Thursday, September 3, 2020

Qatar was the best choies to host the world cup in 2022 Essay

Qatar was the best choies to have the world cup in 2022 - Essay Example The world cup is the world’s greatest game and the capability of the game changing its inheritance in Qatar is unmistakably clear. The nation helps 12 scenes that can alter the world’s most followed sport. All the arenas will tackle the intensity of the sun’s beams to give cool condition to players and fans by changing over sun oriented vitality into power that will be utilized to cool the two fans promotion players. What's more, when there will be no matches being played in the arenas, the sun oriented establishments in the arena will send out vitality onto the force lattice however when the matches are being played, the arenas will be provided with vitality from the matrix. This is the most grounded point for the arenas carbon lack of bias (Farah, standard 1). The world cup is constantly held in summer. During this time, the Qatar’s temperature arrives at just about 40 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures are the Qatar’s number one selling point. With their wealth and mechanical headways, Qatar is intending to control the temperatures inside the different arenas. There are plans to update their sleeves also (Ballantyne, standard 1). Thusly, five stadia had just been proposed as right on time as March, 2010. The different stadia will utilize cooling innovation equipped for decreasing temperatures inside the arena up to 20 degrees Celsius. The cooling advancements will likewise be utilized in fan zones, preparing pitches and walkways between metro stations and the arenas. Further, Qatar flaunts a few stadia. Qatar college arena is equipped for facilitating around 43,500 people. The arena has mind boggling brilliant examples to mirror the genuine excellence and indulgence of Arabian culture. The arena is additionally founded on the edges of the capital city, Doha. Its cutting edge and world class offices will be fit for facilitating the requests of football’s most first class players (Farah, standard 1). Other stadia made arrangements for use in Qatar incorporate Al-Khor Stadium which is found

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Angelas Ashes Comparative Commentary Essay Example for Free

Angela’s Ashes Comparative Commentary Essay In spite of the fact that these two entries taken from the diaries; Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt and Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Sallinger, are like each other in certain viewpoints, for example, disposition, discernments and perspectives towards death and so forth., their general public, culture, and their ages make the differentiation between their styles. In the entry from Catcher in the Rye, we see the 17-years of age Holden heading off to his sibling Allie’s grave. From his remarks about his brother’s passing, we begin to decipher his juvenile and disrespectful character. â€Å"I know it’s just his body and all that’s in the burial ground, and his soul’s in Heaven and all that crap†¦Ã¢â‚¬  On the other hand, much the same as Frank McCourt’s, Holden’s outrage, trouble and hatred is seen by his temperament and tone. The 5-years of age little Frankie is now observer to his sister Margaret’s demise, and now he losts his younger sibling Oliver. In this scene, where Oliver is covered in the cemetery, Frankie attempts to comprehend the things around him with his whimsical interest and reactions. â€Å"I would not like to leave Oliver with them. I tossed a stone at a jackdaw that waddled over toward Oliver’s grave.† Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that his age, Holden’s failure to grapple with his brother’s demise drives him mad and angry. â€Å"All the guests could get in their vehicles and turn on their radios and all and afterward go somewhere decent for supper †everyone aside from Allie. I couldn’t stand it.† There are a few insights in the entries which propose about the way of life, social orders and time the two journals occurred. Holden says â€Å"the guests could get in their vehicles and turn on their radios and all and afterward go somewhere decent for dinner†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , while Frankie says â€Å"we rode to the emergency clinic in a carriage with a horse† and â€Å"My mother and Aunt Aggie cried, Grandma looked furious, Dad, Uncle Pa Keating, and Uncle Pat Sheehan looked tragic however didn't cry and I felt that if you’re a mean you can cry just when you have the dark stuff that is known as the pint.† The â€Å"carriage with a horse† and the individuals â€Å"running like hellfire over to their cars† â€Å"and turn on their radios† give us that the scene from Angela’s Ashes occurred numerous prior years Catcher in the Rye. In addition, with Frankie’s puerile remark about his family, the men in his family show up as consumers; this recommends about the Irish culture which all men are consumers. A similar remark likewise plainly shows us the distinction among ladies and men in their way of life. We likewise observe that the two characters’ families and social orders are Christian, and trust in the eternal life. Holden says â€Å"I know it’s just his body and all that’s in the burial ground, and his soul’s in Heaven and such poop, yet I couldn’t stand it anyway.† Then again Frankie clarifies, â€Å"Dad said I shouldn’t toss rocks at jackdaws, they may be somebody’s soul. I didn’t recognize what a spirit was nevertheless I didn’t ask him since I didn’t care.† Their observation towards religion is the equivalent; the two of them have faith in what is educated to them, however in the two cases the characters’ misery and outrage are a lot more prominent then their religion now, when they lost their siblings whom they love and were associated to such an extent. â€Å"I wish he wasn’t there. You didn’t know him. In the event that you’d known him, you’d realize what I mean.† â€Å"Oliver was dead and I detested jackdaws.† Both Frankie and Holden are separated from everyone else with their musings and emotions; they can't impart them to anybody. Holden is excessively youthful and weak to confront his brother’s demise and Frankie’s guardians wouldn’t answer his question marks about death. The two account characters can't discuss or communicate their distress, they need to keep it inside and redirect it into outrage and loathe of different things or individuals around them. â€Å"I’d take care of business some time or another and I’d accompany a pack of rocks and I’d leave the burial ground covered with dead jackdaws.† â€Å"All the guests in the graveyard began running like damnation once again to their vehicles. That’s what about drove me crazy.† Hence the two characters need to mend theirselves by something different; composing. Angela’s Ashes Comparative Commentary. (2017, Aug 22). We have papers on the accompanying points that might hold any importance with you

Friday, August 21, 2020

Data Warehousing and Its Benefits for Organizations

Presentation The report characterizes what information warehousing is and clarifies in subtleties the significance of information warehousing in an association. It additionally depicts the SAP warehousing arrangement considering it for instance of ERP its structure and how it executes its function.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on Data Warehousing and Its Benefits for Organizations explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Further more the report gives instances of organizations which have actualized this answer for upgrade their profitability and development. At long last, an end is drawn. Information Warehousing Data warehousing is a combined view or a way to deal with electronic information stockpiling in an association. Information warehousing essentially comprises of electronic information the board by method of capacity, recovery and conveyance. In this procedure, the enhanced information for revealing and examination is documented in an elect ronic framework. The put away is accumulated and summed up in order to encourage simple administration and recovery of the equivalent. Advantages of Data Warehousing Data warehousing is profitable to an association. As a matter of first importance, it empowers the association to securely assemble and store the data in a sheltered spot (Khan, 2005, 44). The warehoused information proves to be useful incase different records are demolished for example in the event that other storerooms are obliterated state by fire. The second advantage gathering from information warehousing is improved access to information and data (Kelly, 1996, p.65). Information distribution centers have better end client access to the business data in light of the fact that the storeroom is enhanced to encourage simple access. In the advanced serious corporate world, capacity to effectively get to, recover and investigate data is imperative to the endurance of an organization and its general achievement (Kelly, 1 996, p.69).Advertising Looking for exposition on business financial aspects? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another advantage related with the information warehousing is the simplicity in formation of reports (Khan, 2005, 23). With the utilization of the information warehousing innovation, organizations can undoubtedly make reports of all sort, for instance deals reports. Because of accessibility of very much summed up fragmented verifiable information that can undoubtedly be gotten to, it is simple for supervisors, for example team lead, to make deals reports and conjectures indicating patterns and varieties after some time. These reports are significant on the grounds that they help in everyday dynamic in the organization (Kelly, 1996, p.78). Information warehousing takes into consideration quick recovery of information without bringing about the expenses of hindering the tasks of the framework, subsequently improving profi tability. SAP’s Data warehousing arrangement The SAP arrangement follows a straightforward structure procedure of executing its capacities. The structure is made out of a constant progression of information in a warehousing domain (Roze, 2002, p.116). This warehousing arrangement depends on the rule of three layer structure. The plan and the language being used by the SAP is Application Link Enabling and Business Application Programming Interface which is utilized to connect SAP arrangement frameworks and non-SAP stages (Roze, 2002, p.118). It is this stage encourages a SAP framework to connect with different frameworks inciting data sharing. SAP is a case of ERP arrangement. It is an Industry expression which traces a wide arrangement of exercises that assists with forming and reclassify organizations in the administration of essential pieces of its center business (Roze, 2002, p.134). The Structure and the data that is collected from the ERP frameworks encourage key executi on that is required for accomplishing business corporate objectives. The ERP which implies Enterprise Resource Planning is the place organizations are coordinated with present day innovation and business the board rehearses. this combination has been changing organizations to work in current data age disposing of the conventional method of directing administration, this has been essential to numerous association since it has upgraded administration with a touch grasping the innovation (Roze, 2002, p.143)..Advertising We will compose a custom paper test on Data Warehousing and Its Benefits for Organizations explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The SAP venture is made out of three viewpoints; the data innovation, explicit business objectives and business the executives rehearses. Because of its capacity, SAP is intended to give truly necessary office to topographically scattered organizations over a multi stage with its practical units. This has been seen as essentia l to help nomad the board administrators to have genuinely necessary subtleties to help their dynamic at the administration level. SAP design has advanced additional time to improve an assortment of administrations housed in its individual unit programs with expound database, this unit’s work as one under a solitary umbrella (Becker, 2002, p.167). For most extreme yield to accumulate, the SAP ought to be coordinated with an office which permits adaptability, unwavering quality and groups a worldwide core interest. Joining is crucial part of SAP arrangement, since it brings more advantages and shapes the correspondence and appropriation of data (Becker, 2002, p.170). This thusly expands creation and execution in the business. SAP help organizations combine their procedures from all offices inside the association and unite it in a focal database (Kelly, 1996, p.96). This is accomplished without bringing about more expenses and time consequently making it simple for openness and smooth progression of work (Kelly, 1996, p.102). Organization Profiles Lenovo is a PC mammoth producer situated in the United States. It has embraced the utilization of SAP in its tasks. Preceding that, Lenovo had business challenges in its tasks. They needed to shape an assessment division without any preparation. Because of scattered and dissipated customer base in excess of 65 nations, it was a test of setting up business procedure to meet its business objective. All together encourage sound administration at all level and connect with its global network, an intricate framework was to be instituted.Advertising Searching for article on business financial matters? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More This activity was basic for Lenovo and particularly its assessment division. The target of the new framework was to make brought together worldwide expense arrangements and coordinate it with programming from SAP and outsider database. The execution of the SAP in Lenovo has carried more advantages to the Company. A portion of the advantages incorporate; quick rate alteration, exactness and diminished outstanding task at hand of the assessment division. The framework has impelled the organization to thing large for instance consolidating the SAP Customer Relationship Management application to give a stage which empowers online correspondence. This has been viewed as valuable with the goal that its clients can without much of a stretch buys merchandise utilizing Mastercards. This arrangement has been valuable to Lenovo on the grounds that it has diminished its expenses support in the organization. Framework Implementation at Lenovo was done in numerous stages. It was first turned out i n Quite a while, trailed by Canada. KPMG was contracted to help with the underlying arrangement and setup. It was essential to contract KPMG with the goal that they could set up the procedure to deliver nation explicit expense estimation modes to address Lenovo’s issues. Lenovo connected with a standard example to utilize strategies that are as of now rehearsed in the business; this was done to lessen customizations of its IT frameworks and let down the expenses. Pentland The Pentland Group Plc is headquartered in London. It produces Speedo and different games, open air and design marked items. The significant test that was confronting Pentland bunch was the manner by which to unite divergent frameworks of its 11 brands all around to a concentrated arrangement covering all the brands. There was additionally a test of mechanizing of manual undertakings in order to smooth out IT and business procedures to satisfy administration level understandings. The selection of the SAP arr angement has improved general productivity and viability in Pentland worldwide activities. The usage of the SAP Solution started in November 2005 Profine GmbH It is an organization situated in Germany and manages Mill Products. The SAP framework has carried various advantages to the organization. To begin with, it has encouraged request following continuously, which has included worth and productivity in value estimations and accessibility checks in online shop. Second, it has empowered forward looking entry innovation for adaptable and productive coordination of new web administrations. This has decreased client support related outstanding burden consequently giving the company’s staff more opportunity for singular client meetings. Third, it has expanded client maintenance through quicker citations and convenience. There is quick and straightforward request creation, complete ongoing data and full straightforwardness along deals and creation forms. The Implementation of the framework at Profine GmbH was finished in a time of a half year. Decision To set up an appropriate Data warehousing office, an association needs to survey different sorts of software’s that are accessible in the commercial center. The administration needs to decide the dependability, usability and the advantages that should collect from the product. In view of the investigation of the SAP Solution and its advantages for associations that have embraced it, it is a dependable arrangement. In any case, its execution requires commitment of a gathering that can alter it to given hierarchical attributes. References Becker, S., A., 2002, Data Warehousing and Web Engineering, Idea Group Inc (IGI), New York Kelly S., 1996, Data Warehousing: The Route to Mass Customization, Wiley, New Jersey Khan, A., 2005, SAP and BW Data Warehousing: How to Plan and Implement. iUniverse, Indiana Roze, C. M., 2002, SAP BW Certification: a Busine

