FACTBOX-Banks expand commodities trading desks

(Updates with data on Goldman Sachs)

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Banks are boosting their commodities staff to take advantage of the upswing in prices this year and greater investor risk appetite.

Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) plans to add 100 staff on commodities in the next 18 months. [ID:nL3492156]

Banks not already active in spot markets are now trying to establish a foothold there, partly because of concerns about regulatory changes in derivatives. [ID:nCFTCREG]

Standard Chartered (STAN.L) expects to start trading commodities on a spot basis next year. Those already with a strong presence in spot markets such as Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Barclays Capital (BARC.L), RBS Sempra (RBS.L) and Credit Suisse are expanding.

The shake out of the banking industry last year has created new opportunities for the remaining players, both in terms of recruitment and market share.

Three major banks in commodities UBS (UBS.N), Merrill Lynch -- now part of Bank of America (BAC.N) -- and the bankrupt Lehman Brothers LEHMQ.PK left the market last autumn.

GOLDMAN SACHS (GS.N)

Global head -- Isabelle Ealet.

Staff -- Has more than 200 commodity professionals in locations throughout the world, such as New York, Calgary, Houston, London, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo

History -- Entered the commodities business in 1981 with the purchase of a firm called J. Aron.

Focus -- Serving corporate clients and financial investors ranging from hedge funds to institutional investors and private equity firms. It is one of the few investment banks in the world that physically trades and ships crude oil.

Growth plan -- Delivering customized risk management solutions for commodities by combining client objectives with its expertise in physical markets and edge in commodities research.

BARCLAYS CAPITAL (BARC.L)

Global head -- Benoit de Vitry.

Staff -- The bank had 240 people in commodities at the end of the last fiscal year.

History -- Started trading commodities in 2000.

Focus -- It is active in oil, refined products, metals, power and gas, coal, agriculturals, emissions and investment products.

Growth plan -- Barclays plans to increase the number of staff in commodities by more than 30 percent to 320 by the end of the fiscal year.

The main area of growth is the physical markets and Barclays created a shipping division called Pendle in March to support its physical oil trading operations. [ID:nLR198602]

CREDIT SUISSE (CSGN.VX)

Global head -- Adam Knight, who joined in 2007 from Goldman Sachs where he was head of global metals trading.

Staff -- At the end of 2008 it had more than 130 staff globally.

History -- Entered the business in 2005 and has accelerated its expansion since 2007.

Focus -- The bank is active in oil and refined products, coal, metals and agricultural commodities such as wheat, soybeans, milk and sugar.

It has a large presence in the physical market through its alliance with Swiss commodities trading house Glencore.

Growth plan -- The bank has hired 100 people since 2007 and plans to add another 100 in the next 18 months, Knight told Reuters in an interview last week.

It brought on two new directors in New York and a head of Vanilla Index Trading in July.

It is in the process of closing its U.S. power business but has now started trading European gas and power in-house.

STANDARD CHARTERED (STAN.L)

Global head -- Vincent Van Pelt. He joined last year from Bear Stearns where he spent 14 years, mostly as co-head of European equities.

History -- The bank started its commodities business three years ago. It tripled its customer base in 2008 from the previous year and is hoping to double it again this year.

Focus -- It offers commodity-linked financing and structured products in precious metals, base metals, energy and farm products.

Growth plan -- The bank plans to expand its coal trading operations by hiring more people this year and will aim to start trading physical commodities by next year. It is keen to expand its presence in sugar and palm oil.

RBS SEMPRA (RBS.L)

Global head -- Kaushik Amin. He joined in May and formerly worked for Lehman Brothers where he was global head of liquid markets.

History -- The commodities joint venture between the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sempra Energy (SRE.N) was created in April 2008.

Focus -- RBS Sempra Commodities is mainly active in physical markets and its main markets are crude oil, base metals, European power gas and coal and North American gas and power. It also trades U.S. agricultural products and emissions.

Growth plan -- A spokesman said it is planning to expand and is currently hiring, but declined to give details.

RBS Sempra appointed two new managing directors in June, both from Lehman Brothers.

MACQUARIE (MQG.AX)

Global head -- Andrew Downe

Staff -- 680 in commodities and treasury combined.

History -- Macquarie has provided trade financing and risk management services across the commodities complex since the early 1980s.

It is one of the longest standing providers of agricultural over-the-counter derivatives and tailored risk management services in the financial sector.

Focus -- Macquarie is active in metals, agricultural commodities, oil, products and natural gas.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP (ANZ.AX)

Global head -- Christophe Renaud. He joined in 2006 from Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) where he was a commodity derivatives trader.

History -- Started in gold in 1996 and expanded into base metals and agricultural commodities in late 2000. Since 2000, it has entered the oil, thermal coal, electricity and emissions markets.

Growth plan -- It has hired 12 people in Asia since the start of 2008. (Reporting by Emma Farge, Sambit Mohanty and Barani Krishnan; editing by James Jukwey and Lisa Shumaker)