A psychological and fi nancial perspective on investment strategy andthe reality of market behavior.This groundbreaking book offers a unique perspective on theopportunities, dangers, and false representations facing the investor, by combining a view of both fi nancial and psychological realities. Itprovides the essentials of investing and reveals ways to protect andincrease hard-earned savings under one's own direction, with neither theexpensive drain nor possible unreliability or malfeasance of professionaladvisors. Sad tales of encounters with the markets are legion. Crashingfi nancial losses, gradually depleted savings, growth forgone, fear, anger, depression, and suicide are needlessly commonplace. One mayglimpse how to build one's savings with ease and serenity, for it is notthat diffi cult.

Contrary to other developed economies, Australia has experienced a long-term deterioration in housing affordability even between housing price booms. The house price boom that came after the global financial crisis has intensified the stress on Australian housing affordability to yet higher levels, and is likely to continue to be a concern for some time to come. This book reviews a range of available approaches for the measurement of housing affordability, and examines recent empirical evidence on housing affordability in Australia. It begins by explaining the relevance of housing to governments at different levels, the emergence of the housing affordability problem, and the global importance of housing affordability. It then explores the causes of the recent explosion in the number of institutions offering home loan products, analysing features such as the size, composition and changes in total lending and home lending in Australia. The author goes on to investigate the consequences of the two most recent rounds of financial deregulation, as well as the trends in interest rate and property prices, and recent changes in typical borrower behaviour. The book concludes by reviewing a range of available approaches in the measurement of housing affordability. It assesses whether there is a level of adjustment in housing affordability, and finally analyses which housing market segment represents the better investment opportunity during housing boom periods.

The field of real options is concerned with the management and financial valuation of operational flexibility in business endeavors. From the very outset, energy and commodity markets - which play fundamental roles in the worldwide economy - have provided a relevant context for real option analysis, both in theory and practice.This volume is a collection of six chapters covering recent research on real options in energy and commodity markets, reflecting the significance of these markets for real option analysis. The volume is divided into two parts - the first on theory and the second on methods and applications.The two chapters in the first part of the book respectively address commodity storage and the concept of convenience yield, and how the management of real options can be impacted by the trader's own market decisions in the context of commodity shipping.The four chapters in the second part of the book propose and apply real option models in various domains - modeling the evolution of futures prices of emission certificates; managing copper extraction illustrated with an application to a project at Codelco, Chile, the largest copper producer in the world; the core ideas behind real option analysis in the context of the merchant management of hydrocarbon cracking operations; and optimizing the portfolio of contracts that oil refineries use to market their gasoline production.

Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds: Building Blocks to Wealth offers a synthesis of the theoretical and empirical literature primarily on mutual funds but also discusses related investment vehicles, especially ETFs. In this edited volume, noted scholars and practitioners write chapters in their areas of expertise. It interweaves the contributions of multiple authors into an authoritative overview of important but selective topics. Readers will gain an in-depth understanding of mutual funds and ETFs from experts from around the world. Based on research-based evidence, this is not intended to be a "how to " book; instead, it is a scholarly and in-depth approach to important investment subjects. Although the book places greater attention on these different types of investments in the United States, it also examines them in a global context. In today's financial environment, mutual funds and ETFs are dynamic areas that continue to evolve at a rapid pace. Because the flow of materials on the subject is voluminous, this book, by necessity, must be selective because it cannot cover every aspect of this field. However, readers can gain important insights about each investment vehicle including its structure and uses, performance and measurement. Beyond these core topics and issues, the book also examines the latest trends, cutting-edge developments, and real-world situations. Given its broad scope, this practical and comprehensive book should appeal to investors, investment professionals, academics, and others interested in mutual funds and ETFs. In particular, this book should help investors make key asset allocation decisions while capturing the benefits of a highly diversified, well-constructed, lower-cost portfolio of complementary strategies that enhance financial wealth.

