The speculative activities of hedge funds are a hot topic among market agents and authorities. In September 2006, the activities of Amaranth Advisors, a large-sized Connecticut hedge fund sent menacing ripples through the natural gas market. By September 21, 2006, Amaranth had lost roughly...

This chapter discusses the concepts related to using futures to hedge a variety of business risks. Those business risks include risks natural and unnatural hedgers might face in the market place. The chapter provides some simple examples of hedging in various markets to give the reader a sense...

Increasingly, consultants for fund management firms care about the riskiness of fund managers’ investment strategies. Fund managers themselves must care about the riskiness of their investment strategies vis-a-vis the client’s specified benchmark