A seemingly simple question, but it took a bit of explaining during this week’s virtual London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) training course.

Do you know what a swap is?

Have you heard of a forward swap?

What is the difference between borrowing and lending on the swap?

And where do lease rate swaps fit in?

If you would like to learn more, join us for the next “introduction to loco London” course.  Full details are available on the LBMA website.

 

Last week’s London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning courses were at the Voco Hotel (formerly the Hilton Hotel) in Singapore,  The small group bonded quickly and there were many substantive discussions alongside the core materials of the course.

There was also time to sample the (now renamed) hotel’s famous cheesecake.  It was demolished before the final group photograph, proving that its reputation is justified.

The courses will be delivered virtually in half-day sessions over 5-9 June with the next classroom courses taking place in London on 11-14 July.  Registration links can be found on the Upcoming Courses page.

It’s not often a training course has its own catchphrase, but that was exactly what happened during last week’s London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning courses.  It started when a broker offered a discount on all broking fees to course attendees provided they entered the discount code EUROMONEY10 when opening an account.  The code became a running joke, and the discount was demanded on everything from warehouse rents, to smelting charges and physical premiums.  Courses run best when there is fun in the room alongside the formal learning.

The next classroom courses are scheduled for 16-17 May in Singapore and 11-14 July in London.  The courses will also be delivered virtually in half-day sessions over 5-9 June.  Registration links can be found on the Upcoming Courses page.

This week’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) training courses were hosted at the LBMA’s offices, which meant networking and learning could be combined.  Attendees had fun passing a fake gold bar and bank notes back and forth across the boardroom table to demonstrate how metal and payments move between market participants.  The responsible sourcing afternoon took advantage of the smaller group to delve deeper during discussion sessions, teasing out practical ways of applying the guidance.

The next Loco London courses will run on 23 & 24 May, and Responsible Sourcing will return on 23 June.  All details can be found via the links on Upcoming Courses.

 

Last week’s London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning training courses included a visit to the Ring for first time since the outbreak of Covid. Watching the five minute sessions for the different metals brought the theory discussed in the classroom to life.  Liquidity differences between metals and the increased engagement as the time ticked down to the final bells were clearly visible.

The next classroom courses are scheduled for 18-21 April in London and a virtual session will be offered 5-9 June.  Registration links can be found on the Upcoming Courses page.

 

The London Metal Exchange‘s training year got off to a flying start today with a dozen attendees on the first course of the year: Introduction to LME Cash-Settled Futures.  This three-hour virtual session delivers a concise overview of the contracts, combined with illustrative examples applying the contracts to real life situations.

Will you be appearing in a group shot this year?  Keep an eye on Upcoming Courses for a full list of course dates in 2023.

Dave, the cat adopted by the England football team in Qatar (or Cat-ar), has spare time while in quarantine en route to the UK.  Did he join in the most recent London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning training course?  Dave didn’t fill out a feedback form, but this is what others thought about the courses:

“A tailormade made course that was well presented, motivating learners to put the knowledge to use”

The 2023 calendar is almost finalised.  Check out Upcoming Courses to find a date and location that suits you.

Last week’s London Bullion Market Association (“LBMA”) training courses incorporated changes in response to feedback received about prior courses. In particular, the pace and depth of topic treatment in the follow-on course “How to use loco London” was stepped up to push further beyond the level of “Introduction to loco London”. The positive reaction from the attendees means these changes will be made permanent for future courses.

Classroom and virtual dates for 2023 are available for booking via links on our Upcoming Courses page. Why not make 2023 the year you invest in increasing your knowledge of bullion markets?

LME Week is always hectic and it certainly was at the London Metal Exchange / Euromoney Learning courses.  The first in-person courses since the onset of the pandemic sold-out and parallel sessions were added to accommodate extra registrations.  There was a sense of delight at being back in a room together, and lots of interesting side discussions took place in the breaks.

The final course for the year will take place virtually in New York hours on 6-8 December.  The 2023 course schedule is being finalised and will offer a mixture of classroom and virtual sessions across locations.  Check out Upcoming Courses for the latest details.

Last week saw the launch of the London Bullion Market Association’s (LBMA) latest course – An Introduction to LBMA Responsible Sourcing.

Registrations flooded in from the moment the course date went live, and demand led to a virtual session being held in the afternoon for those who could not attend the in-person morning course.

Attendees from across the supply chain were joined by exchanges, regulators, vault providers, physical traders and research agencies.  Group discussions benefitted from Good Delivery Refiners sharing their practical insights from implementing the LBMA programme and lessons learned from other industries such as cocoa and fast-food chains.

“An excellent course on responsible sourcing”

“A good format with a mixture of presentation/audience questions/group exercises.”

“Good technical content. Super networking opportunity and enthusiastic participants.”

“I left with very detailed knowledge and resonating content.”

Dates for future courses are being finalized and will be available for booking via Upcoming Courses soon.