Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finance. Show all posts

Thursday, January 23, 2014

The Stock Market Course, 1st Edition, George A. Fontanills

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471393150/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471393150&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Avoid costly trading mistakes with this workbook that tests readers' investment knowledge

No one enters the stock market in the hopes that they may actually lose money on their investments. Sadly, most do. Avoid expensive trading blunders with this hands-on workbook designed to test readers' investment savvy. Developed by a popular stock trading instructor, The Stock Market Course Workbook quizzes readers on their knowledge of the concepts presented in Fontanills's The Stock Market Course. Because mistakes are costly in the stock market, this accessible study guide provides readers with the opportunity to trade "fake money" before risking their real assets in the market. The invaluable lessons learned in this workbook could save readers thousands of dollars in investment mistakes.

From the Back Cover
Praise for The Stock Market Course

"An essential guide for anyone who wants to avoid getting burned in the stock market. This book tells you how to make money and how not to lose it. Risk management is something that institutional investors have long employed to limit their losses and boost their long-term gains. This book explains risk thoughtfully and enjoyably."-Michael Molinski, Mutual Funds Editor and International Editor, CBSMarketWatch

"An excellent book that explains all of the critical factors that affect your investments. Comprehensively discusses how to analyze companies and markets. The simple descriptions paired with valuable online resources allow the reader to obtain critical information for making investing decisions. With the breadth of this coverage, you can't help but learn something new!"-Victoria Vestal, Yahoo! Finance

"Fontanills and Gentile have written the comprehensive stock market book-stuff you want to know now, stuff you'll have to know later. Complete the workbook and you'll have fast-tracked your investing foundation."-Michael Smith, Cofounder of the BigEasy Investor www.bigeasyinvestor.com

"A classic must-read primer for both the novice and experienced investor...comprehensive and easy-to-read, this book provides an innovative approach for learning how to survive in today's volatile markets. If you need the bottom line on trading do's and don'ts, read this book!"-Julie Craig, eSignal

"A comprehensive book on the equity and option markets for both the new and experienced investor. Readers can benefit from increased knowledge and a focused and disciplined approach to the markets."-Eric Alexander, Managing Director, Wall Street Access (www.wsaccess.com)

"This is the best course I've seen in 20 years in the investment business...profit from it."-Clay H. Womack, Chairman & CEO, Direct Capital Markets, Inc.

"The best stock market introduction ever written for traders and investors searching for the path of trading success."-Francis Gagnon, Producer for Active Traders (LiveCharts & QCharts), Quote.com (www.quote.com)

"If you wish to increase your knowledge and profitability in trading and investing, here is where you'll learn."-Bill M. Williams, PhD, CTA, and author of Trading Chaos and New Trading Dimensions.

Product Details :
  • Series: Wiley Trading (Book 96)
  • Hardcover: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 28, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471393150
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471393153
  • Product Dimensions: 1.4 x 6.4 x 9.2 inches

More Details about The Stock Market Course, 1st Edition

Cornerstones of Financial Accounting (with 2011 Annual Reports: Under Armour, Inc. & VF Corporation), 3rd Edition, Jay Rich

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1133943977/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1133943977&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Get where you need to be with CORNERSTONES OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING. Cornerstones delivers a truly unique learning system that is integrated through the entire introductory managerial accounting journey -- ensuring students will leave the course with the knowledge they need to be future business leaders. Students are guided through: Building A Strong Foundation: Students need to build a strong foundation of the fundamentals before they can move forward in this course. The unique Cornerstones approach gets them through the fundamentals FASTER so that they can transition to analyzing and applying concepts. Understanding Relationships: Rather than focusing on concepts in isolation, students should understand accounting as a system and recognize how the end result changes based on how the numbers affect each other. CORNERSTONES aids students in this step as an important part in training them to be good decision makers. Making Decisions: Armed with the knowledge they have gained from working through the other aspects of the Cornerstones approach, students are now given the tools to bring their knowledge full-circle and practice making good business decisions. Students love this approach because it presents materials the way they learn. Instructors love it because it gets students to master the foundations more quickly and allows more time to learn and apply the analysis and decision making of accounting.

Review
"The cornerstones are the feature that sets this book apart. The explanations of key skills are clear, concise, and easy for students to find."

"Has a wide variety of exercises and problems. Presents examples in a clearly understood format."

About the Author
Jay Rich is a Professor of Accounting at Illinois State University. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Prior to entering the Ph.D. program, he worked as an auditor at Price Waterhouse & Co. in Chicago and earned his C.P.A. in 1985. He has published articles in The Accounting Review, Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, Accounting Horizons, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Accounting Organizations and Society, and others. He has also served on the editorial board of Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory and Current Issues in Auditing. Dr. Rich has received both the Outstanding Dissertation Award and Notable Contribution to the Literature Award from the Audit Section of the American Accounting Association. His primary teaching interest is financial accounting and he has taught numerous courses at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. His outside interests include his family, travel, reading, and watching sports, but he spends most of his free time driving his children to various activities. He also repeatedly develops plans to exercise and diet at some point in the future. By all accounts, he is a master at grilling meat, a mediocre skier, and a shameful golfer.

Jefferson P. Jones is the PricewaterhouseCoopers Associate Professor of Accounting in the School of Accountancy at Auburn University. He received his Bachelor's in Accounting and Master of Accountancy degrees from Auburn University and his Ph.D. from Florida State University. His research interests focus on financial accounting, specifically investigating the quality of reported accounting information. He has published articles in numerous journals, including ADVANCES IN ACCOUNTING, REVIEW OF QUANTITATIVE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING, ISSUES IN ACCOUNTING EDUCATION, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FORECASTING, and THE CPA JOURNAL. Professor Jones has received numerous teaching awards, including the Outstanding Master of Accountancy Professor Award; the Beta Alpha Psi Outstanding Teaching Award (six times); the Auburn University College of Business McCartney Teaching Award; and the Auburn University School of Accountancy Teaching Award. In addition, he has made numerous presentations around the country on research and pedagogical issues. He holds a CPA certificate in the state of Alabama (inactive) and is a member of the American Accounting Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the Alabama Society of CPAs (ASCPA). He has had public accounting experience as an auditor for Deloitte & Touche. Professor Jones is also a coauthor of Cornerstones of Financial Accounting. He is married, has two children, and enjoys playing golf and watching college football.

Maryanne M. Mowen is Associate Professor Emerita of Accounting at Oklahoma State University. She currently teaches online classes in cost and management accounting for Oklahoma State University. She received her Ph.D. from Arizona State University. She brings an interdisciplinary perspective to teaching and writing in cost and management accounting, with degrees in history and economics. She has taught classes in ethics and the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on accountants. Her scholarly research is in the areas of management accounting, behavioral decision theory, and compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. She has published articles in journals such as Decision Science, The Journal of Economics and Psychology, and The Journal of Management Accounting Research. Dr. Mowen has served as a consultant to mid-sized and Fortune 100 companies and works with corporate controllers on management accounting issues. She is a member of the Northern New Mexico chapter of SCORE and serves as a counselor, assisting small and start-up businesses. Outside the classroom, she enjoys hiking, traveling, reading mysteries, and working crossword puzzles.

Don R. Hansen is Arthur Andersen Professor of Accounting and a Regents Service Professor at Oklahoma State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1977. He has an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Brigham Young University. His research interests include activity-based costing and mathematical modeling. He has published articles in both accounting and engineering journals including The Accounting Review, The Journal of Management Accounting Research, Accounting Horizons, and IIE Transactions. He has served on the editorial board of The Accounting Review. His outside interests include family, church activities, reading, movies, and watching sports.

