The Handbook Of Alternative Investments

Since the first edition of the Handbook of Alternative Assets was published, significant events-from the popping of the technology bubble and massive accounting scandals to recessions and bear markets-have shifted the financial landscape. These changes have provided author Mark J. P. Anson with an excellent opportunity to examine alternative assets during a different part of the economic cycle than previously observed in the first edition. Fully revised and updated to reflect today's financial realities, the Handbook of Alternative Assets, Second Edition covers the five major classes of alternative assets-hedge funds, commodity and managed futures, private equity, credit derivatives, and corporate governance-and outlines the strategies you can use to efficiently incorporate these assets into any portfolio. Throughout the book, new chapters have been added, different data sources accessed, and new conclusions reached. Designed as both an introduction to the world of alternative assets and as a reference for the active investor, the Handbook of Alternative Assets, Second Edition will help you match alternative assets with your various investment goals.

The first comprehensive guide to all types of alternative investments The Handbook of Alternative Investments is an indispensable working resource for investment managers, financial advisors, pension and endowment fund trustees, corporate treasurers, consultants, and estate planners. Authored by an all-star team of investment professionals and academics from across North America, the contributions featured in this groundbreaking guide were carefully selected. Darrell Jobman is a writer and editorial consultant in Deerfield, Illinois, dealing primarily with financial and futures markets. He is an acknowledged authority on derivative markets and has spent his career writing and publishing about them. He formerly was editor-in-chief of Futures Magazine and is currently a contributing editor. He has been an author, co-author, editor, or ghost-writer for a number of books, including The Handbook of Technical Analysis.

A comprehensive volume that covers a complete array of traditional and alternative investment vehicles This practical guide provides a comprehensive overview of traditional and alternative investment vehicles for professional and individual investors hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of using these products. In it, expert authors Mark Anson, Frank Fabozzi, and Frank Jones clearly present the major principles and methods of investing and their risks and rewards. Along the way, they focus on providing you with the information needed to successfully invest using a host of different methods depending upon your needs and goals. Topics include equities, all types of fixed income securities, investment-oriented insurance products, mutual funds, closed-end funds, investment companies, exchange-traded funds, futures, options, hedge funds, private equity, and real estate Written by the expert author team of Mark Anson, Frank Fabozzi, and Frank Jones Includes valuable insights for everyone from finance professionals to individual investors Many finance books offer collections of expertise on one or two areas of finance, but The Handbook of Traditional and Alternative Investment Vehicles brings all of these topics together in one comprehensive volume.

This unique and detailed Handbook provides a comprehensive source of analysis and research on alternative investment funds in the EU, the US and other leading jurisdictions. Expert contributors offer an unparalleled perspective on the contemporary alternative funds industry, the main areas of regulatory policy concern surrounding its activities, and the role that alternative funds have played in recent financial crises, as well as an account of the rules governing their operation in selected jurisdictions. Providing insight and analysis of the contemporary investment funds industry at a time of crisis and transition, the Research Handbook on Hedge Funds, Private Equity and Alternative Investments will be a valuable tool for scholars, practitioners and policymakers alike.

Alternative Investments: A Primer for Investment Professionals provides an overview of alternative investments for institutional asset allocators and other overseers of portfolios containing both traditional and alternative assets. It is designed for those with substantial experience regarding traditional investments in stocks and bonds but limited familiarity regarding alternative assets, alternative strategies, and alternative portfolio management. The primer categorizes alternative assets into four groups: hedge funds, real assets, private equity, and structured products/derivatives. Real assets include vacant land, farmland, timber, infrastructure, intellectual property, commodities, and private real estate. For each group, the primer provides essential information about the characteristics, challenges, and purposes of these institutional-quality alternative assets in the context of a well-diversified institutional portfolio. Other topics addressed by this primer include tail risk, due diligence of the investment process and operations, measurement and management of risks and returns, setting return expectations, and portfolio construction. The primer concludes with a chapter on the case for investing in alternatives.

Not to be used after March, 2012 Exams – CAIA Level I, 2nd Edition should be used to prepare for September 2012 Exam. The official study text for the Level I Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) exam The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation is the financial industry's first and only globally recognized program that prepares professionals to deal with the ever-growing field of alternative investments. The CAIA Level I: An Introduction to Core Topics in Alternative Investments contains all material on alternative investments that a potential Level I candidate would need to know as they prepare for the exam. The information found here will help you build a solid foundation in both traditional and alternative investment markets-for example, the range of statistics that are used to define investment performance as well as the many types of hedge fund strategies. It will also inform CAIA candidates on how to identify and describe aspects of financial markets, develop reasoning skills, and in some cases, make computations necessary to solve business problems. Contains "need to know" material for Level I candidates and for alternative investment specialists Addresses all of the unique attributes associated with the alternative investments space Organized with a study guide outline and learning objectives with key terms, available for free at www.caia.org/program/studyguides Focuses on alternative investments and quantitative techniques used by investment professionals This book is a must-have resource for anyone contemplating taking the CAIA Level I exam.

In-depth Level II exam preparation direct from the CAIA Association CAIA Level II is the official study guide for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst professional examination, and an authoritative guide to working in the alternative investment sphere. Written by the makers of the exam, this book provides in-depth guidance through the entire exam agenda; the Level II strategies are the same as Level I, but this time you'll review them through the lens of risk management and portfolio optimisation. Topics include asset allocation and portfolio oversight, style analysis, risk management, alternative asset securitisation, secondary market creation, performance and style attribution and indexing and benchmarking, with clear organisation and a logical progression that allows you to customise your preparation focus. This new third edition has been updated to align with the latest exam, and to reflect the current practices in the field. The CAIA designation was developed to provide a standardized knowledge base in the midst of explosive capital inflow into alternative investments. This book provides a single-source repository of that essential information, tailored to those preparing for the Level II exam. Measure, monitor and manage funds from a risk management perspective Delve into advanced portfolio structures and optimisation strategies Master the nuances of private equity, real assets, commodities and hedge funds Gain expert insight into preparing thoroughly for the CAIA Level II exam The CAIA Charter programme is rigorous and comprehensive, and the designation is globally recognised as the highest standard in alternative investment education. Candidates seeking thorough preparation and detailed explanations of all aspects of alternative investment need look no further than CAIA Level II.

A step-by-step, comprehensive approach to private equity and private debt Private Capital Investing: The Handbook of Private Debt and Private Equity is a practical manual on investing in the two of the most common alternative asset classes (private equity and private debt) and provides a unique insight on how principal investors analyze investment opportunities. Unlike other textbooks available in the market, Private Capital Investing covers the various phases that principal investors follow when analyzing a private investment opportunity. The book combines academic rigor with the practical approach used by leading institutional investors. Chapters are filled with practical examples, Excel workbooks (downloadable from the book website), examples of legal clauses and contracts, and Q&A. Cases are referred at the end of every chapter to test the learning of the reader. Instructors will find referrals to both third-party cases or cases written by the author. • Covers analytical tools • Includes the most common methods used to structure a debt facility and a private equity transaction • Looks at the main legal aspects of a transaction • Walks readers through the different phases of a transaction from origination to closing Bridging the gap between academic study and practical application, Private Capital Investing enables the reader to be able to start working in private equity or private debt without the need for any further training. It is intended for undergraduates and MBA students, practitioners in the investment banking, consulting and private equity business with prior academic background in corporate finance and accounting.