The Art of Asset Allocation: Principles and Investment Strategies for Any Market, Second Edition by Darst, David;

Short description:

[back cover]

Praise for The Art of Asset Allocation

?In the Second Edition of The Art of Asset Allocation, David Darst explains where your money should be, and why - in the crisp, ultra-clear style that has always been his way. You want to be a better investor, a better client, or a better advisor? DEVOUR THIS BOOK NOW!?-Jim Cramer, CNBC's ?Mad Money? and TheStreet.com

?David Darst has probably forgotten more about Asset Allocation than anyone else knows. This is a book that should be used frequently by any serious student of the subject.?-Barton M. Biggs, Founder and Managing Partner, Traxis Partners

?The key to investment success is available to everyone: Get it right on the most important decision - asset allocation. David Darst's is the best book on the topic - filled with information, insight, and good judgment.?-Charles D. Ellis, Chairman, Yale Investment Committee

?The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition is a vast reservoir of investment information and insights... that can help investors move toward their financial goals.?-Martin L. Leibowitz, U.S. Portfolio Strategist, Morgan Stanley, and the author of Inside the Yield Book

?Amidst unprecedented market volatility, intelligent asset allocation is today more important than ever. David Darst has chosen to share his decades of practical experience in The Art of Asset Allocation, to the benefit of professional and individual investors alike.?-Seth A. Klarman, Managing Partner, The Baupost Group, and the author of Margin of Safety

?The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition is an indispensable map of the Wall Street investing landscape.?-Samuel L. Hayes, III, Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Asset allocation is among the most practical and effective methods for increasing returns while decreasing risk. At the same time, the ever-evolving nature of asset prices, investment goals, data, and techniques requires constant vigilance to ensure that your asset balance thrives in a wide range of markets. Designed to help you meet this end, this revised and updated edition of the highly acclaimed The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition, contains charts, illustrations, matrices, worksheets, and, above all, expert guidance from one of the highly respected investment strategists in finance today, David M. Darst.

Addressing the entire spectrum of investors, from individuals with modest portfolios to high-asset professionals, Darst provides the knowledge and tools needed to create a successful strategy, along with the tactics to help you meet your goal, regardless of the financial climate. In addition, it directly complements the study materials for the CFA Institute's rigorous three-part exam. Practical and comprehensive, The Art of Asset Allocation contains:

• Basic concepts, steps, and foundations of asset allocation
  
  
• Tools for developing a successful strategy and tactics
  
  
• Guidelines for rebalancing all types of assets
  
  
• Historical risk and return statistics for major asset classes
  
  
• Worksheets for profiling investor outlook and behavior
  
  
• Annotated guide to supplementary traditional and on-line sources
  
  

A well-thought-out, strategic asset allocation approach to investing is the key to augmenting your portfolio. Whatever your return objectives, risk tolerance, and personal circumstances, The Art of Asset Allocation is a prime resource for building and preserving wealth over the long term.

Long description:

The fully revised classic on employing asset allocation techniques to grow real wealth

A global leader and preeminent expert in asset allocation, David Darst delivers his masterwork on the topic. In a fully updated and expanded second edition of The Art of Asset Allocation, Morgan Stanley's Chief Investment Strategist covers the historic market events, instruments, asset classes, and economic forces that investors need to be aware of as they create asset-building portfolios. He then explains how to use modern asset allocation concepts and tools to augment returns and control risks in a wide range of financial market environments. This completely revised edition shows how to achieve asset balance with the author's proven methods, decades of expertise, relevant charts, practical tools, and astute analyses.

Known as the king of asset allocation, Darst brings his expertise to bear to provide complete asset class descriptions, identifying historical risk, return, and correlation characteristics for all major asset classes. Using actual data, he explains the differences between tactical and strategic asset allocation, outlines clear rebalancing guidelines, and includes an annotated guide to both traditional and Internet-based information sources.

