Market Players (PDF)

The global financial markets are not just driven by the big
investment houses and fund managers. Along with these, private
banks, insurance houses, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds and a
range of boutique investment managers, regional institutions and
brokers of different sizes and nationalities all operate and
interact to form the bedrock of the global financial
infrastructure. Because of this, it is essential that practitioners
and observers of the markets fully understand the linkages,
objectives and functions of these institutions, and the new and
dynamic environment they are working in.

Market Players provides a complete roadmap to the
institutions and intermediaries operating in today's global
financial landscape, illustrating what they are, how they work, how
they interact and importantly, their motivation. It explains the
core financial market business of these institutions and considers
how they have become the firms that we see today, providing readers
with a clear understanding of which market sectors are likely to
see the most involvement from the different types of institution
and, importantly, why they are involved in these market areas.

Key features include:

* a series of case studies looking at examples of some of these
institutions including an explanation of the EIB and the UK agency
UKFI. They also look at the financial crisis and the impact on AIG
and Northern Rock, two institutions that clearly illustrate what
can go wrong and how the other market players have to step in when
this happens.

* an international perspective looking at representative
institutions from Europe, Asia and North America, showing global
similarities and differences.

* a Post Financial Crisis perspective on the structure of
international banks in today's markets.

* coverage of the major players on both the buy and sell side of
the market

Written in plain English, Market Players is an accessible
and much needed guide to financial institutions, equipping readers
with the knowledge to better understand how the global financial
markets really work.