Modern Stochastics: Theory and Applications

A new multi-factor short rate model is presented which is bounded from below by a real-valued function of time. The mean-reverting short rate process is modeled by a sum of pure-jump Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes such that the related bond prices possess affine representations. Also the dynamics of the associated instantaneous forward rate is provided and a condition is derived under which the model can be market-consistently calibrated. The analytical tractability of this model is illustrated by the derivation of an explicit plain vanilla option price formula. With view on practical applications, suitable probability distributions are proposed for the driving jump processes. The paper is concluded by presenting a post-crisis extension of the proposed short and forward rate model.

Let $\{L(t),t\ge 0\}$ be a Lévy process with representative random variable $L(1)$ defined by the infinitely divisible logarithmic series distribution. We study here the transition probability and Lévy measure of this process. We also define two subordinated processes. The first one, $Y(t)$, is a Negative-Binomial process $X(t)$ directed by Gamma process. The second process, $Z(t)$, is a Logarithmic Lévy process $L(t)$ directed by Poisson process. For them, we prove that the Bernstein functions of the processes $L(t)$ and $Y(t)$ contain the iterated logarithmic function. In addition, the Lévy measure of the subordinated process $Z(t)$ is a shifted Lévy measure of the Negative-Binomial process $X(t)$. We compare the properties of these processes, knowing that the total masses of corresponding Lévy measures are equal.

We investigate the pricing of cliquet options in a jump-diffusion model. The considered option is of monthly sum cap style while the underlying stock price model is driven by a drifted Lévy process entailing a Brownian diffusion component as well as compound Poisson jumps. We also derive representations for the density and distribution function of the emerging Lévy process. In this setting, we infer semi-analytic expressions for the cliquet option price by two different approaches. The first one involves the probability distribution function of the driving Lévy process whereas the second draws upon Fourier transform techniques. With view on sensitivity analysis and hedging purposes, we eventually deduce representations for several Greeks while putting emphasis on the Vega.