The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter: From Big Macs to "Zombie Banks," the Indicators Smart Investors Watch to Beat the Market (Wall Street Journal Guides to...)

The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter: From Big Macs to "Zombie Banks," the Indicators Smart Investors Watch to Beat the Market (Wall Street Journal Guides to...) Review

An entertaining, must-have guide to the indicators most investors aren't following—but should be!

To make the best possible investment decisions, savvy investors know that they should pay close attention to economic indicators. But while most are looking at conventional barometers like unemployment rates and housing starts, the smartest investors are following the often ignored, sometimes curious, but always interesting indicators that offer a true sense of where the economy is and where it's going. They provide the vital information needed to beat the market.

In The Wall Street Journal Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter, Simon Constable and Robert E. Wright offer investors powerful new tools to guide them through the markets. Whether it's the VIX index (which tracks the level of anxiety among investors) or the Vixen index (which tracks the number of attractive waitresses in your hometown), this essential guide includes in-depth analyses of 50 valuable economic indicators, as well as what to watch for, what to do when movement happens, and the risk level involved in taking action. This must-have guide entertains and enlightens while offering essential advice on navigating the global economic climate.

Credit Derivatives and Structured Credit: A Guide for Investors (The Wiley Finance Series)

Credit Derivatives and Structured Credit: A Guide for Investors (The Wiley Finance Series) Review

Over the past decade, credit derivatives have emerged as the key financial innovation in global capital markets. At end 2004, the market size hit .4 billion (in notional amounts) from virtually nothing in 1995. This rise has been spurred by the imperative for banks to better manage their risks, not least credit risks, and the appetite shown by institutional investors and hedge funds for innovative, high yielding structured investment products. As a result, growth in collateralized debt obligations and other second-generation products, such as credit indices, is currently phenomenal. It is enabled by the standardization and increased liquidity in credit default swaps – the building block of the credit derivatives market.

Written by market practitioners and specialists, this book covers the fundamentals of the credit derivatives and structured credit market, including in-depth product descriptions, analysis of real transactions, market overview, pricing models, banks business models. It is recommended reading for students in business schools and financial courses, academics, and professionals working in investment and asset management, banking, corporate treasury and the capital markets.

Highlights include:

• Written by market practitioners and specialists with first-hand experience in the credit derivatives and structured credit market
• A clearly-written, pedagogical book with numerous illustrations
• Detailed review of real-case transactions
• A comprehensive historical perspective on market developments including up-to-date analysis of the latest trends