Mitigate risk and increase returns with an alternative hedge fund strategy Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition is the definitive guide to the ins and outs of the burgeoning merger arbitrage hedge fund strategy, with real-world examples that illustrate how mergers work and how to take advantage of them. Author Thomas Kirchner, founder of the Pennsylvania Avenue Event-Driven Fund, discusses the factors that drove him to invest solely in merger arbitrage and other event-driven strategies, and details the methods used to incorporate merger arbitrage into traditional investment strategies. And while there is always a risk that a deal will fall through, the book explains how minimal such risks really are when the potential upside is factored in. Early chapters of the book focus on the basics of the merger arbitrage strategy, including an examination of mergers and the incorporation of risk into the arbitrage decision. Following chapters detail deal structures, financing, and legal aspects to provide the type of in-depth knowledge required to execute an effective investment strategy. The updated second edition stresses new, increasingly relevant information like: * Worldwide legal deal regimes * UK takeover code * UK takeover code global offspring * Regulators around the world The book provides clear, concise guidance on critical considerations including leverage and options, shorting stocks, and legal recourse for inadequate merger consideration, allowing readers to feel confident about trying a new investment strategy. With simple benefits including diversification of risk and return streams, this alternative hedge fund strategy has a place in even the most traditional plan. Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition provides the information that gives investors an edge in the merger arbitrage arena.

Organize and plan for your family business's continued, intergenerational success Continuity Model Generation: Integrating Wealth, Strategy, Talent, and Governance Plans delivers a cohesive and comprehensive plan for family business leaders who seek to improve the chances of sustaining success across generations. Incorporating four distinct--but closely related--plans, Continuity Model Generation shows family businesses how to manage their strategy, their wealth, their talent, and their governance to achieve multi-generational success. The book also offers: A coherent framework (Continuity Canvas) for the integration of its multiple plans affecting every critical aspect of the family-owned or controlled business Straightforward and practical frameworks, meta-frameworks, and cornerstones to ground your family business's strategy A variety of templates, checklists, and forms to organize your thinking and strategy Ideal for business-owning families, as well as their stakeholders and those who advise them, Continuity Model Generation: Integrating Wealth, Strategy, Talent, and Governance Plans is required reading for anyone interested in maintaining and developing family-based wealth.

The proven business principles of Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is one of the most admired and prolific investors and managers in corporate America. "Warren Buffett on Business" is a timeless guide to strategies that can help you run a successful business. This book is a one-of-a-kind collection of Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway written over the past few decades, and in a clear, simple style distills the basic principles of sound business practices.

Through Buffett's own remarkable words, this practical management handbook shares valuable insights on communicating with, and treating employees and shareholders fairly; responsible corporate governance; ethical behavior; patience and perseverance; admitting mistakes; and having a passion for work.Contains priceless pearls of business and management wisdom, woven into a delightful narrativeDesigned in an accessible manner and organized by business and management topics with strong lessons from BuffettProvides direct, hands-on information on major topics concerning managers, entrepreneurs, business students, and anyone interested in business

Informative and inspiring, this unique book puts Warren Buffett's business beliefs in perspective.

This book constitutes the thoroughly revised post-conference proceedings of the Second International Conference on Financial Cryptography, FC '98, held in Anguilla, British West Indies, in February 1998.
The 28 revised papers presented were carefully selected and improved beyond the versions presented at the meeting. The book presents the state of the art in research and development in financial cryptography and addresses all current topics such as electronic payment systems, digital cash, electronic commerce, digital signatures, payment transactions, revocation and validation, WWW commerce, trust management systems, and watermarking.

An accessible treatment of Monte Carlo methods, techniques, and applications in the field of finance and economics Providing readers with an in-depth and comprehensive guide, the Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation: Applications in Financial Engineering, Risk Management, and Economics presents a timely account of the applicationsof Monte Carlo methods in financial engineering and economics. Written by an international leading expert in thefield, the handbook illustrates the challenges confronting present-day financial practitioners and provides various applicationsof Monte Carlo techniques to answer these issues. The book is organized into five parts: introduction andmotivation; input analysis, modeling, and estimation; random variate and sample path generation; output analysisand variance reduction; and applications ranging from option pricing and risk management to optimization. The Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation features: * An introductory section for basic material on stochastic modeling and estimation aimed at readers who may need a summary or review of the essentials * Carefully crafted examples in order to spot potential pitfalls and drawbacks of each approach * An accessible treatment of advanced topics such as low-discrepancy sequences, stochastic optimization, dynamic programming, risk measures, and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods * Numerous pieces of R code used to illustrate fundamental ideas in concrete terms and encourage experimentation The Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation: Applications in Financial Engineering, Risk Management, and Economics is a complete reference for practitioners in the fields of finance, business, applied statistics, econometrics, and engineering, as well as a supplement for MBA and graduate-level courses on Monte Carlo methods and simulation.

