Explaining The Negative Returns To Volatility Products

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Explaining the Negative Returns to Volatility Products

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 110 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (951 download)

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Book Synopsis Explaining the Negative Returns to Volatility Products by :

Download or read book Explaining the Negative Returns to Volatility Products written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation studies returns to investing in volatility products with a primary focus on VIX futures and VIX Exchange Traded Products (ETPs). Substantial negative return premiums for these assets are documented. For example, the constant maturity portfolio of one-month VIX futures loses about 30\% per year from 2006 to 2013. The goal of the dissertation is to understand those big negative returns.The two chapters take two different and potentially complementary perspectives to look at the issue. The first chapter attempts a structural explanation and investigates if the negative VIX futures return premium is consistent with a notion of dynamic equilibrium. A model based on present value computation is derived and it endogenizes stock prices, the VIX index and its associated derivative contracts. The sizable negative volatility risk premium in the model is intuitively linked to the volatility feedback effect: increases in volatility endogenously lead to decreasing stock price. Both diffusive and jump shocks to cash flow volatility are priced in equilibrium and the market price of risk is a function of risk aversion and the ``deep" parameters that govern the dynamics of volatility. The model generates an upward sloping equilibrium VIX futures curve (contango) in steady state. The estimated model explains the negative returns as well as several other stylized features of the VIX futures, ETPs, and variance swap data. The second chapter explores whether price impact due to mechanical rolling activity of VIX ETPs contributes to the catastrophic loss. Empirical evidence is provided to support this hypothesis. The shape of the VIX future term structure is found to be significantly twisted by VIX ETPs'r rolling. The performance of VIX future indices that VIX ETPs track gets much worse after the launch of VIX ETPs. Greater amount of rolling relative to the total volume of VIX futures results in bigger loss. Front running strategies taking advantage of the price impact are shown to be very profitable right after the launch of VIX ETPs. The strategies deteriorate afterwards because VIX futures market gains more liquidity relative to VIX ETPs and also possibly because of arbitrageurs' more attention over time. In line with the price impact reasoning, VIX futures deliver abnormal daily returns when there is a directional change of trade flow by VIX ETPs.

Explaining the Negative Returns to VIX Futures and ETNs

Author : Bjorn Eraker
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 51 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Explaining the Negative Returns to VIX Futures and ETNs by : Bjorn Eraker

Download or read book Explaining the Negative Returns to VIX Futures and ETNs written by Bjorn Eraker and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We study the returns to investing in VIX futures and VIX Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs). We document a substantial negative return premium for both ETNs and the futures. For example, the a constant maturity portfolio of one-month VIX futures loses about 30% per year over our sample period (2006-2013). We propose an equilibrium model to explain these negative returns. In this model, increases in volatility endogenously lead to decreasing stock prices. Our model explains the negative expected returns to VIX futures and ETNs as well as several other stylized facts about the returns to VIX futures and VIX futures ETNs.

The VIX Index and Volatility-Based Global Indexes and Trading Instruments: A Guide to Investment and Trading Features

Author : Matthew T. Moran
Publisher : CFA Institute Research Foundation
ISBN 13 : 1944960961
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (449 download)

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Book Synopsis The VIX Index and Volatility-Based Global Indexes and Trading Instruments: A Guide to Investment and Trading Features by : Matthew T. Moran

Download or read book The VIX Index and Volatility-Based Global Indexes and Trading Instruments: A Guide to Investment and Trading Features written by Matthew T. Moran and published by CFA Institute Research Foundation. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the past two decades, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX® Index), a key measure of investor sentiment and 30-day future volatility expectations, has generated much investor attention because of its unique and powerful features. The introduction of VIX futures in 2004, VIX options in 2006, and other volatility-related trading instruments provided traders and investors access to exchange-traded vehicles for taking long and short exposures to expected S&P 500 Index volatility for a particular time frame. Certain VIX-related tradable products may provide benefits when used as tools for tail-risk hedging, diversification, risk management, or alpha generation. Gauges of expected stock market volatility for various regions include the VIX Index (United States), AXVI Index (Australia), VHSI Index (Hong Kong), NVIX Index (India) and VSTOXX Index (Europe). All five of these volatility indexes had negative correlations with their related stock indexes price movements, and all five volatility indexes rose more than 50% in 2008. Although the five volatility indexes are not investable, investors can explore VIX-based benchmark indexes that show the performance of hypothetical investment strategies using VIX futures or options. Before investing in volatility-related products, investors should closely study the pricing, roll cost, and volatility features of the tradable products and read the applicable prospectuses and risk disclosure statements.