Praise for the first edition:

?You want to be a better investor, a better client, or a better advisor? DEVOUR THIS BOOK NOW!?-James J. Cramer

?David Darst is the expert on Asset Allocation. He has chosen to share his decades of practical experience in The Art of Asset Allocation, to the benefit of professional and individual investors alike.?-Seth A. Klarman

The fully revised classic on employing asset allocation techniques to grow real wealth

A global leader and preeminent expert in asset allocation, David Darst delivers his masterwork on the topic. In a fully updated and expanded second edition of The Art of Asset Allocation, Morgan Stanley's Chief Investment Strategist covers the historic market events, instruments, asset classes, and economic forces that investors need to be aware of as they create asset-building portfolios. He then explains how to use modern asset allocation concepts and tools to augment returns and control risks in a wide range of financial market environments. This completely revised edition shows how to achieve asset balance with the author's proven methods, decades of expertise, relevant charts, practical tools, and astute analyses.

Known as the king of asset allocation, Darst brings his expertise to bear to provide complete asset class descriptions, identifying historical risk, return, and correlation characteristics for all major asset classes. Using actual data, he explains the differences between tactical and strategic asset allocation, outlines clear rebalancing guidelines, and includes an annotated guide to both traditional and Internet-based information sources.

Praise for the first edition:

?You want to be a better investor, a better client, or a better advisor? DEVOUR THIS BOOK NOW!?-James J. Cramer

?David Darst is the expert on Asset Allocation. He has chosen to share his decades of practical experience in The Art of Asset Allocation, to the benefit of professional and individual investors alike.?-Seth A. Klarman

Table of Contents:

[back cover]

Praise for The Art of Asset Allocation

?In the Second Edition of The Art of Asset Allocation, David Darst explains where your money should be, and why - in the crisp, ultra-clear style that has always been his way. You want to be a better investor, a better client, or a better advisor? DEVOUR THIS BOOK NOW!?-Jim Cramer, CNBC's ?Mad Money? and TheStreet.com

?David Darst has probably forgotten more about Asset Allocation than anyone else knows. This is a book that should be used frequently by any serious student of the subject.?-Barton M. Biggs, Founder and Managing Partner, Traxis Partners

?The key to investment success is available to everyone: Get it right on the most important decision - asset allocation. David Darst's is the best book on the topic - filled with information, insight, and good judgment.?-Charles D. Ellis, Chairman, Yale Investment Committee

?The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition is a vast reservoir of investment information and insights... that can help investors move toward their financial goals.?-Martin L. Leibowitz, U.S. Portfolio Strategist, Morgan Stanley, and the author of Inside the Yield Book

?Amidst unprecedented market volatility, intelligent asset allocation is today more important than ever. David Darst has chosen to share his decades of practical experience in The Art of Asset Allocation, to the benefit of professional and individual investors alike.?-Seth A. Klarman, Managing Partner, The Baupost Group, and the author of Margin of Safety

?The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition is an indispensable map of the Wall Street investing landscape.?-Samuel L. Hayes, III, Jacob H. Schiff Professor of Investment Banking, Emeritus, Harvard Business School

Asset allocation is among the most practical and effective methods for increasing returns while decreasing risk. At the same time, the ever-evolving nature of asset prices, investment goals, data, and techniques requires constant vigilance to ensure that your asset balance thrives in a wide range of markets. Designed to help you meet this end, this revised and updated edition of the highly acclaimed The Art of Asset Allocation, Second Edition, contains charts, illustrations, matrices, worksheets, and, above all, expert guidance from one of the highly respected investment strategists in finance today, David M. Darst.

Addressing the entire spectrum of investors, from individuals with modest portfolios to high-asset professionals, Darst provides the knowledge and tools needed to create a successful strategy, along with the tactics to help you meet your goal, regardless of the financial climate. In addition, it directly complements the study materials for the CFA Institute's rigorous three-part exam. Practical and comprehensive, The Art of Asset Allocation contains:

• Basic concepts, steps, and foundations of asset allocation
  
  
• Tools for developing a successful strategy and tactics
  
  
• Guidelines for rebalancing all types of assets
  
  
• Historical risk and return statistics for major asset classes
  
  
• Worksheets for profiling investor outlook and behavior
  
  
• Annotated guide to supplementary traditional and on-line sources
  
  

A well-thought-out, strategic asset allocation approach to investing is the key to augmenting your portfolio. Whatever your return objectives, risk tolerance, and personal circumstances, The Art of Asset Allocation is a prime resource for building and preserving wealth over the long term.