Product Details :
  • Hardcover: 832 pages
  • Publisher: Cengage Learning; 3 edition (January 1, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1133943977
  • ISBN-13: 978-1133943976
  • Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches

More Details about Cornerstones of Financial Accounting (with 2011 Annual Reports: Under Armour, Inc. & VF Corporation), 3rd Edition

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Principles of Project Finance, 1st Edition, E.R. Yescombe

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0127708510/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0127708510&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Review
"This book provides a comprehensive treatment of project finance accessible to those less familiar with the subject matter yet detailed enough to serve as a valuable reference for the experienced manager. The book covers a wide array of topics from legal issues to valuation methods, and even hedging financial risk with financial derivatives. Given the increasing importance of project finance in Asia and the Pacific Rim, Principles of Project Finance, will be an invaluable reference for academics and managers alike in this region." --Nobuya Takezawa, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan

"This is an authoritative work written by a distinguished practitioner. I have no doubt it will quickly become a key text for those in both public or private sectors whose work involves Project Finance." --Michael Gerrard, Head of Public Private Partnerships, Partnerships UK plc

From the Back Cover
"This book provides a comprehensive treatment of project finance accessible to those less familiar with the subject matter, yet detailed enough to serve as a valuable reference for the experienced manager. The book covers a wide array of topics, from legal issues to valuation methods, and even hedging financial risk with financial derivatives. Given the increasing importance of project finance in Asia and the Pacific Rim, Principles of Project Finance will be an invaluable reference for academics and managers alike in this region." --Professor Nobuya Takezawa, International Christian University, Japan

This is an authoritative work written by a distinguished practitioner. I have no doubt it will quickly become a key text for those in both public or private sectors whose work involves Project Finance." --Michael Gerrard, Head of Public Private Partnerships, Partnerships Uk plc

E. R. Yescombe's practical guide to project finance offers a systematic approach to this relatively new discipline, which is now used throughout the world in energy, infrastructure, natural resources, and other projects. Because project finance dictates every aspect of a project's development and contractual arrangements, all participants need to understand how this type of financing works and how the financial structure affects their roles. This examination of financial engineering tools therefore follows the typical project development process to demonstrate the principles which underlie the structuring of long-term debt finance for major projects. The book is intended both as an introduction to project finance and a general working handbook for those involved in any aspect of a project.

Key Features:
-A comprehensive and authoritative guide to the theory and practice of project finance.
-An international scope, covering projects in both the developed and developing worlds.
-The book describes and explains:
-Sources of project finance.
-Typical commercial contracts (such as those for construction of the project and sale of its product or services) and their impact on the project finance structure.
-Project finance risk assessment from the points of view of lenders, investors, and other project parties.
-Structuring the project finance debt.
-The key issues in negotiating a project finance debt facility.
-Extensive glossary and cross-referencing.
-No prior knowledge of project finance or financing techniques is assumed.

About the Author
E.R. Yescombe is an independent consultant on project finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs), advising investors on financing for power, infrastructure and PPP projects, as well as public-sector entities on PPP policy issues, project procurement and contracting.

Product Details :
  • Hardcover: 344 pages
  • Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (June 20, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0127708510
  • ISBN-13: 978-0127708515
  • Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 6.1 x 9.3 inches

More Details about Principles of Project Finance, 1st Edition

Monday, December 30, 2013

Cost Accounting, 9th Edition, Michael R. Kinney

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1111972095/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1111972095&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


The ninth edition of Kinney/Raiborn's COST ACCOUNTING: FOUNDATIONS AND EVOLUTIONS provides in-depth coverage of current cost management concepts and procedures in a straightforward and reader-friendly framework. The clean, concise presentation of materials and the updated illustrations reinforce and clarify the topics that readers traditionally struggle with most. In addition, real-world examples and ethical coverage are woven into the text so readers immediately see the relevance of the cost accountant's role in managerial decisions and learn to go beyond the numbers and think critically. Ensure mastery of the procedural and decision-making skills needed for future success with the Comprehensive Review Module, an array of newly improved end of chapter assignments, and the powerful, newly enhanced CengageNOW online learning and teaching system.

Review
"I prefer the Cost Management text over the Horngren in all 3 respects, organization, completeness and depth of coverage, but mostly the simplicity with which the information has been presented. The exhibits in the Cost Management text are also superior to the Horngren text, in my opinion."

"Kinney has better organization. The graphics are cleaner as is the color scheme and page layout. There is a slightly better inclusion of technology and modern management concepts. The end of chapter problems are more inclusive of the chapter’s material."

"Kinney does a far superior job in integrating real-world data throughout the text. I really liked Exhibits 6-1 and 6-2 which do a great job in illustrating process costing techniques with a real company. I like the way the company information and processes are integrated throughout the chapter--this type of integration is far superior to Horngren’s video presentations." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author
Professor Michael R. Kinney joined the faculty of accounting at Texas A&M (College Station) in 1989 after receiving a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Arizona. He is currently a KPMG Faculty Fellow of Accounting. He has taught undergraduate courses in cost and management accounting and graduate courses in management control systems, cost management, management consulting, corporate taxation, partnership taxation, and corporate tax strategies. He has received teaching awards including the outstanding teacher of the Texas A&M College of Business from the College of Business Honors Society (twice), and Delta Iota Chapter's Beta Alpha Psi teaching excellence award in accounting (twice) and the Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching. Professor Kinney has co-authored numerous articles in accounting, taxation, and finance as well as co-authoring ten college textbooks on management accounting and cost management. Dr. Kinney has also conducted consulting and executive development projects for several large Texas-based companies. Currently, Dr. Kinney serves as the Ph.D. Program Coordinator for the Department of Accounting.

It was fast, cheap, and worth the purchase. This book was exactly the edition I was looking for. Shipping was fast and the condition of the book is very good.

Product Details :
  • Loose Leaf: 848 pages
  • Publisher: Cengage Learning; 9 edition (May 31, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1111972095
  • ISBN-13: 978-1111972097
  • Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 8.6 x 10.6 inches

More Details about Cost Accounting, 9th Edition

Discounting, Libor, CVA and Funding: Interest Rate and Credit Pricing (Applied Quantitative Finance), 1st Edition, Chris Kenyon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1137268514/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1137268514&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


The credit and sovereign debt crises have fundamentally changed the way participants in the global financial markets perceive credit risk. The effects of this change have been studied by many leading experts in Mathematical Finance, but to date there is no single volume that combines the results of this research and presents them at a level suited for practitioners and students alike. In market practice this fundamental market change is most directly visible from significant bases throughout the interest rate world, especially tenor bases, cross-currency bases, and bond-cds bases. This means that the curve used for discounting is no longer the curve used for Libor (aka Fixing Curve or Forwarding Curve).

In the last two years a consensus has emerged that this multi-curve pricing is now standard.The crises have also altered the perception of banks and governments - they are no longer regarded as zero-risk counterparties. Now both sides of an uncollateralized trade need to consider, and price in, the risk that the other defaults: my CVA is your DVA. Even collateralization does not remove pricing problems: when you post collateral how much do you have to pay for it? This FVA is not symmetric in many ways: whatever it costs you to source it, your counterparty will only pay you OIS. Even worse is that your funding costs are unlikely to be the same as those of all your counterparties.Discounting, Libor, CVA and Funding: Interest Rate and Credit Pricing is the first book to illustrate new ways of pricing interest rate and credit products in the post-crisis markets. Written by two seasoned practitioners, it will enable the readers to understand the many different versions of credit and basis spreads, and to build the appropriate discount curves that take the these spreads into account so that collateralized derivatives will be priced correctly.

