London, October 1020

Rapid changes in market fundamentals created unprecedented price increases across the energy commodity complex with rapid price escalation taking hold in early 2007 and increasing unabated until the third week of July 2008.

At that time, the markets began a free fall initiated by the emerging credit crisis that spread from the US to Europe, spawning a global recession that has significantly reduced industrial throughput and demand for all commodities. The full effect of this market collapse (in which bellwether crude prices declined more than 75%) is still emerging. Clearly however, the impacts that have been seen to date are far reaching and lasting, and have resulted in increased public and regulatory scrutiny into markets that had previously been somewhat "dark" for many.

Increasing public awareness of these markets and their impact on investors and consumers alike has brought new political pressures on governments around the world to rein-in the actions of traders that were perceived to be taking unfair advantage of, and potentially manipulating, the financial and commodities markets. This new scrutiny has lead to the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, legislation that has far reaching implications for many companies operating in the energy and commodities markets…

Ends --

UtiliPoint International, Inc.

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