Guide to Financial Markets


Book Description

The revised and updated 7th edition of this highly regarded book brings the reader right up to speed with the latest financial market developments, and provides a clear and incisive guide to a complex world that even those who work in it often find hard to understand. In chapters on the markets that deal with money, foreign exchange, equities, bonds, commodities, financial futures, options and other derivatives, the book examines why these markets exist, how they work, and who trades in them, and gives a run-down of the factors that affect prices and rates. Business history is littered with disasters that occurred because people involved their firms with financial instruments they didn't properly understand. If they had had this book they might have avoided their mistakes. For anyone wishing to understand financial markets, there is no better guide.




Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets


Book Description

John J. Murphy has updated his landmark bestseller Technical Analysis of the Futures Markets, to include all of the financial markets. This outstanding reference has already taught thousands of traders the concepts of technical analysis and their application in the futures and stock markets. Covering the latest developments in computer technology, technical tools, and indicators, the second edition features new material on candlestick charting, intermarket relationships, stocks and stock rotation, plus state-of-the-art examples and figures. From how to read charts to understanding indicators and the crucial role technical analysis plays in investing, readers gain a thorough and accessible overview of the field of technical analysis, with a special emphasis on futures markets. Revised and expanded for the demands of today's financial world, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in tracking and analyzing market behavior.




An Arbitrage Guide to Financial Markets


Book Description

An Arbitrage Guide to Financial Markets is the first book to explicitly show the linkages of markets for equities, currencies, fixed income and commodities. Using a unique structural approach, it dissects all markets the same way: into spot, forward and contingent dimensions, bringing out the simplicity and the commonalities of all markets. The book shuns stochastic calculus in favor of cash flow details of arbitrage trades. All math is simple, but there is lots of it. The book reflects the relative value mentality of an institutional trader seeking profit from misalignments of various market segments. The book is aimed at entrants into investment banking and dealing businesses, existing personnel in non-trading jobs, and people outside of the financial services industry trying to gain a view into what drives dealers in today’s highly integrated marketplace. A committed reader is guaranteed to leave with a deep understanding of all current issues. "This is an excellent introduction to the financial markets by an author with a strong academic approach and practical insights from trading experience. At a time when the proliferation of financial instruments and the increased use of sophisticated mathematics in their analysis, makes an introduction to financial markets intimidating to most, this book is very useful. It provides an insight into the core concepts across markets and uses mathematics at an accessible level. It equips readers to understand the fundamentals of markets, valuation and trading. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to understand the essentials of successfully trading, structuring or using the entire range of financial instruments available today." —Varun Gosain, Principal, Constellation Capital Management, New York "Robert Dubil, drawing from his extensive prior trading experience, has made a significant contribution by writing an easy to understand book about the complex world of today’s financial markets, using basic mathematical concepts. The book is filled with insights and real life examples about how traders approach the market and is required reading for anyone with an interest in understanding markets or a career in trading." —George Handjinicolaou, Partner, Etolian Capital, New York "This book provides an excellent guide to the current state of the financial markets. It combines academic rigour with the author’s practical experience of the financial sector, giving both students and practitioners an insight into the arbitrage pricing mechanism." —Zenji Nakamura, Managing Director, Europe Fixed Income Division, Nomura International plc, London




Visual Guide to Financial Markets


Book Description

A highly visual look at major investment opportunities from the minds at Bloomberg The essential guide for anyone trying to get a handle on the fundamentals of investing, the Bloomberg Visual Guide to Financial Markets distills 30 years of Bloomberg expertise into one straightforward, easy-to-read volume. The book teaches readers about three basic investment options—governments, companies, and real assets, including gold and other commodities—and offers valuable insights into money-market securities, bonds, stocks, derivatives, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and alternatives. Designed to help financial professionals, students of finance, and individual investors understand the markets in which they're investing, the book begins with simple investments before moving on to more complex choices. Explains bonds, stocks, derivatives, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and alternatives such as hedge funds Explores the three Rs of returns, risks, and relative value that are associated with each type of investment Provides a highly visual presentation with an emphasis on graphics and professional applications The Bloomberg Visual Guide to Financial Markets gives the reader a clear picture of what underlies market structure, instruments, and dynamics and how to capitalize on these elements.