The authors guide the reader through the complexity added by OIS discounting and multi-curve pricing as well as CVA, DVA and FVA. Derivatives do not exist in a vacuum. Regulators world-wide have reacted strongly to the crises with the introduction of Basel III. Hitherto quants could ignore capital costs and charges, but as of January 2013 this world is gone. Discounting, Libor, CVA and Funding explains details of Basel III that are important for pricing, especially around the CVA VaR and default exposure capital charges.This book will be required reading for quantitative practitioners who need to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in derivatives pricing, and will also be of interest to academic researchers and students interested in how instruments are priced in practice.

Review
"The ongoing economic situation is pushing researchers to re-discuss and update the fundamentals of financial modeling. Writing an encyclopedic book on financial modeling for exotics based on the risk free rate, a unique discount curve, no credit risk and no liquidity costs would be neither relevant nor realistic in 2012. This is not such a book. The reader will find here an interesting tackling of current and relevant problems such as multi-curve modeling and credit valuation adjustments, with a very interesting discussion of closeout and especially goodwill, which cannot be found anywhere else to the best of this endorser's knowledge. Funding costs, hints at systemic risk, regulation, and Basel III are also considered. It is great to find a quantitatively detailed analysis of such aspects in a single book, and readers who are open-minded and attentive to the current challenges posed by the market will find this book to be informative, relevant, pleasant to read, and even entertaining." - Prof. Damiano Brigo, Head of the Mathematical Finance Research Group, Imperial College, London, and author of Interest Rate Models: Theory and Practice (Springer) and Credit Models and the Crisis (Wiley).

About the Author
DR. CHRIS KENYON (London, UK) is a Director at Lloyds Banking Group in the front office Quantitative Research – CVA / FVA group. Previously he was head quant for counterparty risk at Credit Suisse, and at DEPFA Bank PLC he was Head of Structured Credit Valuation (post crisis), working on pricing model development and validation and market risk. He has also held positions at IBM Research and Schlumberger, where he applied real options pricing to everything from offshore rig lease extension options to variable volume outsourcing contracts. Chris holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Cambridge University where he was a Research Fellow (Computer Modeling), and an MSc in Operations Research from the University of Austin, Texas. He is a regular writer and conference speaker, his papers have appeared in Quantitative Finance, Risk Magazine, Operations Research, IEEE Computer, amongst others, and presented at academic conferences and industry meetings including those organized by Bachelier Finance Society, WBS, Marcus Evans, Risk Magazine, and many more.

ROLAND STAMM is Head of Risk Methods and Valuation at HRE Group (formerly DEPFA Bank PLC), where he is responsible for (among other things) the development of new pricing models, model set up, validation and calibration, CVA adjustments, and market risk methodology. He was previously Head of Valuation at HRE Group, and has also held positions as Head of Market Risk Products, Head of IT Development, and Project Manager, all at DEPFA Bank. He holds a PhD in Mathematics (Algebraic Topology) from the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster, Germany, where he was awarded a magna cum laude for his thesis "The K- and L- Theory of Certain Discrete Groups," and he received a master's degree in Mathematics from the Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz.

Product Details :
  • Series: Applied Quantitative Finance
  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 4, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1137268514
  • ISBN-13: 978-1137268518
  • Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 6 x 9.1 inches

More Details about Discounting, Libor, CVA and Funding: Interest Rate and Credit Pricing (Applied Quantitative Finance), 1st Edition

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Loose-Leaf Advanced Accounting, 11th Edition, Joe Ben Hoyle


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0077489381/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0077489381&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


The approach used by Hoyle, Schaefer, and Doupnik in the new edition allows students to think critically about accounting, just as they will do while preparing for the CPA exam and in their future careers. With this text, students gain a well-balanced appreciation of the Accounting profession.

As Hoyle 11e introduces them to the field’s many aspects, it often focuses on past controversies and present resolutions. The text continues to show the development of financial reporting as a product of intense and considered debate that continues today and into the future.

The writing style of the ten previous editions has been highly praised. Students easily comprehend chapter concepts because of the conversational tone used throughout the book.

The authors have made every effort to ensure that the writing style remains engaging, lively, and consistent which has made this text the market leading text in the Advanced Accounting market. The 11th edition includes an increase integration of IFRS as well as the updated accounting standards.

About the Author
Joe B. Hoyle is Associate Professor of Accounting at the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond, where he teaches Intermediate Accounting I and II and Advanced Accounting. He is currently the David Meade White Distinguished Teaching Fellow. He has been named a Distinguished Educator five times and Professor of the Year on two occasions. He is also author of Fast Track CPA Examination Review and coauthor of The Lakeside Company Case Studies in Auditing.

Thomas F. Schaefer is the KPMG Professor of Accounting at the University of Notre Dame. He has written a number of articles in scholarly journals such as The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting & Economics, Accounting Horizons, and others. His primary teaching and research interests are in financial accounting and reporting.

Tom is active with the International Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is a past President of the American Accounting Association’s Accounting Program Leadership Group (APLG).

Timothy S. Doupnik is the Cramer Fellow in International Accounting at the University of South Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Illinois. Tim is a past president of the International Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association. He currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of International Accounting Research and on the editorial board of several other international journals.

I regret buying this loose-leaf edition. No way to sell back, easy to have some pages lost. Should bought the hardcover edition. Much cheaper. I don't really care about the weight.

Product Details :
  • Loose Leaf
  • Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin; 11 edition (February 15, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0077489381
  • ISBN-13: 978-0077489380
  • Product Dimensions: 1.1 x 8.3 x 10.4 inches

More Details about Loose-Leaf Advanced Accounting, 11th Edition

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Valuing Early Stage and Venture Backed Companies (Wiley Finance), 1st Edition, Neil J. Beaton

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470436298/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470436298&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


From the Inside Flap
Unique in the overall sphere of business valuation, the valuing of early stage and venture-backed companies lacks the traditional metrics of cash flow, earnings, or even revenue at times. But without these metrics, traditional discounted cash flow models and comparison to public markets or private transactions take on less relevance, calling for a more "experiential" valuation approach.

In a straightforward, no-nonsense manner, the mystique surrounding the valuation of early stage and venture-backed companies is now unveiled. With an emphasis on applications and models, Valuing Early Stage and Venture-Backed Companies shows the most effective way for your company to prepare and present its valuations.

Featuring contributed chapters by a panel of top valuation experts, this book dispels improper valuation techniques promulgated by unknowing business appraisers and answers your key questions about valuation theory and which tools you need to successfully apply in your specific situation.

Here, you'll find out more about various valuation techniques, including:

"Back solving" valuation
Modified cost approach
Option pricing model
Probability-weighted expected returns model
Asian puts
New data on discounts for lack of marketability

Detailed and hands-on, Valuing Early Stage and Venture-Backed Companies equips you with broad foundational data on the venture capital industry, as well as in-depth analyses of distinct early stage company valuation approaches.

Performing valuations for your early stage company requires an understanding of the special circumstances faced by your organization. With ample examples of generally accepted allocation models with complex capital structures common to early stage companies, Valuing Early Stage and Venture-Backed Companies mixes real-life experience with deep technical expertise to equip you with the complete, user-friendly resource you'll turn to often in valuing your early stage or venture-backed company.

About the Author
Neil J. Beaton, CPA/ABV, CFA, ASA, is a nationally known business valuation expert and speaker on the valuation of early stage companies. He is the National Partner in Charge of Valuation Services for Grant Thornton, LLP, an international audit, tax, and financial advisory services firm. He has more than twenty-seven years of professional experience and is a recognized expert witness in state and federal courts as well as international tribunals. He has authored an AICPA publication on valuing stock options and intangible assets for financial reporting purposes.