Friday, August 14, 2020

Essay Topics For Oedipus the King

<h1>Essay Topics For Oedipus the King</h1><p>Before you choose to compose an exposition, there are a couple of various theme thoughts that make certain to realize some extraordinary reactions from your understudies. After you've chosen a couple of, you have to consider how they will assist you with reviewing the task and decide the suitable exposition subjects for Oedipus the King.</p><p></p><p>When you are utilizing these points for Oedipus the King, ensure you give some particular instances of the understudy's reactions to every one. In the event that you can give instances of understudies taking a gander at a similar topic however utilizing totally different characters, do as such. For instance, in the event that you have an understudy who has perused Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' and is presently composing a paper on a similar subject, you might need to incorporate the way that he took one gander at his dad and a popular character and stated, 'W ell, that is a fascinating method to do things.'</p><p></p><p>Once you have the understudy give you models, consider their subject and how it identifies with the general theme. On the off chance that it is an exposition about old Egypt, you will need to take a gander at the character that is highlighted in the book. Moreover, in the event that you are taking a gander at an English tale, the characters ought to be incorporated and how they identify with the principle subject of the exposition. Likewise, consider the sort of paper you will compose and how they identify with the point at hand.</p><p></p><p>It is imperative to consider an assortment of exposition subjects for Oedipus the King before you limited them down. The most well known subjects are recorded figures, occasions, or verifiable occasions, for instance, as this is the least demanding approach to get chronicled occasions and individuals included. For occasions, you will li kewise need to consider different components that integrate the occasion, for example, the timespan. At long last, for recorded figures, you might need to take a gander at the name of the character and how it fits into the bit of work.</p><p></p><p>Essay points for Oedipus the King can likewise incorporate topics like race, sexual orientation, social class, religion, or whatever else that may fit the sort of work you have as a main priority. Obviously, you will need to recollect that you should incorporate a few instances of how the subject has been utilized before. On the off chance that there is just one character to utilize, you might need to think about basically composing everything yourself. In the event that you have a few, notwithstanding, it is critical to take a gander at how the character fits into the subject and in which request they will be utilized in the piece.</p><p></p><p>Consider the same number of the paper themes f or Oedipus the King as you can before you start composing the exposition. You may even consider gathering any inquiries and thinking of them down. Along these lines, when you plunk down to compose the exposition, you will have a lot of material to work with.</p><p></p><p>When you are picking article subjects for Oedipus the King, consider how you will discover the assist you with requiring from the assets accessible. There are a few locales online that offer a wide range of subject thoughts and composing tests. In the event that you choose to utilize a paper subject as the reason for your group work, you might need to discover an asset that offers a broad scope of points and articles that you can use to help you as you compose your essays.</p>

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Creative Writing Prompts For an Essay

<h1>Creative Writing Prompts For an Essay</h1><p>Fifth grade exploratory writing prompts for an exposition help youngsters to have a fabulous time and they additionally show them the essentials of imagination. They figure out how to think and react quickly and expound on anything, even how to improve a life for themselves and their family. Here are five recommendations on the best way to utilize exploratory writing prompts for an essay.</p><p></p><p>The cutoff time that you have set is significant. To keep away from time pressures, set a cutoff time for yourself for composing your article and stick to it. At the point when you set a cutoff time, you can't perceive how much time you should really deal with it and this powers you to work hard.</p><p></p><p>Having a cutoff time helps recorded as a hard copy more than each piece in turn. This is particularly useful when the task is unreasonably enormous for one individual to finish in a solitary day. In any case, on the off chance that you find that composing a book report takes additional time than you expected, break the article into littler parts and complete it across the board day.</p><p></p><p>Finding exploratory writing brief isn't as troublesome as it appears. You can peruse through the web or glance through your nearby library for assets. Recollect that while inquiring about something, you ought to consistently search for the first source and not only a copycat version.</p><p></p><p>Finding the correct arrangement of experimental writing brief is significant for various reasons. While a few people might be scared by composing a paper for a school venture, many believe it's fun and you don't need to be a specialist in any field to get a degree or an online degree. Numerous individuals who think minimal about composing likewise locate that an exploratory writing prompts can be an incredible metho d to get started.</p><p></p><p>One thing to remember is that the motivation behind the task is to assist the kid with improving their composing abilities and not to assist the youngster with improving their evaluations. A few people accept that finishing the errand completely will help with both the evaluations and the composing aptitudes. This isn't really evident. It's a significant actuality to recollect that while composing is what you're focusing on, always remember to consider the helpfulness of the paper.</p><p></p><p>There are a few online destinations that give fifth grade exploratory writing prompts for an exposition. These locales offer a wide assortment of thoughts to look over. Ensure that you analyze the thoughts offered on each site to get the best thought regarding which will work best for your needs.</p>

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Custom Essays For Sale - How to Choose the Right Company to Sell Your Essays

<h1>Custom Essays For Sale - How to Choose the Right Company to Sell Your Essays</h1><p>If you're searching for custom expositions available to be purchased then you have to get a few hints. You can pay them off the Internet, or from an office that has practical experience in selling them. Whichever way you can set aside yourself cash and get the best thing to write.</p><p></p><p>The web is covered with sites devoted to offering you papers to sell. The nature of the composing they give can be poor, however it's extremely enticing to buy them at any rate. Before you purchase something like this you ought to know about a portion of the components you should remember to get the best composing administrations for your needs.</p><p></p><p>One of the greatest things to keep an eye out for when considering purchasing a composing administration is their capacity to refresh their item. Some of the time the items they offer are offered on a preliminary premise. This is fine in the event that you don't anticipate utilizing it to compose an expert article, yet it's not exceptionally advantageous in case you will compose business documents.</p><p></p><p>You can spare yourself a great deal of time and exertion by utilizing a help that offers papers to sell as opposed to utilizing their composing administration. Custom articles available to be purchased are incredibly important to essayists and specialists that need to sell their own works. At the point when somebody chooses to sell their own article on the web or in a library, they can end up burning through a great deal of time composing expositions to sell in light of the fact that the site doesn't offer them with refreshed versions.</p><p></p><p>The just way you can ensure an organization utilizes authors that will work for you is to ensure you have the correct specialist to get a duplicate of the completed it em. Numerous organizations and understudies feel that they can get the administrations of an organization that will offer them articles available to be purchased to set aside them cash. They don't understand that by purchasing the item, they will be compelled to pay more for the administration than they would on the off chance that they bought it off the internet.</p><p></p><p>Toget the most out of your administration, you should recruit an organization that will give you a duplicate of the last item ahead of time of composing your archive. As a rule the organization will send you a filtered duplicate of the last record to survey before it goes live. You will likewise have the option to audit the archive before you offer it to the company.</p><p></p><p>Make sure you read the agreement cautiously and don't be enticed to defy any of the norms set out for you by the organization. Ordinarily a blueprint is required when you buy articles av ailable to be purchased and this is the thing that you should follow. You can't simply revise a layout to fit the requests of the company.</p><p></p><p>It's a smart thought to set up a gathering with the essayist so you can become more acquainted with one another. Thusly you can mention to the essayist what you need to compose and you can give them instances of how you can compose your archive. The purpose of the gathering is to allow the essayist to compose an example archive and find out about you as a writer.</p>

