Over the next few years, the proprietary trading and hedge fund industries will migrate largely to automated trade selection and execution systems. Indeed, this is already happening. While several finance books provide C++ code for pricing derivatives and performing numerical calculations, none approaches the topic from a system design perspective. This book will be divided into two sections-programming techniques and automated trading system ( ATS ) technology-and teach financial system design and development from the absolute ground up using Microsoft Visual C++.NET 2005. MS Visual C++.NET 2005 has been chosen as the implementation language primarily because most trading firms and large banks have developed and continue to develop their proprietary algorithms in ISO C++ and Visual C++.NET provides the greatest flexibility for incorporating these legacy algorithms into working systems. Furthermore, the .NET Framework and development environment provide the best libraries and tools for rapid development of trading systems.
The first section of the book explains Visual C++.NET 2005 in detail and focuses on the required programming knowledge for automated trading system development, including object oriented design, delegates and events, enumerations, random number generation, timing and timer objects, and data management with STL.NET and .NET collections. Furthermore, since most legacy code and modeling code in the financial markets is done in ISO C++, this book looks in depth at several advanced topics relating to managed/unmanaged/COM memory management and interoperability. Further, this book provides dozens of examples illustrating the use of database connectivity with ADO.NET andan extensive treatment of SQL and FIX and XML/FIXML. Advanced programming topics such as threading, sockets, as well as using C++.NET to connect to Excel are also discussed at length and supported by examples.
The second section of the book explains technological concerns and design concepts for automated trading systems. Specifically, chapters are devoted to handling real-time data feeds, managing orders in the exchange order book, position selection, and risk management. A .dll is included in the book that will emulate connection to a widely used industry API ( Trading Technologies, Inc.'s XTAPI ) and provide ways to test position and order management algorithms. Design patterns are presented for market taking systems based upon technical analysis as well as for market making systems using intermarket spreads.
As all of the chapters revolve around computer programming for financial engineering and trading system development, this book will educate traders, financial engineers, quantitative analysts, students of quantitative finance and even experienced programmers on technological issues that revolve around development of financial applications in a Microsoft environment and the construction and implementation of real-time trading systems and tools.
* Teaches financial system design and development from the ground up using Microsoft Visual C++.NET 2005.
* Provides dozens of examples illustrating the programming approaches in the book
* Chapters are supported by screenshots, equations, sample Excel spreadsheets, programming code and interactive CDROM

The role of foreign direct investment initiatives is pivotal to effective enterprise development. This is particularly vital to emerging economies that are building their presence in international business markets. Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and Opportunities for Developing Economies in the World Market is a critical scholarly publication that explores the importance of global stocks to new economic structures and explores the effects that these holdings have on the financial status of growing nations. Featuring a broad range of topics, such as economic transformation, investment in production facilities, and foreign direct investors, this publication is geared towards academicians, practitioners, and researchers seeking current and relevant research on the importance of global investment in new and growing financial municipalities.

"Valuation and Selection of Convertible BondS" offers practical guidelines for selecting convertible bonds and making efficient investment decisions. Based on modern option theory and the most recent developments in investment analysis (including a chapter on Euro-bonds), this sourcebook will prove invaluable to both professional investors and individuals involved with similar financial transactions.

"Private Equity in Poland" focuses on the evolution of private equity in Poland. Poland represents the most developed private equity industry in Central and Eastern Europe and is one of the leaders in emerging markets worldwide. There is a growing interest in private equity in emerging markets around the world which has been fuelled by the extraordinary economic growth, attractive investment opportunities, exciting exit choices, and handsome returns; Poland is one of these markets. The development of private equity in Poland may serve as a blueprint for other emerging market countries like India and China.

'The Financial Crisis' has led to a decade of poor returns for pension schemes and lower retirement incomes. Credit-based investment strategies that track the business cycle, are allowing preservation of investors' capital. This book provides analysis and investment strategy plans to generate equity-like-returns with bond like volatility.