Product Details :
  • Series: Wiley Finance (Book 503)
  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (March 29, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470436298
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470436295
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.9 x 10 inches

More Details about Valuing Early Stage and Venture Backed Companies (Wiley Finance), 1st Edition

Capital Budgeting, 1st Edition, Pamela P. Peterson

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471218332/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471218332&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Capital investment decisions are a constant challenge to all levels of financial managers. Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice shows you how to confront them using state-of-the-art techniques.

Broken down into four comprehensive sections, Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice explores and illustrates all aspects of the capital budgeting decision process. Pamela Peterson and Frank Fabozzi examine the critical issues and limitations of capital budgeting techniques with an in-depth analysis of:

Classifying capital budgeting proposals
Determining the relevant cash flows for capital budgeting proposals
Assessing the economic value of a capital budgeting proposal using different techniques
Incorporating risk into the capital budgeting decision
Evaluating whether to lease or borrow-to-buy

Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice provides the knowledge, insight, and advice that will allow you to handle one of the most important aspects of your firm's financial management. Advanced enough for practitioners yet accessible enough for the novice, Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice is your complete guide to understanding and benefiting from the essential techniques of capital budgeting.

From the Inside Flap
Corporate financial managers continually invest funds in assets, and these assets produce income and cash flows that the firm will then either reinvest in more assets or pay to the owners. Capital investment refers to a firm's investment in assets, and these investments may be either short-term or long-term in nature. A capital budgeting decision involves the long-term commitment of a firm's scarce resources. When such a decision is made, the firm is committed to a current and possibly future outlay of funds.

Capital budgeting decisions play a prominent role in determining whether a firm will be successful. The commitment of funds to a particular capital project can be enormous and may be irreversible. While some capital budgeting decisions are routine and don't change the course or risk of a firm, there are strategic capital budgeting decisions that will either have an impact on the firm's future market position in its current product lines or permit it to expand into a new product line. The annals of business history are replete with examples of how capital budgeting decisions have turned the tide for a company.

In Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice, Pamela Peterson and Frank Fabozzi discuss and illustrate the capital budgeting decision process. In Section I ("Making Investment Decisions and Cash Flows"), they cover the stages of the capital budgeting process (investment screening and selection, capital budgeting proposal, budgeting approval and authorization, project tracking, and postcompletion audit), classification of investment projects, and the critical task of cash flow estimation.

In Section II, Peterson and Fabozzi cover the techniques for evaluating capital budgeting proposals and for selecting projects. These techniques include payback and discounted payback techniques, net present value technique, profitability index technique, internal rate of return technique, and modified internal rate of return technique. Section III clearly explains the critical task of incorporating risk into the capital budgeting decision.

In the final section, Peterson and Fabozzi explain a common capital budgeting decision: the decision to buy an asset with borrowed funds or lease the same asset. This is the classic "lease versus borrow-to-buy decision." The coverage includes valuing a lease, how to incorporate uncertainty into the lease valuation, and how a firm should analyze a lease if it's in a current tax-paying position or has an operating loss to carry forward.

Capital budgeting is one of the most important, and sometimes most difficult, parts of financing. Through expert advice and questions and problems at the end of each section, Capital Budgeting: Theory and Practice provides a detailed explanation of capital budgeting that will allow you to excel in this area.

Product Details :
  • Series: Frank J. Fabozzi Series (Book 10)
  • Hardcover: 243 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471218332
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471218333
  • Product Dimensions: 0.9 x 6.1 x 9.2 inches

More Details about Capital Budgeting, 1st Edition

Monday, December 16, 2013

Risk Management: Approaches for Fixed Income Markets, 1st Edition, Bennett W. Golub

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471332119/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471332119&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


From the Inside Flap
STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE RISK MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Risk management plays an increasingly important role in the life of financial institutions. Yet there have been virtually no texts to date that reconcile practical market experience and scientific discipline in an attempt to help portfolio and risk managers make better investment decisions-until now.

Written by two senior risk management practitioners of a global money management and risk advisory firm, this one-of-a-kind book utilizes an intriguing blend of finance, economics, mathematics, and common sense in applying cutting-edge financial modeling techniques to managing risk in fixed income markets. With a focus on both theoretical and practical considerations, a variety of existing and new approaches are brought together in a thorough but easy-to-understand fashion, including:

* Interest rate and basis risk durations
* Scenario analysis
* Expected rate of return
* Principal components analysis
* Value-at-Risk
* Stress testing
* Portfolio and hedge optimizations

As a growing proportion of the financial system adopts rigorous risk management techniques and incorporates them in making investment decisions, chief investment officers, corporate treasurers, portfolio managers, risk managers, traders, academics, and finance students will find Risk Management an invaluable tool in navigating this exciting and increasingly challenging dimension of investing.

From the Back Cover
RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACHES FOR FIXED INCOME MARKETS

"Golub-Tilman will, I believe, become an absolutely essential reference text for fixed income portfolio managers, traders, issuers, and scholars. It is comprehensive and clearly written. While rigorous, it is easy to understand because of its many practical examples."- Richard Roll, The Allstate Chair in Finance and Insurance, The Anderson School at UCLA, Past President, American Finance Association

"Outstanding and unique! A thorough discussion of the theoretical underpinning of risk management combined with keen insights from a practitioner's perspective. This text will rank among the most essential readings for both market professionals and academics." -Gregory J. Parseghian, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Freddie Mac

"The most systematic and comprehensive overview of fixed income risk management."-Philippe Jorion, Professor of Finance, University of California-Irvine, Author, Value at Risk: The New Benchmark for Controlling Derivatives Risk

"An inside look at approaches to fixed income risk management developed at a leading investment firm. The rigorous presentation covers both theoretical and practical considerations as well as their applications to portfolio management. Very interesting and highly recommended."-Charles W. Grant, Managing Director of Fixed Income, Virginia Retirement System

"Few, if any, financial studies have managed to reconcile practical market experience and scientific discipline within such an original approach and with such elegance! An absolute must for anyone in the world of fixed income."-Michele Donegani, Head of Asset Allocation and Manager Selection, European Investment Managers (EIM).

About the Author
BENNETT W. GOLUB is a founding partner and Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc., a global money management and risk advisory firm. Currently, he is co-head of its Risk Management and Analytics Group and is a member of its Investment Strategy Group and Management Committee. In addition to developing BlackRock's risk advisory business, Dr. Golub is actively involved in the creation of analytical tools used in measuring and managing market and credit risks of fixed income and equity portfolios. He has authored many articles on risk management and financial modeling and is a frequent lecturer at industry conferences and meetings. Dr. Golub earned an S.B. and an S.M. in Management and a Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Finance, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

LEO M. TILMAN is Director in the Risk Management and Analytics Group at BlackRock, Inc. He specializes in the creation of new risk management methodologies, marketing of risk management services, financial modeling, and risk advisory work. His primary focus is solving a wide range of portfolio management, trading, asset allocation, and enterprise-wide risk management problems through the use of financial modeling techniques. Mr. Tilman has published extensively on risk management, financial modeling, applied statistics, decision-making, and expert systems. He is a frequent guest lecturer on the topics of risk management and financial modeling. Mr. Tilman received a B.A. in Mathematics and an M.A. in Statistics with a concentration in Finance, both from Columbia University.

Product Details :
  • Series: Frontiers in Finance Series (Book 73)
  • Hardcover: 312 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 15, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471332119
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471332114
  • Product Dimensions: 1.1 x 6.3 x 9.3 inches

More Details about Risk Management: Approaches for Fixed Income Markets, 1st Edition

Friday, December 13, 2013

Accounting in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition: Accounting for the non-specialist (CIMA Professional Handbook), Janet Walker

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/075068738X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=075068738X&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Designed primarily for middle and junior management who deal with financial information without really understanding the content; students who are studying accounting as a non-specialist subject, for example on a business studies or engineering course. The book serves as a basic reference to be used throughout the course.