Trading Volatility

Author : Colin Bennett
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781461108757
Total Pages : 316 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (87 download)

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Book Synopsis Trading Volatility by : Colin Bennett

Download or read book Trading Volatility written by Colin Bennett and published by . This book was released on 2014-08-17 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication aims to fill the void between books providing an introduction to derivatives, and advanced books whose target audience are members of quantitative modelling community. In order to appeal to the widest audience, this publication tries to assume the least amount of prior knowledge. The content quickly moves onto more advanced subjects in order to concentrate on more practical and advanced topics. "A master piece to learn in a nutshell all the essentials about volatility with a practical and lively approach. A must read!" Carole Bernard, Equity Derivatives Specialist at Bloomberg "This book could be seen as the 'volatility bible'!" Markus-Alexander Flesch, Head of Sales & Marketing at Eurex "I highly recommend this book both for those new to the equity derivatives business, and for more advanced readers. The balance between theory and practice is struck At-The-Money" Paul Stephens, Head of Institutional Marketing at CBOE "One of the best resources out there for the volatility community" Paul Britton, CEO and Founder of Capstone Investment Advisors "Colin has managed to convey often complex derivative and volatility concepts with an admirable simplicity, a welcome change from the all-too-dense tomes one usually finds on the subject" Edmund Shing PhD, former Proprietary Trader at BNP Paribas "In a crowded space, Colin has supplied a useful and concise guide" Gary Delany, Director Europe at the Options Industry Council

Pricing Models of Volatility Products and Exotic Variance Derivatives

Author : Yue Kuen Kwok
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1000584259
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (5 download)

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Book Synopsis Pricing Models of Volatility Products and Exotic Variance Derivatives by : Yue Kuen Kwok

Download or read book Pricing Models of Volatility Products and Exotic Variance Derivatives written by Yue Kuen Kwok and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2022-05-08 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pricing Models of Volatility Products and Exotic Variance Derivatives summarizes most of the recent research results in pricing models of derivatives on discrete realized variance and VIX. The book begins with the presentation of volatility trading and uses of variance derivatives. It then moves on to discuss the robust replication strategy of variance swaps using portfolio of options, which is one of the major milestones in pricing theory of variance derivatives. The replication procedure provides the theoretical foundation of the construction of VIX. This book provides sound arguments for formulating the pricing models of variance derivatives and establishes formal proofs of various technical results. Illustrative numerical examples are included to show accuracy and effectiveness of analytic and approximation methods. Features Useful for practitioners and quants in the financial industry who need to make choices between various pricing models of variance derivatives Fabulous resource for researchers interested in pricing and hedging issues of variance derivatives and VIX products Can be used as a university textbook in a topic course on pricing variance derivatives

McMillan on Options

Author : Lawrence G. McMillan
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118045882
Total Pages : 672 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis McMillan on Options by : Lawrence G. McMillan

Download or read book McMillan on Options written by Lawrence G. McMillan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-02-15 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legendary trader Larry McMillan does it-again-offering his personal options strategies for consistently enhancing trading profits Larry McMillan's name is virtually synonymous with options. This "Trader's Hall of Fame" recipient first shared his personal options strategies and techniques in the original McMillan on Options. Now, in a revised and Second Edition, this indispensable guide to the world of options addresses a myriad of new techniques and methods needed for profiting consistently in today's fast-paced investment arena. This thoroughly new Second Edition features updates in almost every chapter as well as enhanced coverage of many new and increasingly popular products. It also offers McMillan's personal philosophy on options, and reveals many of his previously unpublished personal insights. Readers will soon discover why Yale Hirsch of the Stock Trader's Almanac says, "McMillan is an options guru par excellence."

How to Invest in Structured Products

Author : Andreas Bluemke
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470746793
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (77 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Invest in Structured Products by : Andreas Bluemke