The terms "Eurodollar" and "Eurocurrency" were widely used in the 1970s, a time when the US dollar was prevalently traded in Europe. Later, the Eurodollar market was extended to Asia, especially Singapore and Hong Kong, and to cover a wider range of non-local currencies. But international markets have changed, with Renminbi set to become the world's dominant offshore currency. Leading bankers, analysts, bank supervisors, economists, journalists, professors, and lawyers contributed to Investing in Asian Offshore Currency Markets, exploring various issues regarding offshore currency markets in Asia, and especially the challenges and issues in building the offshore market for Renminbi.

This tells the story of the development of the private equity industry in Germany. It is the first comprehensive history of the private equity industry for any country, revealing the vicissitudes of private equity investing, warts and all. It is an engaging chronicle for anyone interested in the industry or the modern German economy.

Much critical attention has been given in recent years to market and credit risks, which have a significant effect on corporate and financial operations and must be understood and managed with care. While these areas have rightly received considerable scrutiny, another critical dimension of financial risk - based on corporate liquidity - has been largely overlooked. Liquidity risk is the risk of loss arising from an inability to quickly realise asset value or obtain funding and can be damaging if not properly considered or actively managed. Lack of liquidity can lead to large losses in asset/liability portfolios and off balance sheet activities and in extreme cases can trigger financial distress and insolvency. Liquidity Risk is a comprehensive treatment of the topic focusing on the nature of the risk, problems that arise in asset and funding liquidity and mechanisms that can be developed to monitor, measure and control such risks.

The primary purpose in this book is to present an integrated and innovative methodological approach for the construction and selection of equity portfolios. The approach takes into account the inherent multidimensional nature of the problem, while allowing the decision makers to incorporate specified preferences in the decision processes. A fundamental principle of modern portfolio theory is that comparisons between portfolios are generally made using two criteria; the expected return and portfolio variance. According to most of the portfolio models derived from the stochastic dominance approach, the group of portfolios open to comparisons is divided into two parts: the efficient portfolios, and the dominated. This work integrates the two approaches providing a unified model for decision making in portfolio management with multiple criteria.

The financial industry's leading independent research firm's forward-looking assessment into high frequency trading

Once regarded as a United States-focused trend, today, high frequency trading is gaining momentum around the world. Yet, while high frequency trading continues to be one of the hottest trends in the markets, due to the highly proprietary nature of the computer transactions, financial firms and institutions have made very little available in terms of information or "how-to" techniques. That's all changed with "The High Frequency Game Changer: How Automated Trading Strategies Have Revolutionized the Markets." In the book, Zubulake and Lee present an overview of how high frequency trading is changing the face of the market. The book
Explains how we got here and what it means to traders and investorsDetails how to build a high frequency trading firm, including the relevant tools, strategies, and trading talentDefines key components common to HFT such as algorithms, low latency trading infrastructure, collocation etc.

"The High Frequency Game Changer" takes a highly controversial and extremely complicated subject and makes it accessible to anyone with an interest or stake in financial markets.

Solving the world's water problems is proving to be one of the greatest investment opportunities of our time. Already, world water supplies are inadequate to meet demand, and the problem is going to get much worse in the years ahead. The World Bank estimates that 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and about 50 percent of the world's hospital beds are populated by people who have contracted water-borne diseases. If present consumption rates continue, in 25 years the world will be using 90 percent of all available freshwater. To address the problem, trillions of dollars will need to be invested in water infrastructure projects. And while the problems are most acute in developing and rapidly growing economies, there are huge water infrastructure needs in industrialized countries, as well. In the U.S. alone, it's estimated that more than $1 trillion will be needed for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. In Planet Water, water investment expert Steven Hoffmann explains the dynamics driving the water crisis and identifies investment opportunities in various sectors of the water industry. Hoffman provides investors with the knowledge and insights they need to make informed investments in water utilities, as well as companies providing water treatment services; infrastructure services; water monitoring and analytics; and desalination services. He also discusses mutual funds and ETFs that specialize in water stocks. Investing in the water industry is certainly no pie-in-the-sky idea. Over the past five years, many water stocks have exploded in value and water stocks as a whole have outperformed the S&P 500 by a substantial amount. In Planet Water, Hoffmann provides investors with everything they need to profit from this fast-growing industry in the years ahead.