This book constitutes the strictly refereed post-proceedings of the First International Conference on Financial Cryptography, FC '97, held in Anguilla, BWI, in February 1997.
The 31 revised contributions presented were carefully reviewed and revised for inclusion in the book. The book provides a unique synopsis on financial cryptography, taking into account the views and ideas of cryptographers, security experts, computer hackers, lawyers, bankers, journalists and administrative professionals. The papers cover the whole spectrum of the security of financial transactions or digital commerce in general, ranging from pure cryptosystems to the technology of electronic money to legal and regulatory policy issues.

By virtue of several theoretical models and hypotheses, this book is one of the earliest studies which systematically investigates the structure and changes of China's financial institutions. To begin with, it examines the relation between state utility function and China's economic growth, and reveals the formation and transition of China's state-owned financial institutional arrangements. Based on this analysis, the author studies the influence of monetization on the arrangements, and the financial support to China's gradual reform which have long been neglected by researchers. Also, the model of money demand that can explain the specific conditions of the gradual reform is built, as the neoclassical framework has been incapable of explaining China's financial performance. In the last chapter, it discusses the dilemma of property rights under the state-owned financial system, with the establishment of the credit equilibrium model and the dual model of bad debts. With insightful theoretical analysis and empirical researches, this book will appeal to scholars and students in finance, economics and economic history.

"This superb work belongs in the libraries of all universities. Essential."--"Choice" ""The Power of Money" is a brilliant and highly original piece of scholarship on a group of inscriptions about which much has been written and whose interpretation is crucial for our understanding of the way in which Athens ruled her empire."--Martin Ostwald, Swarthmore College "Thomas Figueira's work on Athenian monetary policy is not only solid, thorough, and meticulously reasoned but also new and original in its conception. It will be a basic text for all concerned with the Athenian empire and its economy well into the new century."--Mabel L. Lang, Bryn Mawr College ""The Power of Money" is potentially the most significant work on the Athenian Empire written in many years. . . . Quite simply, the current understanding of Athens' economic relations with her allies will have to be totally reconsidered as a result of Figueira's work."--Stanley Burstein, California State University, Los Angeles ""The Power of Money" is a major contribution to the scholarship of classical Greece. . . . It will be cited and used with approval in all serious future acounts of fifth-century political history. It will also occupy an important place in the scholarship on ancient coinage and economics. It is masterful scholarship all around, on both the technical and conceptual levels."--John H. Kroll, The University of Texas "A work of immense learning."--Harold B. Mattingly, "American Journal of Archaeology" Was Athens an imperialistic state, deserving all the reputation for exploitation that adjective can imply, or was the Athenian alliance, even at its most unequal, still characterized by a convergence of interests? "The Power of Money" explores monetary and metrological policy at Athens as a way of discerning the character of Athenian hegemony in midfifth-century Greece. It begins with the Athenian Coinage Decree, which, after decades of scholarly attention, still presents unresolved questions for Greek historians about content, intent, date, and effect. Was the Decree an act of commercial imperialism or simply the codification of what was already current practice? Figueira interprets the Decree as one in a series concerned with financial matters affecting the Athenian city-state and emerging from the way the collection of tribute functioned in the alliance that we call the Athenian empire. He contends that the Decree served primarily to legislate the status quo ante. Thomas Figueira is Professor of Classics and of Ancient History at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