It will also be particularly helpful in providing the basic grounding that is required before moving on to the more technical and in-depth study of the subject that may be required on some courses. Students who are embarking on a course of study to become a professional accountant will also find this book of major benefit.

In addition to revisions through out, a new new chapter 'Making long-term investment decisions' covering capital investment decisions, extends and rounds out the final part of the book: using Financial Information to Manage a Business. The chapter deals with the investment appraisal process and covers the main investment appraisal techniques from the point of view of a non-specialist: payback periods, accounting rate of return and discounted cash flow methods are just some of the new topics covered.

The focus will be on the level of understanding that a non-specialist requires in the work place as such, in keeping with the rest of the book, the chapter includes practical examples and exercises to enhance the reader's understanding.

* Jargon free and easy to understand - no prior knowledge of the subject necessary
* Focuses on the principles and use of accounting information
* Review questions to assess progress at each stage and many fully worked exercises and examples

About the Author
Janet Walker is a freelance lecturer and consultant, specialising in courses in Financial Awareness Trained as a management accountant with Brooke Bond Oxo Limited, qualifying as a Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA) in 1981. After seven years in industry, joined Croydon College in 1982 as a Senior Lecturer in management accounting and financial management. Studied for MBA at City University Business School in 1987/88. Worked as a full-time author for BPP Publishing Limited for eighteen months from 1990, responsible for writing and technical editing of a range of accountancy and marketing texts and workbooks. Set up own business in 1991 as a freelance lecturer and consultant, specialising in presenting courses in Financial Awareness for a variety of clients, including the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), City University Business School, V & A Museum, Markel International, National Lottery Heritage Fund, ICL Systems Service, Norwich Union, Weetabix Limited and the General Dental Council. Also providing financial planning and marketing consultancy services to small businesses. Other books published are primarily through BPP Publishing as above, and a number of CIMA Study Systems through CIMA Publishing.

This book covers both Financial and Management Accounting. It is an excellent introduction to the subject. It provides a great overview of the PURPOSE and USES of P&L Accounts (Income Statements), Balance Sheets, and Cash flow Statements.

It also has great information on how these are constructed.

It is NOT a practical guide to book-keeping. I highly recommend this, both for managers trying to understand financial and managerial accounting, and for students begging accounting.

Once you;ve read this, though, you will probably need to read a book on basic book-keeping to allow you to function as your own accountant, if that's your aim.

Product Details :
  • Series: CIMA Professional Handbook
  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: CIMA Publishing; 3 edition (November 7, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 075068738X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0750687386
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.1 x 9 inches

More Details about Accounting in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition: Accounting for the non-specialist (CIMA Professional Handbook)

Financier: The Biography of André Meyer: A Story of Money, Power, and the Reshaping of American Business (Trailblazers), 1st Edition, Cary Reich

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471247413/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0471247413&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


"A first-rate biography of an extraordinary man." --Andrew Tobias. David Rockefeller once deemed Andr? Meyer "the most creative financial genius of our time in the investment banking world." Andr? Meyer was also known as "The Picasso of Banking" and "The Incomparable Investor," but probably his most notable achievement was his ability to completely and single-handedly revitalize American business after World War II. Cary Reich presents an illuminating portrait of this ferociously energetic, charming, and ruthless businessman who was a trusted advisor of the Kennedys and an intimate of William Paley and Katherine Graham. Reich goes into detail about Meyer's immigration from Nazi-occupied France, his prowess on the Monopoly board of business, and some of Meyer's lasting business legacies--now household names--including Avis and Holiday Inn. * Includes a new foreword by Cary Reich. Cary Reich (New York, New York) is the former executive editor of Institutional Investor. His most recent book, The Life of Nelson A. Rockefeller, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Mr. Reich is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Overseas Press Award and the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism.

From the Publisher
A new edition of Cary Reich's engaging biography of Andre Meyer. In this new edition of Financier, Cary Reich presents an illuminating portrait of this ferociously energetic, charming, and ruthless businessman who was a trusted advisor of the Kennedys and an intimate of William Paley and Katherine Graham. Reich goes into detail about Meyer's immigration from Nazi-occupied France, his prowess on the Monopoly board of business, and some of Meyer's lasting business legacies-now household names-including Avis and Holiday Inn.

From the Inside Flap
Fortune magazine deemed him "the most important investment banker in the Western world." A ferociously energetic, charming, and ruthless businessman, he had, by the age of forty, helped save the foundering auto giant Citro?n, established France's first consumer finance company, and been awarded the Legion of Honor. He was a trusted adviser of the Kennedys and an intimate of Lyndon Johnson, William Paley, and Katharine Graham. His numerous business accomplishments included the building or revitalizing of such corporate giants as Avis, Holiday inns, Warner-Lambert, and Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals. One of the world's savviest individual investors, he amassed a personal fortune of well over $200 million, yet to his dying day never gave up the search for the ultimate buck. Andr? Meyer, "The Picasso of Banking," was all this-and much more. A man of seemingly endless contradictions, he was respected and admired by many, scorned and disliked by many others. In this riveting, classic biography, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Cary Reich skillfully captures the many facets of this colorful and complex figure, painting an illuminating and captivating portrait of an enigmatic icon who climbed his way from modest beginnings to become what David Rockefeller called "the most creative financial genius of our time in the investment banking world." Born in 1898 in Paris, Andr? Benoit Mathieu Meyer was saddled with adult responsibilities early on, having to provide for his family when his father, an inveterate gambler, "left a vacuum at the head of the household." After getting his professional start at a small Paris bank, he quickly caught the attention of the eminent private banking firm Lazard Fr?res, whose prestigious ranks he joined in 1925.

Within a year, Meyer was made partner. With the advent of World War II, Meyer was forced into exile by the Nazi occupation. Resettling in the United States, he took over Lazard's New York operation, building it into the most venturesome investment bank in America. During the 1940s and 1950s, when industry was thirsting for capital for its relentless growth, he financed anything and everything from Texas ranchland to New York City real-estate projects. In the sixties, when it became clear the big corporations could get bigger only by gobbling up other corporations, Meyer masterfully got the merger-and-acquisition ball rolling, and became the world's most prolific marriage broker for countless corporate combinations. Financier brilliantly captures Meyer's financial wizardry, a phenomenal talent that was tempered only by the volatile tantrums, ruthlessness, and insatiable greed that went hand in hand with his genius. Unveiling the dueling sides of his complex personality, this absorbing account shows Meyer at his best-as a father figure for the likes of Felix Rohatyn, his most famous prot?g?, and for Jacqueline Onassis in the years after the assassination-and presents him at his worst-as a tortured and possessive father and a cruel, often vindictive boss. Financier is a work that is as compelling, unforgettable, and monumental as its inimitable subject.

From the Back Cover
Fortune magazine deemed him "the most important investment banker in the Western world." A ferociously energetic, charming, and ruthless businessman, he had, by the age of forty, helped save the foundering auto giant Citro?n, established France's first consumer finance company, and been awarded the Legion of Honor. He was a trusted adviser of the Kennedys and an intimate of Lyndon Johnson, William Paley, and Katharine Graham. His numerous business accomplishments included the building or revitalizing of such corporate giants as Avis, Holiday Inns, Warner-Lambert, and Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals. One of the world's savviest individual investors, he amassed a personal fortune of well over $200 million, yet to his dying day never gave up the search for the ultimate buck.

