A pioneering reference essential in any financial library, the Encyclopedia of Alternative Investments is the most authoritative source on alternative investments for students, researchers, and practitioners in this area. Containing 545 entries, the encyclopedia focuses on hedge funds, managed futures, commodities, and venture capital. It features
The purpose of this book is to present the principles of alternative investments in management. The individual chapters provide a detailed analysis of various classes of alternative investments on the financial market. Despite many different definitions of alternative investments, it can be assumed that a classical approach to alternative investments includes hedge funds, fund of funds (FOF), managed accounts, structured products and private equity/venture capital. Alternative investment in keeping with this broad definition is the subject of consideration here. The theoretical part of each chapter is meant to collect, systematize and deepen readers’ understanding of a given investment category, while the practical part of each focuses on an analysis of the current state of development of alternative investments on the global market and outlines the prospects of future market development. This book will be a valuable tool for scholars, practitioners and policy-makers alike.
Alternative assets such as fine art, wine, or diamonds have become popular investment vehicles in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Correlation with classical financial markets is typically low, such that diversification benefits arise for portfolio allocation and risk management. Cryptocurrencies share many alternative asset features, but are hampered by high volatility, sluggish commercial acceptance, and regulatory uncertainties. This collection of papers addresses alternative assets and cryptocurrencies from economic, financial, statistical, and technical points of view. It gives an overview of their current state and explores their properties and prospects using innovative approaches and methodologies.
Have you wanted to seriously begin investing but are wary because of confusing and complicated terminology and concepts? Then the Concise Encyclopedia of Investing is for you. This A-to-Z reference provides clear, concise explanations of basic as well as more advanced investment terms to help even the most unsophisticated newcomer. This unique user-friendly handbook presents not only simple, brief explanations of various investing terms and concepts, but also a short discussion on each as to how it applies in everyday life. Helpful lists of reference books and various online investment resources provide opportunities for investors to easily find more detailed information about specific topics.
Volume 3 of the Encyclopedia of Financial Models The need for serious coverage of financial modeling has never been greater, especially with the size, diversity, and efficiency of modern capital markets. With this in mind, the Encyclopedia of Financial Models has been created to help a broad spectrum of individuals—ranging from finance professionals to academics and students—understand financial modeling and make use of the various models currently available. Incorporating timely research and in-depth analysis, Volume 3 of the Encyclopedia of Financial Models covers both established and cutting-edge models and discusses their real-world applications. Edited by Frank Fabozzi, this volume includes contributions from global financial experts as well as academics with extensive consulting experience in this field. Organized alphabetically by category, this reliable resource consists of forty-four informative entries and provides readers with a balanced understanding of today’s dynamic world of financial modeling. Volume 3 covers Mortgage-Backed Securities Analysis and Valuation, Operational Risk, Optimization Tools, Probability Theory, Risk Measures, Software for Financial Modeling, Stochastic Processes and Tools, Term Structure Modeling, Trading Cost Models, and Volatility Emphasizes both technical and implementation issues, providing researchers, educators, students, and practitioners with the necessary background to deal with issues related to financial modeling The 3-Volume Set contains coverage of the fundamentals and advances in financial modeling and provides the mathematical and statistical techniques needed to develop and test financial models Financial models have become increasingly commonplace, as well as complex. They are essential in a wide range of financial endeavors, and the Encyclopedia of Financial Models will help put them in perspective.
