"Futures and Options Markets: An Introduction provides the reader with an economic understanding of the development and operation of global futures and options markets, where everything from coffee to gold to foreign currencies are traded. Starting with the fundamentals of commodity futures, the text advances the reader through the exciting world of financial futures and options, including currencies and equity indexes. Utilizing real-world examples, this text brings the markets to life by explaining how and why these markets function, how they indirectly affect us in our daily lives, and how they are used to manage market risk"--Page 4 of cover.

A complete, highly accessible introduction to futures, forwards, options and swaps. Covers stock index futures, and short- and long-term interest rate futures. Discusses advanced strategies, including currency forwards and futures, options, arbitrage, Black-Scholes and Binomial option pricing models. Discusses swaps. Presents numerous examples and worked "activities" to illustrate techniques and facilitate self-assessment. Undergraduate and postgraduate introductory courses in financial derivatives, financial markets, institutions and investments.

A clear, practical guide to working effectively with derivative securities products Derivatives Essentials is an accessible, yet detailed guide to derivative securities. With an emphasis on mechanisms over formulas, this book promotes a greater understanding of the topic in a straightforward manner, using plain-English explanations. Mathematics are included, but the focus is on comprehension and the issues that matter most to practitioners—including the rights and obligations, terms and conventions, opportunities and exposures, trading, motivation, sensitivities, pricing, and valuation of each product. Coverage includes forwards, futures, options, swaps, and related products and trading strategies, with practical examples that demonstrate each concept in action. The companion website provides Excel files that illustrate pricing, valuation, sensitivities, and strategies discussed in the book, and practice and assessment questions for each chapter allow you to reinforce your learning and gauge the depth of your understanding. Derivative securities are a complex topic with many "moving parts," but practitioners must possess a full working knowledge of these products to use them effectively. This book promotes a truly internalized understanding rather than rote memorization or strict quantitation, with clear explanations and true-to-life examples. Understand the concepts behind derivative securities Delve into the nature, pricing, and offset of sensitivities Learn how different products are priced and valued Examine trading strategies and practical examples for each product Pricing and valuation is important, but understanding the fundamental nature of each product is critical—it gives you the power to wield them more effectively, and exploit their natural behaviors to achieve both short- and long-term market goals. Derivatives Essentials provides the clarity and practical perspective you need to master the effective use of derivative securities products.

Updated and revised to reflect the most current information, this introduction to futures and options markets is ideal for those with a limited background in mathematics. Based on Hull's Options, Futures and Other Derivatives, one of the best-selling books on Wall Street, this book presents an accessible overview of the topic without the use of calculus. Packed with numerical samples and accounts of real-life situations, the Fifth Edition effectively guides readers through the material while providing them with a host of tangible examples. For professionals with a career in futures and options markets, financial engineering and/or risk management.

This new edition presents a reader-friendly textbook with lots of numerical examples and accounts of real-life situations.

Introduction to Derivatives: Options, Futures, and Swaps offers a comprehensive coverage of derivatives. The text covers a broad range of topics, including basic and advanced option and futures strategies, the binomial option pricing model, the Black-Scholes-Merton model, exotic options, binomial interest rate trees, dynamic portfolio insurance, the management of equity, currency, and fixed-income positions with derivatives, interest rate, currency, and credit default swaps, embedded options, and asset-backed securities and their derivatives. With over 300 end-of-chapter problems and web exercises, an appendix explaining Bloomberg derivative information and functions, and an accompanying software derivatives program, this book has a strong pedagogical content that will take students from a fundamental to an advanced understanding of derivatives.

Completely updated, this practical guide has the information investors need to keep up in the complex, fast-paced, and highly profitable world of options and futures, where everything is in play-from oil to diamonds, poultry to vaccines, franchises to coffee. Provides cutting edge information on energy futures and options Tools for creating flexible strategies that can move with the times New information on the solid standbys like livestock, precious metals, and equities Keyed to the new realities of the global economy, making this book vital for investors at all levels Highly respected expert author