Praise for "Market Neutral Strategies"

"Elucidates the sources of potential alpha for a breadth of strategies, as well as the origins of prior miscues." --Edgar J. Sullivan, Ph.D., CFA, Managing Director, General Motors Asset Management

"A comprehensive, thought-leading treatment of market neutral investing."--Thomas F. Obsitnik, CFA, Investment Advisor, Eli Lilly and Company

"This excellent and highly relevant publication provides practical answers to practical problems." --Hans de Ruiter, Senior Portfolio Manager, ABP Investments

"A wealth of insights about market neutral investing from a range of real-life practitioners."--Rick Harper, Chief Executive Officer, Superannuation Funds of South Australia

"Bruce Jacobs and Ken Levy blazed the trail for institutional market neutral investing; now they illuminate it."--Richard M. Ennis, CFA, Principal, Ennis Knupp + Associates

"Jacobs and Levy handle the complex subject of market neutral investing at a level the intelligent investor will understand."--Leola Ross, Ph.D., CFA, Senior Research Analyst, Russell Investment Group

"A comprehensive book on market neutral investing, and a roadmap of pitfalls that many would find only by stumbling into them."--Robert D. Arnott, Chairman, Research Affiliates, LLC and Editor, "Financial Analysts Journal"

"A comprehensive review of market neutral strategies, drawing on the theoretical and hands-on knowledge of industry experts.,"--Harry M. Markowitz, 1990 Nobel Laureate in Economics

"Anyone who plans to invest in market neutral strategies should read this book." --Brian Bruce, Editor-In-Chief, "The Journal of Investing"

"Contains intuitive, informative, andinsightful discussions of major market neutral strategies--an invaluable resource."--Professor Narayan Y. Naik, Director, Centre for Hedge Fund Research and Education, London Business School

"Jacobs and Levy are clear, focused, sharp and insightful...a 'must read' for any serious investor."--Les Balzer, Professor of Finance, The University of New South Wales and Head of Research, Hedge Funds of Australia Limited

"A must read. Investors who know how to integrate short positions with long positions are at a major advantage." --Edward M. Miller, Research Professor of Economics and Finance, University of New Orleans

"Transparency is rare in financial markets, but you will find it in this book. I highly recommend it." --Meir Statman, Glenn Klimek Professor of Finance, Santa Clara University

"Jacobs and Levy have provided awesome thought leadership. This book gives readers an insider's look at market neutral investing."--Wayne H. Wagner, Chairman, Plexus Group, Inc.

""Market Neutral Strategies" illuminates for the serious investor the techniques, benefits, and risks of various methods of market neutral investing." --Edward O. Thorp, Ph.D., Edward O. Thorp Associates, Author of "Beat the Dealer"

We're all familiar with "choice overload," whether on a trip to the grocery store, or while flipping through satellite TV channels. And while it's human to want all of the options, the surprising truth is that the more choice we have, the less satisfied we are. And nowhere is this more true - or more dangerous - than in our investments. Despite the troubled global economy, there are tens of thousands of mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds, and other vehicles waiting to take your money. For help, individual and institutional investors alike turn to financial managers, though they are often no better equipped than the average person to assess and manage risk. In "The Investor's Paradox," hedge fund expert Brian Portnoy explains how to sift through today's diverse investment choices and solve even the most daunting portfolio problems. Drawing on cutting-edge research in behavioral economics, social psychology and choice theory, Portnoy lays bare the biases that interfere with good decision-making, and gives readers a set of basic tools they can use to tell the good from the bad. Along the way, he demystifies hedge funds, cuts through the labyrinth of the modern financial supermarket, and debunks popular myths, including the idea that mutual funds can "beat the market."