Investors who build diversified, multi-asset portfolios, have an ever increasing range of investment assets at their disposal. In order to invest effectively - and build a solid, performing portfolio - it is essential for investors to understand each of these single asset classes and how to use them in portfolios. The Investment Assets Handbook covers the full spectrum of different asset classes and investment types available today, providing investors with the definitive information they need to reach an understanding of the broad range of investment assets. The Handbook is divided into four parts: 1. An introduction to asset classes, including how they should be defined, the main features that can be used to characterise asset classes and the roles that different assets fulfil within a multi-asset portfolio. 2. Traditional assets, including global equities, fixed income and cash. 3. Alternative assets, including real estate, commodities, private equity and hedge funds. 4. New alternative investments, including currency, infrastructure, structured finance, leveraged loans, structured products, alternative or smart betas, volatility, art, insurance-linked securities and timber. Each asset chapter within these sections provides a description of the asset and its characteristics, its historic performance, how to model its future long-term performance, the role it performs in a multi-asset portfolio, its risks, how to access it, and other relevant topics. Long-term investment themes that may impact the future behaviour of assets and investing generally are also highlighted and discussed. The Investment Assets Handbook is the essential guide that investors need as they navigate the universe of investment assets and build multi-asset portfolios.
Leading the way in this field, the Encyclopedia of Quantitative Risk Analysis and Assessment is the first publication to offer a modern, comprehensive and in-depth resource to the huge variety of disciplines involved. A truly international work, its coverage ranges across risk issues pertinent to life scientists, engineers, policy makers, healthcare professionals, the finance industry, the military and practising statisticians. Drawing on the expertise of world-renowned authors and editors in this field this title provides up-to-date material on drug safety, investment theory, public policy applications, transportation safety, public perception of risk, epidemiological risk, national defence and security, critical infrastructure, and program management. This major publication is easily accessible for all those involved in the field of risk assessment and analysis. For ease-of-use it is available in print and online.
The expansion of the fund industry has been one of the most notable trends in the financial markets of recent years. Not only has the demand for funds among EU investors grown, but both the number and types of investment funds also continue to increase. Since investment funds available in the EU can be established both inside and outside the EU, they may be subject to different investor protection regulations, depending on where the fund is located. Accordingly, different levels of investor protection may exist between investors investing in EU funds and investors investing in non-EU funds, including US funds. This book investigates whether there is a level playing field between EU investors investing in EU funds and EU investors investing in US funds and if not, if there is a legal basis in current EU law for the EU regulator to adopt additional investor protection rules applying to investment funds. The analysis considers the basic characteristics of investment funds, how they function in practice, and how they are regulated relating to investor protection issues. Factors examined in depth include the following: – features of funds most relevant to the protection of retail investors; – operational structure, investment strategies, fee structure, and legal structure of funds; – internal control systems; – transparency and disclosure rules; – conduct of business rules; and – depositary monitoring rules. The author examines relevant EU directives and rules and the particular remit of each, as well as US law applying to investment funds that are active in the EU. Case law and relevant literature in the field is also drawn on. As an assessment of the current degree of protection applying to funds that are available to EU retail investors – as well as an up-to-date overview of regulatory requirements and procedures concerning the protection of EU investors in investment funds – this book is unsurpassed. Especially valuable is the closing discussion about whether the EU regulatory system provides for a level playing field of protection for EU retail investors, and if not which additional rules can be adopted by the EU regulator in this area. Lawyers and other professionals in all areas of law and policy concerned with investment and finance will find this book of great value.
This book offers a multifaceted examination of Africa’s development into the post-2015 global agenda from a geographical perspective. As a diversified and highly applied discipline, geography has a lot to offer to global debates, nuanced analysis of problems on and the search for innovative solutions to advance the African development agenda beyond 2015. The end of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era and the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 mark an important turning point for Africa and an opportune time to examine new challenges and opportunities that it faces. The regional disparities in MDG progress affirm an important geographic tenet that the unique yet internally differentiated socio-cultural, economic, political, ecological, biophysical and historical context give Africa distinctive challenges and opportunities that demand particular approaches to development. This edited book presents innovative contributions examining Africa’s development performance in diverse sectors during the MDG era as a basis for understanding prospects for its development in the SDG era and beyond. It offers new and innovative study perspectives and methodological approaches on urban transformation, development financing, food security, climate change, gender equality, health, and regional integration, among other topics, and useful insights for scholars, students and development practitioners. This book was originally published as a special issue of African Geographical Review, the journal of the American Association of Geographers’ Africa Specialty Group, to mark the transition from MDGs to SDGs.
