Entertainingly written, capturing the tribulations and triumphs of powerful investment bankers, The Elephant Hunters is based on years of in-depth research and hundreds of interviews with leading figures in the world of finance. With the 'Elephant' as the big deal and the 'Hunter' as the moneyman, this book examines the personal qualities and behaviour necessary to join a big name bank, then tracks down what it takes to acquire the kind of wealth that some can only dream of. Given special attention isone of the most powerful hunters of all, the woman -in the trade glowingly termed the 'powerbitch'. Her instinct to track her prey and close the deal is a feat of discipline, intellect and cunning.
If you want to know more about the people who drive our lives and can remould societies, read this book."

Full coverage of ETF investments from an expert in the field

The initial edition of Gary Gastineau's "The Exchange-Traded Fund Manual" was one of the first books to describe and analyze ETFs. It made the case for the superiority of the structure of investor-friendly ETFs over mutual funds and helped investors select better funds among the ETFs available.

With this new edition," " Gastineau provides comprehensive information on the latest developments in ETF structures, new portfolio variety, and new trading methods. With a realistic evaluation of today's indexes, Gastineau offers insights on actively managed ETFs, improved index funds, and fund and advisor selection.Discusses how to incorporate ETFs into an investment planOffers updated coverage of new ETFs, including full-function actively managed ETFs, and a valuable chapter on trading ETFsWritten by the leading authority on exchange traded funds

Exchange-traded funds offer you diversification and participation in markets and investment strategies that have not been available to most investors. If you want to understand how to use ETFs effectively, the "Second Edition" of "The Exchanged-Traded Fund Manual" can show you how.

Investment is crucial to the development of a nation`s economy and welfare. In contrast to the situation in the United States, investment activity in Europe has been quite modest over the past few years. This volume gathers together a number of papers by prominent researchers in the field of investment. It provides an overview of recent developments in this area and presents new empirical findings on the determinants and implications of the investment process in European countries. Among the topics examined are the role played by taxation, uncertainty and the financial systems, as well as the relevance of corporate governance to the investment process. Two chapters are dedicated to infrastructure investment and foreign direct investment.

Since the US stock market crashed on October 19, 1987, many studies have been conducted to learn from this experience in the hopes of avoiding a similarly adverse future fall. The book, originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Financial Services Research, considers some of the important policy adjustments that have been implemented in the wake of the 1987 crash. Taken separately and together, these five papers offer a synthesis and summary of the most important policy innovations that have evolved since the largest single-day decline in stock market history.

Although the financial futures and options markets have only existed since 1972, many current participants have little understanding of their genesis. This unique work offers a much needed historical perspective that provides important insights into the basic functioning of the markets. Petzel explains how these relatively new investment products originated, how they are used, and how the markets in which they are traded work.

Petzel begins with an overview of the first fifteen years of financial futures, examining both successes and failures and developing a basic hypothesis of what components are necessary for success. The next two chapters present the fundamentals of futures and options for those who need a thorough grounding in basic concepts such as the standard elements of futures contracts, margins, types of trading, and the structure of the exchanges. Subsequent chapters address equities market strategies, interest rate strategies, and foreign currency futures and options. In the final chapter, Petzel discusses accounting, tax, and regulatory issues that affect the development and trading of financial futures and options. Written for professionals in corporate finance and in the financial services industry who have had little exposure to financial futures and options, the guide includes general examples as well as detailed explanatory tables and figures. The author focuses throughout on the use and construction of contracts, rather than providing particular trading advice or touting any one system of trading.

