Campbell R. Harvey Livres

"Risk management is a trending topic. We have recently lived through the global pandemic, which sent equity markets into a tailspin. Despite its relevance, risk management remains a poorly understood afterthought, with portfolios designed and handed off to the risk management team without a backward glance. Our book presents a different vision. It is based on the integration of the investment and risk processes, the cornerstone of the success of the world's largest publicly listed hedge fund company, Man Group, to which the authors are affiliated. Market selloffs, such as the one we experienced in the first quarter of 2020 with the global Covid-19 pandemic, are fresh reminders of the importance of risk management. Unfortunately, it is only after these painful episodes that investment processes are re-examined. Indeed, a popular approach is to have two separate groups with a fund. The portfolio is designed by an investment management team and then handed off and monitored by a risk management team. This approach essentially sets tripwires that trigger risk reductions. We advocate a different approach. Risk management should be an integral part of the portfolio design. This is what we refer to as strategic risk management. In this book, we set forward this new framework where we explore critical aspects of portfolio design including: defensive strategies, drawdown risk controls, volatility targeting, and actively timing rebalancing trades. We have published a number of research papers on these components of risk management. The first quarter of 2020 provided a unique out-of-sample test. Our book also explores how our recommendations fared in the most recent drawdown"-- Provided by publisher

"During the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, our financial infrastructure failed. Governments bailed out the very institutions that let the economy down. This episode spurred a serious rethink of our financial system. Does it make any sense that it takes two days to settle a stock transaction? Why do retailers, operating on razor thin margins, have to pay 3% for every customer credit card swipe? Why does it take two days to transfer money from a bank account to a brokerage--or any other company? Why are savings rates miniscule or negative? Why is it so difficult for entrepreneurs to get financing at traditional banks? In DeFi and the Future of Finance, Campbell R. Harvey, Ashwin Ramachandran and Joey Santoro, introduce the new world of Decentralized Finance. The book argues that the current financial landscape is ripe for disruption and we are seeing, in real time, the reinvention of finance. The authors provide the reader with a clear assessment of the problems with the current financial system and how DeFi solves many of these problems. The essence of DeFi is that we interact with peers--there is no brick and mortar and all of the associated costs. Savings and lending are reinvented. Trading takes place with algorithms far removed from traditional brokerages. The book conducts a deep dive on some of the most innovative protocols such as Uniswap and Compound. Many of the companies featured in the book you might not have heard of--however, you will in the future. As with any new technology, there are a myriad of risks and the authors carefully catalogue these risks and assess which ones can be successfully mitigated. Ideally suited for people working in any part of the finance industry as well as financial policy makers, DeFi and the Future of Finance gives readers a vision of the future. The world of finance will fundamentally be changed over the coming decade. The book enables you to become part of the disruption-- not the target of the disruption"-- Provided by publisher