Traditional economic theory studies idealized markets in which prices alone can guide efficient allocation, with no need for central organization. Such models build from Adam Smith's famous concept of an invisible hand, which guides markets and renders regulation or interference largely unnecessary. Yet for many markets, prices alone are not enough to guide feasible and efficient outcomes, and regulation alone is not enough, either. Consider air traffic control at major airports. While prices could encourage airlines to take off and land at less congested times, prices alone do just part of the job; an air traffic control system is still indispensable to avoid disastrous consequences. With just an air traffic controller, however, limited resources can be wasted or poorly used. What's needed in this and many other real-world cases is an auction system that can effectively reveal prices while still maintaining enough direct control to ensure that complex constraints are satisfied. In Discovering Prices, Paul Milgrom-the world's most frequently cited academic expert on auction design-describes how auctions can be used to discover prices and guide efficient resource allocations, even when resources are diverse, constraints are critical, and market-clearing prices may not even exist. Economists have long understood that externalities and market power both necessitate market organization. In this book, Milgrom introduces complex constraints as another reason for market design. Both lively and technical, Milgrom roots his new theories in real-world examples (including the ambitious U.S. incentive auction of radio frequencies, whose design he led) and provides economists with crucial new tools for dealing with the world's growing complex resource-allocation problems.

The research described in this book contributes to the scientific field of optimal control theory applied to dynamic models of the firm. In 1963, Jorgenson first wrote about the use of optimal control theory in order to analyze the dynamic investment behaviour of a hypothetical firm. A decade later, reports appeared of work on more realistic models of the firm carried out by, amongst others, Lesourne [1973) and Bensoussan et al. [1974). In The Netherlands, P. A. Verheyen, Professor of Management Science at Tilburg University, further instigated studies in this field which led to several publications, for example: Van Loon [1983], Van Schijndel [1988), Kort [1989]' Van Hilten [1991) and Van Hilten et al. [1993). Their investigations are char- acterized by an analytical approach to optimization problems (The Maximum Principle of Pontryagin combined with the path coupling procedure of Van Loon). Inherent to this approach, a good economic interpretation of solutions is obtained; however, analytical solving becomes practically unfeasible when simulation models become more complex, e. g. by stronger non-linearity, explic- itly time-dependent functions and larger numbers of state variables, control variables and subsidiary conditions. For example, the path coupling procedure is complicated for optimization problems where discontinuities in the costate variables occur. At Eindhoven University of Technology, P. M. E. M.

It's not all about the money; the key to true riches

Leo Tolstoy said, "Nobody knows where the human race is going. The highest wisdom, then, is to know where you are going." Yet many today chase the false rabbits of success: status, luxury, reputation and material possessions. In the quest to "have it all," our lives often lack real meaning and purpose. "Beyond Wealth" is the antidote.

"New York Times" bestselling author Alexander Green takes things right down to brass tacks: We are here for a short time. Knowledge is limitless. Therefore, the most critical knowledge is not any particular skill but rather wisdom about "how to live." Fortunately, men and women have had several thousand years to think about what it means to live "the good life." And the answers found here, from Plato and Aristotle to Mahatma Gandhi and Stephen Hawking, will both surprise and delight you.

"Beyond Wealth" provides insightful commentary on the most important aspects of our lives: love, work, honor, trust, freedom, death, fear, truth, beauty and other timeless issues. The book is both a thought provoking read and the ideal gift, guaranteed to ennoble, uplift and inspire.

This volume presents the proceedings of the First International Conference on Applications of Databases, ADB-94, held at Vadstena, Sweden in June 1994. ADB-94 provided a unique platform for the discussion of innovative applications of databases among database researchers, developers and application designers. The 28 refereed papers were carefully selected from more than 100 submissions. They report on DB applications, for example in air traffic, modelling, maps, environment, finance, engineering, electronic publishing, and digital libraries, and they are devoted to advanced database services, as for example image text and multimedia modelling, fuzzy set based querying, knowledge management, heterogeneous multidatabase management, and intelligent networks.

