Search results for "Valuation of options"
showing 10 items of 28 documents
Application of Operator Splitting Methods in Finance
2016
Financial derivatives pricing aims to find the fair value of a financial contract on an underlying asset. Here we consider option pricing in the partial differential equations framework. The contemporary models lead to one-dimensional or multidimensional parabolic problems of the convection-diffusion type and generalizations thereof. An overview of various operator splitting methods is presented for the efficient numerical solution of these problems.
A Sequential Quadratic Programming Method for Volatility Estimation in Option Pricing
2006
Our goal is to identify the volatility function in Dupire's equation from given option prices. Following an optimal control approach in a Lagrangian framework, we propose a globalized sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm with a modified Hessian - to ensure that every SQP step is a descent direction - and implement a line search strategy. In each level of the SQP method a linear-quadratic optimal control problem with box constraints is solved by a primal-dual active set strategy. This guarantees L^1 constraints for the volatility, in particular assuring its positivity. The proposed algorithm is founded on a thorough first- and second-order optimality analysis. We prove the existe…
Optimal control of option portfolios and applications
1999
We present an expected utility maximisation framework for optimally controlling a portfolio of options. By combining the replication approach to option pricing with ideas of the martingale approach to (stock) portfolio optimisation we arrive at an explicit solution of the option portfolio problem. Its characteristics are illustrated by some specific examples. As an application, we calculate an optimal option and consumption strategy for an investor who is obliged to hold a stock position until the time horizon.
An Iterative Method for Pricing American Options Under Jump-Diffusion Models
2011
We propose an iterative method for pricing American options under jump-diffusion models. A finite difference discretization is performed on the partial integro-differential equation, and the American option pricing problem is formulated as a linear complementarity problem (LCP). Jump-diffusion models include an integral term, which causes the resulting system to be dense. We propose an iteration to solve the LCPs efficiently and prove its convergence. Numerical examples with Kou's and Merton's jump-diffusion models show that the resulting iteration converges rapidly.
Robust and Efficient IMEX Schemes for Option Pricing under Jump-Diffusion Models
2013
We propose families of IMEX time discretization schemes for the partial integro-differential equation derived for the pricing of options under a jump diffusion process. The schemes include the families of IMEX-midpoint, IMEXCNAB and IMEX-BDF2 schemes. Each family is defined by a convex parameter c ∈ [0, 1], which divides the zeroth-order term due to the jumps between the implicit and explicit part in the time discretization. These IMEX schemes lead to tridiagonal systems, which can be solved extremely efficiently. The schemes are studied through Fourier stability analysis and numerical experiments. It is found that, under suitable assumptions and time step restrictions, the IMEX-midpoint fa…
An IMEX-Scheme for Pricing Options under Stochastic Volatility Models with Jumps
2014
Partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) formulations are often preferable for pricing options under models with stochastic volatility and jumps, especially for American-style option contracts. We consider the pricing of options under such models, namely the Bates model and the so-called stochastic volatility with contemporaneous jumps (SVCJ) model. The nonlocality of the jump terms in these models leads to matrices with full matrix blocks. Standard discretization methods are not viable directly since they would require the inversion of such a matrix. Instead, we adopt a two-step implicit-explicit (IMEX) time discretization scheme, the IMEX-CNAB scheme, where the jump term is treated ex…
Impact of Stock Price Jumps on Option Values
1999
Many empirical papers document the fact that the distribution of stock returns exhibits fatter tails than would be expected from a normal distribution. This might explain some of the pricing biases of the Black/Scholes model, which is] based on a normal return distribution. Given this result, alternative option pricing models should be based on one of the following three classes of return models: (1) a stationary process, such as a paretian stable or a student’s t-distribution, (2) a mixture of stationary distributions, such as two normal distributions with different means or variances, or a mixture of a diflusion and a pure jump process, or (3) a distribution such as a normal distribution …
An iterative method for pricing American options under jump-diffusion models
2011
We propose an iterative method for pricing American options under jump-diffusion models. A finite difference discretization is performed on the partial integro-differential equation, and the American option pricing problem is formulated as a linear complementarity problem (LCP). Jump-diffusion models include an integral term, which causes the resulting system to be dense. We propose an iteration to solve the LCPs efficiently and prove its convergence. Numerical examples with Kou@?s and Merton@?s jump-diffusion models show that the resulting iteration converges rapidly.
Evaluation of Insurance Products with Guarantee in Incomplete Markets
2008
Abstract Life insurance products are usually equipped with minimum guarantee and bonus provision options. The pricing of such claims is of vital importance for the insurance industry. Risk management, strategic asset allocation, and product design depend on the correct evaluation of the written options. Also regulators are interested in such issues since they have to be aware of the possible scenarios that the overall industry will face. Pricing techniques based on the Black & Scholes paradigm are often used, however, the hypotheses underneath this model are rarely met. To overcome Black & Scholes limitations, we develop a stochastic programming model to determine the fair price of the mini…
Designing and pricing guarantee options in defined contribution pension plans
2015
Abstract The shift from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) is pervasive among pension funds, due to demographic changes and macroeconomic pressures. In DB all risks are borne by the provider, while in plain vanilla DC all risks are borne by the beneficiary. However, for DC to provide income security some kind of guarantee is required. A minimum guarantee clause can be modeled as a put option written on some underlying reference portfolio and we develop a discrete model that selects the reference portfolio to minimize the cost of a guarantee. While the relation DB–DC is typically viewed as a binary one, the model shows how to price a wide range of guarantees creating a continu…