Archive for the ‘Risk’ Category

New Course on Risk Management within the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Industry

Over at the Learning Corporate Finance Blog, I posted a new free online course on risk management within the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical.

A short six session introduction to a risk management framework for the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical industry focused on managing crude oil price volatility for Oil refiners, Polymer and PVC manufacturers and [...]

March 9, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Alchemy stuff, I can't hack it, Risk, Risk Training  2 Comments

Oil Insights – Oil Prices, Peak Oil debate and drivers for those who have never looked at oil before

I am not a trader, nor an analyst. Technically speaking, I have only worked for an Investment Bank once in my life and that too on the margin trading and risk management desk. I am good with numbers and while I have done well with Excel, Lotus 123 and Symphony, I am not [...]

February 7, 2010  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Alchemy stuff, I can't hack it, Risk, the economy stupid  No Comments

The Crude Oil Price debate

(Guest post by Agnes Paul)

A.1     Preface

Given the current uncertainty in the future direction of crude oil prices, there is an interesting debate going on about where prices are likely be in 3 to 6 months time.

There are two schools of thought in the market concerning the direction in which the crude oil prices could [...]

October 3, 2009  Tags: , , , , , , ,   Posted in: Pakistan, Risk, the economy stupid  2 Comments

Hans Rosling, Gapminder & Google.

Two days ago I received a cryptic email from a prospective client. It had a link and a simple “Take a look at this please.”

I did.

I recommend that you do the same.

Hans Rosling and Google together have done more for statistics with their tool, their presentation and their data aggregation than all of the [...]

September 25, 2009  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Education, Risk, Risk Training, Training, the economy stupid  No Comments

Unrisk…

I have now been doing this “risk” business for more than a decade. Eleven years ago, right about this time, I was rudely introduced to my first risk application. Fresh from my actuarial exams, I was stumped on an interview question dealing with moments of a distribution. I have read the material, [...]

August 16, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Basel II, I can't hack it, Pakistan, Pillar II, Risk, Risk Training  5 Comments

Pakistan’s Macro Economic Snapshot – July

A Pakistan Risk Review Extract

Inflation (Year on Year):

The non-food, non- energy (NFNE) core inflation index, has begun responding to a decline in the inflationary series and as at July 2009 stands at 14%. CPI, WPI and core inflation are year-on-year figures, i.e. they represent the percentage change in index during a month over the [...]

August 16, 2009   Posted in: Basel II, Pakistan, Pillar II, Risk  No Comments

Pakistan Macro Economic Profile – Earlier this year

Here is an extract from Pakistan Risk Review’s second volume. This is where we were earlier this year.

Pakistan’s Macro Economic Snapshot – March& April 09

Inflation (Year on Year):

After peaking in August 2008, the consumer price index (CPI) and wholesale price index (WPI) have declined. The non-food, non- energy (NFNE) core inflation index, given its [...]

August 15, 2009   Posted in: Basel II, Pakistan, Risk, the economy stupid  No Comments

Good data, models, instincts and statistics.

Risk and transaction systems differ in many ways. But they both suffer from a common ailment – Good data and working models. On a risk platform the integrity of the data set is dependent on the underlying transaction platform and the quality of data feeds. Keeping the incoming stream of information [...]

August 15, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Basel II, Pillar II, Risk, Risk Training  One Comment

The evolution of a risk manager

Pakistan Risk Review – Editorial for the second issue

As we wrapped up work on the second issue of Pakistan Risk Review, I sat down and took a few minutes to look back at my relationship with risk over the last decade. Just as this publication has evolved dramatically over the last 12 months, [...]

May 10, 2009   Posted in: Pakistan, Risk  4 Comments

Why Pakistan Risk?

Marketing blurb, read at your own risk

I liked David Beim as soon as I walked into his room. He had just graded my Corporate Finance exemption exam at Columbia and given me the permission to take a higher level course. The secretary of the Finance Faculty had asked me to come and meet [...]

April 11, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Pakistan, Risk, the economy stupid  4 Comments

Editors’ Note, Pakistan Risk Review

Emerging markets require special attention. Standard models don’t apply, conventional wisdom doesn’t work and traditional thinking can quickly land you in uncharted and troubled territory. Pakistan as an economy is not that different from other emerging markets.

 
Like others we have our own personal challenges and demons. However given our special needs and [...]

April 8, 2009  Tags: , , , , , ,   Posted in: I can't hack it, Pakistan, Pillar II, Risk, the economy stupid  No Comments

Shameless marketing plug

Alchemy first workshop on the joint Alchemy and SP Jain platform will be held on the 15th and 16th of November in Dubai at the custom built SP Jain Campus Executive Education facility in Academic city. This would be our 7th international workshop following previous events in Dubai, Riyadh, Bangkok and Singapore.
Since May 2007, I have [...]

September 26, 2008   Posted in: Basel II, Liquidity Risk, Pillar II, Risk, Risk Training  No Comments

Strategy for Technology companies – Part I or THE RANT

This is my second post on the technology scene in Pakistan. The series got triggered by a request on a report card for the industry in Pakistan.
Strategy for technology companies is something that has never really been discussed threadbare in Pakistan.  Most technology discussions start with a quick comparison with India (look how big [...]

June 27, 2007   Posted in: Blue Screen, Desi Back to Desh, Desi Startup, Education, Pakistan, Risk, Startup  8 Comments