AGEC 421

Basic Information

• Instructor: Eric Belasco
• Office Hours: MWF 11:00am - noon, and by appointment
• Here is the syllabus from last year (link).

Presentations

• Groups

Lectures

• Introduction to Futures and Forward Markets (notes)
  • Hull Chapters 1 and 2
  • CME Commodity Trading Manual (CME Publication)
  • Scene from Trading Places
• Introduction to Options Markets (notes)
  • Hull Chapter 9
  • CME Options on Futures: The Basics (CME publication)
• Hedging Strategies Using Futures and Options (notes)
  • Hull Chapters 3 and 11
  • 25 Proven Strategies for Trading Options on CME Group Futures (CME publication)
• Risk and Uncertainty in Grain and Livestock Markets
  • Livestock Fundamentals
  • Hedging with Livestock Futures and Options
  • Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
• Valuing Options / Volatility (notes)
  • Hull Chapter 12, 13
  • Computing Historical Volatility
  • Computing Put/Call Premiums Using BSM formula
• International Trade and Exchange Rate Volatility (notes)
  • Managing Currency Risks with Options
  • Currency Hedging Example
• Risk and Uncertainty in Economic Theory
  • Nicholson Chapter 18
  • Computing Risk Aversion
• Price Forecasting (slides)
• Crop Insurance and Derivatives
  • Crop Insurance slides
  • Weather derivatives

Homeworks

• Homework 1 (due Jan. 24)
• Homework 2 (due Feb. 5)
• Homework 3 (due Feb. 21)
• Homework 4 (due Feb. 28)
• Homework 5 (due Mar. 26)
• Homework 6 (due Apr. 7)
• Homework 7 (due Apr. 21)

Exams

• Exam 1 (Feb. 12)
  Expected learning outcomes
  Practice Exam
• Exam 2 (Mar. 7)
  Expected learning outcomes
  Practice Exam
• Exam 3 (Apr. 11)
  Expected learning outcomes
  Practice Exam
• Final Exam (April 29, 8:00am-9:50am) 

Links of interest

• CME Group
  • Live Cattle Futures Quotes
• Minneapolis Exchange
• Kansas City Board of Trade
• The International Commodity Exchange
• Barchart.com
• Oanda Currency Converter