Fx Derivatives Trader School

An essential guide to real-world derivatives trading FX Derivatives Trader School is the definitive guide to the technical and practical knowledge required for successful foreign exchange derivatives trading. Accessible in style and comprehensive in coverage, the book guides the reader through both basic and advanced derivative pricing and risk management topics. The basics of financial markets and trading are covered, plus practical derivatives mathematics is introduced with reference to real-world trading and risk management. Derivative contracts are covered in detail from a trader's perspective using risk profiles and pricing under different derivative models. Analysis is approached generically to enable new products to be understood by breaking the risk into fundamental building blocks. To assist with learning, the book also contains Excel practicals which will deepen understanding and help build useful skills. The book covers of a wide variety of topics, including: Derivative exposures within risk management Volatility surface construction Implied volatility and correlation risk Practical tips for students on trading internships and junior traders Market analysis techniques FX derivatives trading requires mathematical aptitude, risk management skill, and the ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure. There is a tremendous gap between option pricing formulas and the knowledge required to be a successful derivatives trader. FX Derivatives Trader School is unique in bridging that gap.

This book covers foreign exchange options from the point of view of the finance practitioner. It contains everything a quant or trader working in a bank or hedge fund would need to know about the mathematics of foreign exchange—not just the theoretical mathematics covered in other books but also comprehensive coverage of implementation, pricing and calibration. With content developed with input from traders and with examples using real-world data, this book introduces many of the more commonly requested products from FX options trading desks, together with the models that capture the risk characteristics necessary to price these products accurately. Crucially, this book describes the numerical methods required for calibration of these models – an area often neglected in the literature, which is nevertheless of paramount importance in practice. Thorough treatment is given in one unified text to the following features: Correct market conventions for FX volatility surface construction Adjustment for settlement and delayed delivery of options Pricing of vanillas and barrier options under the volatility smile Barrier bending for limiting barrier discontinuity risk near expiry Industry strength partial differential equations in one and several spatial variables using finite differences on nonuniform grids Fourier transform methods for pricing European options using characteristic functions Stochastic and local volatility models, and a mixed stochastic/local volatility model Three-factor long-dated FX model Numerical calibration techniques for all the models in this work The augmented state variable approach for pricing strongly path-dependent options using either partial differential equations or Monte Carlo simulation Connecting mathematically rigorous theory with practice, this is the essential guide to foreign exchange options in the context of the real financial marketplace.

The FX options market represents one of the most liquid and strongly competitive markets in the world, and features many technical subtleties that can seriously harm the uninformed and unaware trader. This book is a unique guide to running an FX options book from the market maker perspective. Striking a balance between mathematical rigour and market practice and written by experienced practitioner Antonio Castagna, the book shows readers how to correctly build an entire volatility surface from the market prices of the main structures. Starting with the basic conventions related to the main FX deals and the basic traded structures of FX options, the book gradually introduces the main tools to cope with the FX volatility risk. It then goes on to review the main concepts of option pricing theory and their application within a Black-Scholes economy and a stochastic volatility environment. The book also introduces models that can be implemented to price and manage FX options before examining the effects of volatility on the profits and losses arising from the hedging activity. Coverage includes: how the Black-Scholes model is used in professional trading activity the most suitable stochastic volatility models sources of profit and loss from the Delta and volatility hedging activity fundamental concepts of smile hedging major market approaches and variations of the Vanna-Volga method volatility-related Greeks in the Black-Scholes model pricing of plain vanilla options, digital options, barrier options and the less well known exotic options tools for monitoring the main risks of an FX options’ book The book is accompanied by a CD Rom featuring models in VBA, demonstrating many of the approaches described in the book.

Advanced Guidance to Excelling in the FX Market Once you have a textbook understanding of money market and foreign exchange products, turn to FX Options and Structured Products, Second Edition, for the beyond-vanilla options strategies and traded deals proven superior in today’s post-credit crisis trading environment. With the thoroughness and balance of theory and practice only Uwe Wystup can deliver, this fully revised edition offers authoritative solutions for the real world in an easy-to-access format. See how specific products actually work through detailed case studies featuring clear examples of FX options, common structures and custom solutions. This complete resource is both a wellspring of ideas and a hands-on guide to structuring and executing your own strategies. Distinguish yourself with a valued skillset by: Working through practical and thought-provoking challenges in more than six dozen exercises, all with complete solutions in a companion volume Gaining a working knowledge of the latest, most popular products, including accumulators, kikos, target forwards and more Getting close to the everyday realities of the FX derivatives market through new, illuminating case studies for corporates, municipalities and private banking FX Options and Structured Products, Second Edition is your go-to road map to the exotic options in FX derivatives.

