The Practical Guide To Wall Street

“A hands-on introduction to what happens on the Street—if you are entering or thinking of joining the financial industry . . . this book is a must.” —Nikunj Kapadia, Professor, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst Written by an experienced trader in a clear, conversational style and assuming no previous background in finance, The Practical Guide to Wall Street provides a thorough schooling in the core curriculum of the equity and equity derivatives sales and trading business—exactly what you’d learn sitting beside the traders at a tier-one Wall Street investment bank (except that in practice, traders rarely have time to provide such detailed explanations!). Topics include: Clear, detailed, intuitive explanations of all major products, their function, pricing and risks (several unavailable elsewhere despite producing billions in annual revenue for Wall Street) The layout of the trading floor, the roles and responsibilities of the different sales and trading groups, and how they interact to service the client business An overview of the structure of the macro-economy and the trader’s perspective on the significance of economic data releases and their impact on the financial markets A review of those concepts from fundamental valuation and financial statement analysis of greatest relevance on the trading floor (as opposed to abstract valuation models) Practical details of the structure and functioning of the equity and derivative markets including translations of trader jargon, Bloomberg tips, market conventions, liquidity and risk considerations, and much more This book provides the first comprehensive explanation of all aspects of the functioning of the equities division, with information, details, and insights previously available only to those who already worked on a trading floor. In a format accessible to non-professionals, it fundamentally changes the level of knowledge employers in the industry can expect of new hires.

The Practical Guide to Wall Street is an indispensable resource for anyone who aspires to a front-office sales or trading position on Wall Street and an essential desk reference for market practitioners and those who interact with this exciting but widely misunderstood industry. Written by an experienced trader in a clear, conversational style and assuming no previous background in finance, The Practical Guide to Wall Street provides a thorough schooling in the core curriculum of the equity and equity derivatives sales and trading business - exactly what you would learn from sitting beside the traders at a tier-one Wall Street investment bank (except that in practice, traders rarely have time to provide such detailed explanations!) Topics covered include: Clear, detailed and intuitive explanations of all major products, their function, pricing and risks (several of which are unavailable anywhere else despite producing billions of dollars in annual revenue for Wall St.) The layout of the trading floor, the roles and responsibilities of the different sales and trading groups and how they interact to service the client business An overview of the structure of the macro-economy and the trader’s perspective on the significance of economic data releases and their impact on the financial markets A review of those concepts from fundamental valuation and financial statement analysis of greatest relevance on the trading floor (as opposed to abstract valuation models) Practical details of the structure and functioning of the equity and derivative markets including translations of trader jargon, Bloomberg tips, market conventions, liquidity and risk considerations and much more… This book provides the first comprehensive explanation of all aspects of the functioning of the equities division, with information, details and insights previously only available to those who already worked on a trading floor. The availability of this material in a format accessible to non-professionals fundamentally changes the level of industry knowledge employers in the financial services industry can expect of new hires.

The goal of this book is to empower you to take control of your financial future. There are no short cuts; no schemes or programs. It is about taking a sensible, personalized, practical approach towards your financial goals.Customize Wall Street is split into four sections: Section 1 will teach you about the many distractions of Wall Street that often get in the way of accomplishing your goals. Section 2 will introduce you to TEN POWERFUL TOOLS for saving and investing that anyone can use. Section 3 will help you identify your financial goals and how to use FIVE CORE QUESTIONS to develop a realistic plan for achieving your goals. Section 4 will put it all together. Here you will begin to understand different ways you can make your money work for you.Whether you want to invest your own money or put your financial future in the hands of a professional, you will benefit from knowing how to avoid distractions, what tools are at your disposal, and how to devise a realistic plan.

A practical look at the valuation models used by Wall Street Veteran consultant and educator Scott Hoover analyzes the limitations and idiosyncrasies of major valuation models. He examines the time value of money, cash flow analysis, discount rates, and other tools, and describes how money managers and bankers apply them to valuation.

