Expert guidance on managing credit risk in bond portfolios

Managing Credit Risk in Corporate Bond Portfolios shows readers how to measure and manage the risks of a corporate bond portfolio against its benchmark. This comprehensive guide explores a wide range of topics surrounding credit risk and bond portfolios, including the similarities and differences between corporate and government bond portfolios, yield curve risk, default and credit migration risk, Monte Carlo simulation techniques, and portfolio selection methods.

Srichander Ramaswamy, PhD (Basel, Switzerland), is Head of Investment Analysis at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland, and Adjunct Professor of Banking and Finance, University of Lausanne.

This book focuses on the latest developments in the Asia-Pacific community in terms of how deregulation and privatization are bringing more risk to energy companies. In the light of these market changes, interest in energy risk management has grown substantially and is becoming a fiduciary responsibility of energy companies. As energy trading, power exchanges and hedging techniques establish themselves in the oil, power and gas sectors, so then do newer derivatives markets emerge in LNG hedging, whether derivatives or freight hedging. Fusaro and James, as seasoned market practitioners in the region, focus on these market changes and examine the future of Asian energy hedging.

This book contains original readings on Reserves Management for central banks and sovereign wealth funds. It aims to outline best practice in respect of strategic asset allocation, facilitating knowledge-sharing across organizations and encouraging collaboration and dialogue between reserves and asset management specialists in the organizations.

Praise for "Invest Like A Fox. . . Not Like A Hedgehog"

"We've known Bob for years as Trustee and Chairman at Fairfax County Employees' Retirement System. Under Bob's leadership, Fairfax County has moved ahead of the curve by pursuing forward-looking and innovative investment solutions that are enormously beneficial for its members. We pay very close attention to what Bob has to say."
--Dan Bernstein, Director of Research, Bridgewater Associates, Inc.

"A thoughtful, thorough evaluation of the dynamic processes required to achieve investment success. This book clearly establishes that the only formula for success is a disciplined focus on the way to analyze markets, not on statistical formulas that trigger preprogrammed responses. The essential focus on managing risk and the willingness to pursue strategies that diverge from the crowd are pearls of wisdom that would be worthwhile reading for individual and institutional investors alike."
--Thomas H. Weaver, CFA, Managing Director, FrontPoint Partners, Morgan Stanley Investment Management

In the competitive world of investing, most individuals earn less than 7% annually--even during good markets. Individual investors are not the only ones reaping lower than expected returns. Many institutional investors, such as mutual funds and pension plans, frequently earn less than their targeted goals.

While making money in today's investment arena can be difficult, the key to success lies in acquiring the adaptability of a fox and abandoning the rigid beliefs that define a hedgehog. With Invest Like a Fox . . . Not Like a Hedgehog, financial professional Robert Carlson will show you exactly how this can be accomplished.

Written in a straightforward and accessible style, "Invest Like a Fox . . . Not Like a Hedgehog" outlines a proven approach to long-term investing that focuses on reducing risk while improving returns. Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this detailed guide will change the way you think about investing and assist you in developing an investment strategy that will work in today's dynamic markets.

Robo-Advisory is a field that has gained momentum over recent years, propelled by the increasing digitalization and automation of global financial markets. More and more money has been flowing into automated advisory, raising essential questions regarding the foundations, mechanics, and performance of such solutions. However, a comprehensive summary taking stock of this new solution at the intersection of finance and technology with consideration for both aspects of theory and implementation has so far been wanting. This book offers such a summary, providing unique insights into the state of Robo-Advisory. Drawing on a pool of expert authors from within the field, this edited collection aims at being the vital go-to resource for academics, students, policy-makers, and practitioners alike wishing to engage with the topic. Split into four parts, the book begins with a survey of academic literature and its key insights paired with an analysis of market developments in Robo-Advisory thus far. The second part tackles specific questions of implementation, which are complemented by practical case studies in Part III. Finally, the fourth part looks ahead to the future, addressing questions of key importance such as artificial intelligence, big data, and social networks. Thereby, this timely book conveys both a comprehensive grasp of the status-quo as well as a guiding outlook onto future trends and developments within the field.

Foreign Exchange in Practice, now in its 3rd edition, is the single reference to the foreign exchange market any financial practitioner needs to have. It explains the concepts involved in foreign exchange and their application to real-life situations. The book was originally developed as a textbook for the Citibank Bourse Course, an intensive course available to clients and staff of Citibank to improve their mastery of these complex markets. The course has been taught in 50 countries since 1975. This new edition includes the Euro amongst its currencies, expansion of material on interest rate concepts, exotic options and value at risk.

