Derivatives Demystified: A Step-by-Step Guide to Forwards, Futures, Swaps and Options

Adopting a highly accessible approach, the author explains derivative products in straightforward terms and without the complex mathematics that underlie the subject, focusing on practical applications, case studies and examples of how the products are used to solve real-world problems. Derivatives Demystified follows a sequence that is designed to show that, although there are many applications of derivatives, there are only a small number of basic building blocks, namely forwards and futures, swaps and options. The book shows how each building block is applied to different markets and to the solution of various risk management and trading problems.

This new edition will be fully revised to reflect the many changes the derivatives markets have seen over the last three years.  New material will include a comprehensive history of derivatives, leading up to their use and abuse in the current credit crisis.  It will also feature new chapters on regulation and control of derivatives, commodity derivatives, credit derivatives and structured products and new derivative markets including inflation linked and insurance linked products. 

Derivatives Demystified is essential reading for everyone who operates in the financial markets or within the corporate environment who requires a good understanding of these important financial instruments.

ANDREW M. CHISHOLM MA MBA PhD is a Visiting Fellow at the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Centre at the University of Reading in England. He has designed, developed and taught programmes in derivatives and finance for more than 25 years. In that time, he has worked with many of the largest financial institutions around the world, teaching corporate financiers, traders, sales and marketing staff, risk managers, analysts, fund managers, operations and technology professionals. He has worked extensively on seminars at senior management level as well as training programmes designed to introduce new graduate and MBA entrants to the securities industry. He was formerly Head of Professional Development for Europe at JP Morgan and is the author of An Introduction to International Capital Markets, the second edition of which was published by John Wiley and Sons in 2009.