Active Credit Portfolio Management

State-of-the-art techniques and tools needed to facilitate effective credit portfolio management and robust quantitative credit analysis Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, Active Credit Portfolio Management in Practice serves as a comprehensive introduction to both the theory and real-world practice of credit portfolio management. The authors have written a text that is technical enough both in terms of background and implementation to cover what practitioners and researchers need for actually applying these types of risk management tools in large organizations but which at the same time, avoids technical proofs in favor of real applications. Throughout this book, readers will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of this discipline, and learn about structural, reduced-form, and econometric models successfully used in the market today. The book is full of hands-on examples and anecdotes. Theory is illustrated with practical application. The authors' Website provides additional software tools in the form of Excel spreadsheets, Matlab code and S-Plus code. Each section of the book concludes with review questions designed to spark further discussion and reflection on the concepts presented.

State-of-the-art techniques and tools needed to facilitate effective credit portfolio management and robust quantitative credit analysis Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, Active Credit Portfolio Management in Practice serves as a comprehensive introduction to both the theory and real-world practice of credit portfolio management. The authors have written a text that is technical enough both in terms of background and implementation to cover what practitioners and researchers need for actually applying these types of risk management tools in large organizations but which at the same time, avoids technical proofs in favor of real applications. Throughout this book, readers will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of this discipline, and learn about structural, reduced-form, and econometric models successfully used in the market today. The book is full of hands-on examples and anecdotes. Theory is illustrated with practical application. The authors' Website provides additional software tools in the form of Excel spreadsheets, Matlab code and S-Plus code. Each section of the book concludes with review questions designed to spark further discussion and reflection on the concepts presented.

The introduction of the euro in 1999 marked the starting point of the development of a very liquid and heterogeneous EUR credit market, which exceeds EUR 350bn with respect to outstanding corporate bonds. As a result, credit risk trading and credit portfolio management gained significantly in importance. The book shows how to optimize, manage, and hedge liquid credit portfolios, i.e. applying innovative derivative instruments. Against the background of the highly complex structure of credit derivatives, the book points out how to implement portfolio optimization concepts using credit-relevant parameters, and basic Markowitz or more sophisticated modified approaches (e.g., Conditional Value at Risk, Omega optimization) to fulfill the special needs of an active credit portfolio management on a single-name and on a portfolio basis (taking default correlation within a credit risk model framework into account). This includes appropriate strategies to analyze the impact from credit-relevant newsflow (macro- and micro-fundamental news, rating actions, etc.). As credits resemble equity-linked instruments, we also highlight how to implement debt-equity strategies, which are based on a modified Merton approach. The book is obligatory for credit portfolio managers of funds and insurance companies, as well as bank-book managers, credit traders in investment banks, cross-asset players in hedge funds, and risk controllers.

This work features invaluable real-life insights into the developing area of active credit portfolio management (ACPM) from a team of Credit Suisse authors. It equips you with the tools and techniques needed for success in your own credit portfolio management. For liquid credit risks, market-leading banks have already moved away from the classical buy-and-hold paradigm towards Active Credit Portfolio Management (ACPM). Today, this trend also applies to semi-liquid and even illiquid credit portfolios. The ACPM approach enables a more profitable management of credit risks, based on a risk/return-oriented active management of tailor-made hedging and investment measures with a focus on economic risk transfer, diversification, capital efficiency and profitable leverage. Written by a team of authors working in Credit Suisse's Credit Portfolio Management Unit in Zurich, this book offers you invaluable real-life insights into this developing area of credit portfolio management. It presents you with the latest thinking about ACPM, starting with a discussion of the various organisational frameworks and potential mandates for an ACPM unit, explaining mathematical concepts underlying portfolio management activities, elaborating investment and hedging cases and corresponding business cases and finally ending with fresh thoughts on the so-called 'cost-to-securitise' as a valuable component in a pricing framework for illiquid credit risks. This hands-on guide provides you with: a set of goals and measurable achievements for your ACPM efforts; a solid self-contained quantitative toolkit needed for your daily business of credit portfolio management, applicable to portfolio analysis as well as in hedging and investment decision-making; a range of techniques used by major banks in modern credit portfolio management including new and not widely known techniques such as a pricing component based on the so-called 'cost-to-securitise'; learning points including challenges and 'words of.

Credit Portfolio Management is a topical text on approaches to the active management of credit risks. The book is a valuable, up to date guide for portfolio management practitioners. Its content comprises of three main parts: The framework for managing credit risks, Active Credit Portfolio Management in practice and Hedging techniques and toolkits.

A cutting-edge text on credit portfolio management Credit risk. A number of market factors are causing revolutionary changes in the way it is measured and managed at financial institutions. Charles Smithson, author of the bestselling Managing Financial Risk, introduces a portfolio management approach to credit in his latest book. Understanding how to manage the inherent risks of this market has become increasingly important over the years. Credit Portfolio Management provides readers with a complete understanding of the alternative approaches to credit risk measurement and portfolio management. This definitive guide discusses the pricing and managing of credit risks associated with a variety of off-balance-sheet products such as credit default swaps, total return swaps, first-to-default baskets, and credit spread options; as well as on-balance-sheet customized structured products such as credit-linked notes, repackage notes, and synthetic collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). Filled with expert insight and advice, this book is a must-read for all credit professionals. Charles W. Smithson, PhD (New York, NY), is the Managing Partner of Rutter Associates and Executive Director of the International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers (IACPM). He is the author of five books, including The Handbook of Financial Engineering and Managing Financial Risk (now in its Third Edition).

An innovative approach to post-crash credit portfolio management Credit portfolio managers traditionally rely on fundamental research for decisions on issuer selection and sector rotation. Quantitative researchers tend to use more mathematical techniques for pricing models and to quantify credit risk and relative value. The information found here bridges these two approaches. In an intuitive and readable style, this book illustrates how quantitative techniques can help address specific questions facing today's credit managers and risk analysts. A targeted volume in the area of credit, this reliable resource contains some of the most recent and original research in this field, which addresses among other things important questions raised by the credit crisis of 2008-2009. Divided into two comprehensive parts, Quantitative Credit Portfolio Management offers essential insights into understanding the risks of corporate bonds—spread, liquidity, and Treasury yield curve risk—as well as managing corporate bond portfolios. Presents comprehensive coverage of everything from duration time spread and liquidity cost scores to capturing the credit spread premium Written by the number one ranked quantitative research group for four consecutive years by Institutional Investor Provides practical answers to difficult question, including: What diversification guidelines should you adopt to protect portfolios from issuer-specific risk? Are you well-advised to sell securities downgraded below investment grade? Credit portfolio management continues to evolve, but with this book as your guide, you can gain a solid understanding of how to manage complex portfolios under dynamic events.

Features expertise from an international team of 35 contributors, including Moorad Choudhry, Panikos Teklos, and Tamar Frankel Provides much-needed, timely information for institutional investors and professional portfolio, asset, and hedge fund managers as the fallout from the credit bubble continues to plague the institutional finance sector Includes important discussion of new risk management techniques and standards, including Basel II