HOUSTON, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts -- Platts, a leading global energy, petrochemicals and metals information provider, today expanded its products and services to include Platts Valuation Hub, a one-stop solution for customized derivative and asset valuations and risk management consulting services for energy market participants.

"We are pleased to complement our benchmark forward curve price assessment offerings with high quality valuation and risk management analytical services," said Marc Karstaedt, Platts senior director, risk data services. "As the energy industry deals with increasing regulatory and accounting requirements, the Platts Valuation Hub is a cost-effective solution for companies needing assistance with fair-value reporting requirements and other valuation services."

Platts Valuation Hub uses Platts' oil, natural gas, power, coal, nuclear, petrochemicals and metals market data to provide customized reports and services. It produces valuations for portfolios and individual over-the-counter and exchange traded instruments such as swaps, options, combination and complex instruments and structured products. It also provides valuations for commodity-based assets, including oil and natural gas reserves and contracts and supply and power purchase agreements, among others.

Platts Valuation Hub methodologies are consistent with International Financial Reporting Standards and U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles for fair value reporting requirements and financial model compliance under the U.S. Dodd-Frank legislation. All valuations are generated in easy-to-read reports with clear descriptions of employed methodologies and full documentation required for fair value accounting entries, financial statement disclosures, and regulatory reporting requirements.

Randy Wilson, former partner with KPMG LLP in energy risk management, and Evan Zuckert, former managing director of BNP Paribas specializing in commodity derivatives, have joined forces with Platts to help spearhead this new offering.

Through its risk management data services, Platts provides clients with a full and independent view of forward price assessments for natural gas, power, oil, and coal in regions around the world. In addition to more than 200 forward curve price assessments daily, Platts publishes more than 9,500 benchmark price assessments, references, and indexes in energy, petrochemicals, and metals on a daily basis.

For more information on Platts oil forward curves, natural gas forward curves, coal forward curves, forward price valuation tool M2M-power, risk management data and other products and services in energy, petrochemicals and metals, visit the Platts website at www.platts.com.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, and shipping markets. A division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), Platts is headquartered in New York with approximately 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2010, the Corporation has approximately 21,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

CONTACT:
Kathleen Tanzy
212-904-2860
Kathleen_tanzy@platts.com

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts