The book is a dialogue between a money manager and a young man who asks whether or not he should invest. Their conversation explores How for money and not-for-money investment differ; How accounting and economic assets compare with social and natural assets; How time is central to all of investment, building capabilities in the present which can deliver resources in the future; How banks collectively create and destroy money; How the yield curve shows the market interest rates for financial assets of different durations; How competitive advantage is important in determining the returns achieved on real assets; How fundamental value differs from price, or what someone is prepared to pay; How fundamental analysis and technical analysis of price data provide insights into risk; How mean-variance analysis of price data is the conventional approach to risk; How the economic ecosystem creates prices How capitalism may be a lousy system and yet the best available as it adapts continuously to align money prices and human values. The book is for people who want to know how investment works and how they can invest their savings. I think of it as an amalgam of an everyman's guide to business and economics, an introduction to investment, and an apology for 'capitalism'. Ben Paton

Bowditch refuses to see African nations as basketcases on a continent of despair; instead, he examines Ghana as a country of potential opportunity in an economically emerging continent. He explores a new generation of issues around the connection between cultural values and behavior to provide international investors, Ghanaians, and others with a better understanding of the Ghanaian--and African--business environment.

Drawing upon some seven years of living and working in Ghana, Bowditch provides several different contemporary vantage points on sub-Saharan Africa's first independent nation. First examining the core cultural values of the Ghanaian people, he then looks at Ghanaian business practices. The result is an indepth look at how Ghanaians approach life, business, religion, and family, how that directly impacts the way they manage their institutions, and how that differs from prevailing international business behavior. Bowditch then probes these cultural differences and the frequently overlooked racial preconceptions that impede relations and collaboration between Ghanaians, other Africans, and Westerners. Through his unusually intimate exploration of Ghanaian life, values, business thinking, and management culture, Bowditch brings the reader full circle, answering the question: can Africa become an economic lion?

This book offers a look at equity markets and what they have experienced since the 1997 Order Handling Rules were instituted. Specifically, it examines the tremendous technology innovation, intensified competition between an expanding set of alternative trading venues, and continuing regulatory changes that have occurred. Who have been the key initiators? How has market quality evolved over this period in response? What further structural and regulatory changes are still needed? These are among the key questions addressed in the volume, titled after the Baruch College Financial Markets Conference entitled Rapidly Changing Securities Markets: Who are the Initiators? 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.

Hedge funds and their managers have been vilified in recent times for their high-risk activities and relative lack of regulatory oversight. A recurrent concern shared by market participants and regulators around the world is that the increasing size of the hedge fund industry coupled with potential agency problems, activist investment practices, and herding behavior may exacerbate financial instability. However, while it is frequently suggested that hedge funds are unregulated, they are in fact regulated to some degree in every country around the world. It is important to consider differences in legal and institutional settings across countries as they directly affect the structure, governance, and performance of hedge funds. In this book, the authors consider data from a multitude of countries to understand how and why hedge fund markets differ around the world. While hedge funds are hardly regulated in the US, other jurisdictions implement different and sometimes more onerous sets of regulatory requirements. As explained in the book, international differences in hedge fund regulation include, but are not limited to, minimum capitalization requirements, restrictions on the location of key service providers, and different permissible distribution channels via private placements, banks, other regulated or non-regulated financial intermediaries, wrappers, investment managers, and fund distribution companies.

This book consists of invaluable introductions, tutorials and problems which are helpful for teaching purposes and have a very broad appeal and usage. The problems cover many aspects of static and dynamic portfolio theory as well as other important subjects such as arbitrage and asset pricing, utility theory, stochastic dominance, risk aversion and static portfolio theory, risk measures, dynamic portfolio theory and asset allocation. This material could be used with important books that cover these topics including MacLean-Ziemba's The Handbook of the Fundamentals of Financial Decision Making, and Ziemba-Vickson's Stochastic Optimization Models in Finance.

The only guide focusing entirely on practical approaches to pricing and hedging derivatives One valuable lesson of the financial crisis was that derivatives and risk practitioners don't really understand the products they're dealing with. Written by a practitioner for practitioners, this book delivers the kind of knowledge and skills traders and finance professionals need to fully understand derivatives and price and hedge them effectively. Most derivatives books are written by academics and are long on theory and short on the day-to-day realities of derivatives trading. Of the few practical guides available, very few of those cover pricing and hedging two critical topics for traders. What matters to practitioners is what happens on the trading floor information only seasoned practitioners such as authors Marroni and Perdomo can impart. * Lays out proven derivatives pricing and hedging strategies and techniques for equities, FX, fixed income and commodities, as well as multi-assets and cross-assets * Provides expert guidance on the development of structured products, supplemented with a range of practical examples * Packed with real-life examples covering everything from option payout with delta hedging, to Monte Carlo procedures to common structured products payoffs * The Companion Website features all of the examples from the book in Excel complete with source code

This book complements the textbook Investment Valuation and Appraisal - Theory and Practice. It contains exercises and solutions often used at academic courses about investment evaluation around the world. Using the sample solutions for the assignments, the learning progress itself can be checked by students. Thus, this book enables students of business administration to prepare for exams in self-study. In addition, it is ideal for practitioners as an illustrative object for concrete quantitative business problems and their solutions.The book covers tasks in areas such as static investment evaluation methods, dynamic investment evaluation methods, selection of alternatives and investment program planning, optimum useful lifetime and optimum replacement time and investment decisions in uncertainty. The book closes with a mock exam and its solution as is typical at universities. Solutions are shown in an Excel sheet which is available online.

This book helps students, researchers and quantitative finance practitioners to understand both basic and advanced topics in the valuation and modeling of financial and commodity derivatives, their institutional framework and risk management. It provides an overview of the new regulatory requirements such as Basel III, the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB), Interest Rate Risk of the Banking Book (IRRBB), or the Internal Capital Assessment Process (ICAAP). The reader will also find a detailed treatment of counterparty credit risk, stochastic volatility estimation methods such as MCMC and Particle Filters, and the concepts of model-free volatility, VIX index definition and the related volatility trading. The book can also be used as a teaching material for university derivatives and financial engineering courses.

This book, unique in its composition, reviews the academic empirical literature on how CDSs actually work in practice, including during distressed times of market crises. It also discusses the mechanics of single-name and index CDSs, the theoretical costs and benefits of CDSs, as well as comprehensively summarizes the empirical evidence on important aspects of these instruments of risk transfer. Full-time academics, researchers at financial institutions, and students will benefit from the dispassionate and comprehensive summary of the academic literature; they can read this book instead of identifying, collecting, and reading the hundreds of academic articles on the important subject of credit risk transfer using derivatives and benefit from the synthesis of the literature provided.

This volume take the reader through the legal and accounting principles that govern the valuation of assets. A crucial problem for legal, accounting, banking and venture capital professionals, it is also important to owners and managers of IP assets.

China burst onto the world stage in the mid-1980s and in the past decade has been transformed into a giant magnet for FDI, attracting capital from all over the world. Everyone wants a piece of the China action. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the region of Southeast Asia, tucked as it is geographically beneath China's southern flank. Much of the FDI inflow into China has been at the expense of Southeast Asia. But this has been offset by new opportunities created through China's rapid economic expansion. This book provides an insightful and objective analysis on how to be successful in China, especially for Singapore businessmen. The authors have eloquently distilled several important lessons that have become apparent for business success in China.

This edited volume brings together contributions from experts on a range of food security issues, and examines them through a number of case studies. A Millennium Development goal and important policy concern, food security is experiencing renewed interest due to globalisation, which has led to population affluence, changing consumption, and production and trade patterns. The authors discuss how globalisation brings a new dimension to the discussion on public policy on food security, and consider the extent to which Global Value Chains (GVCs) dominate trade, investment and international agricultural markets. Food Security and Sustainability therefore sheds new light on the nexus of food security and globalization, as well as its implications for investment and financing in the agro-food sector. The volume draws on papers presented at the inaugural Workshop of the Mediterranean Center for Food Security and Sustainable Growth (MED-SEC), an international network of academics focusing on issues of development, sustainability and food security.

Praise for Michael J. Clowes and the money flood

"What a fine book! As an active participant in the revolution in pension investing, I could almost feel the times and tides of the past half-century shifting beneath me. Mike Clowes’s splendid and articulate tour through the era is destined to become a landmark on the bookshelves of everyone interested in this illuminating history of the past, as well as its portents of the future."–John C. Bogle, founder, The Vanguard Group

"The corporate pension fund ranks high among the spectacular financial innovations of the twentieth century. Mike Clowes has built a fascinating story about the impact of this flood of money on the theory and practice of investing, the financial markets, the labor force, corporate management, and the general economy. The far-reaching consequences of these changes make this authoritative and lively book must-reading for everyone."–Peter L. Bernstein, President, Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., author, Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk

"The definitive history of the rise of pension fund capitalism in America."–Keith Ambachtsheer, President, KPA Advisory, author, Pension Fund Excellence: Creating Value for Shareholders

"Beautifully written, broad in coverage of all the best parts of a great American story, Mike Clowes’s new book gives us an easy-to-read and easy-to-enjoy explanation of who did what and when in the investment revolution of the past half-century."–Charles D. Ellis, Partner, Greenwich Associates, author, The Investor’s Anthology: Original Ideas from the Industry’s Greatest Minds

In The Search for Value: Measuring the Company's Cost of Capital, Michael C. Ehrhardt analyzes the latest prescriptive techniques and models for determining the cost of capital. He provides a comprehensive framework for practitioners by detailing the various methods for accurately evaluating investment in projects, divisions, or entire companies. He begins with a general discussion of the cost of capital within the context of a firm's overall search for value and continues on to cover such topics as discounted cash flow analysis, flotation costs, long-term projects, and international projects, as well as situations in which traditional cash flow analysis may not apply, such as regulated companies. Ehrhardt moves easily through a variety of technical concepts, providing numerous step-by-step examples to explain how theoretical constructs can be applied to daily financial decisions. He also provides a particularly detailed analysis of estimating capital costs in multidivisional, multiproduct, and multinational firms. Each chapter features an extensive bibliography for further reading. Written for financial directors, planners, managers, and analysts as well as for those who study finance issues, this work successfully addresses the concerns of financial practitioners. In today's competitive business environment, the consequences of miscalculation can be devastating. Correctly evaluating the cost of capital and thereby determining the value-creating potential of investments is a business imperative. The Search for Value is a unique synthesis of the issues surrounding the cost of capital, presenting the most comprehensive treatment of the topic to date. Those who implement the ideas in thisbook will enjoy the returns made possible by accurate measurements of the cost of capital as an integral part of capital budgeting and strategic planning. The Search for Value launches the Harvard Business School Press's publication of the Financial Management Association Survey and Synthesis Series, which seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and practice in the field of finance.

This book examines selected actions and investments of the European Central Bank (ECB) from a climate and sustainability standpoint. Shedding new light on the topic from various angles - ethical, philosophical, political, economical and legal - it situates sustainability mainstreaming in the finance and investment field at all levels. The former ECB President Mario Draghi once said that he considered sustainable development and an intact environment to be human rights, and therefore enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The acting ECB President Christine Lagarde added that the future path for the climate is uncertain, but it would remain within our power to influence it. However, with all that in mind the ECB's policy of buying assets as securities is often questionable. This volume analyzes these actions in connection with sustainability, and puts forward practical recommendations for improving the ECB's investment strategy on its way creating a sustainable financial market.

WHAT EVERY OPTION TRADER NEEDS TO KNOW. THE ONE BOOK EVERY TRADER SHOULD OWN.The bestselling Option Volatility & Pricing has made Sheldon Natenberg a widely recognized authority in the option industry. At firms around the world, the text is often the first book that new professional traders aregiven to learn the trading strategies and risk management techniques required for success in option markets. Now, in this revised, updated, and expanded second edition, this thirty-year trading professional presents the most comprehensive guide to advanced trading strategies and techniques now in print. Covering a wide range of topics as diverse and exciting as the marketitself, this text enables both new and experiencedtraders to delve in detail into the many aspects of option markets, including: The foundations of option theoryDynamic hedgingVolatility and directional trading strategiesRisk analysisPosition managementStock index futures and optionsVolatility contracts Clear, concise, and comprehensive, the second edition of Option Volatility & Pricing is sure to be an important addition to every option trader's library--as invaluable as Natenberg's acclaimed seminars at the world'slargest derivatives exchanges and trading firms. You'll learn how professional option traders approach the market, including the trading strategies and risk management techniques necessary for success. You'll gain afuller understanding of how theoretical pricing models work. And, best of all, you'll learn how to apply the principles of option evaluation to create strategies that, given a trader's assessment of market conditions and trends, have the greatest chance of success. Option trading is both a science and an art. This book shows how to apply both to maximum effect.

