The Saga of the First Stock Index Futures Contract


Book Description

Futures contracts on stock indices can be subject to imperfect arbitrage-based pricing when the spot quot;goodquot; is not an easily held portfolio. The Kansas City Value Line (KCVL) stock index futures market provides an interesting case study because the spot index was complex and it underwent a change in definition from an equally-weighted geometric index to an equally-weighted arithmetic index for the futures to remain viable. The dynamics of geometric and arithmetic indices differ in their complexity and imply that KCVL(Geometric) futures should be priced using the relatively complex Eytan-Harpaz (1986) model, while KCVL(Arithmetic) futures can be priced using the standard Cost-of-Carry model. Empirical analysis of outright and calendar spread prices reveals that KCVL(Geometric) futures went through three distinct phases of mispricing reflecting considerable confusion in pricing. An intriguing result is that during the second phase lasting four years, traders in the KCVL(Geometric) market appear to have been unaware of the magnitude and importance of the properties of the geometric index. Specifically, the market treated these geometric futures contracts like conventional futures contracts based on physical commodities, and induced quot;efficiencyquot; from the incorrect perspective of the Cost-of-Carry model. A dramatic correction follows in the third quarter of 1986 around the publication of the Eytan-Harpaz model when the market turns efficient from the correct perspective of this new model. Jointly, the results suggest that it is possible for a modern market to succumb to a self-fulfilling prophecy induced by the force of behavior and belief, and be quot;efficientquot; but wrong. Further, it appears that the market did not learn the correct model from trading. The correction occurred, instead, around the time of the publication of the correct model, which could be viewed as a re-interpretation of existing information in a manner that altered the state of knowledge in the market. The evidence suggests also that we may need to draw more on the distinctions among the words information, belief, and knowledge, in our definition of efficiency; information being available need not imply that it will be processed appropriately through trading.




Stock Index Futures


Book Description

The global value of trading in index futures is about $20 trillion per year and rising and for many countries the value traded is similar to that traded on their stock markets. This book describes how index futures markets work and clearly summarises the substantial body of international empirical evidence relating to these markets. Using the concepts and tools of finance, the book also provides a comprehensive description of the economic forces that underlie trading in index futures. Stock Index Futures 3/e contains many teaching and learning aids including numerous examples, a glossary, essay questions, comprehensive references, and a detailed subject index. Written primarily for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, this text will also be useful to researchers and market participants who want to gain a better understanding of these markets.




The Futures


Book Description

In The Futures, Emily Lambert, senior writer at Forbes magazine, tells us the rich and dramatic history of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade, which together comprised the original, most bustling futures market in the world. She details the emergence of the futures business as a kind of meeting place for gamblers and farmers and its subsequent transformation into a sophisticated electronic market where contracts are traded at lightning-fast speeds. Lambert also details the disastrous effects of Wall Street's adoption of the futures contract without the rules and close-knit social bonds that had made trading it in Chicago work so well. Ultimately Lambert argues that the futures markets are the real ''free'' markets and that speculators, far from being mere parasites, can serve a vital economic and social function given the right architecture. The traditional futures market, she explains, because of its written and cultural limits, can serve as a useful example for how markets ought to work and become a tonic for our current financial ills.







Financial Derivatives


Book Description

Essential insights on the various aspects of financial derivatives If you want to understand derivatives without getting bogged down by the mathematics surrounding their pricing and valuation, Financial Derivatives is the book for you. Through in-depth insights gleaned from years of financial experience, Robert Kolb and James Overdahl clearly explain what derivatives are and how you can prudently use them within the context of your underlying business activities. Financial Derivatives introduces you to the wide range of markets for financial derivatives. This invaluable guide offers a broad overview of the different types of derivatives-futures, options, swaps, and structured products-while focusing on the principles that determine market prices. This comprehensive resource also provides a thorough introduction to financial derivatives and their importance to risk management in a corporate setting. Filled with helpful tables and charts, Financial Derivatives offers a wealth of knowledge on futures, options, swaps, financial engineering, and structured products. Discusses what derivatives are and how you can prudently implement them within the context of your underlying business activities Provides thorough coverage of financial derivatives and their role in risk management Explores financial derivatives without getting bogged down by the mathematics surrounding their pricing and valuation This informative guide will help you unlock the incredible potential of financial derivatives.




Mumbai - An International Financial Centre


Book Description

The Ministry of Finance, Government of India established a High Powered Expert Committee in 2006 to study the feasibility of India's entry into the global market for international financial services and that of Mumbai becoming an international financial center. The Committee's report analyses Mumbai's strengths and weaknesses in terms of the above seven key factors essential for the success of an IFC. The report strives to deliver a nuanced appreciation of the likely costs and benefits of the path to an IFC, based on an understanding of which policy-makers can make a reasoned choice.







Security Market Imperfections in Worldwide Equity Markets


Book Description

The study of security market imperfections, namely the predictability of equity stock returns, is one of the fundamental research areas in financial modelling. These anomalies, which are not consistent with existing theories, concern the relation between stock returns and variables, such as firm size and earnings-to-price ratios, and seasonal effects, such as January and turn-of-the-month. This book provides the most complete and current account of work in the area. Leading academics and investment researchers have combined to produce a comprehensive coverage of the subject, including both cross-sectional and time series analyses, as well as discussing the measurement of risk and prediction models that have been used by institutional investors. The studies cover many worldwide markets including the US, Japan, Asia, and Europe. The book will be invaluable for courses in financial engineering, investment and portfolio management, and as a reference for investment professionals seeking an up-to-date source on return predictability.







An Inside Look at Trading in Today's Markets (Collection)


Book Description

A brand new collection of knowledge about today’s radically new market dynamics… 2 indispensable traders’ guides, now in a convenient e-format, at a great price! 2 indispensable books deliver profound insights into today’s markets — and translate deep knowledge into outsized profits! Today’s markets are radically different — and you can’t profit unless you understand how they’ve changed. Now, two breakthrough books give you powerful market insights you won’t find anywhere else — insights honed to reflect new realities, and deliver massive new profits. First, in The Playbook, Mike Bellafiore offers a complete course in becoming a truly great trader, whether you want to trade on your own or for someone else’s firm. Using the same high-intensity “boot camp” approach he uses to teach his own firm’s new traders, Bellafiore walks through actual trades, explains what the traders were trying to do, and offering brutally tough expert critiques. Trade by trade, he reveals how professional traders must think in order to succeed “under fire,” how they assess their own performance, and how they work relentlessly to improve. Using concrete, actionable setups drawn from his extensive experience, he illuminates support plays, bull-and-bear flags, opening drives, important intraday levels, bounce and fade trades, pullbacks, scalps, technical opportunities, consolidation, relative strength, market trades, and more. He also presents indispensable insights on psychology and trader development, based on his work with hundreds of traders on a major commodity exchange and an elite prop firm’s trading desk. Then, in Shock Markets, Robert I. Webb and Alexander Webb show you exactly how to transform crises into profits. They offer meticulous breakdowns of recent crises, revealing how these events impacted both individual stocks and overall markets, and helping you create detailed game plans for profiting from future shocks. They answer crucial questions like: What moves stock prices? What moves the overall market? How can you profit from catalysts that precipitate sudden sharp stock price movements? From regulatory decisions to macroeconomic reports, seemingly remote factors can have a huge, sudden impact on stocks. Shock Markets illuminates these catalysts, and demonstrates their shifting behavior during fads, fashions, bubbles, crashes, and market crises. The focus is completely practical: helping savvy traders uncover profit where others find only peril. From expert traders and trading instructors Mike Bellafiore, Robert I. Webb, and Alexander R. Webb