With numerous cogent examples from real estate markets worldwide, Dr. Hines makes it clear that investing in foreign real estate is by no means the same as investing domestically. She shows how, why, and when special strategies must be devised to enter the world market; conveys essential information on global investment opportunities; outlines career opportunities and advancement strategies in international investment; and provides insights into international business in the context of global real estate investing. Her focus on industrial, commercial, and residential real estate reflects both the major investment interests of world-class investment professionals and the diversity of real estate market conditions. Her book is thus an essential resource for professional real estate investors, teachers, and their graduate-level students. Dr. Hines focuses on the general investment strategies that successful and profitable international real estate investors have devised over many years and now follow assiduously. Readers gain knowledge of direct investment in industrial, commercial, and residential real estate and through the purchase of securities, such as real estate investment trusts and mortgage backed issues. After discussing basic international real estate differences and general acquisition strategies, the book moves to functional strategies, such as valuation, land development, construction, financing, and tax strategies. Dr. Hines concludes with a coverage of housing and shopping centers, office buildings, and industrial property investment--all of which allow readers to observe the differences among functional areas and then tie them to the differences among investments invarious types of properties. Her book covers Western, Eastern, and Central Europe; East, Southeast Central, and South Asia; Africa in general, and Morocco in Northwest Africa in particular; plus the Middle East and North and South America.

These proceedings gather selected peer-reviewed papers from the 11th World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM), which was held in Jiuzhaigou, China, on 25-28 July, 2016. These proceedings cover a wide range of topics in engineering asset management, including: * strategic asset management; * condition monitoring and diagnostics; * integrated intelligent maintenance; * sensors and devices; * information quality and management; * sustainability in asset management; * asset performance and knowledge management; * data mining and AI techni ques in asset management; * engineering standards; and * education in engineering asset management. The breadth and depth of these state-of-the-art, comprehensive proceedings make them an excellent resource for asset management practitioners, researchers and academics, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr. Sekhar offers comprehensive knowledge on the mutual fund industry in India and provides ready-made practical information for investors. He presents an overview of investment patterns for both public and private sector mutual funds, and analyses the performance of selected schemes using various measures of risk.

The editors of this volume provide a comprehensive and in-depth collection of articles on financial and investment issues in emerging capital markets. The collection offers coverage of all major emerging countries as well as all major topics related to emerging market finance.

By presenting general, conceptual essays as well as technical, specific essays in a coherent framework, the book attempts to broaden the traditional finance and international finance literature to include emerging market countries where markets are more rigid, segmented, or fragmented than developed market countries. Researchers, graduate students, finance professionals, investors, and policy makers will find this volume useful.

This timely book examines the quiet revolution that is currently unfolding in Latin America and its likely consequences for U.S. trade and investment with and within that region. Receiving meager coverage by America's media, a virtual sea of change has taken place in Latin America during the past few years. Democratically elected leaders have labored to extricate their economies from the debt-laden stagnation of the lost decade by pursuing far-reaching stabilization and liberalization reform programs. Under President George Bush's proposed Enterprise Initiative for the Americas (EAI) and negotiations toward the formation of a North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) with Mexico, U.S. economic policy toward Latin America is now in the midst of a dramatic revision that seeks to rectify the neglect of the past and replace it with active encouragement of economic and political change. The authors investigate the forces behind the lost decade in Latin America, the adjustment efforts that have emerged in its wake, and the enhanced potential of Latin economies as trade partners and investment outlets under the EAI and NAFTA. They look at these developments in the light of regionalizing trends afoot in the global economy at large and argue that stronger ties with Latin America are essential to the future well-being of the United States.

After outlining the emergence of global economic regionalism and its likely impact upon the United States and Latin America, the authors trace the origins of the latter's lost decade to the debt crisis of the early 1980s, the inadequacy of past international strategies to manage it, and the adoption of strenuous adjustment programs by Latin nations to deal with both debt repayment and the legacy of misguided development approaches. They show how the EAI is meant to accelerate the movement toward reliance upon free-market forces in Latin America and how the United States is likely to benefit from closer economic ties with the countries of that region. A full account of NAFTA's proposed liberalization of trade between the United States and Mexico follows, as the authors investigate its origins, examine Mexico's adjustment record, and list the gains that both nations are likely to realize under a free-trade accord. They then look at two sets of Latin economies, the first of which is formed by Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Colombia and the second comprised of Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. While the former are prepared for economic integration with the United States, major problems impair the ability of the latter to become full-fledged participants in an economic pact with the United States. The analysis presented in the book should be of substantial value to businessmen, students of world affairs, as well as those with a specific interest in U.S.-Latin relations.