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Research Paper Topics on Drug Abuse in US

<h1>Research Paper Topics on Drug Abuse in US</h1><p>One of the most ideal approaches to get a passing mark in a test is to concocted and concentrate on examine paper points on sedate maltreatment in the US. This specific subject will give understudies an intriguing edge that can be applied to different classes they will be taking all through their school career.</p><p></p><p>This is a region of the world that is covered with various kinds of medications. Various assortments are frequently utilized by various people. A few people may utilize them for amusement, while others may depend on them for medicine.</p><p></p><p>The United States has been trapped in sedate maltreatment. The illicit utilization of medications is common in the city, and it is this sort of antagonism that prompted the possibility that there should be more investigation with respect to the subject.</p><p></p><p>When it comes to tranquilize maltreatment in the US, there are a wide range of features that should be analyzed. One of the primary things understudies ought to do is to consider what number of nations are a piece of the United States. The nations remembered for this measure incorporate Mexico, Canada, South America, Caribbean, Central America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and even the European Union.</p><p></p><p>Each of these various pieces of the nation has its own one of a kind society and culture. It is no big surprise that medication misuse is a piece of every country's society.</p><p></p><p>Students ought to likewise consider how every nation handles sedate maltreatment. For instance, in Mexico, for instance, the utilization of medications has been an issue for quite a while at this point. In any case, tranquilize addicts are at a lower rate in Mexico contrasted with those in the United States.</p><p></p><p>In South America, criminal operations including drugs are very widespread. These incorporate the production and deals of these substances. Nations, for example, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay have seen the most utilization of this sort of drug.</p><p></p><p>Researchers should likewise comprehend that medication misuse is a piece of history in certain countries. One reason this is the situation is a result of the beneficial outcomes of these medications. Understudies who think of a very much examined investigate paper on sedate maltreatment in us will show signs of improvement grade than understudies who settle for ignorant opinions.</p>

Monday, June 29, 2020

A Fools Manual to Ielts Essay Introduction Samples

<h1> A Fool's Manual to Ielts Essay Introduction Samples </h1> <p>If you practice enough, presentations will end up simple and you'll destroy them just several minutes. Remember that it's not the length but rather the evaluation of the presentation that issues. Hence, it's critical to comprehend what ought to and shouldn't be remembered for all of these segments. All the reference things start with the title of the data asset. </p> <p>It is critical to recall what it is that you're mentioned to do. An extra significant issue to consider is that you have to not start addressing the inquiry in the presentation. At that point you begin getting the impression of the amount you should compose and to what extent it takes. Nowadays, vehicles are an extremely famous methods for getting around. </p> <p>Your passages are the primary concern as they contain the entirety of your supporting contentions and exhibit how great you're at arranging your thoughts. Attempt to recall that a body passage should be constrained to a solitary thought. This inquiry is associated with the subject of smacking kids. Utilize a highlighter to underline the fundamental words in the inquiry. </p> <p>It likewise needs to cover the small scale catchphrases and not the theme as a rule. It is pivotal to find out about IELTS articles since there are distinctive paper types, and these will call for different approaches to answer them. In the first place, the article will discuss the estimation of parental inclusion during adolescence and second, the paper will show up at the essentialness of encountering low maintenance work during youth. Examine the example articles offered in our document of test papers or learn all the more concerning the motivations to get papers from ProfEssays.com. &l t;/p> <p>In end, apparently task articles keep on getting a noticeable part in tertiary instruction as an evaluation apparatus. Obviously, you can't compose an incredible proposal articulation in the event that you don't have arranged your exposition layout first. A self-presentation paper blueprint can be easy to compose, since you should simply to present yourself. Understudies frequently start articles with an announcement like Illiteracy is a mainstream subject in the cutting edge society'. </p> <p>When you are mentioned to form an exposition, endeavor to find a few examples (models) of comparative composition and figure out how to watch the art of the essayist. In case you're to truly pick up from model papers, you need to see how to peruse the procedures of the essayist'. It was difficult for us all to begin with composing expositions. Composing articles become simpler and you'll be a mess speedier as well. </p> <h2> Ielts Essay Introduction Samples - Overview </h2> <p>The end shouldn't be long. Layout how you intend to respond to the inquiry This is a staggeringly noteworthy part the presentation. The acquaintance has with be actually appreciate that. An extraordinary acquaintance should with be straightforward. </p> <p>When it has to do with composing a general articulation, the absolute first sentence in an early on passage should be an amazingly broad remark about the order. You should have a few sentences out and out. The past sentence gives the answer to the article question. As can be watched, the previously mentioned sentence makes it completely clear to IELTS analyst what you think about the inquiry. </p> <h2> What You Need to Do About Ielts Essay Introduction Samples Starting in the Next Six Minutes</h2> <p>In Task 2, remember that you're ready to expound on others' thoughts as well. Students have gotten perpetually reliant on innovation, similar to the internet and cell gadgets. </p>

Friday, June 19, 2020

The One Thing to Do for Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform

<h1> The One Thing to Do for Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform</h1> <p>Arguments consistently happen in a specific setting. At last, since you're set up to take a shot at your paper, we wish to help you to remember the estimation of reasonable article structure. On the off chance that as you are setting up a report you simply break down explicit writing, the paper requests an astounding entrance into the issue. Peruse and investigate some influential paper guides to discover all the more concerning the structure and jargon utilized inside this kind of essay.</p> <h2> Understanding Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform </h2> <p>The key to decide on an incredible point for a pugnacious article is to choose a subject where there's a great deal of discussions on themes or positions. The deficiency of fabulous help sources are going to bring about a reduction grade. It is instructed to stay away with respect to contention article points on moral issues since they don't bolster consistent conversation. It's critical to choose begging to be proven wrong pugnacious paper subjects since you need contradicting focuses you could counter to your own focuses. </p> <p>Selecting a basic point may end up being an off base track since you may experience issues finding dependable sources to help your perspectives. MP3 music should be free. Mobile phones shouldn't be utilized while driving. </p> <h2> Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform Ideas</h2> <p>School ought to occur in the nighttimes. School tests aren't powerful. Each American ought to figure out how to communicate in Spanish. He ought to figure out how to communicate in English. </p> <p>F. Bacon The fundamental goal of the capital isn't to get however much cash as could reasonably be expected, yet to ensure that cash delivers a superior life. Publicizing and the media are currently almost indivisible from society for an entirety. A nother explanation is to see how well understudies contend on exceptional perspectives and show comprehension of the contemplated subject. Discussion about the association among drugs and vicious wrongdoing with respect to the statement. </p> <p>Year round school is anything but a smart thought. Doing sports in school should be required. When your absolute first draft is prepared, you can take a rest and permit it to sit for a little time. Controlled substances shouldn't be promoted at games. </p> <h2> The Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform Cover Up</h2> <p>The cost of migration should be decreased in order to lessen illicit settlements. Appropriate laws and changes need to go actualized in the fight against unlawful migration and are probably going to be prosperous. The main way to stop illicit migration is to make changes in rules. Illicit migration can be revoked in the occasion the administration takes the fitting measures. </p> <h2 > Life, Death, and Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform </h2> <p>These professionals of illicit outsiders become eclipsed by the costs they bring to the country. There's been an open clamor over governmental policy regarding minorities in society that is the separation of migrants at their work environment. An illicit foreigner can't be viewed as a worker under the IRCA, which naturally manages the segregation issue. Numerous individuals are slanted to feel that destroying unlawful migration is incomprehensible and that it can't take care of business. </p> <h2> New Questions About Argumentative Essay Topics on Reform</h2> <p>Other people believe national government to be somewhat useful in controlling the social points of interest. Foreigners achieve some inspiration as well, including aptitudes and experience required in a determination of American enterprises. Candidates must be informed of the medication testing prerequisite at the perfect t ime of use, and need to cover the test. Medication testing candidates would additionally help an individual who may need support however doesn't see how to procure clean, or the most appropriate heading towards the correct assist they with staying liberated from drugs. </p> <p>You don't have to secure overly specialized with lawful factious articles, yet make a point to get your work done on what the current laws about your preferred subject really state. Inquiring about the theme will allow you to discover increasingly about what interests you, and should you pick something you truly like, composing the article will be progressively agreeable. Moral contentious article points are a couple of the most straightforward to become overly energetic with. Late pugnacious exposition subjects that are identified with society is going to do.</p> <p>Or, in your writing class, you might be mentioned to contend the outcomes of dissent writing on open approach in the USA. Life is obviously better than it was 50 decades prior. The usa is one such country. They is by all accounts the main nation with the issue of medication testing, however this could be a positive thing that could impact different nations around the globe. </p> <p>Spam mail should be banned. The second thing you should deal with once you pick the title is to keep up at the top of the priority list five types of contention claims. Give close consideration to everything electronic, and you will be sure to discover something easy to refute of what you see.</p> <p>Drug testing candidates has a great deal of defects when it comes to demonstrating in the event that somebody can have an issue or is in any event, utilizing unlawful medications. Considerably all the more astounding, is the manner by which some prevent that this sort from securing issue exists. In any case, you should set a conspicuous issue and propose a specific solution for that issue. </p>