Download or read book How to Invest in Structured Products written by Andreas Bluemke and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is essential in understanding, investing and risk managing the holy grail of investments - structured products. The book begins by introducing structured products by way of a basic guide so that readers will be able to understand a payoff graphic, read a termsheet or assess a payoff formula, before moving on to the key asset classes and their peculiarities. Readers will then move on to the more advanced subjects such as structured products construction and behaviour during their lifetime. It also explains how to avoid important pitfalls in products across all asset classes, pitfalls that have led to huge losses over recent years, including detailed coverage of counterparty risk, the fall of Lehman Brothers and other key aspects of the financial crisis related to structured products. The second part of the book presents an original approach to implementing structured products in a portfolio. Key features include: A comprehensive list of factors an investor needs to take into consideration before investing. This makes it a great help to any buyer of structured products; Unbiased advice on product investments across several asset classes: equities, fixed income, foreign exchange and commodities; Guidance on how to implement structured products in a portfolio context; A comprehensive questionnaire that will help investors to define their own investment preferences, allowing for a greater precision when facing investment decisions; An original approach determining the typical distribution of returns for major product types, essential for product classification and optimal portfolio implementation purposes; Written in a fresh, clear and understandable style, with many figures illustrating the products and very little mathematics. This book will enable you to better comprehend the use of structured products in everyday banking, quickly analyzing a product, assessing which of your clients it suits, and recognizing its major pitfalls. You will be able to see the added value versus the cost of a product and if the payoff is compatible with the market expectations.

Volatility Trading, + website

Author : Euan Sinclair
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470181990
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Volatility Trading, + website by : Euan Sinclair

Download or read book Volatility Trading, + website written by Euan Sinclair and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-06-23 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Volatility Trading, Sinclair offers you a quantitative model for measuring volatility in order to gain an edge in your everyday option trading endeavors. With an accessible, straightforward approach. He guides traders through the basics of option pricing, volatility measurement, hedging, money management, and trade evaluation. In addition, Sinclair explains the often-overlooked psychological aspects of trading, revealing both how behavioral psychology can create market conditions traders can take advantage of-and how it can lead them astray. Psychological biases, he asserts, are probably the drivers behind most sources of edge available to a volatility trader. Your goal, Sinclair explains, must be clearly defined and easily expressed-if you cannot explain it in one sentence, you probably aren't completely clear about what it is. The same applies to your statistical edge. If you do not know exactly what your edge is, you shouldn't trade. He shows how, in addition to the numerical evaluation of a potential trade, you should be able to identify and evaluate the reason why implied volatility is priced where it is, that is, why an edge exists. This means it is also necessary to be on top of recent news stories, sector trends, and behavioral psychology. Finally, Sinclair underscores why trades need to be sized correctly, which means that each trade is evaluated according to its projected return and risk in the overall context of your goals. As the author concludes, while we also need to pay attention to seemingly mundane things like having good execution software, a comfortable office, and getting enough sleep, it is knowledge that is the ultimate source of edge. So, all else being equal, the trader with the greater knowledge will be the more successful. This book, and its companion CD-ROM, will provide that knowledge. The CD-ROM includes spreadsheets designed to help you forecast volatility and evaluate trades together with simulation engines.

Returns & Volatility of Sectoral Indices of Nifty

Author : Dr. T. Peddanna
Publisher : Readworthy
ISBN 13 : 9388121392
Total Pages : 154 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (881 download)

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Book Synopsis Returns & Volatility of Sectoral Indices of Nifty by : Dr. T. Peddanna

Download or read book Returns & Volatility of Sectoral Indices of Nifty written by Dr. T. Peddanna and published by Readworthy. This book was released on with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Generally, the fund managers prefer to include Nifty-listed securities in their portfolio, because they are the leading stocks of the nation, using these companies constructed 11 sectors of stock indices. On the whole, the analysis of 12-year data starting from April 2002 to March 2014 established two phases of sectoral indices of Nifty; they are pre and post-recession periods in the light of sub-prime financial crisis that cropped up across the globe during 2008-09. As this study revealed sector-wise return exposure under different economic conditions, it helps investors to diversify their funds to various sectors which give average return to their portfolios and at lower risk element. However, this study is helped in understanding the risk-return relationship between different sectors of Nifty, as well as ARCH and GARCH models to estimate the volatility in the near future in great detail. The direction of the Nifty index is mainly determined by a few sectors in the long run like Bank, Pharma and Capital Goods indices. Finally, this study is enabled the investors to understand the risk and returns of sectoral indices of Nifty to make effective portfolio decisions under different economic conditions to sustain the portfolio with the same objectives till its tenure. This book is useful for Portfolio Managers, Fund Managers, Investment Managers and Policy makers, Academicians, Research scholars; Post graduate students and other commerce and Management students those working on Returns and volatility of stock market indices and securities."

