Task
The assignment will consist of the following tasks:
a) Provide an overview on how the components of price of your selected commodities have moved over the session. Were these movements expected? Did they impact y our market outlook? Did they impact your strategy? Please include any major factors that may have impacted on the price and/or production over the period and if these movements were expected or not.

b) What is the final result of your strategy? Was it successful or not? If you have hedged what was the closing out benefit/cost? Was this offset by a commensurate change in the cash price? Where did you go right? Where could you have improved? If you had your time again would you change anything?

c) How has your commodity strategy performed? What is your average price? How does this compare with your price objective? How does it compare with the current price?
d) If you were to benchmark your performance, what would you use as your benchmark? Why?
e) What do you consider to be the most important concept you have learnt from this subject? Is there a secret that makes commodity pricing management easier for you? Is it all about reading tea leaves?

Rationale

This assignment brings the subject together and completes the commodity pricing management process by measuring performance against benchmarks and reviewing policy.
In this assignment you are required to report on the performance of your commodity portfolio against selected benchmarks, review your performance, and suggest amendments to your strategy for future use. This assignment will require you to:

• Close out any hedging and undertake any appropriate physical commodity sales;
• Measure the performance of your portfolio against each commodity market and compare how you have performed against your pricing objectives and benchmark indicators;
• Provide any recommendations on how your strategy can be enhanced or improved in the future.

The actual performance of your portfolio is not assessable. Rather you will be assessed on your depth of knowledge, your understanding of the market forces that affected your portfolio, and your level of supporting documentation such as charts and descriptive statistics that show in objective terms the cause and effects of movements in the market. In addition a reflection on your portfolio performance and suggested improvements are highly encouraged.