Visual Guide to Financial Markets, Enhanced Edition


Book Description

A highly visual look at major investment opportunities from the minds at Bloomberg in an enhanced ebook edition. The essential guide for anyone trying to get a handle on the fundamentals of investing, the Bloomberg Financial Series Visual Guide to Financial Markets Enhanced Edition distills 30 years of Bloomberg expertise into one straightforward, easy-to-read volume. The book teaches readers about three basic investment options--governments, companies, and real assets, including gold and other commodities--and offers valuable insights into money-market securities, bonds, stocks, derivatives, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and alternatives. . As an enhanced eBook, Bloomberg Financial Series Visual Guide to Candlestick Charting features a slew of exciting additional features designed to provide a more immersive learning experience. 2 "Test Yourself" sections with click through to answer keys to help you measure your comprehension of the material, as well as video lessons. Designed to help financial professionals, students of finance, and individual investors understand the markets in which they're investing, the book begins with simple investments before moving on to more complex choices. Features enhanced eBook features to test yourself on key concepts, gain a deeper understanding of chart patterns through detailed and captioned color graphics, and learn hands-on through video tutorials Enhanced ebook features: Test Yourself - readers can test their newly honed knowledge and skills. True/False and multiple choice questions with answers. Video Tutorials: Videos throught the text to aid in the learning process. Interactive Charts and Graphs. Step-by-Step Tutorials for essential tasks and concepts. The Bloomberg Financial Series Visual Guide to Financial Markets Enhanced edition gives the reader a clear picture of what underlies market structure, instruments, and dynamics and how to capitalize on these elements.




Market Players


Book Description

The global financial markets are not just driven by the big investment houses and fund managers. Along with these, private banks, insurance houses, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds and a range of boutique investment managers, regional institutions and brokers of different sizes and nationalities all operate and interact to form the bedrock of the global financial infrastructure. Because of this, it is essential that practitioners and observers of the markets fully understand the linkages, objectives and functions of these institutions, and the new and dynamic environment they are working in. Market Players provides a complete roadmap to the institutions and intermediaries operating in today's global financial landscape, illustrating what they are, how they work, how they interact and importantly, their motivation. It explains the core financial market business of these institutions and considers how they have become the firms that we see today, providing readers with a clear understanding of which market sectors are likely to see the most involvement from the different types of institution and, importantly, why they are involved in these market areas. Key features include: a series of case studies looking at examples of some of these institutions including an explanation of the EIB and the UK agency UKFI. They also look at the financial crisis and the impact on AIG and Northern Rock, two institutions that clearly illustrate what can go wrong and how the other market players have to step in when this happens. an international perspective looking at representative institutions from Europe, Asia and North America, showing global similarities and differences. a Post Financial Crisis perspective on the structure of international banks in today's markets. coverage of the major players on both the buy and sell side of the market Written in plain English, Market Players is an accessible and much needed guide to financial institutions, equipping readers with the knowledge to better understand how the global financial markets really work.




Market Data Explained


Book Description

Market Data Explained is intended to provide a guide to the universe of data content produced by the global capital markets on a daily basis. Commonly referred to as “market data , the universe of content is very wide and the type of information correspondingly diverse. Jargon and acronyms are very common. As a result, users of marker data typically face difficulty in applying the content in analysis and business applications. This guide provides an independent framework for understanding this diversity and streamlining the process of referring to content and how it relates to today’s business environment. The book achieves this goal by providing a consistent frame of reference for users of market data. As such, it is built around the concept of a data model – a single, coherent view of the capital markets independent of any one source, such as an exchange. In particular it delineates clearly between the actual data content and how it is delivered (i.e., realtime data streams versus reference data). It shows how the data relates across the universe of securities (i.e., stocks, bonds, derivatives etc.). In this way it provides a logical framework for understanding how new content can be added over time as the business develops. Special features: 1. Uniqueness – this is the first comprehensive catalog and taxonomy to be made available for a business audience 2. Industry Acceptance – the framework described in this book is implemented as a relational data model in the industry today and used by blue chip multinational firms 3. Comprehensiveness – there are no arbitrary distinctions made based on asset class or data type (the legacy approach). The model presented in this book is fully cross asset and makes no distinction between data types (i.e., realtime versus historical/reference data) or sources 4. Independence – the framework is an independent, objective overview of how the data content integrates to provide a coherent view of the data produced by the global capital markets on a daily and intra-day basis. It provides a logical framework for referring to the content and entities that are so intrinsic to this industry First and only single, comprehensive desk reference to market data produced by the global capital markets on a daily basis Provides a comprehensive catalog of the market data and a common structure for navigating the complex content and interrelationships Provides a common taxonomy and naming conventions that handles the highly varied, geographically and language dependent nature of the content




The Complete Guide to Capital Markets for Quantitative Professionals


Book Description

The Complete Guide to Capital Markets for Quantitative Professionals is a comprehensive resource for readers with a background in science and technology who want to transfer their skills to the financial industry. It is written in a clear, conversational style and requires no prior knowledge of either finance or financial analytics. The book begins by discussing the operation of the financial industry and the business models of different types of Wall Street firms, as well as the job roles those with technical backgrounds can fill in those firms. Then it describes the mechanics of how these firms make money trading the main financial markets (focusing on fixed income, but also covering equity, options and derivatives markets), and highlights the ways in which quantitative professionals can participate in this money-making process. The second half focuses on the main areas of Wall Street technology and explains how financial models and systems are created, implemented, and used in real life. This is one of the few books that offers a review of relevant literature and Internet resources.