Thursday, June 18, 2020

Investment Market LTCM - Free Essay Example

Alternative Investment and Market Efficiency: In light of the rescue of LTCM is additional regulation of the industry needed? MSc Quantitative and Investment Finance Executive Summary This research paper has two objectives: clarify on the Alternative Investment and investigate which investment strategies are susceptible of having moved asset prices away from their fundamentals. To do so, a break down of the Alternative Investment sector is performed. The structure of analysis employed in this research paper is as follows: Firstly, since the Alternative Investment industry includes an eclectic range of participants operating under a variety of investment mandates, it is worthwhile dissecting the sector to identify potential market movers. Alternative Investment styles will be explained and data on the size, growth and performance will be provided. Secondly, the role of Alternative Investments in financial markets is described. More specifically, liquidity and risk sharing concepts are applied to the activities of such participants. Concerns over the volatility following the globalisation and the institutionalisation of markets are also addressed. Thirdly, an overview of regulatory issues in the over-the-counter markets is completed. Such parallel allows for the understanding of links between transparency, liquidity risk, systemic risk and price distortion. The Long Term Capital Management saga is used as an illustration of such chain effect, where margin calls and threat of liquidation are themselves responsible for unjustified price gaps. Monitoring and controlling risk has become one of the hottest topics in the investment management industry. The continuing falls in the equity markets have brought home the reality to investors that investment has its risks therefore; firms are actively investigating risk control procedures and putting in place procedures to monitor the risk of their portfolios. This has been further fuelled by many well-publicised cases where risk controls have been lax, the highest profile being Barings and LTCM (Long Term Capital Management). One can look at risk in a number of ways. From first principles, risk can be defined as the potential for failure to meet objectives. Hence a client may define risk as the loss of money, a pension fund sponsor may consider it in terms of inability to meet liabilities, a fund manager may view it as underperformance against the benchmark, etc. Hedge Fund blow ups have had varying affects on the economy. At the far extreme, when LTCM failed in 1998, its losses were so big; it threatened the stability of the US financial system. Regulators organised a bail-out to prevent a knock-on effect. However, in 2006, Amaranth, another US Hedge Fu nd, lost $6.5billion in a month in the natural gas market. It was not bailed out by regulators and instead closed with investors losing out. An Overview of Alternative Investments Sector 1 Introduction 1.1Origins and development of Hedge Funds During the last 60 years, the term Hedge Fund, has been applied to a wide range of collective pools of assets. Stock market cycles, financial innovations, developments of arbitrage strategies and trends in the market place have allowed the definition and characteristics of Hedge Funds to be dynamic over time. Perhaps the most appropriate and insightful description is the one stemming out of Hedge Funds origins and the hedging concept itself. The term hedging is referred to when a specific market risk, which is brought by an initial position, is cancelled out through the undertaking of an opposite transaction. Doing so ensures of incoming profits when losses occur from the original position. The development of the derivatives market has allowed such downside coverage of selected risk economically and efficiently, in terms of capital, transaction cost and counterparty risk. Alfred Winslow Jones, a sociologist and investor, was formally the first to introduce the concept in equity portfolio management when he set up his fund in 1949. When managing a portfolio of equities, systematic risk and non-diversifiable risk are incurred. His investment strategy was the following: In order to benefit mostly from stock picking abilities, he used to cancel out a proportion of market risk. Short selling selected stocks enabled him to hedge against a possible downfall of the equity market. Finally, leveraging his long positions procured an expansion of his exposure to stocks specific risk. Such strategy represents an opportunity for talented managers to go long bullish stocks and short bearish ones. The peculiarity of this investment policy is that it should be partly (exposure is relative to the hedge ratio) independent of market swings. Even though the strategy is highlighting portfolio manager skills in the stock selection process, the ability to adjust the hedge ratio depending on forecasted market behaviour is also rewarded. In more general terms, a perfect hedge, where an equal amount of asset value is held long and short, completely neutralises gains and losses. In theory a fully hedged position should yield a risk free rate because market risk is eliminated. Holding a dynamic hedge allows a window of systematic exposure for profiting from market timing skills. In relative terms, being under hedged in a market downturn increases losses, being over hedged in an upswing cuts profits. That is when comparing both positions to a completely unhedged one. Jones fund proved successful in implementing such a strategy combining leverage, and short sales. After successive outstanding performance results following the birth of the Jones fund, the news coverage on its activities increased, reporting d etails of the funds structure and strategy. The term Hedge Fund was attributed to the Jones partnership. The coverage, incentive fees and success of the concept promoted a strong proliferation of similar funds over the years. During the following decades, stocks have had many bullish runs, more than downturns. Holding short positions in such an environment happened to be expensive in terms of opportunity cost. Progressively, the hedging component of the strategy disappeared. Many Hedge Funds ended up managing leveraged and naked equity positions. Such amplified exposure to market risk caused the extinction of many funds over time when faced with strong market corrections because of the absence of the protective leg originally provided by the hedge. Even though only the hedge differs, a leveraged and hedged stock picking strategy can transform itself into pure speculation if the hedge is folded. In general, todays Hedge Funds do not completely hedge their market risk. Additiona lly, most Hedge Fund managers are not using derivatives necessarily for hedging purposes but occasionally for speculation. Effectively, options, futures and swaps have enabled managers to leverage their positions in markets cheaply and efficiently due to the low margins required. Also, price relationships between derivatives and their contingent claims are sometimes broken for short moments and represent opportunities for quick and wise managers to exploit these market inefficiencies. This requires considerable computer, software investment and capital at hand for making slight mispricing exploitation worthwhile. Thus leverage is frequently used in arbitrage strategies. It is worth specifying arbitrage activities do not necessarily imply a free lunch since exogenous shocks not considered into a pricing model can trigger changes in market conditions and brake historical price patterns between instruments. Furthermore, liquidity risk must be considered when undertaking arbitrage strat egies in thinner markets. 1.2Todays Hedge Funds Strategies In order to have a more descriptive insight on Hedge Fund investment strategies, the following section will cover the scope of trading styles. Dynamic and leveraged, short and long, strategies can provide payoff structures which bring substantial diversification benefits to traditionally balanced portfolios. Sophisticated investors in quest for ever higher returns are ready to pay significant fees and handle substantial volatility. In order to have a more descriptive insight on Hedge Fund investment strategies; the diagram below cover the scope of styles as reported by the Hedge Fund Research website. Many of the categories are self explanatory; please refer to Appendix 1 for strategies definitions extracted from Hedge Fund Research Website. 1.3Hedge Funds Key Features Alternative managers have the possibility to use wide array of financial instruments contrarily to mutual fund. Investments in asset backed and mo rtgage backed securities, illiquid equity stocks, low grade bonds, commodity futures, other derivatives and similar claims in emerging markets. Performing investments in such non traditional assets often implies significant diversification benefits for the casual bond, cash and equity investor. For most individuals, Hedge Funds are an adequate vehicle for positioning themselves in such exotic assets. Managers, in order to minimise the moral hazard effect, often inject an amount of capital directly into the fund. In doing so, an alignment of incentives with other shareholders is created, making the funds stock initially more marketable. Participation in a Hedge Fund also has disadvantages. Shares are not liquid as redemption is permitted infrequently (monthly, quarterly, etc). The net asset value (NAV) of the fund can be transmitted only to existing shareholders. Due diligence in reporting to investors is limited and performance is not based on benchmarking with indices or selected i nstrument baskets but evaluated on an absolute basis. This feature is beneficial to Hedge Fund managers since they are not constrained of holding securities solely for the purpose of replicating the performance of reference indices. 1.4Legal and Tax Issues In the United States (US), where the majority of Hedge Funds are located, the limited partnership (LP) structure is very convenient in avoiding the regulatory burden applying to registered funds with the Security Exchange Commission (SEC). More precisely, by undertaking a private offering under special circumstances, such legal entities are not obliged to register under both the Securities Act and Investment Company Act. More specifically, Hedge Funds rely on a private offering exemption provided by the Section 4(2) of the Securities Act or the related safe harbor under Regulation D of the same Act. In general, offering interests must be sold to accredited investors which can be generally defined as wealthy individuals or institutional investors. Such privilege is rarely used in practice since there would be disclosure due diligence to these non accredited investors. At the time of the offering, no general advertising or general solicitation can be undertaken to market the deal. Offers can only be communicated to investors with whom the general partner had a pre-existing relationship. Avoiding the Investment Company Act is beneficial to Hedge Funds since investment constraints concerning short selling, the use of leverage and reporting diligence are imbedded in them. Hence, the Hedge Fund partnerships structure allows for the avoidance of the compliance requirements imposed by both Acts. Such exemption is given to funds with less then 100 limited partners. The prevention of such regulatory constraints, the investment flexibility gained by such circumvention and the requirements needed to benefit from the exemption has helped characterising Hedge Funds in the following manner: â€Å"An investing partnership that is unregulated† â€Å"One that seeks high rates of return by investing in virtually any form of financial instruments† â€Å"An entity that takes long and short positions and invests in many markets† â€Å"An entity that uses leverage† Many offshore Hedge Funds have been settling in tax neutral jurisdictions where taxes are kept to a minimal level. This allows the averting of a double tax liability. In order to benefit from the special tax status, the fund must perform most of its business activities in or from the offshore territory. Offshore funds directly depend on the jurisdiction they are involved with. This explains why they take a variety of legal forms from one jurisdiction to another (such as investment companies, trust and limited liability partnerships {LLP}) in order to maximise the tax and disclosure benefits. EMPIRICAL THEORY AND LITERATURE 2Price Distortion: Empirical and Theoretical Grounds The Alternative Investment identified two large classes of Hedge Funds which are more susceptible, due to their size, concentration, and investment strategies, to manipulate markets, namely Global and Macro Hedge Funds. Hence, Macro Hedge Funds, which take positions on changes in global economic condit ions as reflected in equity prices, currencies, and interest rates. The extensive news coverage on both selected investment schemes, the Hong Kong Double Play and the Yen Carry Trade, was directly accusing Hedge Funds of being their main implementers. Before addressing the details of these strategies, and overview of key issues stemming from the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation summits, lead by Malaysian Minister Dr. Mahitir, will demonstrate such Hedge Fund market manipulation represent real political and economical concerns. Two strategies have been established in the literature to gain insight on speculators potential impacts on price equilibrium. Both will be explained subsequently. Secondly an empirical methodology introduced by Goetzman et al., but strongly influenced by the Fung and Hsieh (1997) study, will be tackled. Hence, regression analysis will be applied in order to evaluate the potential exposure major macro Hedge Funds accumulated in Hong Kong and Japan under th e previously chosen trading techniques. A review of the herding literature will follow. The herding concept is a powerful one, since it allows uncovering a framework potentially used by speculators, where they voluntarily move asset prices away from their true value and then benefit from the explosion of such price bubble. 