Investing in Corporate Bonds and Credit Risk is a valuable tool for any corporate bond investor. All the most recent developments and strategies in investment in corporate bonds are analyzed included with qualitative and quantitative approaches. A complete and up-to-date investment process is developed through the book, using many examples taken from banking practice. The growing significance of derivative instruments and credit diversification to bond investors is also analyzed in detail. Investment professionals; Corporate finance staff; Portfolio Managers; Senior Managers; Risk Managers; Consultants; Trading and Sales Staff; Quantitative Analysts; Credit Analysts; Regulators MBA courses

"The Complete Guide to Hedge Funds and Hedge Fund Strategies" is a comprehensive resource for investment practitioners, providing complete coverage of characteristics, constraints, risks, opportunities and limitations of hedge fund investing.
The book starts out by examining the fundamentals of hedge funds - their history and evolution, their key characteristics and what makes them different from other investment vehicles. It then describes in detail and with practical illustrations from the industry the 20 main investment strategies implemented by hedge fund managers, including classic strategies like equity hedge, convertible arbitrage or event driven strategies but also less covered ones like mortgage backed securities, PIPE funds, volatility arbitrage or asset based lending. This is followed by a comprehensive analysis of the historical performance of hedge funds, compared to traditional investments, using classical and more advanced tools, and then a review of the funds during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Finally, the book presents up to date coverage of regulation and governance of hedge funds, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, alternative UCITS and the Alternative Investment Fund Management Directive. The book is illustrated with more than 80 tables and 220 figures to explain key concepts.
"The Complete Guide to Hedge Funds and Hedge Fund Strategies" will be an essential reference for anyone investing in or working in hedge funds and for anyone with an interest in these alternative investments, and how they work.

This book analyzes Africa's unprecedented economic growth, the state of its financial sector, and the varied opportunities for Islamic finance investors. It considers the role - potential and realized - of Islamic finance in fostering financial inclusion in areas such as banking, microfinance, capital market development, insurance, and private equity business. The book stresses that investing in Africa through Islamic finance will open new markets, ensure higher profit margins, diversify risk, and create business competition; and that these changes that will provide financial products that can satisfying the desires and beliefs of all consumers and unlock the real potential of the continent's financial system. The book also looks into the rise of international interest in Africa and concludes by scrutinizing the challenges impeding further economic growth, as well as the specific barriers that need to be addressed in order to promote the implementation of Islamic finance. Investors, policymakers, and academics ready to confront these challenges will find much of value in this book.

Growth in the derivatives market has brought with it a greater volume and range of interest rate dependent products. These products have become increasingly innovative and complex to price, requiring sophisticated market models that capture the full dynamics of the yield curve. A study of the evolution of interest rate modelling theory places these models in the correct mathematical context, allowing appreciation of their key assumptions, concepts and implications. The book guides the practitioner through the derivation and implementation of a variety of models that account for the characteristics and irregularities of observed term structures.

Beat the market with the tips and techniques from the best value investors in the world The classic, seminal work in the field, Value Investing has been updated in a new, second edition to include the latest trends and a close look at some of the emerging investors who continue in the value investing tradition of Ben Graham and Warren Buffett. Featuring an exploration of the history of value investing and those that brought this investment approach to the fore, you will also discover the real-world techniques you can use to propel your own portfolio using a sound, proven approach to discovering value. In the modern era, investors are increasingly caught up in so-called hot tips, can't-miss startups, excessive optimism, and short-term speculation. Value investing is the antithesis to these short-sighted approaches, and stresses what Ben Graham the father of value investing referred to as the 'margin of safety' when describing the gap between an equity's price and its value. * Provides an overview of the techniques of value investing as practiced by some of the greatest value investors of all time * Includes an exploration of the history of value investing, including an explanation of underlying principles and successful execution of value investing techniques * Features updates in the new edition that include an analysis of the investment returns of value investing versus growth strategies * Offers profiles of some of the emerging players in the field of value investing, including Andrew Weiss, Joel Greenblatt, Mason Hawkins, and Bill Nygren Value Investing, Second Edition is your guide to implementing value investing principles in your own portfolio, complete with a look at the approaches used by the best value investors past and present.

