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From: bzs@world.std.com (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Futures markets for semiconductors ?
Message-ID: <9003041927.AA18921@world.std.com>
Date: 4 Mar 90 19:27:14 GMT
References: <EMV.90Mar1231223@duby.math.lsa.umich.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
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Actually, I think there have been such markets albeit informal. Apple
supposedly signed futures contracts for months in advance to guarantee
a particular price on memory chips. Unfortunately (for Apple), memory
prices dropped and they were stuck taking deliveries, just like buying
a bad pork-bellies contract. It was rumored to have cost Apple
millions.

Anyhow, there's nothing all that magic about futures markets other
than the SEC getting into things when the brokers start bringing in
the public. Maybe it's not real until the prices are listed in the
back of the newspaper?

        -Barry Shein

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