Stalking the Black Swan

Kenneth A. Posner spent more than a decade tracking the volatile stock sector known as "specialty finance." A research analyst with Morgan Stanley, Posner monitored markets known for surprise shifts in volatility, including the stocks of controversial credit card companies and mortgage lenders, some of whom catalyzed our recent financial downturn. Extreme volatility is not a new issue in finance, but as our current crisis proves, decision making remains a challenge.Bringing his experience to bear on this issue, Posner describes a set of research strategies that can help investors and other decision makers better anticipate and react to the "Black Swans" that all-too-frequently rock the markets. Drawing from the classic, fundamental research heritage of Benjamin Graham and David Dodd, as well as more recent developments in cognitive science and the world of quants, Posner outlines a pragmatic approach to establishing more accurate forecasts, thinking in probabilities, balancing confidence, handling information overload, harnessing sophisticated computer analytics, and even interviewing corporate executives& mdash;all with the goal of making better financial decisions. Emphasizing the computational resources we already have at our disposal& mdash;our computers and our minds& mdash;Posner shows us how to navigate the next phase of our financial recovery.