An accessible guide to trading the fast-moving foreign exchange market The foreign exchange market, or forex, was once dominated by global banks, hedge funds, and multinational corporations, but that has all changed with Internet technology and the advent of online forex brokers. Now, hundreds of thousands of traders and investors around the world can participate in this profitable field. Written by forex expert Kathy Lien, The Little Book of Currency Trading will show you how to effectively invest and trade in today's biggest market. Page by page, she describes the multitude of opportunities possible in the forex market, from short-term price swings to long-term trends, and details practical products that can help you achieve success, such as currency-based ETFs. Explains the forces that drive currencies and provides strategies to profit from them Reveals how you can use various currencies to reduce risk and take advantage of global trends Examines financial vehicles that can help you make money without having to monitor the market every day The Little Book of Currency Trading opens the world of currency trading and investing to anyone interested in entering this dynamic arena.

In Volatility Trading, Sinclair offers you a quantitative model for measuring volatility in order to gain an edge in your everyday option trading endeavors. With an accessible, straightforward approach. He guides traders through the basics of option pricing, volatility measurement, hedging, money management, and trade evaluation. In addition, Sinclair explains the often-overlooked psychological aspects of trading, revealing both how behavioral psychology can create market conditions traders can take advantage of-and how it can lead them astray. Psychological biases, he asserts, are probably the drivers behind most sources of edge available to a volatility trader. Your goal, Sinclair explains, must be clearly defined and easily expressed-if you cannot explain it in one sentence, you probably aren't completely clear about what it is. The same applies to your statistical edge. If you do not know exactly what your edge is, you shouldn't trade. He shows how, in addition to the numerical evaluation of a potential trade, you should be able to identify and evaluate the reason why implied volatility is priced where it is, that is, why an edge exists. This means it is also necessary to be on top of recent news stories, sector trends, and behavioral psychology. Finally, Sinclair underscores why trades need to be sized correctly, which means that each trade is evaluated according to its projected return and risk in the overall context of your goals. As the author concludes, while we also need to pay attention to seemingly mundane things like having good execution software, a comfortable office, and getting enough sleep, it is knowledge that is the ultimate source of edge. So, all else being equal, the trader with the greater knowledge will be the more successful. This book, and its companion CD-ROM, will provide that knowledge. The CD-ROM includes spreadsheets designed to help you forecast volatility and evaluate trades together with simulation engines.

Get the little known – yet crucial – facts about FX options Daily turnover in FX options is an estimated U.S. $ 207 billion, but many fundamental facts about this huge and liquid market are generally unknown. FX Option Performance provides the information practitioners need to be more effective in the market, with detailed, specific guidance. This book is a unique and practical guide to option trading, with the courage to report how much these contracts have really made or lost. Breaking free from the typical focus on theories and generalities, this book gets specific – travelling back in history to show exactly how options performed in different markets and thereby helping investors and hedgers alike make more informed decisions. Not overly technical, the rigorous approach remains accessible to anyone with an interest in the area, showing investors where to look for value and helping corporations hedge their FX exposures. FX Option Performance begins with a quick and practical introduction to the FX option market, then provides specific advice toward structures, performance, rate fluctuation, and trading strategies. Examine the historical payoffs to the most popular and liquidly traded options Learn which options are overvalued and which are undervalued Discover surprising, generally unpublished facts about emerging markets Examine systemic option trading strategies to find what works and what doesn't On average, do options result in profit, loss, or breaking even? How can corporations more cost-effectively hedge their exposure to emerging markets? Are cheap out-of-the-money options worth it?

Now you can master the art of foreign exchange trading While most currency trading and foreign exchange books focus on international finance theory or simplistic chart-based strategies, The Art of Currency Trading is a comprehensive guide that will teach you how to profitably trade currencies in the real world. Author Brent Donnelly has been a successful interbank FX trader for more than 20 years and in this book, he shares the specific strategies and tactics he has used to profit in the forex marketplace. The book helps investors understand and master foreign exchange trading in order to achieve sustainable long-term financial success. The book builds in intensity and depth one topic at a time, starting with the basics and moving on to intermediate then advanced setups and strategies. Whether you are new to currency trading or have years of experience, The Art of Currency Trading provides the information you need to learn to trade like an expert. This much-needed guide provides: an insider’s view of what drives currency price movements; a clear explanation of how to combine macro fundamentals, technical analysis, behavioral finance and diligent risk management to trade successfully; specific techniques and setups you can use to make money trading foreign exchange; and steps you can take to better understand yourself and improve your trading psychology and discipline. Written for currency traders of all skill levels, international stock and bond investors, corporate treasurers, commodity traders, and asset managers, The Art of Currency Trading offers a comprehensive guide to foreign exchange trading written by a noted expert in the field.