2.1.The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Worries The association which is composed by 21 member countries was directed by Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahitir has been keen to publicly and denounce the negative impact Hedge Funds and currency traders have had on its national economy. It is of no surprise that regulation of short term capital flows was the main issue of discussion in the summits he chaired. It is worth going over the concerns which surfaced during the APEC group meetings in order to grasp the importance of Hedge Fund trading and the stemming threats of market inefficiencies. Some of these countries have claimed to be direct victims of specul ative attacks on their currencies over the year, such as Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. During the summits the clear cut conclusion that currency speculators were responsible for the Asian Crisis was confirmed by most members. Some delegates have stated the size of managed pools of capital some Hedge Funds had accumulated was equal to the resources of some countries and that bank lending should be tightly controlled in order limit their market power. In the same line, Dr. Mahitir recalled that currency trading turnover was largely exceeding levels of commercial activities, rendering the creation of a virtual money concept. The considerable leverage potential traders have, allows them to move astonishing figures on screen, perhaps dislocating currencies and disturbing trade. He said that even though these amounts were virtual, social and political consequences were very real. Mahitir has called for Hedge Fund licensing and registration of currency traders, restrictions on bank lending which support such activities and limits on trading volumes. These requirements would be applied to private-sector financial institutions involved in international capital flows, such as investment banks, Hedge Funds and other institutional investors. Australia has been less conservative, demanding for disclosure of speculative activities, including exposures on individual transactions. In general, drastic measures have been discussed to limit Hedge Fund impacts in financial markets, proving concerns over Hedge Fund impacts are substantial. Asian authorities are aware of the costs of undertaking such regulatory measures in financial markets but they see a need for it. Still most agreed transparency and disclosure requirements had to be primary concerns. There are two legs to this regulation argument and are worth paying attention in order to distinguish between types of speculation. Propositions made during the council sessions have de monstrated the debate can turn political rapidly. A fundamental issue remains even though speculators activities have taken immense proportions. Some Asian economies have themselves been slow on disclosure of reliable economic indicators. Many Asian countries have had a dubious banking sector for too long. Some financial institutions in these countries have been lending without stringent selection and monitoring of borrowers. The length of time for the write off of such bad loans was often a source of asymmetrical information rendering speculative operations on some major national banks profitable. The point was weaknesses in some Asian countries have been highlighted after the market corrections. Speculative activities, including the short sales of bank shares, have put pressure on the stock index, causing massive sales of the involved currency. Hong Kong and Japan are examples of such financial institution crisis. Hedge Fund activities are suspected to have accelerated and magn ified the process of convergence of asset value to fundamentals, in the occurrence by implementation of the double play of Hong Kong. Clearly, the causality proposed by Mahitir and other politicians, saying Hedge Funds are at the source of the 1997 Asian market turmoil is hard to prove. In a sense, perhaps Hedge Funds were the first to uncover the hidden structural problems and synchronously implementing proper trades to cash on the situation. Still, what remains is that Hedge Funds could have sufficient aggregate market power to drive some currencies out of their peg, whatever the underlying economical fundamentals of the targeted nation. Herding theories in this case render self fulfilling prophecies even more realistic, since such momentum trades imply a one bet. Georges Soros himself explains the trading phenomenon, where equilibrium is not reached because of massive capital flows which cause sudden price movements. These price exaggerations then affect the fundamentals rende ring the ex-ante price movements justifiable; â€Å"In the normal course of events, a speculative price rise provokes countervailing forces: supply is increased and demand reduces. But there are exceptions. In foreign exchange, for example, a sustained price movement can be self-validating, because of its impact on domestic price levels. The same is true in the stock market where the performance of a stock may affect the performance of the company in question in a number of ways.† 2.2.Investment Strategies Susceptible to Market Impacts A few strategies have been known to have created substantial distortion in markets due to their implementation by sizeable Hedge Funds and their use of substantial amount of leverage. The following sections are describing such strategies. Regressions will be applied subsequently in order to help quantifying Hedge Fund exposure during the implementation of the two selected investment schemes. 2.2.1The Yen Carry Trade Borrowing at low cost and investing in higher yielding instruments has been a long tradition in financial markets. Since the recession began (1998) in Japan, rates have been lowered repeatedly, making the country an appropriate source of fund. As long as the Japanese economy would not resume, cheap funds would be available at a low risk. The strategy of borrowing in yen at floor rates and investing back abroad at decent rates in respectable low risk securities is well known in the markets. In fact, American and Canadian trading departments often report that the investment strategy is the â€Å"closest thing you could get in the global markets to a free lunch†. Indeed, the Japanese Central Bank had kept its bank rate at less than 1 per cent in order to attract capital and fueling growth. Japans benchmark 10-year bond was yielding 0.75 per cent in October, compared with 5 and 4.72% for the Canadian and American equivalents. Hedge Funds have been known to intensively and extensively particip ate in the Yen Carry Trade. Some reporters say the difficulties which many macro Hedge Funds were facing during the months of September and October 1998 and the weakening U.S. dollar made the Yen Carry Trade less of a free ride. Since some Hedge Funds were supposedly massively leveraging themselves in Yen, any slight turnaround, accompanied with margin calls on investments made abroad, could trigger a wave of U.S. dollar sell off. Buying Yens was necessary to reimburse the initial loans and was indispensable to cover possible foreign exchange losses. Many Hedge Funds have been accused of herding when unwinding simultaneously their yen positions, hence affecting significantly the exchange rate over a few days. The dollar yen exchange rate on October 7 was seen as especially vulnerable to Hedge Funds capital flows. The global turnover in yen trading alone amounts to $1trillion a day and the resources of just one large Hedge Fund can reach tens of billions of dollars. During the day , in less than six hours of trading, the dollar lost 6% against the yen from Y131 to Y123, reaching a low of Y120 later in the day. The following day, October 8, the dollar plummeted to Y112 in a few hours. The result was a loss of 20% in less than 3 days. Such volatility in the dollar yen was unseen since 1970, when the U.S. currency replaced the gold standard. Many research reports communicated 2 months prior, indicated the dollar could appreciate up to Yen180, leading many to believe the rates had derailed from their fundamentals. The volatility in the exchange rate was very impressive over the period ranging from June to November 1998, and since the Yen Carry strategy was certainly massively used by the most reputable macro Hedge Funds, it is worth inquiring a possible market impact. Following the statistical methodology introduced by Brown, Goetzmann and Park, a similar set of regression will be run on the dollar yen exchange rate over the prior year. 2.2.2The Hong Kong D ouble Play Hong Kong Monetary Authorities (HKMA) which are well known for being free market proponents, plunged US$15.2 billion in their blue chip stocks as an offensive move to counter attack Hedge Funds performing the double play. The strategy was simple. Hedge Funds and other speculators shorted the currency against its peg in huge amounts. News reported they shorted in amounts reaching $2 billion in the first week of August and $4 billion the following week. They simultaneously went short on a massive amount of stocks and index futures. Both moves ensured a self financing position since authorities would have to raise the interest rates to defend the currency peg, and consequently deflating stock prices. The pressure on the equity market would yield profits on short equity positions, fueling more funds to short the currency off its peg. As a counter measure, the government intervened during 10 days starting August 14, by buying 33 listed companies in proportions correspond ing to their weight in the Hang Sang stock index, and hence squeezing short sellers in the Hang Seng futures contracts, forcing them to close out their August contracts, and making it expensive to roll over their short positions in subsequent contract months. A company was formed to manage the stock holdings and took the mandate to sell back-acquired shares gradually. HKMA also revised their trading rules. In order to put a stop the massive amount of short sales, they imposed the ownership of stocks to cover positions and tightened obligations to settle deals in less than 2 days. In futures market, they required large short positions to be disclosed to regulators and were stricter on margin limits. A special margin surcharge of 150% percent of contract value on index futures was imposed in August. Even though principles of non-interventionism have been broken, HKMA have avoided a devaluation but at an astonishing cost. The amplitude of the operation clearly proves convergence in spe culative and leveraged trading strategies can put extreme pressure on a financial system. The additional regulatory measures have been suspected to drive futures business to Singapore. Indeed, the Hong Kong devices such as disclosure of large short positions in futures contracts must be implemented to other jurisdiction in order to be efficient. The necessity to have a simultaneous implementation of a uniform set of regulatory measures on a global basis in order to avoid business migration will be discussed in section 3 but is clearly illustrated in the case of Hong Kong, where foreign investment banks threatened to move out. 2.3Group