Demystifies regression-based valuation through simple explanations, easy-to-understand charts, and time-saving bonus resources Current methodologies using median, quartiles, or standard deviations to calculate revenue multipliers and cash flow multipliers often produce values that are wildly divergent. This forces the appraiser to choose between a very high or a very low value or consider averaging the values, opening the possibility for the appraiser to be challenged. On the surface, regression analysis appears to be the more complex, mathematical model, so many professionals shy away from using it out of fear that readers will be confused and reject the results of the appraisal. Valuing Businesses Using Regression Analysis solves this issue by breaking down regression to its simplest terms and providing easy-to-read charts and explanations that can be understood by all. Since regression analysis does not come pre-installed in Excel, this book will show you how to enable Excel's regression in your computer. Then you'll learn four different Regression tools that can be used for business valuations or for forecasting in general. As an added perk, this book also comes with a template that simplifies the entire regression methodology into the click of one button. With a minimal amount of work, you can use this template to produce a compelling four-page valuation report. See why current valuation methodologies can be wildly inaccurate and why regression analysis is a practical and preferable alternative Learn how to set up Regression in Excel and use single-variable linear regression to predict revenue and cash flow multipliers Walk through the process for conducting more advanced analyses, including curved regression with outliers and multiple variable regression Use the bonus template to create attractive four-page valuation reports using regression analysis in Excel This book is an excellent choice for valuators and other financial professionals ready to take the leap into regression analysis for more accurate, more objective business valuations.

This volume provides a topical and up-to-date introduction to the principal Western financial markets and institutions, particularly those in the USA, Europe and Japan. The scope is comprehensive and topics covered include: commercial and investment banking, money and insurance, options, futures and other derivative products. A glossary of financial terms is also provided, and a final chapter surveys the key trends and issues in the market today.;A second edition is available: "An Introduction to Global Financial Markets" (hardback: 0-333-69584-4; paperback: 0-333-69394-9).

The recent introduction of two European index options on the FTSE Eurotrack 100 and the Eurotop 100 is evidence of a demand from investors to hedge pan-European risk. The FTSE Eurotrack 100 was designed to closely resemble the longer established and widely quoted Morgan Stanley European index. The Eurotrack 100 covers a hundred companies in eleven countries in continental Europe. The index is denominated in DM and' a breakdown by value into the different countries covered is given in figure 1. Capitalisation weights for Figure 1 FT-SE Eurotrack 100 Index Norway mark Germany Italy Switzerland France Netherlands Another recently introduced European index is the Eurotop 100 index denominated in EeUs, this index contains twenty two UK companies which represent 27% by value of this index. The attraction of investments in these indices is that they provide a basis for weighted exposure to Europe, investors can then build on this 240 basis by investment in individual countries. The multinational context of the universe of shares defined by this index raises some new questions for the selection of portfolios, whether the portfolios are chosen for absolute performance or to track the index. Various possible objectives of portfolio selection will be discussed, in all cases the crucial role of the covariance matrix of returns is clear. The extra source of risk present in a multinational portfolio is the combination of country risk coupled with foreign exchange risk. Two models of the return covariance matrix are proposed and examined.

Prudent, verifiable, and timely corporate accounting is a bedrock of our modern capitalist system. In recent years, however, the rules that govern corporate accounting have been subtly changed in ways that compromise these core principles, to the detriment of the economy at large. These changes have been driven by the private agendas of certain corporate special interests, aided selectively and sometimes unwittingly by arguments from business academia With Political Standards, Karthik Ramanna develops the notion of "thin political markets" to describe a key problem facing technical rule-making in corporate accounting and beyond. When standard-setting boards attempt to regulate the accounting practices of corporations, they must draw on a small pool of qualified experts but those experts almost always have strong commercial interests in the outcome. Meanwhile, standard setting rarely enjoys much attention from the general public. This absence of accountability, Ramanna argues, allows corporate managers to game the system. In the profit-maximization framework of modern capitalism, the only practicable solution is to reframe managerial norms when participating in thin political markets. Political Standards will be an essential resource for understanding how the rules of the game are set, whom they inevitably favor, and how the process can be changed for a better capitalism.

Hospitality Finance and Accounting provides a uniquely concise, accessible and comprehensive introduction to hospitality, finance and accounting from a managerial perspective. By avoiding unnecessary jargon and focusing on the essentials, this book offers a crucial breakdown of this often overly-complex subject area. The concise chapters cover the essential concepts, ideas and formulas to be mastered within the hospitality industry including income statements, balance sheets, pricing and budgeting. Each chapter is split into two sections: theory and practice, giving students practical insight into the everyday realities of the hospitality industry through case studies which show how theories are applied to a range of relevant scenarios. Emphasis is placed particularly on the practices of revenue and budget management within the food and beverage industry. This will be an essential introductory yet practical resource for all Hospitality students and future managers within the industry.

