Managing Derivative Risks: The Use and Abuse of Leverage

Managing Derivative Risks The Use and Abuse of Leverage Lillian Chew When Barings, the oldest merchant bank in the United Kingdom, collapsed it joined the long list of financial disasters that have involved derivatives. Procter & Gamble, Metallgesellschaft and Orange County have all fallen famously foul of these instruments. But are they really so dangerous? Promoters of derivatives rightly argue that they provide a service, helping to manage risk in increasingly volatile markets. Where large losses have occurred, it is because derivatives have been misused through greed, a lack of understanding of their risks and the failure of management to control properly those who deal in them, or all three. This book cuts through the hysteria and hype and explains in non-technical terms the unique risks of derivatives. These risks are discussed using actual examples, particularly the high-profile cases of the early 1990s. Managing Derivative Risks also discusses topical issues such as Value at Risk and the latest Bank for International Settlements’ capital requirements for market risk. It will prove a valuable source of information for finance directors, treasurers, institutional investors, fund managers, bankers, regulators, and anyone who sits on a corporate board.