NYSE Forms JV with APX - Zacks.com

NYSE Forms JV with APX - Zacks.com

NYSE Forms JV with APX
By: Zacks Equity Research
February 23, 2011 Comments: 0
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Expanding its presence in the rapidly growing energy markets, NYSE Euronext Inc. (NYX - Analyst Report) announced the culmination of its joint venture (JV) with exchange operator APX Inc. after the due approval by the regulators. The JV is known as NYSE Blue. However, the value of the JV remains concealed. The companies had previously announced the agreement to establish the JV in September 2010.
NYSE Blue will primarily deal with the emerging environmental and sustainable energy markets, in order to compatibly align with the growing product modification requirements in the industry and accordingly focus on newer market mechanisms to help curb climate changes.
NYSE will contribute its existing investment in BlueNext and retain a majority stake in NYSE Blue. BlueNext is already a predominant spot market for carbon credits. Meanwhile APX shareholders will retain a minority stake in NYSE Blue against their investment in APX. The shareholders of APX include Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS - Analyst Report), MissionPoint Capital Partners and ONSET Ventures.
Accordingly, the JV will provide front-end solutions for accessing the markets, on integrated pre-trade and post-trade platforms. It will also offer services based on environmental registry, environmental portfolio management and environmental markets reference data. Additionally, BlueNext will be sharing its trading platform with NYSE Blue, helping it expand globally with a focus on North America and Asia.
Through the NYSE Blue JV with APX, NYSE continues to expand its exchange operations, particularly enhancing its competitive edge over its derivatives-focused rivals CME Group Inc. (CME - Analyst Report), IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE - Analyst Report) and NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ - Analyst Report) who are alongside exploring newer revenue-diversification opportunities in the rapidly expanding emissions and energy markets. The JV will help NYSE enhance its exchange trading through new emerging options including energy, carbon, renewable energy, water and other environmental factors.
On the hand, the JV complements well with APX’s product portfolio, which is a leading expert in market infrastructure and offers services to most of the environmental and sustainable energy markets.
Overall, we believe that NYSE’s disciplined fixed expense control and de-leveraging of the balance sheet through debt reduction are expected to give a big boost to the company’s long-term strategies of developing clearinghouses in London and Paris by the end of 2012.
While it is expected to be operational from late first quarter of 2011, new data centers were launched in U.S. and Europe. In addition, NYSE Liffe U.S. also expects to launch trading in Eurodollar and U.S. Treasury Futures by the end of first quarter of 2011.
Through these long-term strategies, NYSE is not only working vigorously to lower its business risk but also to expand and strengthen its competitive position globally. However, increased competition, weak volumes and product pricing along with government regulations continue to pose risk on the market share and the operating leverage of the company.

November Decks and Gardening

November has been a productive month. With help from my dad, I designed and built a deck and raised garden in the yard. The previous owner did an impressive job at maximizing the gardening space in our 20’x20’ back patio. She also went overboard on planting trees and shrubs, effectively blocking out light for the fruit trees and making the yard feel very small. I began planning how to maximize the usefulness (outdoor living space/party space) of our yard while still preserving space for my vegetable garden over a year ago. By transplanting the 2 citrus trees to pots and trimming the espaliered (trained fruit tree to grow horizontally into a vine or bush) apple tree to train it back into a tree, I cleared an area for me to build a deck. I left the 4’x6’ area where I did most of my gardening to build a raised vegetable gardening bed.

The major chore of building the deck was getting it level. It is detached and essentially rests at ground level. The backyard slopes toward the garage for drainage. The Deck takes up less than half the yard so as not to block the drain. I bought concrete blocks for the posts planted in the dirt and thin bricks for the posts over the concrete. Once I got one joist straight, getting the others should have been theoretically easy, but of course it wasn’t. I think I dug up every post 3 or 4 times before getting it close enough for government work. Each joist is two pressure treated 2 x 4 bolted together laid across the posts. For decking, I used 32 – 2x6 boards screwed to the joists.

I ran water lines under the concrete to the vegetable garden and replanted my artichoke plant. Today, I planted Peppers and will soon plant Swiss Chard.

I am looking for 2” black polished stones to cover the dirt under the apple tree and bamboo. Eventually I will line the fence will 3” wood strips to complete my Japanese Spa theme in the backyard. In the summer, I plan to string lights and lay down carpet for my outdoor living room. I may string canvas runners over the deck to further build a feeling of an extended living room. I am currently planning how to build a portable solar generator that will power my entire backyard electrical needs

New Books

I am excited to be starting a new book: Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West by William Cronon. This book investigates the interconnected relationship between metropolitan life and the natural environment. Cronon discusses this relationship in the context of Chicago and the Great West in the 19^th century.  Chicago served as the hub of human community and the environment in the modern capitalistic world through the developing commodity markets built on natural resources. The interconnected relationship between human institutions and the environment are more tightly linked then often recognized. These relationships must be understood if we want to understand the ecological consequences of our own lives and our institutions.

I am also starting to read The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods by John McKnight and Peter Block. I have been following Peter Block for about 3 years. His book Community: The Structure of Belonging was the most influential books in my thinking about community and organizing people to create a more meaningful future together. The Abundant Community takes a closer look at what a meaningful community looks like. The Abundant Community is one that recognizes that there is abundance from within the community – the gifts we have to contribute individually and the gifts of our neighbors are boundless. The greatest good comes from within the community not from services we can purchase or from outside experts and resources.  Gifts from the community are “amplified, magnified, productive and celebrated” in community through associating together. The true power of the Abundant Community grows from the relationships and associations we build with our neighbors. These connections are not accidents; the Abundant Community is intentional. The Abundant Community always seeks to show hospitality. “There are no strangers here, just friends we haven’t met yet.”

