This book explores the behavior of interest rates as they relate to changing market conditions, and examines how risk can be managed. It successfully bridges the gap between interest-rate theory and its application to fixed-income security portfolio management.Coverage includes the function of financial markets, the flow-of-funds system, foundations for interest rates, inflation and returns, derivative securities, the influence of taxes, and the social l allocation of capital.For those in the financial community, in business, and in government, who are concerned with investing in or issuing fixed-income securities.

Revised and updated guide to some of the most important issues in the capital markets today, with an emphasis on fixed-income instruments. Fundamental concepts in equity market analysis, foreign exchange and money markets are also covered to provide a comprehensive overview. Analysis and valuation techniques are given for practical application.

The United States is in the midst of a major demographic shift. In the coming decades, people aged 65 and over will make up an increasingly large percentage of the population: The ratio of people aged 65+ to people aged 20-64 will rise by 80%. This shift is happening for two reasons: people are living longer, and many couples are choosing to have fewer children and to have those children somewhat later in life. The resulting demographic shift will present the nation with economic challenges, both to absorb the costs and to leverage the benefits of an aging population. Aging and the Macroeconomy: Long-Term Implications of an Older Population presents the fundamental factors driving the aging of the U.S. population, as well as its societal implications and likely long-term macroeconomic effects in a global context. The report finds that, while population aging does not pose an insurmountable challenge to the nation, it is imperative that sensible policies are implemented soon to allow companies and households to respond. It offers four practical approaches for preparing resources to support the future consumption of households and for adapting to the new economic landscape.

Above all the study is intended to shed more light on the following questions: - the functioning of interest rate futures markets, - the behaviour and transactions of economic agents in these markets, -factors determining the results of transactionsin interest rate future markets. Above we argued that these markets emerged in an environment of fluctuating interest rates to provide traders in financial markets with an instrument to deal with the risk stemming from unexpected price changes. It will be this hedging aspect of interest rate futures markets on which the following research is concentrated. The main points to be investigated are: - to what extent interest rate risk is reduced or even abolished, - the effects of futures trading in interest-bearing securities on risk and return of single assets and portfolios, - the consequences on the situation of participants in capital markets, - optimal strategies to reduce the exposure to interest rate risk.

Evidence of the statistical significance of profits in Q regressions remains one of the principal findings in the empirical investment literature. This result is frequently taken to support the view that capital market imperfections are an important element for understanding investment. This paper challenges that conclusion. We argue that allowing the profit function at the firm level to be strictly concave, reflecting, for example, market power, is sucent to replicate the Q theory based regression results in which profits are a significant factor determining investment. To be clear, our ability to replicate the existing results does not require the specification of any capital market imperfections. Thus the friction that explains the statistical significance of profits could be market power by sellers rather than capital market imperfections.