This book mainly addresses the general equilibrium asset pricing method in two aspects: option pricing and variance risk premium. First, volatility smile and smirk is the famous puzzle in option pricing. Different from no arbitrage method, this book applies the general equilibrium approach in explaining the puzzle. In the presence of jump, investors impose more weights on the jump risk than the volatility risk, and as a result, investors require more jump risk premium which generates a pronounced volatility smirk. Second, based on the general equilibrium framework, this book proposes variance risk premium and empirically tests its predictive power for international stock market returns.

Three issues shape the current debate on asset management: The restructuring of the management process to integrate new investment products, the necessity to reform pension schemes and last but not least the achievement of a globally co-ordinated regulatory framework. These challenging tasks benefit from objective guidance by scientifically substantiated Asset Management Standards. The current discussion's main focus on governance issues matches the established structural components of the Asset Management Standard's systematic classification. Numerous innovations called for a nearly complete revision. Main topics are now: Enhancement of the regulatory framework and co-ordination between the US and the EU and among EU members. Securing sustainable funding for retirement provisions after the dot.com bubble and the ongoing debate on reforming PAYG schemes. As a consequence the new edition offers again a reliable source of information on the major issues in asset management.

Advances in Quantitative Asset Management contains selected articles which, for the most part, were presented at the Forecasting Financial Markets' Conference. Forecasting Financial Markets' is an international conference on quantitative finance which is held in London in May every year. Since its inception in 1994, the conference has grown in scope and stature to become a key international meeting point for those interested in quantitative finance, with the participation of prestigious academic and research institutions from all over the world, including major central banks and quantitative fund managers. The editor has chosen to concentrate on advances in quantitative asset management and, accordingly, the papers in this book are organized around two major themes: advances in asset allocation and portfolio management, and modelling risk, return and correlation.

Written primarily for business managers and government officials, this is a comprehensive and extremely timely handbook on how to successfully initiate and implement joint ventures and direct investments in China. The authors combine in one volume an appreciation of the nuances faced in the negotiation of U.S.-Chinese joint ventures, an examination of the investment environment in China and an assessment of its past traditions, present policies, and emerging problems. Case studies of a variety of actual joint ventures are especially valuable for readers involved in or planning to open negotiations in China. Several chapters assess the impacts of the events in Tianamen Square on foreign direct investment in the country.

The book opens with two chapters which examine the reasons for China's open policy and the responses of foreign investors to the new policy. A group of chapters then explores the country's investment, cultural, and legal environments and their likely impacts on joint venture negotiations. Turning to an examination of Chinese markets and production capabilities, the authors assess consumption patterns, decision making, customer/supplier relations, local sourcing problems, transportation, the availability of skilled labor, management, and R&D. They go on to analyze the contributions of foreign direct investment, including the role of transnational corporations, and present a step-by-step guide to negotiating a joint venture in China and implementing the agreement reached. Finally, the authors look at prospects for development and modernization in China, particularly in terms of the trend towards recentralization following the Tianamen Square upheaval. In addition to business development managers, students in international business programs will find "Direct Investment and Joint Ventures in China" an indispensable resource.

A through guide covering Modern Portfolio Theory as well as the recent developments surrounding it

Modern portfolio theory (MPT), which originated with Harry Markowitz's seminal paper "Portfolio Selection" in 1952, has stood the test of time and continues to be the intellectual foundation for real-world portfolio management. This book presents a comprehensive picture of MPT in a manner that can be effectively used by financial practitioners and understood by students.

"Modern Portfolio Theory" provides a summary of the important findings from all of the financial research done since MPT was created and presents all the MPT formulas and models using one consistent set of mathematical symbols. Opening with an informative introduction to the concepts of probability and utility theory, it quickly moves on to discuss Markowitz's seminal work on the topic with a thorough explanation of the underlying mathematics.Analyzes portfolios of all sizes and types, shows how the advanced findings and formulas are derived, and offers a concise and comprehensive review of MPT literatureAddresses logical extensions to Markowitz's work, including the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Arbitrage Pricing Theory, portfolio ranking models, and performance attributionConsiders stock market developments like decimalization, high frequency trading, and algorithmic trading, and reveals how they align with MPTCompanion Website contains Excel spreadsheets that allow you to compute and graph Markowitz efficient frontiers with riskless and risky assets

If you want to gain a complete understanding of modern portfolio theory this is the book you need to read.