Does your product business feel unpredictable, slightly terrifying, and hungry for money? If so, you're not alone. Retail is the fastest growing small business sector, and for good reason. With accessible selling technology and billions of people shopping online, reaching your ideal customer is easier than ever before. But the truth is that making money in a product business is harder than it first appears. And without profits, your business becomes incredibly difficult to manage and almost impossible to grow. Fortunately for you, big retailers have spent decades developing methods of monitoring profit margins, forecasting and growing sales and managing stock to maximise their bottom line. In this book, small-business retail expert Catherine Erdly shows you how to easily apply those big business tools and perspectives to understand your business, get clear on what you need to do to grow profitably, and, ultimately, tame your tiger.

This volume contains a series of sometimes controversial reflections on money and the conduct of monetary policy by eight distinguished economic analysts and practitioners.

This is an excerpt from the 4-volume dictionary of economics, a reference book which aims to define the subject of economics today. 1300 subject entries in the complete work cover the broad themes of economic theory. This extract concentrates on finance.

This study offers a systematic analysis of basic questions relating to equitable income taxation. Of course, a definite solution, resting on scientific arguments, cannot be expected for this important field of government activity. However, what is possible, is an exhaustive dis cussion of various aspects of equitable income taxation, thus preparing the ground for reasonable political decisions. I hope that the present book will contribute to this continuing discus sion, presenting results from modern social-choice theory and optimum taxation theory in order to gain further insights into the problem of income taxation. On a fundamental level, social-choice theory is applied in order to in vestigate the normative foundation of different tax rules. Arrow's im possibility theorem forms the starting point of the analysis; as was shown by recent contributions to social-choice theory, this impossibi lity result can be overcome if various degrees of interpersonal utility comparisons are admitted. Using this approach, one can work out the general norms of equity behind familiar tax rules. As a special point, the traditional principle of equal proportional sacrifice will be given a social-choice theoretic foundation in this book. The second level on which tax rules can be discussed, concerns their respective consequences in concrete taxation models. TWo such models are specified in this study, the first one takes gross income of the taxpayers as given, it is contrasted with the second, more complex mod el, where the individual labour-leisure decision is taken into account.

This book provides an understanding of the concepts and objectives of expert systems. It is a practical guide, intended to help the practitioner in identifying potential application in his/her own practice, and to understand the limitations of the technology. This should provide the auditor with a ground basis to direct, stimulate and control development efforts in his own practice. At the same time, it should give students in auditing a good grasp of the possibilities and limitations of the technology.

A guided journey revealing hidden values and buried treasures amidst the dangers facing DIY investors. A metaphorical journey through the hot, shifting sands of the capital markets 'desert' to awaken readers to the urgency of the "Behavior Gap"--a chronic gap of under-performance relative to the markets experienced by investors worldwide. This is a roadmap of portfolio management concepts and contrarian tactics that can turn misbehaviors, undue risks, and short-term gambles into longer-term strengths. Through 30 chapters and four tiers, the author progressively introduces more powerful tools & techniques used in the founding and successful management of the Oasis Growth Fund, a North American Hedge Fund. No matter the complexities, the material is purposeful, transparent and allows flexibility for the reader to pursue the adventure as long as the rewards justify the sacrifices. With pragmatic advice, insights and tomes for the ages, The Investing Oasis is a compelling resource for new and experienced investors, alike. Value your time at the Oasis to prepare for the adventures ahead.

For the three decades that we have had monetary policy as we know it today, there have been two major schools of monetary thought - the neoclassical Keynesians and the monetarists. In this book Stephen Rousseas presents a critical overview of some of the central themes of Post Keynesian monetary economics. As Rousseas sees it, Post Keynesian monetary economics rejects the neoclassical and monetarist apporaches in large part by reversing the causal arrow of the quantity theory of money. The money supply is seen as a function of nominal income rather than the other way around; in other words, this is an endogenous theory of the money supply. Rousseas argues that the problem of financial innovations needs to be incorporated into the theory of an endogenous money supply - and he attempts to do this. Further, in a discussion of the policy implications of Post Keynesian monetary economics, he argues that an incomes policy by itself cannot be made to work without recourse to selective credit controls.