Alternative Investments: Instruments, Performance, Benchmarks, and Strategies

Historically low interest rates and bear markets in world stock markets have generated intense interest in alternative investments. With returns in traditional investment vehicles relatively low, many professional investors view alternative investments as a means of meeting their return objectives. Alternative Investments: Instruments, Performance, Benchmarks, and Strategies, can put you in a better position to achieve this difficult goal.

Part of the Robert W. Kolb Series in Finance, Alternative Investments provides an in-depth discussion of the historic performance, benchmarks, and strategies of every major alternative investment market. With contributions from professionals and academics around the world, it offers valuable insights on the latest trends, research, and thinking in each major area. Empirical evidence about each type of alternative investment is featured, with research presented in a straightforward manner.

• Examines a variety of major alternative asset classes, from real estate, private equity, and commodities to managed futures, hedge funds, and distressed securities
• Provides detailed insights on the latest research and strategies, and offers a thorough explanation of historical performance, benchmarks, and other critical information
• Blends knowledge from the conceptual world of scholars with the pragmatic view of practitioners in this field

Alternative investments provide a means of diversification, risk control, and return enhancement and, as such, are attractive to many professional investors. If you're looking for an effective way to hone your skills in this dynamic area of finance, look no further than this book.

H. KENT BAKER, PhD, CFA, CMA, is University Professor of Finance at the Kogod School of Business, American University in Washington, D.C. As one of the most prolific finance academics, he is the author or editor of 18 books, and more than 150 refereed articles in such publications as the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Analysts Journal, Journal of Portfolio Management, and Harvard Business Review. He has consulting and training experience with more than 100 organizations. Professor Baker received a BSBA from Georgetown University; MEd, MBA, and DBA degrees from the University of Maryland; and an MA, MS, and two PhDs from American University. He also holds CFA and CMA designations.

GREG FILBECK holds the Samuel P. Black III Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at Penn State Erie, The Behrend School, and serves as Program Chair for Finance. He previously served as senior vice-president at Kaplan Schweser, and also held academic appointments at Miami University (Ohio) and the University of Toledo, where he served as the associate director of the Center for Family and Privately-Held Business. Professor Filbeck is a coauthor of Derivatives and Risk Management and editor of CFA Basics: The Schweser Study Guide to Getting Started. He has published more than 70 refereed academic journal articles that have appeared in the Financial Analysts Journal, Financial Review, and Journal of Business Finance and Accounting. Professor Filbeck serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Business and Economic Perspectives and as a board member for the Southern Finance Association.