This book recommends and examines the various approaches to incorporating an accurate measure of risk into the appraisal of an international investment. It considers the way in which decisions on international investment projects are taken and how they should be. It critiques and integrates existing theories, including the global capital asset pricing rule of financial theory, theories of strategy making and the real options approach, to show how risk should be incorporated into the present value formula and its various elements to produce a clear decision rule.

This book addresses the gap between the widespread use of stock market multiples in valuation practice and the frontiers of research on multiples. The book's approach is twofold: the authors first analyse the performance of multiples metrics in predicting the market price of a set of liquid and highly traded US stocks. The authors then employ these results to test profitable stock purchasing strategies employed in order to 'beat the market'. The results presented widen our understanding of the "market performances" of the valuation tools practitioners utilise in their everyday work. The evidence is of interest to researchers and equity analysts, who wish to analyse the circumstances in which valuation errors using multiples are more frequent and when market multiples become ineffective in estimating market prices.

This timely volume brings together professors of finance and accounting from Japanese universities to examine the Japanese stock market in terms of its pricing and accounting systems. The papers report the results of empirical research into the Japanese stock market within the framework of new theories of finance. Academics, professionals, and anyone seeking to understand or enter the Japanese market will applaud the publication of this practical, informative volume.

Having gathered data from the late 1970's through 1984, the authors analyze the market's behavior and the applicability of two major theoretical pricing models -- the Capital Asset Pricing Models and the Efficient Market Hypothesis -- to that market. Chapter 1 provides background statistical evidence on the behavior of monthly returns on Tokyo Stock Exchange common stocks. Chapter 2 discusses an empirical test of the capital asset pricing model. Chapter 3 examines evidence on the price performance of unseasoned new issues. The authors also examine the Japanese accounting disclosure system: Chapter 4 deals empirically with the information content of the annual accounting announcements and related market efficiency. The next chapter presents empirical evidence on the relationship between unsystematic returns and earnings forecast errors. Next, empirical research into the usefulness to investors of the disclosure system is examined. Finally, Chapter 7 presents several interesting questions and topics for future research on the Japanese stock market.

This book focuses on Fintech regulation in Asian, situating local developments in broader economic, regulatory and technological contexts. Over the last decade, Fintech - broadly defined as the use of new information technologies to help financial institutions and intermediaries compete in the marketplace - has disrupted the financial services sector. Like other 21st century technological developments, Fintech is a global phenomenon that plays out in local economic, political and regulatory contexts, and this dynamic interplay between global trends and local circumstances has created a complex and fast-changing landscape. Diverse stakeholders (most obviously incumbent financial service providers, tech start-ups and regulators) all pursue a competitive edge against a background of profound uncertainty about the future direction and possible effects of multiple emerging technologies. Compounding these difficulties are uncertainties surrounding regulatory responses. Policymakers often struggle to identify appropriate regulatory responses and increasingly turn to policy experimentation. Such issues add to the challenges for the various actors operating in the Fintech space. This situation is particularly fluid in Asia, since many jurisdictions are seeking to establish themselves as a regional hub for new financial services.

In the face of the recent financial crisis there is increased focus on long-term investment strategies. This is particularly true for institutional investors who manage our retirement savings. Simultaneously there is increased demand that financial assets be invested with an understanding of long-term environmental and social sustainability. Responsible investing provides a long-term sustainable investment strategy that values environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment decision-making. Responsible Investing has always had a broad mandate. Put simply, it is a long-term sustainable investment strategy that seeks to reduce risk in investment portfolios through managing ESG issues in today 's corporations. The Next Generation of Responsible Investment explores this topic in an edited volume intended for those with an interest in finance and business.

Since the publication of the 2nd edition of The Credit Risk of Complex Derivatives in 1997, the world of derivatives has gone through a period of dramatic change in the external operating environment, product and market characteristic and risk management techniques. In the light of these changes, the text has been substantially reorganized, updated and expanded. Several new chapters have been added including: derivative losses risk governance and risk management efforts regulatory initiatives and advances credit risk portfolio models Aimed at clients, intermediaries and regulators, this new edition will be focussed clearly on risk education, risk management and risk disclosure in order to make participation in derivatives more secure, transparent, efficient and beneficial. MARKET 1: Senior Managers; Risk Managers; Compliance Managers; Consultants; Trading and Sales Staff; Quantitative Analysts; Credit Analysts; Regulators MARKET 2: MBA courses