Risk Management in Trading. Techniques to Drive Profitability of Hedge Funds and Trading Desks

Revolutionary techniques that traders can implement to improve profits and avoid losses No trader, professional or individual, can afford not to have a solid risk management program integrated into his or her trading system. But finding a precise mathematical model to replace subjective decision-making processes is a challenge. Traditionally, risk management has focused solely on loss avoidance, but in Trading Risk, hedge fund risk manager Kenneth Grant presents some-thing completely new—how to manage a portfolio to minimize risk and increase profits by putting more capital at risk. Trading Risk details a risk management program that can help both money managers and individual traders evaluate which elements in a portfolio are working efficiently and which aren’t. By illustrating an extremely simple set of statistical and arithmetic tools this book can help readers enhance their performance in many financial markets. Kenneth L.Grant is Cheyne’s Global Risk Manager, and is the Managing Member for Cheyne Capital, LLC, the firm’s U.S. arm. Mr. Grant is a pioneer in the field of hedge fund risk management and capital allocation. Before joining Cheyne, he created risk control programs at two of the world’s leading hedge funds, Tudor Investments and SAC Capital, where he was eventually promoted to the title of Chief Investment Strategist. Mr. Grant holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, an MA in Economics from Columbia University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

This book provides a cutting edge introduction to market risk management for Hedge Funds, Hedge Funds of Funds, and the numerous new indices and clones launching coming to market on a near daily basis. It will present the fundamentals of quantitative risk measures by analysing the range of Value-at-Risk (VaR) models used today, addressing the robustness of each model, and looking at new risk measures available to more effectively manage risk in a hedge fund portfolio. The book begins by analysing the current state of the hedge fund industry – at the ongoing institutionalisation of the market, and at its latest developments. It then moves on to examine the range of risks, risk controls, and risk management strategies currently employed by practitioners, and focuses on particular risks embedded in the more classic investment strategies such as Long/Short, Convertible Arbitrage, Fixed Income Arbitrage, Short selling and risk arbitrage. Addressed along side these are other risks common to hedge funds, including liquidity risk, leverage risk and counterparty risk. The book then moves on to examine more closely two models which provide the underpinning for market risk management in investment today – Style Value-at-Risk and Implicit Value-at-Risk. As well as full quantitative analysis and backtesting of each methodology, the authors go on to propose a new style model for style and implicit Var, complete with analysis, real life examples and backtesting. The authors then go on to discuss annualisation issues and risk return before moving on to propose a new model based on the authors own Best Choice Implicit VaR approach, incorporating quantitative analysis, market results and backtesting and also its potential for new hedge fund clone products. This book is the only guide to VaR for Hedge Funds and will prove to be an invaluable resource as we embark into an era of increasing volatility and uncertainty.

An in-depth examination of money management methods for consistent trading success In Better Stock Trading, Daryl Guppy shows readers how to improve returns by using good money management technique???not by increasing risk in trying to win more trades. Readers will learn how to level the market playing field by using the best money management strategies for their particular account size. From the straightforward two percent rule, to pyramiding methods, and overall portfolio management, Guppy presents a selection of strategies, which will allow any independent trader to capitalize on a rising market and protect funds when the bear takes over. He also shows readers how to study their own trading history and use this information to improve their trading future. Trading skill counts, but money management gives independent traders the edge. Daryl Guppy (Australia) is an experienced and highly successful private trader. A member of IFTA and the Australian Technical Analyst's Association, he is a popular speaker at international trading seminars in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. He is the author of five highly successful trading titles, including Market Trading Tactics (0-471-84663-5), and is the Editorial Director of The Investors' International Bookshelf.

The credit derivatives industry has come under close scrutiny over the past few years, with the recent financial crisis highlighting the instability of a number of credit structures and throwing the industry into turmoil. What has been made clear by recent events is the necessity for a thorough understanding of credit derivatives by all parties involved in a transaction, especially traders, structurers, quants and investors. Fully revised and updated to take in to account the new products, markets and risk requirements post financial crisis, Credit Derivatives: Trading, Investing and Risk Management, Second Edition, covers the subject from a real world perspective, tackling issues such as liquidity, poor data, and credit spreads, to the latest innovations in portfolio products, hedging and risk management techniques. The book concentrates on practical issues and develops an understanding of the products through applications and detailed analysis of the risks and alternative means of trading. It provides: a description of the key products, applications, and an analysis of typical trades including basis trading, hedging, and credit structuring; analysis of the industry standard 'default and recovery' and Copula models including many examples, and a description of the models' shortcomings; tools and techniques for the management of a portfolio or book of credit risks including appropriate and inappropriate methods of correlation risk management; a thorough analysis of counterparty risk; an intuitive understanding of credit correlation in reality and in the Copula model. The book is thoroughly updated to reflect the changes the industry has seen over the past 5 years, notably with an analysis of the lead up and causes of the credit crisis. It contains 50% new material, which includes copula valuation and hedging, portfolio optimisation, portfolio products and correlation risk management, pricing in illiquid environments, chapters on the evolution of credit management systems, the credit meltdown and new chapters on the implementation and testing of credit derivative models and systems. The book is accompanied by a website which contains tools for credit derivatives valuation and risk management, illustrating the models used in the book and also providing a valuation toolkit.

