Fundamentals Of Institutional Asset Management

This book provides the fundamentals of asset management. It takes a practical perspective in describing asset management. Besides the theoretical aspects of investment management, it provides in-depth insights into the actual implementation issues associated with investment strategies. The 19 chapters combine theory and practice based on the experience of the authors in the asset management industry. The book starts off with describing the key activities involved in asset management and the various forms of risk in managing a portfolio. There is then coverage of the different asset classes (common stock, bonds, and alternative assets), collective investment vehicles, financial derivatives, common stock analysis and valuation, bond analytics, equity beta strategies (including smart beta), equity alpha strategies (including quantitative/systematic strategies), bond indexing and active bond portfolio strategies, and multi-asset strategies. The methods of using financial derivatives (equity derivatives, interest rate derivatives, and credit derivatives) in managing the risks of a portfolio are clearly explained and illustrated.

Long gone are the times when investors could make decisions based on intuition. Modern asset management draws on a wide-range of fields beyond financial theory: economics, financial accounting, econometrics/statistics, management science, operations research (optimization and Monte Carlo simulation), and more recently, data science (Big Data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence). The challenge in writing an institutional asset management book is that when tools from these different fields are applied in an investment strategy or an analytical framework for valuing securities, it is assumed that the reader is familiar with the fundamentals of these fields. Attempting to explain strategies and analytical concepts while also providing a primer on the tools from other fields is not the most effective way of describing the asset management process. Moreover, while an increasing number of investment models have been proposed in the asset management literature, there are challenges and issues in implementing these models. This book provides a description of the tools used in asset management as well as a more in-depth explanation of specialized topics and issues covered in the companion book, Fundamentals of Institutional Asset Management. The topics covered include the asset management business and its challenges, the basics of financial accounting, securitization technology, analytical tools (financial econometrics, Monte Carlo simulation, optimization models, and machine learning), alternative risk measures for asset allocation, securities finance, implementing quantitative research, quantitative equity strategies, transaction costs, multifactor models applied to equity and bond portfolio management, and backtesting methodologies. This pedagogic approach exposes the reader to the set of interdisciplinary tools that modern asset managers require in order to extract profits from data and processes.

Fundamentals of Investments was written to: 1. Focus on students as investment managers, giving them information they can act on instead of concentrating on theories and research without the proper context. 2. Offer strong, consistent pedagogy, including a balanced, unified treatment of the main types of financial investments as mirrored in the investment world. 3. Organize topics in a way that makes them easy to apply--whether to a portfolio simulation or to real life--and support these topics with hands-on activities. The approach of this text reflects two central ideas. First, there is a consistent focus on the student as an individual investor or investments manager. Second, a consistent, unified treatment of the four basic types of financial instruments--stocks, bonds, options, and futures--focusing on their characteristics and features, their risks and returns, and the markets in which they trade.

Investment management refers to the professional asset management of various securities such as shares and bonds as well as other assets like real estate. It aims to meet the specified investment goals for benefitting the investors. Institutions such as insurance companies, pension funds, corporations and charities can be investors. People who invest directly or through investment contracts and through collective investment schemes are termed as private investors. The investment management of investment funds is referred to as asset management or fund management. Some of the major areas of focus within this field are asset allocation, diversification and long-term returns. This textbook attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under the discipline of investment management and how such concepts have practical applications. It explores all the important aspects of this field in the present day scenario. This book will provide comprehensive knowledge to the readers.

This introduction provides a clear framework for understanding and analyzing securities, and covers the major institutional features and theories of investing. While the book presents a thorough discussion of investments, the authors keep the material practical, relevant, and easy to understand. The latest developments in investments are brought to life through the use of tables, graphs, and illustrations that incorporate current market information and academic research. An international content deals directly with international securities and securities markets throughout the book--along with currency management and interest rate parity. Up-to-date "Money Matters" articles reflect the latest real-world developments and are provided throughout each chapter to give readers a sense of how practitioners deal with various investment issues and use techniques. Other coverage includes an array of investment tools--presented through discussions on stocks, bonds, and other securities such as options and futures. A guide to reviewing, forecasting, and monitoring--for individuals preparing to make investments or take the CFA exam.

For the students of Management, Commerce, Professional Course of CA, CS, ICWA and Professionals of Financial Institutions. • Thirteen chapters on current major areas have been added to provide exhaustive coverage on recent changes in the world financial markets and the changing compositions of the portfolios.