Currency Overlay

Name: Currency Overlay
Brand: Risk Books
SKU: 9781906348540
Price: 2247.50 HKD
Availability: OutOfStock
Author: A Practical Guide, Second Edition
ISBN: 9781906348540

By A Practical Guide, Second Edition

Risk Books May 2011

Specifications

ISBN-13: 9781906348540
Publisher: Risk Books
Publication: May 2011
Format: Paperback
Jurisdiction: International ? Countri(es) for reference only

Details

This fully updated and revised second edition of the best selling practical guide Currency Overlaycontinues to emphasise the same approach as in the First Edition: measuring currency risk separately in the portfolio, clarifying risk responsibility, using specialists where necessary, and taking control of the currency risk.

The underlying message remains unchanged: the future currency moves are hard to predict, it is easy by comparison to get reasonably well prepared. This new edition is full of practical hints and tips on how to get prepared in terms of currency risk management.

The much-elevated volatility level of the foreign exchange spot prices and a near-seizure of the foreign exchange forward and swap market at the height of the global financial crisis seem a distant memory for some, but many investors may be feeling distinctly uneasy about the currency risk in their global investment portfolios. In 2010, within a matter of a few months, we saw a euro scare, immediately followed by a US dollar scare. And, not quite on the fringe of the global currency market, there were ominous talks about “currency wars”. Looking ahead, many investors may be pondering on not only “known unknowns” but also, increasingly, “unknown unknowns” - “interesting times”, Confucius would have wisecracked.

The Second Edition of Currency Overlay: A Practical Guide does not attempt to disentangle the dense web of political, economic and sentimental factors that may drive the future moves of world’s currencies. Instead, it continues to emphasise the same approach as in the First Edition: measuring currency risk separately in the portfolio, clarifying risk responsibility, using specialists where necessary, and taking control of the currency risk. The underlying message remains unchanged: the future currency moves are hard to predict, it is easy by comparison to get reasonably well prepared. This new edition is full of practical hints and tips on how to get prepared in terms of currency risk management.

In the fully updated and expanded Second Edition, you will find:

An overview of the overlay industry: managers, users, counterparties, custodians, and consultants
Detailed discussions on the practical choices an investor would have to make on the currency management programme and their implications
An up-to-date overview on the models and trading strategies researched on and used by practitioners and their performances drivers
How to deal with emerging market currencies
The reasons behind the increasing use of currency beta indices and the practical relevance of so-called currency alpha-beta separation
A practical framework for setting a long-term benchmark hedge ratio

Currency Overlay: A Practical Guide (First Edition) was commended for its systematic approach to the subject, its neutral stance and clear structure, its rigorous yet accessible treatment of theories and academic research on the subject, and, above all, its practical how-to tips. The Second Edition retains all these features and is further enhanced by many useful insights and practical solutions. For investors revisiting their currency management policies and practices (or drafting one for the first time), the advice contained in this book is invaluable.

1 Introduction

1.1 A brief history of the modern currencies

1.2 Some stylised facts about the foreign exchange market

1.3 Defining currency returns

1.4 A simple descriptive tour of currency risks

1.5 What is special about currencies?

1.6 FX risk management and currency overlay

Appendix 1a: Uncovered interest rate arbitrage

Appendix 1b: The correlation triangle

Appendix 1c: Forecast, forward and no-arbitrage price

2 Currency Overlay Management

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Origins and development of currency overlay

2.3 Different approaches to managing currency risks

2.4 Definitions and merits of currency overlay

2.5 What an overlay process looks like in practice

2.6 Trading styles for active overlay and currency pure alpha

2.7 Overview on the main parties involved in currency business

2.8 Historical performance of currency overlay programmes

2.9 Outsourcing currency management

2.10 Summary

Appendix 2a: Main players in the currency overlay market

3 Currency Overlay: Some Practical Choices

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Choices for overall currency management policy

3.3 Choices for passive overlay

3.4 Choices for active overlay

3.5 Choices for pure alpha

3.6 Overlay and prime brokerage

4 FX Research and Choice of Currency Management Styles

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Purchasing power parity (ppp) based models

4.3 Back to fundamentals: macroeconomic models of foreign exchange determination

4.4 Technical analysis

4.5 Two warhorses: carry and trend

4.6 Other types of quantitative forecast models

4.7 Currency beta indices

4.8 Putting research into action

4.9 Summary: relevance of forecast models in a portfolio management context

Appendix 4a: Central bank intervention

Appendix 4b: Foreign exchange and cross-border merger and acquisition announcements