Kasper's book is the first to explain the why, not just the how, in the valuation of privately held businesses, and as such makes a unique contribution to its field. Among its many points, the book makes clear that there is no small stock premium, current valuation practice produces business valuations that are too subjective, and tax precedents and laws do not govern business valuations for other purposes. A truly multidisciplinary approach to the advanced study of valuation theory and practice, the book critically examines the many common practices and assumptions accepted by certain appraisers and finds them wanting. It is thus an in-depth exploration of the foundation of current valuation practice, and the evidence that supposedly supports or refutes traditional wisdom. With easily grasped numerical examples and case studies from Kasper's wide professional experience, this work is an important source of information, knowledge, and applications for professional and academics alike, not only in accounting and related fields, but also in management, investment, and law.

Kasper begins with a discussion of the most quoted authority in business valuation, Revenue Ruling 59-60. For attorneys, this is probably the single richest source of cross examination material available (and the ruling appears in its entirety in the Appendix). Although Kasper concentrates on developing the conceptual foundations of valuation, he also explores more practical matters and their meanings, such as fair market values, valuations for tax purposes, and trial strategy. Kasper points out that some of the conclusions he offers are controversial, but if the logic underlying them is understood, their truth will soon be apparent. He also argues convincingly that theory is not just for academics, but can be a useful tool to understand how the real world works--and why it often fails.

The book covers topics related to banking regulation and credit risk modelling. The proposed rules are presented and key issues regarding implementation of the accord identified. The model used to calibrate the capital requirements under Basel 2 is analyzed and projected forward to present what could be key new elements in the future Basel 3 regulation. A CD-ROM is included to illustrate regulator models.

This book has two themes: Private Banking and investment decisions regarding Structural Financial Products. Dr. Dimitris Chorafas examines in a rigorous way whether structured financial products are advisable investments for retail and institutional investors and, if yes, which risks they entail. As our society becomes increasingly affluent, and state-supported pension schemes find it difficult to survive, a growing number of high net-worth individuals, and families, have become retail investors - looking for ways and means to optimize wealth management, and Private Banking deals with these sorts of clients. Private banking also deals with clients that are institutional investors, such as pension funds, mutual funds, and insurance companies, as well as not-for-profits, foundations and companies explicitly set up for wealth management. Both institutional and retail investors are being offered by the banks they work with structured products. Typically, these are securities that provide them with a redemption amount, with may be either with full or partial capital protection, and some type of return. The book examines structured financial products, their polyvalent nature, and the results which could be expected from them.
Return on structural instruments, which are essentially derivatives, is paid in function of a specific investment strategy on selected underlying asset(s). This essentially means on the performance of the underlyings, obtained by asset managers, which may be banks or hedge funds, through purchase or sale of embedded options. But there are risks. Both risk and return from structured products are related to three main issues: the volatility of future value of anunderlying, the uncertainty of future events, and the exposure of the product. Every type of investment is subject to market forces, and the more leveraged a portfolio is, the greater will probably be both the assumed risk and the expected reward. The fact that structured financial products appeal, or at least are being marketed, to both retail investors and institutional investors makes the dual approach deliberately chosen in this book most advisable. This book addresses all these issues in a practical manner with numerous case studies and real-world examples drawn from the author's intensive research.
*Because it is based on intensive research, the book is rich in practical examples and case studies
*Addresses the growing trend towards the use of structured financial instruments in private banking
*Thorough treatment of structured financial products that keeps maths to a minimum

Banking and investment in Mexico have changed radically over the past decade, and the economic events that prompted these changes will have a significant impact on Mexico's role in regional and world financial markets. Adams traces the evolution of Mexico's banking and investment activities, reviews current conditions and their implications for future investment opportunities in Mexico, and makes clear that what happens to Mexico's economy and political stability will have major implications for what happens elsewhere in the world. One of the first books to look at banking and investment in Mexico after the peso crash of 1994-1995, with a highly detailed bibliography and notes, Adams's study will be important reading for international business, finance, and investment professionals and for their colleagues with similar interests throughout the academic community.

