The most useful books on quantitative finance applied to financial markets instruments

Why am I passionate about this?

Having a master's degree in chemical engineering, I wasn't destined to work in the area of quantitative finance… the reason why I professionally moved to this discipline aren't worth exposing, but as a matter of fact, I've been quickly fascinated by this science, and encountered some of my favorites, such as maths and statistics, as used in the traditional activity of an engineer. And I had many opportunities of combining the knowledge and practice of financial markets with pragmatism, typically of the engineer’s education, i.e. oriented toward problem solving. In addition, I've always loved teaching, and writing books on financial markets & instruments, hence the importance I'm giving to pedagogy in professional books.


I wrote...

Mathematics of the Financial Markets: Financial Instruments and Derivatives Modelling, Valuation and Risk Issues

By Alain Ruttiens,

Book cover of Mathematics of the Financial Markets: Financial Instruments and Derivatives Modelling, Valuation and Risk Issues

What is my book about?

This book aims to cover the many fields of quantitative finance relative to financial instruments and markets. The author’s goal was to present them in the most understandable, concise, and pedagogical way, systematically illustrated by real market examples. The author’s theoretical as well practical backgrounds are essential for reaching this goal in the most efficient way. The book equips the reader with the mathematical knowledge needed to master the valuation and behaviour of financial products, from traditional spot instruments to complex derivatives, in the whole range of financial markets, from currencies and stocks to interest rates and credit underlyings. The book covers the full range of deterministic and probabilistic (stochastic) worlds. It is completed by a chapter dedicated to market performance & financial risk measures.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of An Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Derivatives

Alain Ruttiens Why did I love this book?

Having read or browsed many books dedicated to the mathematics of options and other derivative instruments, I unquestionably consider Neftci’s book as by far the best choice.

Starting with the fundamentals, it goes much further than a simple “introduction”, and typically fits with the needs of a “quant” specializing in options, with a good balance between pure theoretical, mathematical developments (such as Partial Differential Equations, Girsanov theorem, Markov processes, etc) and practical applications on option pricing. 

By Salih N. Neftci,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked An Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Derivatives as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An Introduction to the Mathematics of Financial Derivatives, Second Edition, introduces the mathematics underlying the pricing of derivatives.

The increased interest in dynamic pricing models stems from their applicability to practical situations: with the freeing of exchange, interest rates, and capital controls, the market for derivative products has matured and pricing models have become more accurate. This updated edition has six new chapters and chapter-concluding exercises, plus one thoroughly expanded chapter. The text answers the need for a resource targeting professionals, Ph.D. students, and advanced MBA students who are specifically interested in financial derivatives.

This edition is also designed to…


Book cover of Financial Risk Management: Applications in Market, Credit, Asset and Liability Management and Firmwide Risk

Alain Ruttiens Why did I love this book?

For financial market practitioners, it would be unwise not to deeply care about the various financial risks associated with their uses.

This book thoroughly covers the whole set of such financial risks, i.e. market risk, credit/counterparty risk, liquidity risk (both on the asset and liability sides), broadening the subject up to the firmwide level risk. It goes both into theoretical and practical considerations (risk management of a portfolio of financial instruments), illustrated by useful examples, with a great pedagogical sense. 

By Jimmy Skoglund, Wei Chen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Financial Risk Management as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A global banking risk management guide geared toward the practitioner

Financial Risk Management presents an in-depth look at banking risk on a global scale, including comprehensive examination of the U.S. Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, and the European Banking Authority stress tests. Written by the leaders of global banking risk products and management at SAS, this book provides the most up-to-date information and expert insight into real risk management. The discussion begins with an overview of methods for computing and managing a variety of risk, then moves into a review of the economic foundation of modern risk management and the…


Book cover of Credit Risk Modelling

Alain Ruttiens Why did I love this book?

In the vast array of quantitative finance relative to financial markets instruments and related risks, the case of credit or counterparty risk remains by far the most complex one, and thus, unsurprisingly, the least mastered by financial markets professionals.

A lot has been done, but a lot remains to be done: covering this is precisely the goal of this book. In a nutshell, the main obstacle to succeed in developing grounded and useful models of default prediction is due to the fact that a default is (fortunately) a rare event, in other words, with a (very) low probability of occurrence, and statistical tools are uncomfortable with very low probability levels. Hence the need of this book, to help the practitioner to go ahead in this matter.

By Terry Benzschawel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Credit Risk Modelling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The book reveals to traders how to consistently outperform credit benchmarks, how to hedge the credit risk premium, and how to overcome pension liability deficits. In addition, several successful trading strategies are presented including debt versus equities, Co-Co bond trading and a quantitative analysis of the municipal bond market. Chapters include: Credit Models, Past Present and Future Predicting Annual Default Rates and Implications for Market Prices Risk and Relative Value in the Municipal Bond Market Contingent Collateral Bonds Model for Sovereign Default and Relative Value Beating Credit Benchmarks Analyzing and Hedging Systemic Liquidity Risk Building on the best-selling first edition,…


Book cover of The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas

Alain Ruttiens Why did I love this book?

The valuation of options has been the subject of numerous studies, papers, and books.

The originality of this one is that it is collecting the resulting formulae to be used in practice, and for each of them, proposing related Excel spreadsheets, and VBA coding (also with a CD included). All types of options are covered, from “vanilla” to “exotics”, on every kind of underlyings (from traditional ones up to commodities and energy).

It also develops calculation methods for the options “greeks” and volatility. But the book is not only such a catalog of formulae, these are assorted by useful comments about the best way to apply them, and their validity limits. Not surprisingly, this book is qualified as the “bible” of options valuation.

By Espen Gaarder Haug,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Long-established as a definitive resource by Wall Street professionals, The Complete Guide to Option Pricing Formulas has been revised and updated to reflect the realities of today's options markets. The Second Edition contains a complete listing of virtually every pricing formula_all presented in an easy-to-use dictionary format, with expert author commentary and ready-to-use programming code.

The Second Edition of this classic guide now includes more than 60 new option models and formulas...extensive tables providing an overview of all formulas...new examples and applications...and an updated CD containing all pricing formulas, with VBA code and ready-to-use Excel spreadsheets.

The volume also features…


Book cover of Technical Analysis from A to Z

Alain Ruttiens Why did I love this book?

Technical Analysis is traditionally denigrated by the academic community, not without good reasons. But as a matter of fact, traders and practitioners used them (also, not without good reasons) extensively, to the extent that Technical Analysis is often qualified as “self-fulfilling prophecy”.

There is therefore a good reason to be more or less familiar with these techniques, at worst, following the adage “Know your enemy”. The problem, with Technical Analysis, is that, as it is not a true science, it is not easy to find books about it, written in a serious way. This is however the case with this one, covering all the usual technical analysis methods, both the graphic and the numeric ones, in a clear, concise, and exemplified way.

By Steven Achelis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Technical Analysis from A to Z as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book is updated and revised - with over 35 brand new indicators! It is a comprehensive catalog of today's major technical analysis indicators - indispensable for trading in stocks, bonds, futures, and options! 'There is an urgent need for a concise reference on such a vast array of technical tools. Achelis' new edition fulfills that need and should provide an invaluable guide to newcomers and veterans alike' - John J. Murphy President, MurphyMorris.com, Author, "Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets and Intermarket Technical Analysis".'Steve Achelis has done it again. The first edition was a wonderfully comprehensive encyclopedia of market…


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