Prompt generally refers to a trading time period within a week of today. i.e. at the front of the curve. Sometimes, traders will refer to the prompt season or month, if we are in January the prompt month will be February and the prompt season will be Summer.
Confidence Returns to Market
 
20 December 2010
Despite a continuation of cold conditions, confidence was seen returning to the market with a stabilisation of spot prices and comfortable system margins. There was some focus on the curve with seasonal contracts all reporting some gain on the previous weeks levels apart form Summer 13.  
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Weather continues to dominate
 
10 December 2010
Tight margin concerns resulted in Spot prices reaching highs for nearly two years. The cold weather conditions were the driving force though supply issues compounded the situation.  
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Cold snap results in single highest gain since Jul-09
 
08 November 2010
Prompt contracts responded to the expected cold spell forecast for this week with the Day Ahead contract (Baseload contract for Monday delivery) on Friday gaining £2.65/MWh – the single highest gain seen since July on this contract. This bullish sentiment did not feed through to the rest of the curve though.  
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Gains Seen Across the Curve
 
21 December 2009
There was no sign of an early Christmas in the power market on Friday with a 'flurry' of trading resulting in gains across the power curve.  
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A sliding Prompt
 
14 November 2008
A comfortable system in terms of supply margins left the prompt power market sliding.  
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Prompt continues to dominate
 
05 October 2007
The market looks set to settle down after the last three weeks excitement it is probably no bad thing that the world starts to do some fundamental analysis.  
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Prompt v's Curve
 
24 August 2007
Markets need activity and at the moment this is in short supply as traders gear up for the Bank holiday weekend.  
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Prompt ticks up
 
15 August 2007
Players see a slight rise in prompt prices but recent trading suggests it is likely to be short lived.  
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Gas markets fear low prices
 
20 July 2007
Gas market shenanigans continue as players start to look carefully at the volatillity market, which continues to be over priced with stigma of fear in the gas market.  
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Met office appear to struggle
 
25 June 2007
Its wet almost everywhere and this only proves that predicting the weather is like trying to pick the winner at Wimbledon. Everyone knows that Federer should win and this was the hottest summer on record but it looks like a Pat Cash could win again!  
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Day Ahead pricey
 
22 June 2007
Selling long and buying short seems to be a smart trade but the risk reward
ratios at the moment do not justify the trades.  
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Backwardation and contango
 
20 April 2007
The curve is changing shape this could be a short term thing as players tend to forget the back of the curve as it is less liquid but more often than not it is a fundamental shift in the market next week will tell.  
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An arctic test
 
16 April 2007
Will the market trickle up this week on fears of a cold snap, if so then expect a significant sell off when it is confirmed that the cold snap is definitely coming!  
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Market falls on a Friday
 
02 March 2007
Market corrects again and volatility returns to the market good for traders but a lack of trend is causing some to think carefully about what they do.  
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Windy day sees lower prices
 
19 January 2007
The market is looking for fundamental signs as to what may happen in the future. Winter 07 might look overpriced when the average day ahead price for January is likely to turn out at sub £30.  
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Prompt rises on cold snap potentials
 
16 January 2007
The market looks slightly more bullish with day ahead and next week responding to a potential cold snap. The market needs to know how cold it will be and whether the £4 premium is justified.  
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Market collapses on plentiful gas.
 
04 December 2006
The market continues to freefall as players look at the fundmentals the colder it gets the more gas seems to be coming into the market and the more likley that system can cope.  
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The fall continues
 
01 December 2006
The market is falling aggressively as players are determined to sell on low prompt prices.  
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Oil market pushes power
 
10 November 2006
Oil market rises have effected power prices but some of these gains may be offset by the emissions falls next week, could see further bearish pressure.  
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Winter is here....
 
03 November 2006
The market is responding to the cold weather but it is not causing any concern and most are determined to concentrate on the prompt and not the longer term.  
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Where have all the bulls gone
 
13 October 2006
The market looks stagnant but volatility has risen as it lurches from new lows to £1-£3 higher in two days. This is more volatile than a steady fall.  
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Spark and Dark reverse
 
02 October 2006
Spark and Darks reverse in the day ahead if we starting seeing this in the forward price then expect a further downward drop and also a fall in emissions prices.  
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Coolness descends on prices
 
31 July 2006
Prices fall on cool weather and players are keen to try and capitalise on this fall and so it will be interesting to see whether prices stay here for long.  
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Winter 06 slides.
 
24 July 2006
Winter 06 reacting maturely to the prompt fears and beginning to move South as gas producers start to off-load some of their length.  
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Market Fears over-played.
 
10 July 2006
Prompt continues to wag the backend of the curve, but realistically things look to be under control, and traders are moving the market on rumour and counter-rumour.  
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Watch the prompt
 
04 July 2006
Gas prices reducing as system gets longer on many gas stations taking outages. This has put pressure on the August and September to fall and if the power plant return steadily then we could see a move in Winter 06 out of £60.  
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Penalties, and prompt.
 
03 July 2006
Prompt prices the key fundamental as to what will happen with the power market. If in the next three days there are no further outages and the weather subsides so air-condintioning is not causing problems then we should see the Winter 06 fall further.  
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8 GW of plant goes on outage.
 
28 June 2006
A stream of plant are now on outage if the market fundamentals can cope (which everything suggests they can) then we are in for a low Summer, and this could pull Winter with it.  
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The market fall starts early
 
12 May 2006
The market has fallen in the prompt this morning with increasing gas in the system and the recent bubble tendency in commodities has seen some take profit.  
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Gas market fundamentals and Fear
 
15 March 2006
Fear can drive a market as suddenly everyone wants to be long (or short) this invariably creates an over buying or over selling atmosphere. When the day ahead hits £200 you have to ask if the fear is driving the market.  
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March 06 v April 06
 
23 February 2006
March and April as individual months are difficult to trade on a time spread but fundamental information is helping point in certain directions which help the decision.  
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Bears continue march at the front end.
 
26 January 2006
Gas pushes market down, but then it was responsible for the subsequent increase in the first place. When the bulls strike the market responds aggressively, the bears do not appear to be quite as aggressive........ yet.  
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March moves down- but we knew it would.
 
25 January 2006
Powerisk stated some time ago that March traditionally gets over bid on the back of cold weather and spark spread data. Rarely does it last and this was predicted by Powerisk in does the spark ever breakdown.  
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Bears return in Week 51
 
15 December 2005
Bears back to drive prompt South, curve follows suit predominantly demand and gas led. The market appears to be getting quieter as Christmas gets closer.  
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Are the markets broken?
 
14 November 2005
The market is becoming more volatile less liquid and players are spooked, it is not broken, it is just more scary to operate it.  
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Bears still around
 
04 November 2005
Bears push market down on the back of gas, the run has been quite long lived and some will question when the bulls will return.  
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Bears return
 
20 October 2005
Bears back on mild weather low gas demand and a correction from the heavy buying seen in the previous two months.  
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Curve hits a pattern
 
10 October 2005
Winters fall as Summers stay still. Traders see the scaremongering and look at the raw facts. Buy the rumour; sell the fact.  
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