Andr? Meyer, "The Picasso of Banking," was all this--and much more. A man of seemingly endless contradictions, he was respected and admired by many, scorned and disliked by many others. In this riveting, classic biography, renowned author and National Book Award finalist Cary Reich skillfully captures the many facets of this colorful and complex figure, painting an illuminating and captivating portrait of an enigmatic icon who climbed his way from modest beginnings to become what David Rockefeller called "the most creative financial genius of our time in the investment banking world."

Born in 1898 in Paris, Andr? Benoit Mathieu Meyer was saddled with adult responsibilities early on, having to provide for his family when his father, an inveterate gambler, "left a vacuum at the head of the household." After getting his professional start at a small Paris bank, he quickly caught the attention of the eminent private banking firm Lazard Fr?res, whose prestigious ranks he joined in 1925. Within a year, Meyer was made partner.

With the advent of World War II, Meyer was forced into exile by the Nazi occupation. Resettling in the United States, he took over Lazard's New York operation, building it into the most venturesome investment bank in America. During the 1940s and 1950s, when industry was thirsting for capital for its relentless growth, he financed anything and everything from Texas ranchland to New York City real-estate projects. In the sixties, when it became clear the big corporations could get bigger only by gobbling up other corporations, Meyer masterfully got the merger-and-acquisition ball rolling, and became the world's most prolific marriage broker for countless corporate combinations.

Financier brilliantly captures Meyer's financial wizardry, a phenomenal talent that was tempered only by the volatile tantrums, ruthlessness, and insatiable greed that went hand in hand with his genius. Unveiling the dueling sides of his complex personality, this absorbing account shows Meyer at his best--as a father figure for the likes of Felix Rohatyn, his most famous prot?g?, and for Jacqueline Onassis in the years after the assassination--and presents him at his worst--as a tortured and possessive father and a cruel, often vindictive boss.

Financier is a work that is as compelling, unforgettable, and monumental as its inimitable subject.

Railblazers Rediscovering the Pioneers of Business

Critical praise for Financier: The Biography of Andr? Meyer

"A first-rate biography of an extraordinary man." --Andrew Tobias

"A fascinating mix of financial history involving household names of the corporate scene, gossip at rarefied altitudes and big bucks. The focus is on people, mutual back-scratching, wheeling and dealing through the conglomerate jungle." --The Wall Street Journal.

"This book is fun to read. Mr. Reich, while prudently avoiding heavy legal and accounting exegesis, has a talent for the clear explanation of essential technical detail." --New York Times Book Review.

"Hard-edged and uncompromising . . . a lucid and well-researched account." --The New Republic.

About the Author
CARY REICH is the former executive editor of Institutional Investor. His most recent book, The Life of Nelson A. Rockefeller, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Mr. Reich is the recipient of numerous journalism awards, including the Overseas Press Award and the John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business and Financial Journalism.

Product Details :
  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 9, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471247413
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471247418
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.1 x 9.2 inches

More Details about Financier: The Biography of André Meyer: A Story of Money, Power, and the Reshaping of American Business (Trailblazers), 1st Edition

Monday, December 9, 2013

Accounting and Finance Policies and Procedures, 1st Edition, Rose Hightower

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470259620/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470259620&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Policies and procedures are the foundation of internal controls for organizations. Taking a complicated subject and breaking it into manageable components, this book enables you to hit the ground running and significantly accelerate your completion of a solid policies and procedures program. Comprehensive and practical, this useful book provides you with sample documents you can personalize and customize to meet your company's needs.

Review
"The author provides an excellent framework for organizations to use in establishing and updating policies and procedures. This book is an excellent resource that auditors can use to steer management to as an example of a structured approach to policy and procedure development."

From the Back Cover
Praise for Accounting and Finance Policies and Procedures

"This comprehensive and practical tool enables accountants to produce documentation on policies and procedures in a quick and thorough manner. The URL download eliminates the tedious administrative setup work, and the detailed description within each section assists in the prevention of overlooking what we very often take for granted. This is not a how-to book; it is a tool that . . . will make your company documents look like you are part of a Fortune 500 company." —Leslie Kessler Brand, CPA, Corporate Controller, Porta Systems Corp.

"For contract training on or off-campus, there is no faculty member more concerned with student learning and process than Rose Hightower. Rose is the preferred adjunct by numerous companies for their staff development in project management and finance and accounting especially for the non-financial manager. She, like her book, Accounting and Finance Policies and Procedures, takes a complicated subject and breaks it into manageable components." —Maureen Connolly, Dean, Berkeley College

"Rose has developed a comprehensive policies and procedures program that allows you to standardize, train and assure compliance with financial policies on a worldwide basis. In today's age of ever increasing technical complexity along with the global and diverse nature of organizations, a practical guide to establishing, formally documenting, and maintaining accounting policies will be of use to many firms, big and small. This guide will enable those firms to hit the ground running and significantly accelerate their completion of a solid policies and procedures program." —Douglas Robinson, CFO, Verint Systems Inc.

"Policies and procedures are the foundation of internal controls for organizations. It is therefore very important that they be clearly written, current and comprehensive. Accounting and Finance Policies and Procedures by Rose Hightower provides an excellent framework for any organization to create this foundation. The merging of an online component recognizes the importance of a digital tool to update policies and procedures in a timely manner." —Jim Kaplan, President and CEO, AuditNet, LLC

About the Author
Rose Hightower, Accountant, MSc, has been the owner of IDEAL Consulting Solutions International, LLC for ten years, consulting in implementation of internal control and policy and procedure programs for large companies. Bringing over twenty years of experience from IBM and serving as finance manager, her program contains practical lessons and simple solutions for any size company.

Product Details :
  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 9, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470259620
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470259627
  • Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 8.4 x 10.7 inches

More Details about Accounting and Finance Policies and Procedures, (with URL), 1st Edition

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Financial Modelling with Jump Processes (Chapman & Hall/CRC Financial Mathematics Series), 1st Edition, Peter Tankov




WINNER of a Riskbook.com Best of 2004 Book Award!

During the last decade, financial models based on jump processes have acquired increasing popularity in risk management and option pricing. Much has been published on the subject, but the technical nature of most papers makes them difficult for nonspecialists to understand, and the mathematical tools required for applications can be intimidating. Potential users often get the impression that jump and Lévy processes are beyond their reach.

Financial Modelling with Jump Processes shows that this is not so. It provides a self-contained overview of the theoretical, numerical, and empirical aspects involved in using jump processes in financial modelling, and it does so in terms within the grasp of nonspecialists. The introduction of new mathematical tools is motivated by their use in the modelling process, and precise mathematical statements of results are accompanied by intuitive explanations.

Topics covered in this book include: jump-diffusion models, Lévy processes, stochastic calculus for jump processes, pricing and hedging in incomplete markets, implied volatility smiles, time-inhomogeneous jump processes and stochastic volatility models with jumps. The authors illustrate the mathematical concepts with many numerical and empirical examples and provide the details of numerical implementation of pricing and calibration algorithms.

This book demonstrates that the concepts and tools necessary for understanding and implementing models with jumps can be more intuitive that those involved in the Black Scholes and diffusion models. If you have even a basic familiarity with quantitative methods in finance, Financial Modelling with Jump Processes will give you a valuable new set of tools for modelling market fluctuations.

Review
Pardon the pun, but I jumped at the opportunity to endorse this book. This book is the first complete treatment of markets rendered incomplete by the reality of jumps in prices and volatilities. If I were you, I would pounce. -Dr. Peter Carr, Head of Quantitative Research, Bloomberg LP and Director of Masters Program in Mathematical Finance, NYU

This book is an extremely rich source of information…the content speaks for itself… ISI Short Book Reviews

This book is an extremely rich source of information for recent developments in the use of jump processes in financial modelling, in particular the use of lËvy processes. The authors work at a comfortable mathematical pace choosing carefully which proofs to include and exclude and never losing sight of financial interpretation and application.