Understanding Risk

Author : David Murphy
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9781584888949
Total Pages : 472 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (889 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Risk by : David Murphy

Download or read book Understanding Risk written by David Murphy and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2008-04-23 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sound risk management often involves a combination of both mathematical and practical aspects. Taking this into account, Understanding Risk: The Theory and Practice of Financial Risk Management explains how to understand financial risk and how the severity and frequency of losses can be controlled. It combines a quantitative approach with a

A Practical Guide to Forecasting Financial Market Volatility

Author : Ser-Huang Poon
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470856157
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis A Practical Guide to Forecasting Financial Market Volatility by : Ser-Huang Poon

Download or read book A Practical Guide to Forecasting Financial Market Volatility written by Ser-Huang Poon and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2005-08-19 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Financial market volatility forecasting is one of today's most important areas of expertise for professionals and academics in investment, option pricing, and financial market regulation. While many books address financial market modelling, no single book is devoted primarily to the exploration of volatility forecasting and the practical use of forecasting models. A Practical Guide to Forecasting Financial Market Volatility provides practical guidance on this vital topic through an in-depth examination of a range of popular forecasting models. Details are provided on proven techniques for building volatility models, with guide-lines for actually using them in forecasting applications.

Elements of Financial Risk Management

Author : Peter Christoffersen
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0123744482
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (237 download)

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Book Synopsis Elements of Financial Risk Management by : Peter Christoffersen

Download or read book Elements of Financial Risk Management written by Peter Christoffersen and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2011-11-22 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Second Edition of this best-selling book expands its advanced approach to financial risk models by covering market, credit, and integrated risk. With new data that cover the recent financial crisis, it combines Excel-based empirical exercises at the end of each chapter with online exercises so readers can use their own data. Its unified GARCH modeling approach, empirically sophisticated and relevant yet easy to implement, sets this book apart from others. Five new chapters and updated end-of-chapter questions and exercises, as well as Excel-solutions manual, support its step-by-step approach to choosing tools and solving problems. Examines market risk, credit risk, and operational risk Provides exceptional coverage of GARCH models Features online Excel-based empirical exercises

Unexpected Returns

Author : Ed Easterling
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Unexpected Returns by : Ed Easterling

Download or read book Unexpected Returns written by Ed Easterling and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before you read any how-to investment books or seek financial advice, read Unexpected Returns, the essential resource for investors and investment professionals who want to understand how and why the financial markets are not the same now as they were in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to explaining the fundamentals, this book takes you on a graphic journey through the seasons of the market, tying together economics and finance to explain the stock market's cycles. Using comprehensive full-color charts and graphs, it offers an in-depth exploration of what has changed over the past five years - and what you can do about it to avoid disappointment with your investments. This unique combination of investment science and investment art will enable you to differentiate between irrational hope and a rational view of the current financial markets. Based on years of meticulous research, it provides the sensible conclusions that will drive your future investment choices and give you the confidence to rely on your investment outlook, whatever your financial strategy. Book jacket.

Engineering Investment Process

Author : Florian Ielpo
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0081011482
Total Pages : 432 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (81 download)

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Book Synopsis Engineering Investment Process by : Florian Ielpo

Download or read book Engineering Investment Process written by Florian Ielpo and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2017-03-22 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Engineering Investment Process: Making Value Creation Repeatable explores the quantitative steps of a financial investment process. The authors study how these steps are articulated in order to make any value creation, whatever the asset class, consistent and robust. The discussion includes factors, portfolio allocation, statistical and economic backtesting, but also the influence of negative rates, dynamical trading, state-space models, stylized facts, liquidity issues, or data biases. Besides the quantitative concepts detailed here, the reader will find useful references to other works to develop an in-depth understanding of an investment process. - Blends academic research with practical experience from quants, fund managers, and economists - Puts financial mathematics and econometrics in their rightful place - Presents useful information that will increase the reader's understanding of markets - Clearly provides both the global framework, the investment process, and the useful econometric and financial tools that help in its construction - Includes efficient tools taken from up-to-date econometric and financial techniques

Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and Products

Author : Andrea Roncoroni
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 0470662506
Total Pages : 1067 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (76 download)

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Book Synopsis Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and Products by : Andrea Roncoroni

