Product Description

This Handbook aims to be the most comprehensive and up to date reference book available to those who are involved or could be involved in the world of finance. The financial world has a capacity for ingenious innovation and this extends to the often bewildering array and use of terms. Here you can find out what a Circus, a Firewall, an Amazon Bond, a Clean Float, a Cocktail Swap, a Butterfly, a Streaker, a Straddle and a Strangle are. As well as defining terms, the book also shows how they are used differently in different markets and countries. It also has numerous examples showing clearly the use of particular calculations and instruments; and provides details of major markets, acronyms and currencies. Reflecting the development of global financial markets this Handbook will have broad appeal around the world. It will be a reliable guide for practitioners, and those in the related professions of accounting, law and management. At the same time it will be an invaluable companion for advanced students of finance, accounting and business.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #468025 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

From the Author
From AAA to Zusammenschlusse and 14,000 words in between!
In the final result, recently published by Oxford University Press, the text has three different sections: (I) an introduction and overview of the international financial system, its instruments and transactions; (II) an extended section which provides for all the abbreviations and acronyms that seem to pepper the markets and, finally; (III) an extensive (14,000 plus terms) set of references. In the introduction, entitled Getting Going with the A to Z of Entries, we provide a contextual framework for the individual entries. In contrast, in the major part consisting of detailed definitions of the terms, Nick and I opted for an alphabetical, dictionary-style format as being the most appropriate way of presenting the material. Such an approach allowed us to provide a concise definition, together with an illustration or example, where appropriate. To link different terms and the thread of the material, there is also extensive cross-referencing to associated definitions and follow-up references. Nick and I set out to fulfil three important principles:

1. To provide concise, yet complete, definitions of the term itself, including any formulas as well as alternative meanings. On average each definition is about 50 words long. The single term which we encountered with the most alternative definitions was the word "spread" where we identified 15 separate and distinct uses!

2. Appropriate examples of the use and origin of the term. Where possible, we make distinctions between the types of market, for instance, equities, bonds, banking, foreign exchange, and so on.

3. Very extensive cross-referencing between terms. Typically, there are at least 6 cross-references to a definition.

It is the combination of these three core principles in building the text which, in our view, provides the high quality of the end result. We found that - as suspected - many terms related to the same thing and whenever possible we provide the appropriate cross-references as well as summary entries of the key terms and definitions and their variations. For instance, the term vertical spread (a type of option strategy) is also variously known in different parts of the markets as a "risk reversal", a "cylinder", a "corridor" or a "tunnel". However, they are all the same basic financial transaction involving the purchase and sale of two options!!

We also sought to do justice to the modern practice of financial risk management as well as covering financial innovations. In researching the text, we paid particular attention to ensure that we had included the new terminology that has been spawned by the extensive financial innovation of recent years. We sought to include details about how these different financial instruments and products are interrelated, and indications of why they are used. Special attention was given to derivatives (futures, options, and other risk management products), which is an area that has grown significantly in scope and importance and has led to an explosion in new terms and concepts, some of which are firms’ own trademarked products.

In writing this major text, we believe that we have achieved one of our prime aims: to demystify the jargon of the markets. It also works as a source book for looking up specific items and definitions in a quick and efficient manner.

So what’s in it for the user?

The Handbook is designed to provide a ready reference to the international financial markets. Its scope is both broad and international, covering a very wide range of activities undertaken by the major global financial centers, and includes many common foreign terms (principally those in German, French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese).

For the practitioner, this Handbook should be a ready reference and, possibly, a source of inspiration as well as providing definitions of items. Such professionals will be able to save on search time and draw confidence from having their existing understanding confirmed. It provides one of the most comprehensive and technically advanced collections of terms currently available in a single volume. As such, the Handbook represents a convenient reference work suited to the needs of practitioners. The notion of the practitioner here is intended to be inclusive in its coverage. For example, practitioners could be: traders, analysts, money and fund managers, bankers, advisers, corporate financiers, finance managers and treasurers.

We think it will also appeal to both formal and informal finance students, and help them to a better understanding of what financial markets do, how they do it, and the particular language that is used. For students, The Handbook of International Financial Terms has been written with the purpose of assisting those students following courses in finance as both a free-standing introduction, and a handy refresher or decoder to accompany standard finance textbooks. It is particularly with this group in mind that some entries contain suggestions for further reading.

So, happy hunting for that financial term you always wanted to know the meaning of!

About the Author
Authors have solid professional and academic background. Moles worked in corporate finance for Chase Manhattan, and Terry is an expert on venture capital

Customer Reviews

This is a 1999 reprint of the 1997 hardback edition.
This is a 1999 reprint of the 1997 hardback edition. It is therefore pre-euro and suffers from other obvious shortcomings of ageing. I look forward to the next edition.

Excellent reference
This is more than a handbook or a dictionary in finance. Not only offers you the meaning of any financial term, but also teaches you the concepts and provides the key ideas to comprehend and fully understand the issue. In some topics it even goes beyond a brief explanation to cover more profound comprehensive subjects.

It is all you need to comprehend and make your concepts clear about any related subject matter, its application and implication in the financial market. It is helpful in studying, for knowledge purposes and useful at work.

Excellent reference in business; finance, investment, statistics, econometrics, economics, financial analysis, accounting, corporate finance...etc written by two talented authors I have to say! Looking forward to an updated new version to include any innovations in the market since the last edition.

Wish I knew about it earlier..