The authors conclude the main body of their text by saying: We hope that the present volume will encourage more researchers and practitioners to contribute to this topic and improve on our understanding of theoretical, numerical and practical issues related to financial modelling with jump processes. I am quite convinced that this goal will be achieved. - Dr. Andreas E. Kyprianou in the 'International Statistics Institute' book reviews

What makes this book attractive is its comprehensiveness....this is an excellent book. Read it. You will learn much. - Glyn A.Holton of 'Contingency Analysis'

One of the first texts which is entirely devoted to option pricing with non-continuous jump-type stochastic processes… an easygoing presentation where the basic problems of jump models are not additionally obscured by technicalities. - Journal of the Royal Statistics

I love this book. It will be required reading for students entering Levy finance. My judgement is that it will be useful both within academia, particularly to people in stochastics, econometrics, and other fields wanting to develop an interest in finance, and to practitioners. --N.H. Bingham, Journal of the American Statistical Association

About the Author
Columbia University, New York, USA Universite Paris VII, France University of Maryland, College Park, USA University of Cambridge and Cambridge Systems Associates Limited, UK --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details :

  • Series: Chapman & Hall/CRC Financial Mathematics Series (Book 2)
  • Hardcover: 552 pages
  • Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC; 1 edition (December 30, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1584884134
  • ISBN-13: 978-1584884132
  • Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches


More Details about Financial Modelling with Jump Processes (Chapman & Hall/CRC Financial Mathematics Series), 1st Edition

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Fixed-Income Securities: Valuation, Risk Management and Portfolio Strategies (The Wiley Finance Series), 1st Edition, Lionel Martellini

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470852771/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470852771&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


Review
"This is the first book I have seen to carefully cover such a wide set of topics in both theoretical and applied fixed-income modelling, ranging from the use of market information to obtain yield curves, to the pricing and hedging of bonds and fixed-income derivatives, to the currently active topic of defaultable yield-curve modelling. It will be particularly useful to practitioners." - Darrell Duffie, Stanford University "This is the most comprehensive theoretical treatment of the subject I've ever seen." - Mark Rubinstein, Haas School of Business, University of California "An excellent review of interest rate models and of the pricing and hedging principles in the fixed-income area." - Oldrich Alfons Vasicek, KMV Corporation

From the Back Cover
This is the first comprehensive textbook for students studying fixed-income securities, and is ideally suited to MBA, MSc and final year undergraduate students in Finance and related topics.

The text offers an accessible and detailed account of interest rates and risk management in bond markets. It develops insights into different bond portfolio strategies, and illustrates how various types of derivative securities can be used to shift the risks associated with investing in fixed-income securities. It also provides extensive coverage on all sectors of the bond market, and the techniques for valuing bonds. In addition, explanation is given of state-of-the-art techniques for bond portfolio management, including:

A description of numerous fixed-income assets and related securities, namely zero coupon government bonds, coupon bearing government bonds, corporate bonds, exchange-traded bond options, bonds with embedded options, floating rate notes, caps, floors and collars, swaptions, credit derivatives, mortgage-backed securities, etc.

The development of tools to analyse interest rate sensitivity and to value fixed- income securities, with an emphasis on active and passi ve bond management, and an overview of techniques used by mutual fund and also hedge fund managers.

With numerous worked examples covering the valuation, risk management and portfolio strategies of fixed income securities, and imaginative discussion of important topics such as deriving the zero yield curve, deriving credit spreads, and hedging interest rate risk, the text provides an accessible route into the complex worlds of fixed income securities.

Supplementary materials for lecturers and students (including a syllabus, a course web page, PowerPoint slides, solutions to problems, and Excel illustrations) can be found at the following website: www.wiley.co.uk/martellini

"The authors have produced a work of the very highest quality. As focused as it is comprehensive, this is a superb contribution to the literature..." Moorad Choudhry, VP, Structured Finance Services, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Senior Fellow, Centre for Mathematical Trading and Finance, CASS Business School, London.

About the Author
Lionel Martellini is an assistant Professor of Finance at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, where he teaches "fixed-income securities" at the MBA level. He is also a research associate at the EDHEC Risk and Asset Management Research Center, and a member of the editorial boards of The Journal of Bond Training and Management and The Journal of Alternative Investments.

Philippe Priaulet is a fixed-income strategist in charge of derivatives strategies for HSBC. His expertise is related to fixed-income asset management and derivatives pricing and hedging, and his research has been published in leading academic and practitioners' journals. Formerly, he was head of fixed-income research in the Research and Innovation Department of HSBC-CCF.

Stéphanie Priaulet is a senior index portfolio manager in the Structured Asset Management Department at AXA Investment Managers. Previously, he was head of qualitative engineering in The Fixed Income Research Department at AXA Investment Managers. He also teaches "fixed-income securities" as a part-time lecturer at the University Paris Dauphine. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Bond Trading and Management, where he has published several research papers.

Product Details :
  • Series: The Wiley Finance Series (Book 237)
  • Paperback: 662 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 9, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470852771
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470852774
  • Product Dimensions: 1.4 x 7.4 x 9.6 inches

More Details about Fixed-Income Securities: Valuation, Risk Management and Portfolio Strategies (The Wiley Finance Series), 1st Edition

The Auditor: An Instructional Novella, 1st Edition, James Loebbecke

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0130799769/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0130799769&linkCode=as2&tag=bestaccounting-20


This unique book reaches beyond the abstract theory presented in most standard textbooks to portray the principles and practices of Auditing as they are actually applied in the workplace. The novella—which forms a single, on-going, fictional case study meant to supplement a text—traces the professional life of Jack Butler, graduate of Farwestern University and current CPA As readers progress, they share with Jack, his clients, and colleagues various aspects of a typical career in public accounting—aspects students will most likely encounter during their own careers.

This is a nice resource for audit students or new auditors. I doubt it would be entertaining for most others. The book was written as an "instructional novella" for students and it offers some good information on public accounting audit careers.

The story follows the career of a fictional auditor in a large, fictional firm in Oakland, California. He goes through various typical experiences to give students insight into what public accounting and auditing is really like. This is the type of information that is hard for students to come by. The story follows the career of a star, and may create an overly optimistic impression of what an audit career might be like. But the author also throws in some of the negatives. The narrator is asked by both managers and clients to makes some questionable moves, and he and others suffer from the grind of being over-worked, and even outside of the expected busy season. He also points out that pay is not quite in balance with the level of work and responsibility.

I think this book would have been better if it didn't focus on a fast-rising star. The narrator made partner at age 32, after nine years, which seems pretty fast to me. The book does offer some good information and helps new auditors know some of what is coming, but I wouldn't expect most careers to follow this path. However, I would still recommend it for anyone who is considering a career in public accounting.

If you are reading this review, you probably have to buy The Auditor for a class like I did. It gives a somewhat accurate portrayal of auditing life for Jack in a large firm from his college choices to making partner. However, Jack comes across as almost perfect. The book describes his rise to partner and goes into several situations he faced along the way. Every time Jack came out looking like the perfect employee.

The book was written in the 90’s and needs to be updated for changes in technology and changes in women in public accounting. There are a few fairly sexist stories about how women are treated in public accounting. If you don’t have to buy it, don’t. Rent it or borrow it from a friend. Most paperbacks can be bought for $5-$15 and this one is way over-priced for what you get.

Customer service was very helpful. There was a problem in the manufacturing of the book (book was bound backwards).

