A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, New York.

HIGH-YIELD BONDS provides state-of-the-art research, strategies, and toolsÑalongside the expert analysis of respected authorities including Edward Altman of New York UniversityÕs Salomon Center, Lea Carty of MoodyÕs Investor Service, Sam DeRosa-Farag of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Martin Fridson of Merrill Lynch & Company, Stuart Gilson of Harvard University, Robert Kricheff of CS First Boston, and Frank Reilly of the University of Notre DameÑto help you truly understand todayÕs high-yield market. For added value and ease of reference, this high-level one-volume encyclopedia is divided into seven sections detailing virtually every aspect of high-yield bond investment. They include: Market structureÑThe role of investment banks in security innovation and market development, evolution of analytical methodologies, and recent leveraged loan market developments; Security risk analysisÑHistorical bond default rates, real interest rate and default rate relationships, and new simulation methodologies for modeling credit quality; Security valuationÑImpact of seniority and security on bond pricing and return, important trading factors, and a Monte Carlo simulation methodology for valuing bonds and options in the context of correlated interest rate and credit risk; Market valuation modelsÑEconometric studies which detail the importance of monetary influences, risk-free interest rates, default rates, mutual fund flows, and seasonal fluctuations; Portfolio managementÑHistorical perspective and comparison to alternative investments, analysis of indices available to investors, and specific portfolio selection and risk management strategies of professional fund managers; Distressed security investingÑHistorical risk and return information, plus an academic overview of the market and decision criteria for uncovering and investing in securities with higher-than-average risk-adjusted returns; Corporate finance considerationsÑEmerging firmsÕ strategic choice between external debt and equity financing, as well as the choice of issuing public versus private (Rule-144a) securities. HIGH-YIELD BONDS provides extensive coverage of bond valuation and the construction and management of high-yield portfolios. Advanced Monte Carlo simulation models for the valuation of bonds and options on bonds as well as risk assessments on portfolios of bonds under conditions of correlated interest rate and credit risk are demonstrated. In todayÕs explosive environment of multiple new issues and high risk versus return relationships, it is paramount that you get advice from analysts and experts who have been influential in shaping and defining the market. HIGH-YIELD BONDS will provide you with a valuable reference to this fascinating and constantly changing class of securities, helping you assemble a stable, diversified portfolio of fixed income investments that provides the greatest returns and the lowest risks.

Based on W.B. Hickman's Corporate bond quality and investor experience. Bibliographical footnotes.

Unearth a Gold Mine in the $1 TRILLION Junk Bond Market “Few experts in this area have been willing to share their inside knowledge with the outside world. None have done it as well and as simply and clearly as Bob Levine has done in his new book.” —Joel Greenblatt, bestselling author of The Little Book That Beats the Market “A great book by a great investor. . . . [I] recommend this book to everyone who wants to acquire some invaluable horse sense about investing in high yield bonds.” —Martin S. Fridson, author of How to Be a Billionaire “This is the best book ever written on high yield corporate bond investing. Destined to become an instant classic. . . .” —Jack Malvey, Chief Global Markets Strategist, Bank of New York Mellon Corp. "A first-rate introduction and navigation guide to the high-yield world." —Reading the Markets “This well-written and occasionally humorous tutorial on investing in speculative-grade corporate debt covers the essential aspects of high-yield debt. . . . As a basic introduction to the high-yield debt market, the book can’t be beat.” —The Financial Analysts Journal Do you think of the junk bond market as an arena of chaos, a financial Wild West, a place to avoid at all costs? In How to Make Money with Junk Bonds, a pioneer of the junk bond business gives you the insight and information you need to lay that fear to rest—so that you can generate unprecedented profits in this $1 trillion market. Robert Levine has the credentials to lead both individual investors and the professionals just getting started in the junk bond market. At Nomura Corporate Research and Asset Management, his junk bond funds substantially outperformed both high yield and S&P indices for more than 18 years—and in this book he explains the method he used to achieve such remarkable results. Helping you pick high yield bonds that have a low possibility of default. How to Make Money with Junk Bonds covers: The difference between stocks and bonds—and where junk bonds fit between them in the risk spectrum How to conduct a thorough credit analysis—the key to making money in junk bonds How to evaluate market conditions—and decide when to invest and when to sit on the sidelines Why you should hire a portfolio manager—and how to select the best one for your needs How to invest like a pro—using Levine’s personal, proven investing method The junk bond market isn’t the scary place it used to be. Critical information is easier (and cheaper) to obtain, and transparency is greater than it was in the market’s early days. How to Make Money with Junk Bonds gives you the tools to root out strong, forward-looking companies poised for growth and generate a level of profitability impossible to achieve in other markets.

This edited volume offers thorough coverage of the business of investment banking, including much inside information based on the extensive professional experience of the contributors. Comprising 32 chapters, covering every facet of investment banking, from its historical origins in the U.S. to the current high-dollar activity in mergers and acquisitions. Contributors are noted businessmen and academics from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan. Chapters fall into eight sections: investment banking today, raising capital, transactional activities, specialized financial instruments, tax-exempt financing, broker activities, commercial banks and investment banking, and investment banking outside the United States. Raising capital is traditionally what investment banking is all about, and the Handbook explains who does it and how it's done.