Psychology in Financial Markets The following statement of Hong Kong Leader Tung Chee-hwa nicely bridges to the following topic, proving Hedge Fund activities have been the subject of great concerns and explains the massive counter interventions on behalf of Asian central banks. â€Å"The turmoil experienced by countries in Asia was compou nded by the activities of the international Hedge Funds†. â€Å"The fact is they can create this herd instinct mentality and that herd instinct, and the activities of Hedge Funds, leads many other international financial institutions to follow, to act together, and they together create havoc in many financial markets around the world, including Hong Kong†. Sociologically speaking, many studies have demonstrated the tendency of the human nature to undertake similar actions previously assumed by peers in a context of uncertainty and competitive pressure. Even though financial decisions rotate around computer analysis and controlled research by field specialists, it is the human nature which is the primary driver in the decision process. Since the proportion of institutions managing investments has been increasing greatly over the past years. The interaction between both types of investors (informed vs. uniformed) has been the subject of extensive research. Some beha vioural models have been presented to explain well known market inefficiencies such as price bubbles and some simple but empirically lucrative ex post trading strategies. Interestingly, empirical tests can be grossly segregated into two by types of strategy used to reject the market efficiency hypothesis. The first group composed among many others of De Bondt and Thaler (1985), Jegadeesh (1990) and Lehman (1990) suggest that contrarian trading strategies yield significant excess profits. Others, such as Grinblatt, Titman and Wermers (1995) provide evidence on the abnormal profitability of relative strength strategies that consists in buying recently increasing stocks and selling the ones that undertook losses. The second group consists of people, who suggest the momentum strategies, and a theoretical analysis is made of the effects on the hedge funds based on correlated market transactions. Prices of hedge funds can be affected drastically due to transactions of alternative mo ney managers, making the prices move completely out of line. The second group include studies such as Grinblatt, Titman and Wermers (1995) who explained how mutual funds and equity markets were correlated and how mutual funds impacted the equity markets. This study has created a theoretical framework for alternative managers to understand the markets dynamic effects and has created a window for understanding the affects of correlated markets. 2.3.1The Herding Concept Devenow and Welch (1996) note in their herding literature review, that herding is generally defined as â€Å"behaviour patterns, which are correlated across individuals†. They propose another notion of herding which is â€Å"systematic erroneous decision-making by entire populations†. Two frameworks will be presented to highlight incentives driving speculators such as Hedge Fund managers to ride trends, and thus amplify market volatility by voluntarily destabilising markets. 2.3.2Herding among Institutional Market Participants Investor choice of money manager is often based on past performance appraisal. Comparing them to competitors results usually performs an evaluation of historical returns. Since investors look at returns on a comparative basis, investment managers could have a natural tendency to pursue similar strategies in order to preserve their reputation. Authors report a popular sentence written by Keynes that indicates the phenomenon was thought of a while ago: â€Å"Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally.† The statement clearly indicates managers might have a biased investment decision process due to their willingness to shelter a positive standing in the market place. Such influence might drive managers to pass over other sources of valuable information and simply follow what others do. By mimicking, a manager insures himself to keep his reputation if the investment goes so ur. In the end, he will not be the only one affected, and investor will not consider his ability, as being relatively inferior since other managers will also are victims. Authors refer to this as the â€Å"sharing the blame effect†. The system holds if unpredictable forecasting errors occur systematically. This allows for the occurrence of coordinated losses, which will render the comparative analysis useful on the behalf of investors. Scharfstein and Stein indicate that such framework could explain overreactions by money managers to shocks triggering discrepancies between fundamental worthiness of instruments and market prices. Furthermore, the liquidity of shares and the availability of performance records promote investor migration from one asset manager to another, further reinforcing the managers herd bias. In the case of Hedge Funds, this is not representative. Shares cannot be quickly redeemed and reporting is infrequent. Still, more and more data is available and comp etition increases rapidly, making relative performance assessment more probable. Herding behaviour can be applied to other institutional participants. Major bank proprietary trading desks also perform similar activities as Hedge Funds. Since they benefit from more resources in terms of research staff they could be the initial momentum creators. Samuel Gwynne (1986) also refers to herding in bank lending committees with regard to lower developed countries stating credit analysis was doomed to be similar from one bank to another. This is so since no bank wants to take the blame all by itself if a default arises. Hence similar credit approvals are given because widespread failure is forgiven. This could also apply in the context of bank lending to Hedge Fund managers. Few major banks want to miss the boat for higher returns and transaction income; even if fundamental reasoning might prove Hedge Funds do not have very solid credit worthiness. The presence of reputable competitors in the market would ensures that the lenders are not prone to high risks and can be sure of their monies being safe. 2.3.3Positive Feedback Trading The following framework is often drawn from the intuition provided by Keynes as Devenow, Welch (1996) and Froot, Scharstein and Stein as indicate. These researchers state Keynes perspective on the behaviour of professional investors as being similar to judges in a beauty contest. Keynes argues the judges are more tempted to discover who the others will select instead of following their own judgment concerning the candidates. Momentum Trading, which consists in buying in upward trends and selling in downward trends, is also referred to as Positive Feedback Trading. Speculators have been known to be trend riders and theoretical frameworks have been constructed to enlighten the incentives of undertaking such behaviour. The authors propose an alternative scenario to previous literature, which states the stabilising effect of specula tors. The initial theory proposed the concept that rational speculators would be quick to â€Å"buck the trend† by acting as contrarians in such a way that market prices would revert to fundamentals rapidly. De Long and its peers bring the idea that speculators could profit on the influence they create and further magnify the trend by enticing positive feedback traders to jump in and finally taking bigger profits. Authors differentiate between rational speculators and positive feedback traders. In this game theory framework, speculators would buy on good news, but knowing feedback traders orders would kick in soon after making the prices go up further, such speculators would accumulate more securities in the first place, driving prices further out of line and thus bracing even more feedback trader demand. Authors refer to Soros investment strategy of betting on future crowd behaviour, even if it implies a contradiction with fundamentals. In a more general manner, speculato rs knowledge of sequential behaviour of uninformed investors or feedback traders entitles them to a profit if prices are inflated further. Authors assert that such behaviour could explain the short term positive correlation of stocks long term negative correlation encountered by studies of past returns by Fama and French (1988), Poterba (1988) and others. Since Hedge Funds have had a great deal of news coverage for being successful speculators. Theoretically, it would be a concern if the hedge funds find out that there are uninformed investors who would be willing to follow the bets blindly. This can be misused by the hedge funds, as it could start investing without actually analysing the markets and mimickers would follow in expecting to make profits. Hedge funds could continue to be a part of the investments until the prices rise to the maximum and exit out before the fund crashes. 2.3.4Margin Calls and the Snowball Effect All banks/ brokers demand investors using margins to deposit additional security or cash so that the minimum margin is maintained. When an investor is called up for a margin it could be for the reason that one of the securities bought has decreased in value. Here the customer would either have to deposit more money to ensure that the minimum margin requirement is met or sell a part of the security. De Long et al. refers to margin calls25 aspositive feedback trading like delta hedging, stop loss orders. Apart from margin calls, even the force fire sale of securities that are held by banks as collateral, are considered to be automatic triggers for feedback trading. The financing of purchases is done using margins. The borrower is enabled to purchase securities using the banks capital, but if the value of the acquired assets decreases, further cash or short-term securities must be deposited in the margin account. If this margin call for supplemental cash down is not meet, the lender has the right to sell the securities bought on c redit. If the sale occurs in a low liquidity trading session, this can further put pressure on the market price triggering subsequent margin calls. Hence, the collaterals value is stuck in a downward spiral. The momentum can be further accelerated if other Hedge Funds were also participating in the acquisition of similar assets on the basis of credit margins. There has been a trend for the banks to provided secured (with collateral) loans to hedge funds. The security that is acceptable for these types of loans is mainly which can be easily liquidized. Loans are normally fully backed by a security in interest of the banks safety, i.e. every dollar that is lent is covered by an agreement to unilaterally sell one dollar of the security. The above mentioned techniques provide a fundamental of the rational framework to help understand any irrationality from the investor. The market inefficiencies have been strengthened and most of the times hedge funds are accused for it. The same is true for dynamic hedging procedures and margin calls. Empirically, it is a task of considerable importance to uncover such possible manipulation on behalf of Hedge Funds. Furthermore, the extensive use of Chartism and technical trading rules by speculators and traders provide evidence of wide spread momentum investment techniques which draw more information on volumes and trends rather then fundamental research. 