5 Optimisation and Hedge Ratio

5.1 Introduction

5.2 CAPM and currencies

5.3 CAPM, foreign exchange hedging and overlay

5.4 Global optimization and the role of currency

5.5 Hedge ratios

5.6 Asset–liability optimization

5.7 Currency basket hedging

5.8 Sector-based investment and currency management

6 Benchmark Design and Performance Measurement

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Setting a good benchmark

6.3 Customized benchmarks: risk separation and risk responsibility

6.4 Dissecting currency returns

6.5 The currency surprise approach

6.6 The excess return approach

6.7 Holding-based benchmarks

6.8 Adjustment style

6.9 Other practical considerations

7 Overlay and Alpha Beta Separation

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Alpha and beta for currencies

7.3 The rationale behind passive overlay plus pure alpha

7.4 The best implementation methods and other considerations

8 Options, Dynamic Hedging and Overlay

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Option pricing theory and dynamic hedging

8.3 Skews and smiles

8.4 Trading opportunities in the options market

8.5 Speaking Greek – some closing comments

9 Emerging Market Currencies

9.1 Background

9.2 The hedging debate in EM currencies

9.3 Carry, trend and value in EM currencies

9.4 Use options to trade EM currencies

9.5 Other related issues

9.6 Summary

10 Liquidity, Counterparty Risk and E Commerce

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Foreign exchange liquidity: theory and reality

10.3 Counterparty credit risk

10.4 E-commerce

11 Conclusions

11.1 Summary of the main arguments

11.2 A practical framework of setting benchmark hedge ratios

11.3 A currency overlay checklist

[List of currencies]

About the Author

Hai Xin

Hai Xin is a freelance consultant based in Hong Kong.

He had been a managing director and head of Asia Pacific at Overlay Asset Management (OAM), part of BNP Paribas group between 2005 and 2012. Before that, Hai Xin worked for the investment bank of UBS (and also previously for Swissbank Corporation, SBC Warburg, SBC Warburg Dillon Read, Warburg Dillon Read, and UBS Warburg) in a variety of positions: financial engineer within the Foreign Exchange division, advising corporations and institutional investors on currency hedging and investment issues; “permanent insider” within the Corporate Finance division, advising on currency risk management in cross-border merger and acquisition transactions; originator within Equity Capital Market Group dealing with Hong Kong and overseas initial public offerings (IPOs) as well as equity block trades by Chinese companies. Prior to joining UBS he worked as a researcher at AstraZeneca Treasury and as a relief producer for various current affairs programmes at the BBC World Service. Before leaving for Hong Kong, Hai also opened his own tofu factory based in the UK.

Hai obtained his PhD in quantitative finance from Imperial College, London, and an MSc in economics from the London School of Economics, both part of the University of London. His bachelor’s degree was in electronics and information science, from the University of Science and Technology of China.
Hai has been a visiting scholar of the Department of Finance at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology since 2010, lecturing on statistics as well as investment banking.

Previously, Hai has published Currency Overlay: A Practical Guide (2nd edition, 2011) with Risk Books. Hai has also written three finance and investment books aimed at the lay reader in China: one being a general introduction to finance and investment, the other two about quantitative investment and high-frequency trading.

Reviews

“Hai Xin and Risk Books continue to rigorously address key concerns and opportunities that currency exposure to international investing offers when institutional investors go global. Whether you want to risk manage or seek alpha returns in your global portfolio, this well researched practical guide to currency overlay is a must read for CIOs and their teams.”

Michael D. Huttman, Chairman of Millennium Global Investments Ltd

“With this Second Edition , Hai Xin makes again a very strong case for why global investors should look at the currency component of their portfolios separately. An essential reference book for anyone who needs to understand the nuts and bolts of currency management, to reduce an unwanted risk and turn it into new opportunities.”

Helie d’Hautefort, CEO of Overlay Asset Management

“Dr Hai Xin’s Second Edition of a practical guide to currency overlay contains well-researched solutions to many questions faced by investors as they constantly grapple with ever increasing and complex issues relating to the management of currency risks inherent in their international investments. Comprehensive and prudent currency risk management is essential to protect and enhance capital in any international portfolio. The solutions given in his book are practical, comprehensive, and balanced. Highly recommended.”

Felix Stephen, Manager Investment Strategy & Research - Advance Investment Solutions ( A member of the BT Financial Group) Sydney, Australia.

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