• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.499-517
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• 2017

The purpose of this article is to show profit margin hedging can be an optimal strategy in crude oil purchasing. This study theoretically analyzes profit margin hedging strategy is optimal in crude oil purchasing using expected target utility function and conducts simulations to show if the profit margin hedging is profitable. In addition, this study tests existence of mean reversion of crude oil futures prices to confirm the theory that profit margin hedging is more profitable than other strategies, such as always hedging or buying at expiration with spot price, if futures prices are mean reverting. The simulation results show that the expected utility of profit margin hedging higher than other strategies. Although we cannot find any evidence that crude oil futures prices follow mean reverting process, we can conclude that profit margin hedging can be optimal strategy in crude oil purchasing based on theoretical proof and simulation results.