2.4. Regression Analysis of Past Performance The SEC does not regulate hedge funds, hence information about the hedge funds are not easily available in public. Due to this factor it is not at all feasible to make a direct analysis of their exposure to a certain instrument and its potentially correlated price movements1. Since Hedge Fund portfolio composition remains anonymous, researchers have been using past performance to uncover their asset mix. In case of passively managed mutual funds, Sharpe (1992) identified the asset allocation weights of mutual funds by regressing their performance on selected asset class indices. However according to Fung and Hsief (1997), this model was not very indicative in case of active trading strategies used by alternative managers. However a lot of measures had to be performed to gain insight on this method. Many researchers have used Sharpe (1992) methodology to detect whether or not hedge funds play a role in alteration of financial asset prices. Researchers like Brown, Goetzmann and Park (1997), they discussed the ten most prominent global hedge funds and proved that they did not have a significant influence on the Malaysian ringgit during the 1997 Asian crash. The main aim of these analyses is to understand whether or not considerable price fluctuations were coordinated with large estimated open positions. To understand and analyse this a regression is done on the asset price of the funds implied exposure to this asset. However using regressions for hedge funds is not the optimal mode of anal ysis. This is due to the fact that most authors rely on monthly net asset values. But this is not the best source of information since there can be extensive changes in the positions as the turnover rate managers create in their positions can be very varied and high. Also relying on monthly data is not the best and optimum choice of many econometricians, since this data does not provide accurate information and could cause some misleading and distorted results that might just complicate the situation more. Also if the data is closely analysed, there is a high attrition rate present, this rate signifies a Survivor Bias is present in the data sets. These kinds of bias occur in data sets when the closing funds are missed out of the data set. As an example, if an Event Driven Hedge Fund Index reports 25% annual return, it does not mean you would get, on average 25% annual return even if you go back in time. This is so because the composition of that index changes when near bankrupt fund s are taken out of it. Hence if you would have invested with the initial index mix, you would have achieved a lower return, since bad Hedge Funds are no simply taken out of your portfolio, they also decrease your real portfolio return. Brown, Goetzmann and Park (1997) have analysed a reason for the misleading data. Firstly they feel that since there are incentive fee structures implemented quarterly, thus the analysis could very well provide misleading data, hence making yearly and quarterly data more valuable and reliable. There are very few alternative investment information providers, like Tass Management, Hedge fund research, Van hedge advisors, etc. Secondly, since hedge fund managers decide what information needs to be submitted, there could very easily be a reporting bias. Managers could demand that his performance reports are retrieved from the list if the performance is poor or the manager might not even submit the data. Some of the above mentioned providers have also dr opped of some of the poor performing records. The authors also noted that there is an attrition rate of 20% for the offshore funds, and a 7% annual failure rate for International Monetary Fund reports. Also since these funds work under minimal regulations and there are a large number of non-standardised jurisdictions, tracking the fund mergers and restructuring of partnership or closures details are very difficult to find. As noted by a few authors 90% of the hedge funds have been created in the last five years, making the track record short and the number of observations available are very low. Also there is a very high water mark provision in regards to the incentive fee structure, making this a direct incentive for managers to close down all the funds that in losses and open up newer funds with new initial investors. All these factors form the reason for the possible bias in the reports. As already discussed the hedge funds are very small players in the exchange-traded contrac ts. The main presence of the funds is felt in the over-the-counter markets, where there are no large position requirements that further complicate the evaluation of outstanding positions. Further on in the research a detailed analysis of hedge funds and this issue is made. 2.4.1. The Brown, Goetzmann and Park (1997) Methodology Post the huge crashes in the past in the London and New York stock exchange, the markets finally seem to have recovered and the equities appear to provide substantial premium over bonds. The Brown, Goetzmann and Park methodologys aim is to find out the market adjustment to the new information. This methodology has been adapted from Sharpes (1992) style analysis approach that decomposes fund return. The method tests the hypothesis whether the hedge funds were responsible for the Asian market crash in 1997. Hence, they chose to estimate the largest ten currency funds in one currency the Malaysian ringgit and a basket of Asian currencies. Brown et. al h ave followed a very systematic method to explain this study. They aim at firstly explaining the econometric procedure, followed then by a hypothesis test, collection of useful hedge fund data and finally the result of the study. Further, here we discuss each of these steps in detail. Econometric Procedure: As mentioned already this method has been adapted from Sharpes (1992) style analysis, where, the return of any funds at a time is represented as a linear combination of returns to passively managed classes. This was expressed by the following formula: The equation (1), can be estimated with a constant. Also the coefficient provides an estimate of the pre dollar exposure of funds to a given asset class. The total dollar value exposure of the fund to the proposed security at the time t can be calculated using The analysis aims at estimating the value Ei,t,k of particular currencies. The positivity constraint on the coefficients and the first constant are relaxed. As indicated before, since Hedge Funds portfolio composition is unknown to the public, the objective of the procedure is to extrapolate, through regression analysis, their exposure to a certain asset supposedly victim of price manipulation. The k is set as 1 for the hypothesis of Malaysian ringgit. The return of fund i s regressed on the return of a specific asset k. Here, the Sharpe (1992) model is reduced to a one-factor model: R it = ? kt+ ? kt R kt+ ? kt (2) Hypothesis Test: The claims of Mohamad Mahatir, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, provide a clear hypothesis of the test. Presuming that the market manipulations are normally undertaken for profits, the hypothesis of currency manipulation can be tested by a given fund, or a group of funds using the following formula: Rkt = a + g E kt + e t (3) However, authors noted that there is a small problem Ekt can be estimated using equation (2) via rolling regression; this induces an error for individual funds. Averaging across exposures can mitigate the errors, however this would only mitigate the problem and would not eliminate it since Rkt might be correlated with errors in the ?kt measurement. The conclusion is if indeed there is manipulation, large Hedge Fund positions (individually taken or aggregated) will be correlated with whips in the market price of the selected asset. Authors Data Collection source: The SEC does not regulate hedge funds unlike mutual funds (which are regulated by SEC). Hence getting data for them is relatively more difficult. The authors thus used monthly return information for major hedge funds over the last four years from an advisory service and data vendor called Tass. 2.4.2. Regression analysis results A few macro hedge funds have been selected to implement the Goetzmann et al methodology. The choice of funds were those which were at least eight years old, so that the regression could be performed on a hundred and three monthly returns for each of the eight funds. The data has been collected from Gottex America, who collects the data from HFR. The range of the data collected is from February 1990 until July 1998. The funds are checked for their exposure to the Heng Sang Index and the Dollar Yen rate. The first step is to introduce a variant of the Goetzmann methodology. This will be implemented to estimate the regression betas. The discovered coe fficient is then multiplied by the dollar amount of funds under management and then aggregated across funds. Then the changes in aggregate exposure are regressed on the changes in the Honk Kong stock index and subsequently on the changes of the dollar yen rate. Before all of this a graph is chalked out to give an idea if large changes in aggregate exposure are associated with large swings in the susceptibly moved index or FX rates. In order to estimate the betas, a rolling regression with a window of thirty-two monthly observations, out of the hundred and three are used. Hence, final regressions are made on seventy observations because of this observation window. The next step is to perform regressions similar to that Goetzmann et al. Here we regress the nominal value of the aggregate exposure to the change in value of the Hong Kong index and the Yen dollar rate, rather than regressing changes in aggregate exposure on change in the Hong Kong index and the Yen dollar rate. T he method is intuitive, however it would be more useful if the data was more easily and freely available. The first regression explains how funds return with only one explanatory variable, which however does not mean that they are the only ones. A correlation of the Yen dollar rate and the other Asian assets are made, and the Heng Sang Index are closely correlated. The study however, does provide a basis for future analysis and highlights the possible aggregate exposure of Hedge funds. Step 1: Regression of Changes in Aggregate Exposure to the Changes in the Heng Sang Index and the Y/$ rate. The analysis of Yen dollar can be very interesting and can emphasize on how the hedge funds have had a positive aggregate exposure. The size of change required to have an impact on the price is not seen through the regression. This is dependant on the intra day liquidity of the market, i.e. small volumes traded in bundles would effect the market if the market were to be thin, and vice ver sa. A change in exposure would be correlated with changes with the underlying. However, the biggest drawback of correlation analysis is that we can never be sure of what variable caused the change in the other. However, Hedge funds have been making adjustments following all the swings. Thus, proving that the portfolio rebalancing affected the market prices would be quite difficult to prove empirically. In the case of the Heng Sang Index, major macro Hedge Funds did not seem to be holding aggregate short positions at the time the market correction occurred. Even though while performing the analysis, individual funds had significant short positions, at the aggregate level, they cancel out. With these results, hedge funds were buying or holding Hong Kong assets at the time the correction occurred. They did not benefit substantially from short aggregate position under the analysis. There are several weaknesses in this analysis though. The data is infrequent and not verified; hence we cannot be sure of how genuine the data is. Also there is more than one possibility while using only one variable. Also as seen with Fung and Hsieh, there are a few funds performing on the basis of some extremely dynamic strategies, which makes it even more difficult to uncover the exposure to specific assets, especially monthly data. The first step has helped us understand that a change in a selected hedge fund is highly correlated to the changes in the underlying. This is understandable else managers would be able to change very simply and logically the positions of their funds during the market rise or fall. However the main aim of this operation is to discover the lagged changes in positions i.e., the funds could have been starting a herding pattern if their changes in position were occurring before price corrections, which is not the case (as explained by the graph). There have not been large negative changes in positions before the sharp fall in Heng Sang returns or fall in the US dollar as supposed to the Double play or the Yen Carry. Step 2: Regression of Aggregated Nominal Exposure to the HS index return and the Y/$ rate The second step implements the Goetzmann methodology, a study of the nominal values of aggregated exposures is studied here. The regressions used here is mainly to capture if the underlings affect the size, or impact for a hedge fund. It is not possible for us to confirm that the biggest macro Hedge funs, with their combined exposures can move the selected underlying. If the selected macro hedge funds were able to move the Hong Kong stock index and the yen dollar rate, we could have expected to have a positive and significant regression coefficient. Since this is not the case for both the Hong Kong market as well as the Yen dollar market, hence we cannot reject the hypothesis that lambda is equal to zero. 2.4.3. Conclusion on the Empirical Analysis and Herding Theories Detecting the hedge funds potential market im pacts, will always remain an econometric challenge, along with the lack of appropriate data sets makes it only more difficult for econometrist. Perhaps more sophisticated and powerful econometric tools could help arriving at a solution. From the above analysis, it is quite evident that hedge fund managers arent leading or creating momentums (step 1), neither were they affecting the markets with their considerable potential aggregate exposures (step 2). However this is argued by some herding theories. The theories indicate that there could be motives for the managers to do so. The possible motive could be to protect their reputation in case of severe uncertainty or possibly to make gains by misleading other people with the bandwagons effects. Another reason was that bank credits could represent a negative factor since they could be responsible for the development of margin call chain effects and this could go on to cause price snow ball effect in the collateral susceptible to be l iquidated in financial markets. All these factors together could mainly be the reason for the market inefficiencies and substantial volatility observed in recent times. It is quite possible that hedge funds did really disturb the markets however this is not easy to demonstrate with simple regression analysis. If it is true that hedge funds do actually disturb markets and impact the economic fundamentals of countries, it would be the best reason to increase regulatory international framework in the alternative sector industry. Regulating the hedge funds and other trading bodies would mean a trade off since their trading activities are beneficial to the financial markets in some way or another. This however, will be discussed in detail in the next sections. 