of more than 250 risk management consultants around the world don't just study the markets, they live it on a daily basis. Rather than examining the markets from the 10,000 foot perspective of an ivory tower, our risk management consultants are engaged with their customers’ business in high-touch relationships that require constant monitoring of the volatile commodity markets.
However, that doesn’t mean that we cut corners on the analytical side, as the ranks of our consultant network include many with advanced college degrees in economics, statistics, and business. INTL FCStone Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, FCStone Group, provides comprehensive fundamental and technical research, forecasting, historical databases, news, and econometric analysis in nearly every widely traded physical commodity, including agricultural products, energy products, forest products, fiber and textiles, base metals, precious metals, currencies, renewable fuels, and carbon credits. And with offices in 11 countries around the world serving customers in over 100 countries, our coverage is truly from a unique global perspective that is unmatched in the industry.
Our research department coordinates and supports the research activities of the entire INTL FCStone consultant network. Our research activities support our customers’ needs in three broad categories:
Proprietary Market Research – our transactional business and Integrated Risk Management Program (IRMP) retainer consulting customers require up-to-date market intelligence and outlook in order to make optimal risk management decisions. Rather than just throwing out single-point price forecasts, our market research is focused on providing the total story – not just the likely prices that could occur, but drilling down and examining the various price scenarios that could occur, and how they will impact the risk management strategies under consideration.
Project Research – we treat our customers’ business as if it were our own and their business problems are also our concern. Often, these problems can be addressed in the form of a “one-off” project with a specifically defined “deliverable” in mind.
Multi-Client Research – we are actively involved in the industries and markets that we serve. There are many instances where there is an industry-wide or market-wide problem or issue that requires a research approach. The multi-customer research approach allows the total cost of a study to be shared by a larger group of subscribers rather than being borne by just one company, organization, or individual.