This account of the sophisticated financial hub that was 17th-century Amsterdam “does a fine job of bringing history to life” (Library Journal). The launch of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 initiated Amsterdam’s transformation from a regional market town into a dominant financial center. The Company introduced easily transferable shares, and within days buyers had begun to trade them. Soon the public was engaging in a variety of complex transactions, including forwards, futures, options, and bear raids, and by 1680 the techniques deployed in the Amsterdam market were as sophisticated as any we practice today. Lodewijk Petram’s award-winning history demystifies financial instruments by linking today’s products to yesterday’s innovations, tying the market’s operation to the behavior of individuals and the workings of the world around them. Traveling back in time, Petram visits the harbor and other places where merchants met to strike deals. He bears witness to the goings-on at a notary’s office and sits in on the consequential proceedings of a courtroom. He describes in detail the main players, investors, shady characters, speculators, and domestic servants and other ordinary folk, who all played a role in the development of the market and its crises. His history clarifies concerns that investors still struggle with today—such as fraud, the value of information, trust and the place of honor, managing diverging expectations, and balancing risk—and does so in a way that is vivid, relatable, and critical to understanding our contemporary world.

The USM was launched in November 1980 in order to provide a regulated market for the shares of smaller, less mature companies which do not wish to apply for a full listing and this book provides information on such companies, including financial profiles, ratio tables and graphs.

Volumes for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.

The Single Most Comprehensive Source of Commodity and Futures Market Information Available Since 1939, professional traders, commercial hedgers, portfolio managers, and speculators have come to regard The CRB Commodity Yearbook as the "bible" of the industry. Here is a wealth of authoritative data, gathered from government reports, private industry, and trade and industry associations, all compiled by the Commodity Research Bureau, the organization of record for the entire commodity industry. The Yearbook is absolutely essential for identifying changing trends in supply and demand and for projecting important price movements. It gives investors: Worldwide supply/demand and production/consumption data for all the basic commodities and futures markets-from A(luminum) to Z(inc), including all the major markets in interest rates, currencies, energy, and stock index futures Over 900 tables, graphs, and price charts of historical data, many of which show price history dating back to 1900 Fact-filled CD-ROM provides readers with valuable commodity information in an easy-to-use electronic format Concise introductory articles describe the salient features of each commodity and help put the quantitative information in perspective Articles on key markets and important issues concerning the commodity industry. The 2007 Yearbook features articles by CRB Chief Economist, Richard W. Asplund, including: Commodity Prices Extend 2001-06 Bull Market to New Highs Fed Engineers a Soft-Landing for the U.S. Economy in 2006 World Economic Expansion Continues Through 2006 U.S. Housing Bubble Bursts and Faces Long Recovery Road Strong Ethanol Demand Drives Corn Prices to 10-Year Highs For anyone dealing in commodities, The CRB Commodity Yearbook 2007 offers an abundance of valuable information and indispensable guidance for decision making.