2.5Risk and Benefit Tradeoff and Future Consequences 2.5.1Risk Hedge Fund Pose to the Financial Systems Not all Hedge Funds represent a threat in terms of systemic risk and market integrity. Macro and Global funds, with their massive size and extensive leverage possibilities can mutually reach a critical mass in the OTC (Over the Counter) market which must be considered closely by regulatory bodies. The problem arises when a group of institutional herd on the same strategy. The pressure these participants can jointly impose on the system leaves place for price dislocations, and this even in the most liquid markets, such as the dollar yen exchange rate. Furthermore, the implementation of such strategies on a massive scale does bring concerns of systemic risk if events turn unexpectedly disagreeable. Such fears must be alleviated by a formal quantification of funds exposure when sequential margin calls are not being met in order to avoid possible severe liquidity crisis as the ones seen in 1994 in the bond market and in October 1998 in the MBS (Mortgage Backed Securities) market place. â€Å"When such large chunks of speculative capital move all at once in the same direction, Hedge Funds cease t o be nimble raiders exploiting market inefficiencies: rather they themselves become the market.† Judging from the size of losses concerning Hedge Fund placements investment banks disclosed their risk management systems and credit assessment structures. These losses also prove some Hedge Funds have been relying so extensively on bank capital through lines of credit and other margin investments devices that they can endanger some participating financial institutions. 2.5.2Risk Absorption and Market Completeness Alternative Investments play an important role in financial system. By their presence and low risk aversion, they facilitate the redistribution of risks between market participants. Indeed, Hedge Funds by example are willing to take on risks which few players would dare to undertake. Efficient risk sharing is a primary function of the financial system. Enhancing high leverage can be seen as function of market completeness and efficient risk allocation. Alternativ e Investments offer the possibility for risk seeking participants to gain indirect exposure to sophisticated markets which require constant monitoring. These also represent vehicles for more risk-averse investors which want to move their portfolio to a better position on the risk efficient frontier. As stated by Gibson et. al.(1994), once market imperfections are considered, such possible misstatement of risk exposure (such as use of leverage), these risk allocation benefits can be diminished. Furthermore, the asymmetries of information other market participants have concerning their portfolios can also cause problems in difficult times. 2.5.3Fueling Market Liquidity Managed Futures are important participants in Exchange traded commodity contracts. Their presence and activity lowers the cost of business for other participants which use futures for hedging purposes. Hedge Funds also fuel liquidity but specifically in more exotic markets. Their interests for higher yields and th eir tolerance to a wider set of risks made the developments of innovations easier for investment bankers since they could market primary offerings to Hedge Fund managers with considerable appetite for more complex payoff structures. Additionally, Alternative Investment managers support the secondary market in complicated instruments by applying arbitrage strategies. 2.5.5Globalisation and Volatility The demand for Alternative Investments has been developing rapidly over recent years. Extremely wealthy investor have not been the only ones investing in the eclectic sector, institutional participants have also joined in. American pension funds and university endowments have also been enthusiastic in Hedge Fund investments, giving considerable acceleration to their growth. Dynamic and leveraged, short and long, strategies can provide payoff structures which bring substantial diversification benefits to traditionally balanced portfolios. Sophisticated investors in quest for ever hi gher returns are ready to pay significant fees and handle substantial volatility. The popularity of such vehicles and the impressive concentration of capital in the hands of a few money managers have caught the attention of many authorities. The extensive leverage used by some funds has also been the subject of great concerns for the banking sector. Banks themselves have been relying on their trading activities to achieve target revenues. The intensity and popularity of active portfolio management have already had an impact on the behaviour of central bank authorities around the world. The massive scale of speculative short term capital being transferred on a global basis over unregulated transaction networks must be controlled to avoid price dislocations and chain reactions in the case of defaults, mainly triggered by asymmetries of information due to a lack of transparency. As openly declared by Soros and many traders, the successful investment process consists of identifying f ads before anybody else. Such investment behaviour clearly provides grounds for high volatility periods and diverging prices from their fundamentals. Also, the opacity of Hedge Funds, which are known to be obliged to sell part of their holdings due to margin calls, can create temporary market disorders, as seen in deep market such as the MBS and dollar yen markets. The observation of such phenomenon stresses the importance of considering the human nature in investment and lending decisions, even though computerised systems and sophisticated theories are widely used in the decision process. When considering closely such behaviour, we quickly realise the human nature is itself a major source of market imperfections. Such considerations can represent reasons for imposing the presence of supervisory bodies ensuring of proper information dissemination. DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS 3Data on the Expansion of Hedge Fund The start of 2008 showed a slow start in which a record $194 bill ion came into the Hedge Fund industry. According to Hedge Fund Research (HFR) it only attracted $16.5billion in new investor capital in the first quarter of 2008 with a total assets virtually unchanged at $1.875 trillion, compared to $1.868 trillion at year-end 2007 as shown in chart 1. Chart 2 examines the distribution of dollars invested in Hedge Fund by fund size and fund investment style. The chart 2 shows that the number of Hedge Funds has dropped between 2007 year end and the first quarter of 008 by 0.43% this can only indicates that 33 Hedge Funds has closed due to either redemption by investors or loss in the market. Equity Hedge is the largest strategy composition with a market share of around 39% based n the asset under management at the end of the first quarter of 2008. 3.1LTCM Returns Between 1994 and 1996, LTCM saw an impressive record of returns greatly outperforming SP 500 index. LTCM returns were 28%, 59% and 57% respectively. The following chart depicts LTCM returns from its high days to when the collapse happened. Hedge Funds disasters have more to do with unskilled management of the market as well as business risk and fraud. Louis Moore Bacon presented at the 2000 Hedge Fund Symposium in April in London and presented five warning signs for investors to look out for when investing in Hedge Funds: (Size, leverage, transparency, funding and hubris). The last point of Bacons warning signs are the sin of hubris, or arrogance and price. Consider the following exchange between Myron Scholes and Andrew Chow. Chow was quoted in the Wall Street Journal (16 November 1998) as saying to Scholes: â€Å"I dont think there are many pure anomalies that can occur† to which Scholes responded: â€Å"as long as there continue to be people like you, we will make money†. This excerpt highlights two aspects: first, it was not necessarily lack of self-confidence that brought down LTCM. Secondly, Myron Scholes highlights that, traditio nal money managers to a large extent focus on relative returns whereas Hedge Funds focus on making absolute returns. This arguably extends to the fact that LTCM had all of Bacons warning signs. In terms or size, LTCM with total assets of $129billion at the end of 1997, was significantly larger than other reporting hedge funds at the time. In terms of leverage, the aim was 20-30 bps on each position and an annual return for the fund of 30%, which is only achievable though high leverage. The notional amount of LTCMs total OTC derivatives position was $1.3trillion at the end of 997 and $1.5trillion towards the end of 1998. In regards to transparency, LTCMs fate got considerably worse once the market knew its positions and how it was going to trade to unwind positions. The fall-out from the liquidation was far greater than it might have been as LTCM margined all its capital in terms of funding. According to Bacon it was the â€Å"height of hubris† that after the debacle it cla imed that market conditions had been a â€Å"one off† or â€Å"perfect storm†. But it failed to realise that it had been the â€Å"perfect storm†. LTCMs strong returns were largely the result of the leverage that it had assumed. The companys strategy was to find inefficiencies in the market and generate returns using leveraged positions. This has resulted on LTCM having a leveraged ratio of 28:1 indicating that return on asset to be 2.11% compared to return on equity of 59%. In 1997, however, the fund showed a dramatic fall and only returned 17% and underperformed the SP 500 index which had a staggering 31% return. Suprisingly, LTCMs managers argued this fall in returns and blamed it on the market combinations between copycat strategies from other Hedge Funds and Banks leading to a decrease in spread. LTCM invested mainly in market inefficiencies in the fixed income markets where the majority of such activity took place.. After its poor performance in 1997 , however, LTCM explored a number of new investment opportunities. One of the markets that LTCM entered into after 1997 was the equity volatility market, where the traders found that options traded at a price, which according to the Black-Scholes formula would imply volatility well above the historical volatility of the underlying. The explanation that LTCM came up with for this divergence was that there was a greater demand for options than there was a supply. According to the Black-Scholes formula, the volatility of the underlying asset and the price of an option on that asset are directly correlated. Therefore, increases in the prices of options due to the high demand for these securities were implicitly increasing the volatility implied by the options prices. LTCM therefore sold options, which meant that they were implicitly selling volatility; a commodity that they believed had become overpriced. In addition, they started investing in trades known as equity pairs. In these trad es, LTCM found that stocks were sometimes listed on two different exchanges or had