In capital investing, as in life, you always have options. In today's extremely turbulent world, managers recognize how risky the most valuable investment opportunities often are, and how useful a flexible strategy can be. That's why they want to know all their options. Yet many current financial assessment tools fail to identify what investors can do to capitalize on future uncertain events. Martha Amram and Nalin Kulatilaka suggest a smarter new way to think about strategic investments in terms of real options. By applying options thinking--the concept behind the recent Nobel Prize-winning work on financial options--to the evaluation of nonfinancial assets, this innovative approach brings a financial market discipline to the evaluation of a company's opportunities. Using real options theory, managers can more effectively target crucial opportunities to redeploy, delay, modify, or even abandon capital-intensive projects as events unfold. Corporate executives in finances, investments, and project management should share this book with decision makers in information technology, strategic planning, corporate restructuring, venture capital, and law. Through timely case studies, the authors show managers how to use real options to evaluate investments and create exit strategies in R&D, product design, contracts, and information technology. By linking strategic vision and tactical project decisions, Real Options helps to improve capital investment planning and results.

Buy good companies. Don't overpay. Do nothing. Some people love to make successful investing seem more complicated than it really is. In this anthology of essays and letters written between 2010-20, leading fund manager Terry Smith delights in debunking the many myths of investing - and making the case for simply buying the best companies in the world. These are businesses that generate serious amounts of cash and know what to do with it. The result is a powerful compounding of returns that is almost impossible to beat. Even better, they aren't going anywhere. Most have survived the Great Depression and two world wars. With his trademark razor-sharp wit, Smith not only reveals what these high-quality companies really look like and where to find them (as well as how to discover impostors), but also: - why you should avoid companies that abuse the English language - how most share buybacks actually destroy value - what investors can learn from the Tour de France - why ETFs are much riskier than most realise - how ESG investors often end up with investments that are far from green or ethical - his ten golden rules for investment - and much, much more. Backed up by the analytical rigour that made his name with the cult classic, Accounting for Growth (1992), the result is a hugely enjoyable and eye-opening tour through some of the most important topics in the world of investing - as well as a treasure trove of practical insights on how to make your money work for you. No investor's bookshelf is complete without it.

Hardie investigates the link between the financialization - defined as the ability to trade risk - and the capacity of emerging market governments to borrow from private markets. He considers the government bond markets in Brazil, Lebanon and Turkey and includes interviews with 126 financial market actors.

Insurance is a concept, a technique, and an economic institution. It is a major tool of risk management, and plays an important role in the economic, social, and political life of all countries. Economic growth throughout the world has even expanded the role of insurance. Theory and Practice of Insurance aims to describe the significance of insurance institutions, the reasons they exist and how they function. The author emphasizes fundamental principles in risk and insurance, using an international frame of reference. This volume begins with an introduction to the concept of risk, then proceeds to cover insurance and its relationship to the economy; the principles of risk management and insurance; and the characteristics and performance of insurance companies.

Private equity is more economically significant than ever, as institutions hunt for high returns in a risky world. Private Equity 4.0 examines the role, workings and contribution of this important industry in a straightforward yet revealing manner. Dr. Josh Lerner Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking Chair, Entrepreneurial Management Unit Harvard Business School A multi-perspective look at private equity's inner workings Private Equity 4.0 provides an insider perspective on the private equity industry, and analyzes the fundamental evolution of the private equity asset class over the past 30 years, from alternative to mainstream. The book provides insightful interviews of key industry figures, and case studies of some of the success stories in the industry. It also answers key questions related to strategy, fund manager selection, incentive mechanisms, performance comparison, red flags in prospectuses, and more. Private Equity 4.0 offers guidance for the many stakeholders that could benefit from a more complete understanding of this special area of finance. * Understand the industry's dominant business models * Discover how value is created and performance measured * Perform a deep dive into the ecosystem of professionals that make the industry hum, including the different incentive systems that support the industry's players * Elaborate a clear set of guidelines to invest in the industry and deliver better performance Written by a team of authors that combine academic and industry expertise to produce a well-rounded perspective, this book details the inner workings of private equity and gives readers the background they need to feel confident about committing to this asset class. Coverage includes a historical perspective on the business models of the three major waves of private equity leading to today's 4.0 model, a detailed analysis of the industry today, as well as reflections on the future of private equity and prospective futures. It also provides readers with the analytical and financial tools to analyze a fund's performance, with clear explanations of the mechanisms, organizations, and individuals that make the system work. The authors demystify private equity by providing a balanced, but critical, review of its contributions and shortcomings and moving beyond the simplistic journalistic descriptions. Its ecosystem is complex and not recognizing that complexity leads to inappropriate judgments. Because of its assumed opacity and some historical deviant (and generally transient) practices, it has often been accused of evil intents, making it an ideal scapegoat in times of economic crisis, prodding leading politicians and regulators to intervene and demand changes in practices. Unfortunately, such actors were often responding to public calls for action rather than a thorough understanding of the factors at play in this complex interdependent system, doing often more harm than good in the process and depriving economies of one of their most dynamic and creative forces. Self-regulation has clearly shown its limits, but righteous political interventions even more so. Private equity investment can be a valuable addition to many portfolios, but investors need a clear understanding of the forces at work before committing to this asset class. With detailed explanations and expert insights, Private Equity 4.0 is a comprehensive guide to the industry ways and means that enables the reader to capture its richness and sustainability.

