Convertible bonds the best instrument to learn about the markets?

Discussion in 'Educational Resources' started by JonLivingston, Feb 25, 2023.

  1. I was doing some research about Brevan Howard (reason not important), then I somehow ended up here:

    https://www.quora.com/Whats-it-like-to-work-for-a-big-hedge-fund-like-Brevan-Howard

    And that lady that replied led me to read her post (never mind she was a trader at BH but now she's a project manager...):

    https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/halo-effect-trader-mansi-singhal

    But then after I read that (never mind the validity of what she describes, I don't care), my attention was caught by one LinkedIn commenter, who said the following (not the full comment):


    Would you agree? And why.
     
  2. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    I was told earlier in my career that I should work in converts as well.

    I felt it was a dying business and I think they really focused on the equity option part rather than the credit.
     
    JonLivingston likes this.
  3. BMK

    BMK

    Convertible bonds
    • in some ways behave like a bond, because, well, they are bonds, and they have a principal face value and a coupon interest rate;
    • in some ways behave like common stock, because they can be converted into common stock, and
    • in some ways behave like a call option, because they give the holder the right to acquire common stock, at a specific price per share, for a certain period of time.
     
  4. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    But convertible bond trading isn't that complex.

    There's a bond issuance at a mathematical discount. You buy the credit at fair value (so you hedge that); you buy the option part at a discount and hedge that to lock in a profit. Eazy Peezy.
     
    taowave and JonLivingston like this.
  5. Nobert

    Nobert

    I think Buffet spoke about those in BRK's annual meeting of 1998. Not sure which year tho, but watching all of them would give few lessons.

    You could start with 1994 on Youtube.
     
    JonLivingston likes this.
  6. mikeriley

    mikeriley

    I think the best instrument to learn about the market
    is the instrument you plan on trading or investing.

    I'm not looking at bonds to trade futures.
     
    JonLivingston likes this.
  7. MrMuppet

    MrMuppet

    perhaps you should :)
     
    taowave likes this.
  8. 2rosy

    2rosy

    Best to understand the bare bones basics then can understand more structured products
     
    engineering likes this.
  9. mikeriley

    mikeriley

    This would be an understanding I'm not familiar with.
    It's an interesting idea, but in my philosophy of trading,
    anything that directs me away from my strategy
    is just noise.

    My old mentor taught me a method to identify patterns
    in futures and use price and cyclic analysis to trade them.

    Therefore, I focus my attention only on the instruments
    I trade. (Mainly NQ)

    Just because it does not make any sense to me, does
    not necessarily mean others may not find value in that
    process.
     
    JonLivingston likes this.
  10. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    I’d rather trade equities in Dallas.
     
    #10     Feb 25, 2023