Xingchun Wang

Rare Shock, Two-Factor Stochastic Volatility and Currency Option Pricing

Abstract In this paper, we develop an option valuation model where the dynamics of the spot foreign exchange rate is governed by a two-factor Markov-modulated jump-diffusion process. The short-term fluctuation of stochastic volatility is driven by a Cox–Ingersoll–Ross (CIR) process and the long-term variation of stochastic volatility is driven by a continuous-time Markov chain which can be interpreted as economy states. Rare events are governed by a compound Poisson process with log-normal jump amplitude and stochastic jump intensity is modulated by a common continuous-time Markov chain. Since the market is incomplete under regime-switching assumptions, we determine a risk-neutral martingale measure via the Esscher transform and then give a pricing formula of currency options. Numerical results are presented for investigating the impact of the long-term volatility and the annual jump intensity on option prices.

Credit spreads, endogenous bankruptcy and liquidity risk

In this paper, we consider a bond valuation model with both credit risk and liquidity risk to show that credit spreads are not negligible for short maturities. We adopt the structural approach to model credit risk, where the default triggering barrier is determined endogenously by maximizing equity value. As for liquidity risk, we assume that bondholders may encounter liquidity shocks during the lifetime of corporate bonds, and have to sell the bond immediately at the price, which is assumed to be a fraction of the price in a perfectly liquid market. Under this framework, we derive explicit expressions for corporate bond, firm value and bankruptcy trigger. Finally, numerical illustrations are presented.