Both of these books encourage us to recognize the importance of relationships. We operate in complex environments that are always interdependent with other people, associations, institutions and the environment. We never have the luxury operating in a vacuum. Building successful organizations or Abundant Communities will be dependent on the degree we are able to understand and coordinate those relationships.


More to come on these books.

Going Forward

The city of Alameda is sponsoring a series of community meetings titled: Going Forward. These forums are the city's strategy to facilitate community involvement in the planning process. "The forums will provide a better understanding of lessons learned from past planning efforts, differing perspectives and priorities, ideas for economic development as proposed by existing tenants, and perspectives on economic development potential and strategies from a variety of local and regional stakeholders." 

This is a great opportunity to get involved in our community and to be a co-creator (P. Block) of our community's future.

There are 3 events on their schedule for you to be aware of: 

• East Alameda Going Forward - Tonight November 9th at 6:30 pm  (Grand Pavilion, 300 Island Drive, Alameda, CA 94502)
• Central Alameda Going Forward - November 18th (Mastick Senior Center)
• Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority Meeting - December 1st  (Alameda City Council Chambers)
• West Alameda Going Forward - December 8, 2010 – The O’Club  -- 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Renewable Energy Markets Conference - Portland Oregon October 19th -22nd

I will be attending (as I do every year) the Renewable Energy Markets Conference (http://www.renewableenergymarkets.com/2009agenda.shtml) in a few weeks and I will be interested in hearing how other cities are formulating their energy policies and finding what works for them.    There will be some interesting sessions that will have panelists from utilities like AMP: New Utility Initiatives, Fundamentals of Utilities: Green Pricing Program and Procurement: RECs vs. Energy

Alameda has an impressive energy portfolio, nationally recognized for our renewable energy policies, community owned and very inexpensive for the rate payers.  October 3rd - 9th is the National Celebration of Public Power! AMP will be having events through out the week in recognition of the advantages or using public power.

AMP Events (from http://www.alamedamp.com/public-power-week)

AMP Museum Exhibit – October 4th - 8th from  9 am - 5 pm

Come by the AMP Service Center at 2000 Grand Street and see our new museum, which includes historical artifacts from the age of the Alameda Bureau of Electricity, renewable energy resource models, and safety displays.

Free CFL Exchange - Save $$$

AMP Service Center: October 4th - 8th  from  9 am - 5 pm

Alameda Point: October 9th - 9 am - 2 pm

Come to either of these locations on the above dates, and bring us up to three incandescent light bulbs and exchange them for three energy-efficient CFLs.

New Kill A Watt Program    

Measure how efficient your 120-volt appliances, electronics, and computers are; check out  the easy-to-use Kill A Watt Energy Usage Monitor from the Alameda Free Library or the AMP Service Center.

Frank is the Right Choice for Mayor

 

Who can we rely on to hear our concerns? Who do we know at city hall who will return our calls with an answer to our questions? Who will intercede for us to help cut through bureaucracy and keep the city staff accountable? Who works to involve everyone in the community for a more hopeful future of Alameda? Frank Matarrese is the answer time and time again. Frank makes community involvement his number one priority. No other elected official has consistently held Town Hall meetings to encourage civic participation and to hear concerns of the public over his time in elected office. September 30^th was his 29^th town hall meeting since 2005. Everyone I talk to reports having the same experience with Frank: “If you want your concerns heard and honest answers in return, call Frank Matarrese.”

As an Alameda resident who ventured to start a business on the island (the former Crosstown Community Center), Frank was always willing to help us work through the city bureaucracy.  Whether it was the construction/building inspections or permits (sign, entertainment, business), Frank was always there to work through the red tape with us and find answers when we had questions.  No other candidate has been as accessible as Frank. As the leader of a community development organization that worked to encourage civic participation and build stronger communities, I find great comfort that there is a candidate who cares about those values. 

In November, remember it’s your civic duty to vote! When you think about your choice for Mayor, Vote for Frank Matarrese as the right choice for Alameda!

Visit his website to learn more about his campaign and to get involved: http://www.frankformayor.org/.

Did you know that Alameda election season is now underway?? Candidates are now campaigning for our support. I am a strong believer in building strong communities through becoming an active citizen. We can bring change through being co creators of our future. I am excited that Councilman Frank Matarrese has filed papers and is now ready to do what he must to became our city's next Mayor.

If you haven't heard, his new Campaign Headquarters located at
1532 Webster Street (next to the WesCafe) is open and they are looking to discuss steps to partner with the community in making a bright future for Alameda. I like Frank because I believe he is genuine in his desire to her from the community and partner with citizens to create positive change in Alameda. Did you know he is the only council member to hold regular town hall meetings while serving on council? He will be a great Mayor that will continue to act in the best interests of the citizens. He needs our participation to make this happen.

The first meeting has been scheduled on August 28th from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM and will include a 1 hour presentation, along with a 'Meet and Greet' team building opportunity.

Can you see your self helping in any of the following ways?

* Precinct Canvassing/Management
* Lawn Sign Distribution
* Campaign Event Participation
* Get Out The Vote Activities
* Campaign HQ Staffing
* Hosting a House Party

Please join us!

If you can Donate to the Campaign visit the Donation Page