Alternative Investments: CAIA Level I

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Level I

Alternative Investments: CAIA Level I, 3rd Edition is the curriculum book for the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Level I professional examination. Covering the fundamentals of the alternative investment space, this book helps you build a foundation in  alternative investment markets. You'll look closely at the different types of hedge fund strategies and the range of statistics used to define investment performance as you gain a deep familiarity with alternative investment terms and develop the computational ability to solve investment problems. From strategy characteristics to portfolio management strategies, this book contains the core material you will need to succeed on the CAIA Level I exam. This updated third edition tracks to the latest version of the exam, and is accompanied by the following ancillaries: a workbook, study guide, learning objectives, and an ethics handbook.

Most investment analyst education programs focus primarily on the traditional asset classes, pushing alternative investments to the sidelines. The CAIA designation was developed in response to the tremendous growth of alternative investing, and is the industry's premier educational standard. This book is your official study companion, bringing you fully up to speed on everything you need to know (with the exception of the ethics material covered in a separate handbook).

• Understand the complexities of each alternative asset class;
• Learn the quantitative techniques professionals use every day;
• Dig into the unique aspects of alternative investments;
• Master the core material covered by the CAIA Level I exam;

More than 300 financial institutions and hedge funds have committed key executives to the CAIA exam, and this rapidly growing trend speaks to the designation's rising status as a must-have credential for anyone in the alternative investment sphere. Increase your chances of success by getting your information straight from the source in CAIA Level I.

What is Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA)

Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) is a professional designation granted by the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association to candidates who have completed Level I and Level II examinations. The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association has established the designation of CAIA to certify that the holders have met the association’s educational standard for specialists in the area of alternative investments. The alternative investments that a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst is trained to assess include hedge funds, venture capital, private equity, funds of funds, derivatives and real estate investments.

About the Author

DR. DONALD R. CHAMBERS, CAIA, is the Associate Director of Programs at the CAIA Association, the Walter E. Hanson/KPMG Professor of Finance at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and Chief Investment Officer of Biltmore Capital Advisors. Dr. Chambers previously served as the Director of Alternative Investments at Karpus Investment Management. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Alternative Investments.

DR. MARK J. P. ANSON, CAIA, CFA, CPA, PhD, JD, is a member of the CAIA Board of Directors and the President and Chief Investment Officer of the Bass Family Office—winner of the Family Office of the Year award for 2014–2015. Dr. Anson previously served as President and Executive Director of Investment Services at Nuveen Investments Inc., Chief Executive Officer of both the British Telecom Pension Scheme and its wholly owned asset management company in London, Hermes Pension Management Limited, and Chief Investment Officer at California Public Employees' Retirement System. He has published over 100 research articles in professional journals, has won two Best Paper Awards, is the author of six financial textbooks, and sits on the editorial boards of several financial journals.

DR. KEITH H. BLACK, CAIA, is the Managing Director of Curriculum and Exams at the CAIA Association. He was previously an Associate at Ennis Knupp and, before that, an Assistant Professor at Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Alternative Investments.

DR. HOSSEIN KAZEMI, is a senior adviser to the CAIA Association. He is Michael and is Michael and Cheryl Philipp Professor of Finance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Director of the Center for International Securities & Derivatives Markets, a co-founder of the CAIA Association, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Alternative Investments, the official publication of the CAIA Association.