Reducing variables and negotiating risk in lucrative emerging markets

"A timely book on the critical subject of valuation in emerging markets. Academics and practitioners have provided over the last few years many pieces of the puzzle, and Pereiro successfully puts them all together. With a broad overview of the underlying theory and many examples in which the theory is put to work, this book is bound to become one of the must-read references on the topic."
––Javier Estrada, IESE Business School (Barcelona, Spain), Editor-in-Chief, Emerging Markets Review

"Valuation is a key factor for success in the business of private equity. This is a fundamental book to be read by all professionals involved in private equity in emerging markets. Valuation of Companies in Emerging Markets: A Practical Approach contains a comprehensive set of valuation tools, and the book provides a very focused and pragmatic approach to the techniques that are applied in practice by private equity investors in nontraditional markets."
–– Carlos Wagener, HSBC Private Equity Latin America

"Two mistakes are common in the valuation of companies in emerging markets: inappropriate application of models originally developed for mature economies, and the use of black boxes–– displaying numbers without explaining the rationale behind them. Valuation of Companies in Emerging Markets: A Practical Approach adds value to the theory and practice of company valuation and helps to avoid these mistakes."
–– Ernesto Gaba, Chief Economist, BBVA Banco Franc`es

"A required reading for practitioners and everybody who deals with investment in emerging markets. This book contains a comprehensive set of tools and examples for tackling practical problems of valuation. Pereiro’s balanced exposition of theory and practice as it applies to the changing conditions of emerging markets fills an important gap in the literature."
–– Enrique R. Arzac, Professor of Finance and Economics, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University

"...a well-structured analysis of valuation in emerging countries. I find the conceptual framework attractive and the empirical applications excellent."
–– Bruno Solnik, Professor of Finance, HEC-School of Management (France)

"What I like about the book is that it delivers what it promises–– it is practical. Better yet, it achieves this without descending to the mere cookbook-recipe level. The user gets a good review of the defensible alternatives, with pros and cons; and where judgment is required, the recommendations reveal a great deal of common sense."
–– Piet Sercu, Professor of International Finance, PwC Chair "Value and Risk", DTEW, University of Leuven (Belgium)

Provocative and controversial, the information found in Empowered Investing reveals powerful tricks of the investment trade. It will give you the education and information to be a confident, informed, and hugely successful investor.

The most successful investors in history, such as Charles Henry Dow, used unique analysis and charting methods. These are the secrets Wall Street doesn't want you to know. Relying on the media and Wall Street research is painful and no longer necessary.

With the advice offered by author Joseph F. LoPresti, you'll learn to chart stocks like Dow, isolate hot sector opportunities, and select the strongest stocks to buy through a series of easy, almost effortless strategies. These exercises will also help you reduce risk and give you a "sell discipline," something desperately needed by most investors. Once you read "Empowered Investing," you'll see how easy it is to implement these startling strategies.

"Empowered Investing" will introduce a different way to make investment decisions that will instantly help you manage your portfolio, build your wealth, and enrich your life.

"Financial Risk Management" provides a rigorous analysis of domestic and international risk management issues. Unlike other texts in the area there is an emphasis on the international dimension of portfolio management allowing the development of an effective, geocentric portfolio strategy.
All chapters represent in-depth reviews of the latest research on the topics under discussion. This ensures that the discussions are comprehensive, thorough and easy to read.
Topics covered include: .
* A comprehensive review of investment developments and strategies.
* Foreign exchange markets.
* Various forms of market anomalies.
Presenting the latest techniques and strategies in domestic and international investment management in a clear way, this is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who use quantitative techniques for investment and portfolio management.

A comprehensive guide to technical analysis for both the novice and the professional Technical analysis is a vital tool for any trader, asset manager, or investor who wants to earn top returns. Successful Stock Signals for Traders and Portfolio Managers lets you combine technical analysis and fundamental analysis using existing technical signals to improve your investing performance. Author Tom Lloyd Sr. explains all the technical indicators you need to know, including moving averages, relative strength, support and resistance, sell and buy signals, candlesticks, point and figure charts, Fibonacci levels, Bollinger Bands, and both classic and new indicators. Merging these technical indicators with fundamental analysis will keep you in a portfolio of outperforming stocks, sharpen your fundamental buy discipline, and put your sell discipline on autopilot. * Includes case studies applying technical analysis to current trending and hotly debated stocks like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Netflix * Offers thorough and straightforward guidance on technical analysis for both professional and individual investors * Covers the vital indicators in the public domain that investors need to know Whether you're an individual investor who wants to beat the indexes, a trader looking for high-risk, high-return positions, or a portfolio manager who wants to take a fundamental approach, this an ideal guide to technical analysis and indicators.