The fate of both Mexico and the United States is that the two countries are forever tied by geography. The historical evolution of the dual interaction between the peoples of these two nations is and will be significant for the future of both countries. With this in mind, the book is divided into chapters reviewing such themes as the interaction and historical financial events that transpired during the advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the expansion of cross-border financial and investment services, as well as a framework and background review of the events leading up to and resulting from the devaluations of the 1970s and 1980s, and more recently the evolution of the peso crisis of 1994-1995. The imperceptible yet gradual economic integration of the two economies has required time in developing, while not always being seamless in its implementation and transition. American macroeconomic policy has long had a direct impact on the economy of Mexico, as is evidenced by the impact of U.S. interest rates on the financial underpinnings of the Mexican treasury and the banking system to assist with the overall economic growth of the nation. An appreciation for the historically sensitive issues and perspectives, be they nationalization of the oil industry, immigration, or market access for foreign financial services, is paramount to a fuller understanding of doing business on both sides of the border.

In light of recent financial crises, the role of investment funds is a recurring subject for discussion. In the past, crises used to be limited to singular markets or specific asset classes. In today's crises, many different asset classes are affected simultaneously and globally. Given this new context, our traditional methods must be adapted with the overall objective to strengthen the scientific knowledge of investment funds. The aim of this book is to provide new insights, ideas and empirical evidence that will improve tools and methods at our disposal for fund performance analysis. This book proposes a number of topics that are current of interest: two portfolio optimization models with a multi-fractal approach and a dynamic approach using risk aversion signals; an alternative benchmark for mutual funds, a fuzzy approach to estimate performance measures, a symbolic data approach to compare fund rating systems and various risk management aspects of investment funds linked to risk performance indicators.

Volatility is very much with us in today's equity markets. Day-to-day price swings are often large and intra-day volatility elevated, especially at market openings and closings. What explains this? What does this say about the quality of our markets? Can short-period volatility be controlled by better market design and a more effective use of electronic technology? Featuring insights from an international array of prominent academics, financial markets experts, policymakers and journalists, the book addresses these and other questions concerning this timely topic. In so doing, we seek deeper knowledge of the dynamic process of price formation, and of the market structure and regulatory environment within which our markets function.

The Zicklin School of Business Financial Markets Series presents the insights emerging from a sequence of conferences hosted by the Zicklin School at Baruch College for industry professionals, regulators, and scholars. Much more than historical documents, the transcripts from the conferences are edited for clarity, perspective and context; material and comments from subsequent interviews with the panelists and speakers are integrated for a complete thematic presentation. Each book is focused on a well delineated topic, but all deliver broader insights into the quality and efficiency of the U.S. equity markets and the dynamic forces changing them.

Getting organizations going is one thing. Stopping them is another. This book examines how and why organizations become trapped in disastrous decisions. The focal point is Project Taurus, an IT venture commissioned by the London Stock Exchange and supported by numerous City Institutions. Taurus was intended to transform London's antiquated manual share settlement procedures into a state of the art electronic system that would be the envy of the world. The project collapsed after three year's intensive work and investments totalling almost GBP500 million. This book is an in depth study of escalation in decision making. The author has interviewed a number of people who played a key role and presents a most readable account of what actually happened. At the same time she sets the case in the broader literature of decision making.

Undertakings for the Collective Investment of Transferable Securities (UCITS) involve collective investment funds, which are authorized to market their units among countries within the European Union. The objective of the original UCITS directive was to allow for open-ended funds investing in transferable securities to be subject to the same regulation in every Member State. It was hoped that once such legislative uniformity was established throughout Europe, funds authorized in one Member State could be sold to the public in each Member State without further authorization, thereby furthering the EU's goal of a single market for financial services in Europe. Unfortunately, the reality differed somewhat from the expectation. This insightful work examines the taxation of UCITS in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It analyzes the tax consequences of the cross-border trade in units of UCITS for unitholders residing in the countries examined. It also features recommendations to remove the tax advantages and disadvantages that occur in cross-border trading.