The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission released a much-anticipated report Thursday that called for new rules that would curtail so-called swap dealers.
Critics have blamed record crude prices on speculators who, unlike airlines and other industries that hedge fuel costs to protect against price spikes, have no implicit link to oil.
The CFTC said it may also classify swap dealers, who carry out trades on behalf of banks or wealthy individuals in its weekly report.
The commission recently bumped up the number of noncommercial oil traders, those with tentative links to energy markets, to more than 50% of all trades on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Leading Indicators
