Systems and methods for sharing excess profits

Abstract

Systems and methods for trading commodity, an item or instrument are provided. The market prices and trading may be monitored to detect a spike in the market price or artificially high market price. Excess profits resulting from the sale at an artificially high market price may be distributed to market participants based upon the participant's trading record in the market or upon some other suitable method.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for determining excess profits comprising:
 monitoring a trading price for a traded instrument or item;   determining a benchmark trading price based on the monitoring;   comparing the benchmark trading price to a selected trading price to determine a difference between the benchmark trading price and the selected trading price;   determining whether the difference exceeds a defined difference level; and   when the difference exceeds the defined difference level, determining an amount of excess profits based on the difference.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising, distributing the excess profits to at least one of a plurality of market participants. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising distributing the excess profits to at least one of a plurality of market participants in proportion to a market share of each of the plurality of market participants. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising distributing the excess profits to at least one of a plurality of market participants in proportion to a share of excess profits obtained from each of the plurality of market participants. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the amount of excess profits comprises determining the amount of excess profits based at least in part on a total value of the item or instrument traded at the single trading price. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , the monitoring a trading price comprising sampling the trading price at pre-determined intervals. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the determining the benchmark trading price comprising determining an average trading price. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the determining the benchmark trading price comprising determining a median trading price. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , the determining the benchmark trading price comprising determining a mode trading price. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , the determining the benchmark trading price comprising determining a range of benchmark trading prices. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , the comparing the benchmark trading price to the single trading price comprising comparing the benchmark trading price to a last-in-time trading price. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , the determining the benchmark trading price comprising determining a weighted average trading price. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising implementing the method in an electronic trading platform. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , monitoring a trading price comprising monitoring a trading price for one of a trading price of electricity, natural gas, energy, and oil. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , the monitoring further comprising monitoring a plurality of trading prices.