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About Us

The mechanics behind markets — not just the headlines.

Battle Alpha is an independent finance publication for readers who want to understand how markets actually work: equities, macro, portfolio theory, and the quantitative mechanics behind generating returns.

Yusuf Abdullah

PhD · Finance

Assistant Professor · financial econometrics, neural networks, & investment research

Google Scholar LinkedIn CV
Experience
Accounting / Finance Instructor
Study.com
09/2018 – 09/2024
  • Wrote finance lessons for CFA, CPA, Series 7, Series 66 with >90% ratings.
  • Authored vignettes, MCQs, and models with step‑wise solutions.
  • Deep financial analysis, M&A valuations, bond duration, auditing for 100+ lessons.
Research Analyst
Corporate Finance Institute
11/2020 – Present
  • Researched & scripted 50+ articles on core finance, investments, valuations.
  • Created valuation models/diagrams; reviewed submissions for consistency.
Business News Editor
Smarterworks
06/2021 – Present
  • Fact‑checked 50+ daily news briefs; edited 30+ briefs per day.
  • Classified news by relevance; created tags to enhance investment decisions.
Senior Research Fellow
Jamia Millia Islamia
09/2013 – 09/2018
  • Financial econometrics modelling for 7+ time series (MATLAB, Python, R).
  • VAR, VECM, ARDL, ARIMA, GARCH on 7 macro variables.
  • ANN, fuzzy logic, ANFIS, multilayer perception with <2% prediction error.
Education
PhD · Finance
Jamia Millia Islamia 09/2013 – 09/2018 · New Delhi
MBA · Finance
Jamia Millia Islamia 07/2011 – 06/2013 · New Delhi
CFA Level 2 (passed) UGC‑JRF (Management) NISM Research Analyst
Corporate Finance Investment Banking Financial Modelling Financial Econometrics Python / R / MATLAB Bloomberg / Capital IQ
Selected Publications
Developing a Nonlinear Model to Predict Stock Prices in India: An Artificial Neural Networks Approach
T.A. Siddiqui, Y. Abdullah
IUP Journal of Applied Finance 2015 · 21(3), 36‑49
Testing for predictive ability of conventional and shariah indices of selected Gulf countries and economic regions using neural network modelling
T.A. Siddiqui, Y. Abdullah
Journal of Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance 2017 · 13(1), 171‑186
Non‑linear relationship between macroeconomic variables and stock prices in India: An artificial neural networks approach
T.A. Siddiqui, Y. Abdullah
Management Dynamics 2014 · 14(2), 52‑59
Research focus
  • ▹ Neural networks · stock price forecasting, macro‑variable interactions
  • ▹ Financial econometrics · VAR, VECM, ARDL, GARCH, time‑series analysis
  • ▹ Valuation & M&A · DCF, EVA, comparable company analysis
Yusuf Abdullah – CV PDF · 2 pages
Download CV
2026 · based on public profiles Scholar · LinkedIn

Why "Battle Alpha"

Alpha — the return earned above what a benchmark or risk level would predict — isn't found by accident. Markets are close to efficient, information is priced in fast, and any edge has to be earned against thousands of other people trying to find the same edge. That's the battle. We write for readers who take that seriously: people who want the underlying mechanics, not a headline dressed up as insight.

Our Mission

Financial media often swings between two extremes: breathless headlines chasing clicks, or dense research notes written only for professionals. Battle Alpha aims for the middle — analysis that assumes real financial literacy without requiring a terminal to follow it, on the topics that actually move portfolios.

What We Cover

  • Stocks — company earnings, sector trends, and individual equity analysis.
  • Markets & Economy — indices, interest rates, inflation, and macro developments.
  • Crypto — digital asset markets, regulation, and adoption trends.
  • Personal Finance — budgeting, saving, retirement accounts, and everyday money decisions.
  • Commodities & Forex — oil, gold, and currency markets.
  • Policy & Regulation — central bank decisions and regulatory changes that move markets.
  • Education — short scenario-based practice vignettes across portfolio management, equity, fixed income, derivatives, and more, for readers who want to test their own understanding, not just read ours.

Our Team

Yusuf Abdullah

Yusuf Abdullah

Investment Manager

LinkedIn →

Editorial Standards

We rely on public filings, official data releases, company disclosures, and reputable financial reporting. Where a claim can't be verified, we say so. We do not publish insider information, and we correct errors transparently once identified. Our practice vignettes are written to the same standard: conceptually rigorous, clearly sourced in established financial theory, and free of invented market data.

Not Financial Advice

Everything published here — articles and practice vignettes alike — is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not personalized investment, legal, or tax advice. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Please read our full Disclaimer & Risk Notice before making any financial decisions based on content from this site.

Advertising & Independence

Battle Alpha is supported in part by display advertising, including through Google AdSense, and may in the future include affiliate links to financial products or services. Any such relationships will be clearly disclosed. Advertisers and partners have no influence over editorial content or story selection. See our Privacy Policy for details on how ads and analytics use cookies on this site.

Get in Touch

Have a tip, correction, or story idea? Visit our Contact page — we read every message.