Product Details :
  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (June 26, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0130799769
  • ISBN-13: 978-0130799760
  • Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 6 x 8.9 inches

More Details about The Auditor: An Instructional Novella, 1st Edition

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory (Wiley Series in Finance), 2nd Edition, Z. Christopher Mercer




From the Inside Flap
Business Valuation
An Integrated Theory
Second Edition

The first book to show why business appraisers do what they do and how valuation concepts are interrelated, Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, Second Edition provides a concise discussion of the most widely debated valuation topics. Fully revised and updated, it defines and explains valuation in the context of the discounted cash flow and Gordon models, providing the most unified and comprehensive framework for thinking about the sources of valuation premiums and discounts.

An excellent basis for understanding and correctly applying modern valuation theory, the Second Edition integrates various valuation concepts to reveal a complete and clear picture of business valuation. This edition includes a new chapter on the valuation of S corporations, as well as an expanded treatment of valuation from the perspective of nonmarketable minority shareholders. Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, Second Edition helps readers:

Understand the organizing principles of business valuation
Examine the relationships between the Gordon Model and the DCF model of valuation
Define the levels of value in the context of enterprise and shareholder cash flows
Apply the Quantitative Marketability Discount Model (QMDM)
Defend and explain the valuation of S corporations

A variety of business, finance, valuation, legal, and accountingprofessionals will benefit from the comprehensive framework for applying sound financial reasoning to practical valuation problems presented in this book. Straightforward and well written, this is the essential guidebook for integrating valuation theory and practice.

From the Back Cover
Praise for Business Valuation, Second Edition

"The Second Edition of Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory manages to present the theoretical analysis of valuation from the first edition and expand on that discussion by providing additional guidance on implementing the relevant valuation theories, notably in its expanded discussion of the Quantitative Marketability Discount Model." —Dr. David Tabak NERA Economic Consulting

Your Essential Valuations Reference

Whether you are an accountant, auditor, financial planner, or attorney, Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, Second Edition enables you to understand and correctly apply fundamental valuation concepts. Thoroughly revised and expanded, the Second Edition demystifies modern valuation theory, bringing together various valuation concepts to reveal a comprehensive picture of business valuation.

With the implementation of new accounting pronouncements mandating the recognition of numerous assets and liabilities at fair value, it has become critical for CPAs charged with auditing financial statements to understand valuation concepts.

With thoughtful and balanced treatment of both theory and application, this essential guide reveals:

The "GRAPES of Value"—Growth, Risk and Reward, Alternative Investments, Present Value, Expectations, and Sanity

The relationship between the Gordon Model and the discounted cash flow model of valuation

The basis for commonly applied, but commonly misunderstood valuation premiums and discounts

A practical perspective on the analysis of potential business acquisitions

Grounded in the real world of market participants, Business Valuation, Second Edition addresses your need to understand business valuation, providing a means of articulating valuation concepts to help you negotiate value-enhancing transactions.

If you want to get back to valuation basics, this useful reference will become your guide to defining the various levels of value and developing a better understanding of business appraisal reports.

About the Author
Z. Christopher Mercer, ASA, CFA, is a luminary in the field of business valuation. He is the author of several business valuation books and is editor of the Editorial Advisory Board of Valuation Strategies, a national magazine published by the RIA Group dealing with current appraisal issues. One of the most sought-after speakers on business valuation in the nation, he is the founder and CEO of Mercer Capital Management Inc., a leading business valuation and investment banking firm.

Travis W. Harms, CFA, CPA/ABV, is one of the brightest minds in business valuation. A vice president with Mercer Capital Management, Inc., he is the coauthor of Valuation for Impairment Testing and a popular speaker on business valuation topics.

Product Details :

  • Series: Wiley Series in Finance (Book 17)
  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (October 5, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470148160
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470148167
  • Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.3 x 9.2 inches


More Details about Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory (Wiley Series in Finance), 2nd Edition

Monday, December 2, 2013

Fractals and Scaling in Finance: Discontinuity, Concentration, Risk. Selecta Volume E, 1st Edition, Benoit B. Mandelbrot




Mandelbrot is world famous for his creation of the new mathematics of fractal geometry. Yet few people know that his original field of applied research was in econometrics and financial models, applying ideas of scaling and self-similarity to arrays of data generated by financial analyses. This book brings together his original papers as well as many original chapters specifically written for this book.

Review
From the reviews
"Mandelbrot writes with economy and felicity, and he interperses the more mathematical sections with frank historical anecdotes ... All in all, this is a strange but wonderful book." (PHYSICS TODAY)

Statistical Papers, 2000: "... this is a most useful collection of Mandelbrot's work economics, it provides an excellent starting point for anybody interested in the origin of many current topics in empirical finance or the distribution of income."

From the Publisher
Mandelbrot is world famous for his creation of the new mathematics of fractal geometry. Yet few people know that his original field of applied research was in econometrics and financial models, applying ideas of scaling and self-similarity to arrays of data, generated by financial analyses. This book, the first volume in Mandelbrot's collected works, or Selecta, brings together his original papers, as well as many oringinal chapters specifically written for this book.

This book deserves to receive 6 stars.Mandelbrot serves up overwhelming empirical,statistical,and historical evidence that financial decision makers are dead wrong in assuming,contrary to the available evidence, that a normal probability distribution describes the outcomes accurately in financial markets .In fact,the Cauchy distribution is substantially more relevant than the normal distribution.Mandelbrot's work simply means that the standard theoretical models taught in all colleges and universities,the CAPITAL ASSET PRICING MODEL(CAPM) and the BLACK-SCHOLES equation, give correct answers if and only if the relevant probability distributions about the movement of prices in financial markets over time are all normal.However, the evidence shows that they are NOT normal.Mandelbrot confirms ,by massive data analysis, Keynes's original 1921 objections to the misuse in application of (by merely assuming the applicability of such a distribution without examining the actual data)the normal probability distribution made in chapters 29 and 30 of the A Treatise on Probability(1921).Unfortunately,it appears that little,if any ,of Mandelbrot's scientific approach and analysis is being integrated into economics and finance.

in this book, Mandelbrot is trying to prove that first, the price movement's distribution is scaling invariant, meaning a security's log price-change's distribution is same as with its 5-min's or with its daily's(or even monthly); second, price movement is not purely random/normaldistribution/brownian/random walk on street(they are all same description), meaning if u use normal distribution as one of ur bases for ur model, u will not only be theoretically wrong, but also be punished in real-life trading, such as the case of long-term capital. third, price movement does have cycle, but it length can not be determined in trading time, meaning u will not be able to decide when those cycles are going to start or end; fourth, changes of price movements do concentrate, meaning big moves will happen continouesly, or very closely to each other. the major implication to me is that many current financial theories are wrong, specially, those using normal distribution(such as option model) as basic assumption for security price movement. it also may prove that some of current price-based models(such as some trend following system) have some merit. but manay systems based on channel(such as bollinger band

To read this book you need truly to understand math and the markets. There is no questions that Mandelbrot is one of the greatest figures of our time. What he claimed based on his studies on cotton trading in the early 60s might not be close to the reality of today, but the way he approached it makes you think twice about the markets. Cotton trading is so different from stock market trading because it is either spoting trading or futures trading, and it is based on margins. The market usually has poor liquidity and with few players in it. The conclusions the book made could poorly extend to the general markets. The hard-to-follow math notations kept distracting me from following the main subjects. Anyway, this book will teach you something new, but you have to understand math and the markets, deeply.

Product Details :

  • Hardcover: 551 pages
  • Publisher: Springer; 1997 edition (November 1, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0387983635
  • ISBN-13: 978-0387983639
  • Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 6.3 x 9.3 inches


More Details about Fractals and Scaling in Finance: Discontinuity, Concentration, Risk. Selecta Volume E, 1st Edition