Download or read book Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and Products written by Andrea Roncoroni and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-02-17 with total page 1067 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and ProductsOver recent decades, the marketplace has seen an increasing integration, not only among different types of commodity markets such as energy, agricultural, and metals, but also with financial markets. This trend raises important questions about how to identify and analyse opportunities in and manage risks of commodity products. The Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and Products offers traders, commodity brokers, and other professionals a practical and comprehensive manual that covers market structure and functioning, as well as the practice of trading across a wide range of commodity markets and products. Written in non-technical language, this important resource includes the information needed to begin to master the complexities of and to operate successfully in today’s challenging and fluctuating commodity marketplace. Designed as a practical practitioner-orientated resource, the book includes a detailed overview of key markets – oil, coal, electricity, emissions, weather, industrial metals, freight, agricultural and foreign exchange – and contains a set of tools for analysing, pricing and managing risk for the individual markets. Market features and the main functioning rules of the markets in question are presented, along with the structure of basic financial products and standardised deals. A range of vital topics such as stochastic and econometric modelling, market structure analysis, contract engineering, as well as risk assessment and management are presented and discussed in detail with illustrative examples to commodity markets. The authors showcase how to structure and manage both simple and more complex multi-commodity deals. Addressing the issues of profit-making and risk management, the book reveals how to exploit pay-off profiles and trading strategies on a diversified set of commodity prices. In addition, the book explores how to price energy products and other commodities belonging to markets segmented across specific structural features. The Handbook of Multi-Commodity Markets and Products includes a wealth of proven methods and useful models that can be selected and developed in order to make appropriate estimations of the future evolution of prices and appropriate valuations of products. The authors additionally explore market risk issues and what measures of risk should be adopted for the purpose of accurately assessing exposure from multi-commodity portfolios. This vital resource offers the models, tools, strategies and general information commodity brokers and other professionals need to succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

Bond and Money Markets

Author : Moorad Choudhry
Publisher : Butterworth-Heinemann
ISBN 13 : 0080574939
Total Pages : 1152 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (85 download)

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Book Synopsis Bond and Money Markets by : Moorad Choudhry

Download or read book Bond and Money Markets written by Moorad Choudhry and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2003-07-04 with total page 1152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bond and Money Markets is an invaluable reference to all aspects of fixed income markets and instruments. It is highly regarded as an introduction and an advanced text for professionals and graduate students.Features comprehensive coverage of: * Government and Corporate bonds, Eurobonds, callable bonds, convertibles * Asset-backed bonds including mortgages and CDOs * Derivative instruments including futures, swaps, options, structured products* Interest-rate risk, duration analysis, convexity, and the convexity bias * The money markets, repo markets, basis trading, and asset/liability management * Term structure models, estimating and interpreting the yield curve * Portfolio management and strategies,total return framework, constructing bond indices* A stand alone reference book on interest rate swaps, the money markets, financial market mathematics, interest-rate futures and technical analysis * Includes introductory coverage of very specialised topics (for which one previously required several texts) such as VaR, Asset & liability management and credit derivatives * Combines accessible style with advanced level topics

Alternative Investments

Author : CAIA Association
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119651689
Total Pages : 960 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (196 download)

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Book Synopsis Alternative Investments by : CAIA Association

Download or read book Alternative Investments written by CAIA Association and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 960 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether you are a seasoned professional looking to explore new areas within the alternative investment arena or a new industry participant seeking to establish a solid understanding of alternative investments, Alternative Investments: An Allocator's Approach, Fourth Edition (CAIA Level II curriculum official text) is the best way to achieve these goals. In recent years, capital formation has shifted dramatically away from public markets as issuers pursue better financial and value alignment with ownership, less onerous and expensive regulatory requirements, market and information dislocation, and liberation from the short-term challenges that undergird the public capital markets. The careful and informed use of alternative investments in a diversified portfolio can reduce risk, lower volatility, and improve returns over the long-term, enhancing investors' ability to meet their investment outcomes. Alternative Investments: An Allocator's Approach (CAIA Level II curriculum official text) is a key resource that can be used to improve the sophistication of asset owners and those who work with them. This text comprises the curriculum, when combined with supplemental materials available at caia.org, for the CAIA Level II exam. "Over the course of my long career one tenet has held true, 'Continuing Education'. Since CalSTRS is a teachers' pension plan, it is no surprise that continuing education is a core attribute of our Investment Office culture. Overseeing one of the largest institutional pools of capital in the world requires a cohesive knowledge and understanding of both public and private market investments and strategies. We must understand how these opportunities might contribute to delivering on investment outcomes for our beneficiaries. Alternative Investments: An Allocator's Approach is the definitive core instruction manual for an institutional investor, and it puts you in the captain's chair of the asset owner." —Christopher J. Ailman, Chief Investment Officer, California State Teachers’ Retirement System "Given their diversified cash flow streams and returns, private markets continue to be a growing fixture of patient, long-term portfolios. As such, the need to have proficiency across these sophisticated strategies, asset classes, and instruments is critical for today's capital allocator. As a proud CAIA charterholder, I have seen the practical benefits in building a strong private markets foundation, allowing me to better assist my clients." —Jayne Bok, CAIA, CFA, Head of Investments, Asia, Willis Tower Watson