Options On Foreign Exchange

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.

Your A to Z Guide to the World's Largest Option Market "A clearly written manual that flows smoothly. Whether you have 20 years of experience in the FX options markets or none, you will learn something interesting from reading this book. Highly recommended for both traders and non-traders." * Adam Kreysar, Global Head FX Options Warburg Dillon Read "DeRosa presents technical material with a minimum of technical fuss. Filtered through his scholarship and practical trading experience, up-to-date topics such as exotic options, forward volatilities, and the volatility smile become accessible. The book will be extremely useful to asset managers and risk managers." * Allan M. Malz, Partner The RiskMetrics Group "This new edition of Options on Foreign Exchange provides an exhaustive review of the literature on currency options, in addition to covering the practical aspects of the business. It is greatly pedagogical and well written-as can be expected from David DeRosa." * Nassim Taleb, President Empirica Capital LLC

A comprehensive guide to the world's largest financial market Foreign exchange is the world's largest financial market and continues to grow at a rapid pace. As economies intertwine and currencies fluctuate there is hardly a corporate entity that doesn't need to use options on foreign exchange to hedge risk or increase returns. Moreover, currency options, both vanilla and exotic, are part of standard toolkit of professional portfolio managers and hedge funds. Written by a practitioner with real-world experience in this field, the Third Edition of Options on Foreign Exchange opens with a substantive discussion of the spot and forward foreign exchange market and the mechanics of trading currency options. The Black-Scholes-Merton option-pricing model as applied to currency options is also covered, along with an examination of currency futures options. Throughout the book, author David DeRosa addresses the essential elements of this discipline and prepares you for the various challenges you could face. Updates new developments in the foreign exchange markets, particularly regarding the volatility surface Includes expanded coverage of the currency crises and capital controls, electronic trading, forward contracts, exotic options, and more Employs real-world terminology so you can a firm understanding of this dynamic marketplace The only way to truly succeed in today's foreign exchange market is by becoming more familiar with currency options. The Third Edition of Options on Foreign Exchange will help you achieve this goal and put you in better position to make more profitable decisions in this arena.

A quick and concise guide to currency options An understanding of currency options is essential for those working in investment and foreign exchange. A Currency Options Primer sets out to give readers a clear guide to how the currency option market functions, offering practical advice on mastering the necessary components and concepts for fully understanding the workings of this market.

Since the first edition of Foreign Exchange Options in 1993, trading in foreign exchange options has undergone rapid expansion and now accounts for a daily turnover of some $100 billion world-wide. This revised and expanded second edition takes into account recent changes in both market practice and regulatory requirements and contains many new explanatory diagrams and practical examples.As with the first edition, the emphasis is on practicality, taking the reader through the basics, clarifying jargon when and where appropriate. This book will be invaluable for accountants, auditors, experienced practitioners and those entering the world of currency options for the first time. The benefits of using options to hedge foreign exchange risk Detailed examination of both the OTC market and the main exchange listing Specific coverage of pricing, trading risk and market practice

Praise for Foreign Exchange "Tim Weithers starts by telling the reader that foreign exchange is not difficult, just confusing, but Foreign Exchange: A Practical Guide to the FX Markets proves that money is much more exciting than anything it buys. This useful book is a whirlwind tour of the world's largest market, and the tour guide is an expert storyteller, inserting numerous fascinating insights and quirky facts throughout the book." -John R. Taylor, Chairman, CEO and CIO, FX Concepts "The book reflects the author's doctorate from the University of Chicago, several years' experience as an economics professor, and, most recently, a very successful decade as an executive at a huge international bank. These fundamental ingredients are seasoned with bits of wisdom and experience. What results is a very tasty intellectual stew." -Professor Jack Clark Francis, PhD, Professor of Economics and Finance, Bernard Baruch College "In this book, Tim Weithers clearly explains a very complicated subject. Foreign Exchange is full of jargon and conventions that make it very hard for non-professionals to gain a good understanding. Weither's book is a must for any student or professional who wants to learn the secrets of FX." -Niels O. Nygaard, Director of Financial Mathematics, The University of Chicago "An excellent text for students and practitioners who want to become acquainted with the arcane world of the foreign exchange market." -David DeRosa, PhD, founder, DeRosa Research and Trading, Inc., and Adjunct Professor of Finance, Yale School of Management "Tim Weithers provides a superb introduction to the arcana of foreign exchange markets. While primarily intended for practitioners, the book would be a valuable introduction for students with some knowledge of economics. The text is exceptionally clear with numeric examples and exercises that reinforce concepts. Frequent references are made to the economic theory behind the trading practices." -John F. O'Connell, Professor of Economics, College of the Holy Cross