In Just 18 Months, Nicolas Darvas Turned $25,000 into Over $2 Million...
This is How He Did It...
...and How You Can Do it Too
With just fifty pounds sterling to his name, at the age of 23, Nicolas Darvas fled his native Hungary using a forged exit visa, to escape the Nazis. A dancer by trade, he toured nightclubs and other venues, making a living as a performer.
While on tour in 1952, a Toronto nightclub offered Darvas $3000 worth of stock in a Canadian mining company, instead of his normal cash payment. He accepted the offer, and within two months, made an $8000 profit.
When this happened, Darvas became very interested in the stock market.
Seeing the potential for easy money in the stock market, but realizing that his initial success was based on luck, over the next several years, Darvas became committed to conquering Wall Street. He read as much as he possibly could about the stock market. He analyzed company balance sheets, studied analyst forecasts, and read dozens of investment newsletters.
This book is the result of that study, including how Darvas used his system to take a $25,000 investment and turn it into a $2.25 million fortune in just 18 months.
Nicolas Darvas wasn't a professional stock trader. He was a dancer. Yet, his unique approach to stock trading, which allowed him to make money regardless of whether the market rose or fell, enabled him to make a fortune.
Will this system work for you? Yes
Unlike most stock trading systems, Darvas' unique strategies work, regardless of the economy or other market conditions. In fact, thanks to modern day analysis tools, his system works as well today as it ever has.
Every day, people make money in the stock market. You can too

Used extensively by professionals, organizations, and universities, Analysis of Investments and Management of Portfolios combines solid theory with practical application. This edition of the established and well-respected text has been developed and tailored especially for courses across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Filled with real-world illustrations and hands-on applications, this text takes a rigorous, empirical approach to teaching topics such as investment instruments, capital markets, behavioural finance, hedge funds, and international investment. It also emphasizes how investment practice and theory are influenced by globalization.

Value-Based Working Capital Management analyzes the causes and effects of improper cash flow management between entrepreneurial organizations with varying levels of risk. This work looks at the motives and criteria for decision-making by entrepreneurs in their efforts to protect the financial security of their businesses and manage financial liquidity. Michalski argues that businesses exposed to greater risk need a different approach to managing liquidity levels.

Where institutions and individuals averagely invest the majority of their assets in money-market and fixed-income instruments, interest rate risk management could be seen as the single most important global financial issue. However, the majority of the key techniques used by most investors were developed several decades ago, and the advantages of multi-factor models are not fully recognised by many researchers and practitioners. This book provides clear and practical insight into bond portfolios and portfolio management through key empirical analysis. The authors use extensive sets of empirical data to describe the value potentially added by more recent techniques to manage interest rate risk relative to traditional techniques and to present empirical evidence of such an added value. Beginning with a description of the simplest models and moving on to the most complex, the authors offer key recommendations for the future of rate risk management.

This book offers 14 contributions that examine key questions in bank decision-taking,constitution of confidence in banks and risk management practices from Early Modernity to the twentieth century. It explores how the various mechanisms of bank decision taking changed over time. Chapters also analyse the types of risk management techniques used, the contributory factors to the constitution of confidence and the methods that banking historians can use to analyse and describe bankers risk management and decision taking - from system theory to behavioural finance, new institutional economics to praxeology and convention theory to network analysis. The different methodological approaches are put to the test in case studies based on archive material from four hundred years of banking in order to connect banking history more closely to political and cultural history.