Hedge Funds of Funds: A Guide for Investors is a comprehensive guide to investing in hedge funds of funds. Written by an experienced practitioner in clear, concise and jargon free language, this book gives an inside view of this often opaque area and empowers readers with the tools to get to the bottom of how hedge funds of funds really work. Key features include: A full description of the skill sets and facets needed in all areas of a hedge funds of funds; A wide-ranging set of questions to ask when assessing every area of a hedge fund of funds; Advice on every part of the process when investing in a hedge fund of funds, from short-listing through to mandate design and benchmarking; Two comprehensive practical examples of investment reports on both a hedge fund and a hedge fund of funds; A comprehensive analysis of recent developments in the field; A glossary of hedge fund terminology to help the reader de-code the jargon associated with the area. This book is essential reading for all those interested in developing depth to their understanding of how to invest in hedge funds of funds and how they, in turn, invest with hedge funds.

Take a proven approach to short-term trading. Winning the Day Trading Game offers an insider's view of the trading life and provides proven strategies for profitable trading. Professional trader Tom Busby explains how the strategies that made him so much money early on in his career ultimately failed during the 1987 stock market crash and then reveals how he reinvented himself as a high-percentage day trader. He interweaves personal experiences with technical explanations to outline the cornerstones of his technique. In highlighting his own trading experiences, Busby clearly explains how to beat the market by balancing the impulses of greed and fear, managing risk at all times; and taking responsibility for your trading. Thomas L. Busby (Mobile, AL) has been a professional trader and broker for 25 years, working with Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney. He founded the Day Trading Institute in 1996 and it has grown into one of the most successful trading schools in the world.

The best-selling trading book of all time—updated for the new era The New Trading for a Living updates a modern classic, popular worldwide among both private and institutional traders. This revised and expanded edition brings time-tested concepts in gear with today's fast-moving markets, adding new studies and techniques for the modern trader. This classic guide teaches a calm and disciplined approach to the markets. It emphasizes risk management along with self-management and provides clear rules for both. The New Trading for a Living includes templates for rating stock picks, creating trade plans, and rating your own readiness to trade. It provides the knowledge, perspective, and tools for developing your own effective trading system. All charts in this book are new and in full color, with clear comments on rules and techniques. The clarity of this book's language, its practical illustrations and generous sharing of the essential skills have made it a model for the industry—often imitated but never duplicated. Both new and experienced traders will appreciate its insights and the calm, systematic approach to modern markets. The New Trading for a Living will become an even more valuable resource than the author's previous books: Overcome barriers to success and develop stronger discipline Identify asymmetrical market zones, where rewards are higher and risks lower Master money management as you set entries, targets and stops Use a record-keeping system that will make you into your own teacher Successful trading is based on knowledge, focus, and discipline. The New Trading for a Living will lift your trading to a higher level by sharing classic wisdom along with modern market tools.

Hedge funds are in the news and on the minds of sophisticated investors more than ever. Investors have questions about how the funds are structured, where the assets are allocated, and whether hedge funds can truly act as a hedge against market risk. The answers are all here in Investing in Hedge Funds. Until recently, much of what makes hedge funds tick has been closely guarded–the intellectual property of Wall Street's investment elite. In this updated and revised text, Joseph G. Nicholas, founder and chairman of the leading industry information provider Hedge Fund Research, Inc., travels inside the hedge fund marketplace to explain the alternative investment strategies of top fund managers, providing clear descriptions of how to access these funds and where they're headed. It's a complete guide that everyone investing in hedge funds should study closely.

An A to Z options trading guide for the new millennium and the new economy Written by professional trader and quantitative analyst Euan Sinclair, Option Trading is a comprehensive guide to this discipline covering everything from historical background, contract types, and market structure to volatility measurement, forecasting, and hedging techniques. This comprehensive guide presents the detail and practical information that professional option traders need, whether they're using options to hedge, manage money, arbitrage, or engage in structured finance deals. It contains information essential to anyone in this field, including option pricing and price forecasting, the Greeks, implied volatility, volatility measurement and forecasting, and specific option strategies. Explains how to break down a typical position, and repair positions Other titles by Sinclair: Volatility Trading Addresses the various concerns of the professional options trader Option trading will continue to be an important part of the financial landscape. This book will show you how to make the most of these profitable products, no matter what the market does.