Market Neutral Strategies

Jacobs B.I., Levy K.N. (eds.)0471268682

Market neutral strategies offer new tools for enhancing investment return and controlling risk; new avenues for diversifying the risks of investing in stocks and bonds; and new flexibility in asset allocation and funds management. As market neutral strategies have built a record of good performance, these benefits have become more evident, attracting the interest of institutional investors, as well as sophisticated individuals. The book draws on the wisdom and experience of professional practitioners to describe the types of market neutral strategies in use today. These include market neutral equity, convertible arbitrage, merger arbitrage, government fixed-income arbitrage, and mortgage arbitrage. Related topics covered include how to “transport” the alpha available from a market neutral strategy to different asset classes in order to maximize both security selection and asset allocation; the tax implications of market neutral investing for taxable investors; and tax and ERISA concerns for tax-exempt investors.An in-depth look at the failures of two notorious “market neutral” ventures-Askin Capital Management and Long-Term Capital Management-offers a checklist of “do nots. Filled with practical insight and useful advice, Market Neutral Strategies provides investors with insiders’ views of what makes these strategies tick.