The definitive guide for Main Street readers who want to make sense of what′s happening on Wall Street, and better understand how we got here and what we need to know to in days to come. Written by seasoned financial writer Dave Kansas, this official Wall Street Journal guide will be filled with practical information, revealing what the crisis means for reader′s financial lives, and what steps they should be taking now to inform and protect themselves.

A comprehensive look at the world of leveraged buyouts The private equity industry has grown dramatically over the past twenty years. Such investing requires a strong technical know-how in order to turn private investments into successful enterprises. That is why Paul Pignataro has created Leveraged Buyouts + Website: A Practical Guide to Investment Banking and Private Equity. Engaging and informative, this book skillfully shows how to identify a private company, takes you through the analysis behind bringing such an investment to profitability—and further create high returns for the private equity funds. It includes an informative leveraged buyout overview, touching on everything from LBO modeling, accounting, and value creation theory to leveraged buyout concepts and mechanics. Provides an in-depth analysis of how to identify a private company, bring such an investment to profitability, and create high returns for the private equity funds Includes an informative LBO model and case study as well as private company valuation Written by Paul Pignataro, founder and CEO of the New York School of Finance If you're looking for the best way to hone your skills in this field, look no further than this book.

Written by the Founder and CEO of the prestigious New York School of Finance, this book schools you in the fundamental tools for accurately assessing the soundness of a stock investment. Built around a full-length case study of Wal-Mart, it shows you how to perform an in-depth analysis of that company's financial standing, walking you through all the steps of developing a sophisticated financial model as done by professional Wall Street analysts. You will construct a full scale financial model and valuation step-by-step as you page through the book. When we ran this analysis in January of 2012, we estimated the stock was undervalued. Since the first run of the analysis, the stock has increased 35 percent. Re-evaluating Wal-Mart 9months later, we will step through the techniques utilized by Wall Street analysts to build models on and properly value business entities. Step-by-step financial modeling - taught using downloadable Wall Street models, you will construct the model step by step as you page through the book. Hot keys and explicit Excel instructions aid even the novice excel modeler. Model built complete with Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet, Balance Sheet Balancing Techniques, Depreciation Schedule (complete with accelerating depreciation and deferring taxes), working capital schedule, debt schedule, handling circular references, and automatic debt pay downs. Illustrative concepts including detailing model flows help aid in conceptual understanding. Concepts are reiterated and honed, perfect for a novice yet detailed enough for a professional. Model built direct from Wal-Mart public filings, searching through notes, performing research, and illustrating techniques to formulate projections. Includes in-depth coverage of valuation techniques commonly used by Wall Street professionals. Illustrative comparable company analyses - built the right way, direct from historical financials, calculating LTM (Last Twelve Month) data, calendarization, and properly smoothing EBITDA and Net Income. Precedent transactions analysis - detailing how to extract proper metrics from relevant proxy statements Discounted cash flow analysis - simplifying and illustrating how a DCF is utilized, how unlevered free cash flow is derived, and the meaning of weighted average cost of capital (WACC) Step-by-step we will come up with a valuation on Wal-Mart Chapter end questions, practice models, additional case studies and common interview questions (found in the companion website) help solidify the techniques honed in the book; ideal for universities or business students looking to break into the investment banking field.

The ins and outs of emerging markets Emerging markets are an integral part of the global business scene. The 1997 Asian meltdown and the Russian debt default scared investors, but as the domestic market becomes more overvalued, investors have begun seeking returns elsewhere. Destined to become a standard in the field, Emerging Markets fills the niche for a balanced evaluation of the investment opportunities in the riskiest markets throughout the world. This practical guide covers what an emerging market is, why corporations and investors should or should not invest in them, and what the risks are. Jeffrey Hooke's new book is ideal for corporations and investors who are starting to look to emerging markets as ways to improve investment returns, expand into new markets, or diversify their portfolios. Jeffrey C. Hooke (Chevy Chase, MD) is Managing Director of Hooke Associates, LLC, an investment banking firm. He was formerly director of Emerging Markets Partnership, a $4 billion fund focusing on emerging markets, and senior investment officer of the World Bank Group.