Trader Vic — Methods of a Wall Street Master Investment strategies from the man Barron’s calls "The Ultimate Wall Street Pro" "Victor Sperandeo is gifted with one of the finest minds I know. No wonder he’s compiled such an amazing record of success as a money manager. Every investor can benefit from the wisdom he offers in his new book. Don’t miss it!" —Paul Tudor Jones Tudor Investment Corporation "Here’s a simple review in three steps: 1. Buy this book! 2. Read this book! 3. See step 2. For those who can’t take a hint, Victor Sperandeo with T. Sullivan Brown has written a gem, a book of value for everyone in the markets, whether egghead, novice or seasoned speculator." —John Sweeney Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities "Get Trader Vic-Methods of a Wall Street Master by Victor Sperandeo, read it over and over and you’ll never have a losing year again." —Yale Hirsch Smart Money "I have followed Victor Sperandeo’s advice for ten years, and the results have been outstanding. This book is a must for any serious investor." —James J. Hayes, Vice President, Investments Prudential Securities Inc. "This book covers all the important aspects of making money and integrates them into a unifying philosophy that includes economics, Federal Reserve policy, trading methods, risk, psychology, and more. It’s a philosophy everyone should understand." —T. Boone Pickens, General Partner Mesa Limited Partnership "This book gave me a wealth of new insights into trading. Whether you’re a short-term trader or a long-term investor, you will improve your performance by following Sperandeo’s precepts." —Louis I. Margolis Managing Director, Salomon Brothers, Inc.

In this book Dimitris N. Chorafas has uncovered the hidden risks behind alternative investments through extensive research in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. He also provides solutions to the problems identified. This book is particularly important in light of recent scandals such as Enron and WorldCom.

Since the first edition of Foreign Exchange Options in 1993, trading in foreign exchange options has undergone rapid expansion and now accounts for a daily turnover of some $100 billion world-wide. This revised and expanded second edition takes into account recent changes in both market practice and regulatory requirements and contains many new explanatory diagrams and practical examples.
As with the first edition, the emphasis is on practicality, taking the reader through the basics, clarifying jargon when and where appropriate. This book will be invaluable for accountants, auditors, experienced practitioners and those entering the world of currency options for the first time.
The benefits of using options to hedge foreign exchange riskDetailed examination of both the OTC market and the main exchange listingSpecific coverage of pricing, trading risk and market practice

This fifth volume in the series covers a variety of topics in the field of advances in investment and portfolio management.

This book opens up the secret world of tax havens and offshore finance centres (OFCs), a vast offshore business valued at over one trillion US dollars. It is a timely and original analysis of the role of OFCs in the emerging global economy. The book discusses who uses OFCs, how OFCs work and what drives their development. Extensive use of case study material from Jersey illustrates the growth of a successful OFC and its impact upon a small island.