Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-116). Also available in electronic version.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the daily return behavior of underlying common stocks in the period surrounding the option expiration date. A second purpose is to determine the variables that may be causing the differential capital market effect across firms. The hypothesis of a negative return effect in the expiration week followed by a positive effect in the subsequent week is tested first. It is shown that this pattern should be expected due to the enhanced opportunity for and profitability of position unwinding, arbitrage and manipulation activity as the expiration date approached. The study period covers 32 expiration periods from 1978 through 1981 and involves a sample of 138 underlying stocks. The study employs the market model for generating abnormal returns on a daily basis. The results support the hypothesis and in particular show that the most significant negative return behavior occurs on Thursday and Friday of the expiration week. The second phase of the study correlates, via a cross-sectional multiple regression model, the suggested expiration induced events of position unwinding, arbitrage and manipulation activities with the return behavior of the underlying stocks. It is hypothesized that those common stocks which exhibit the greatest negative returns in the expiration week are those stocks and related call options that are most heavily involved in position unwinding, arbitrage and manipulation activities. Trading volume in both the underlying stock and the options is suggested as a surrogate for these three activities. Therefore, volume is negatively related to underlying stock returns. Two additional explanatory variables of the expiration week returns are included in the regression model. A negative relationship is hypothesized if options are dually listed and a positive relationship if puts are traded. The results of the tests generally support these hypothesized functional relationships. The study concludes that, although significant abnormal returns and explanatory variables are found, the magnitudes are probably not large enough to profitably exploit after paying transaction and search costs. As puts trading appears to offset the market inefficiencies caused by call option trading, the concern of regulators that options trading unduly affects stock prices seems unwarranted.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997.

Ho Kin Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-73). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Motivation --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Chapter Layout --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Summary --- p.7 / Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Implied Asset Return Distribution --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Jarrow-Rudd Skewness and Kurtosis-Adjusted Model --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3 --- Implied Moments in Asset Return Distribution --- p.24 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.26 / Chapter 3 --- Methodology --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Application to the Nikkei Index Options --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2 --- In-Sample Parameters Estimation --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3 --- Out-Sample Prediction Error Evaluation --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4 --- Time-Series Movements of Higher Moments --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5 --- Summary --- p.37 / Chapter 4 --- Empirical Results --- p.38 / Chapter 4.1 --- In-Sample Parameters Estimation --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Out-Sample Prediction Error Evaluation --- p.43 / Chapter 4.3 --- Time Series Movements of Higher Moments --- p.45 / Chapter 4.4 --- Implications --- p.55 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.57 / Chapter 5 --- Conclusions --- p.59 / Chapter A --- Additional Figures --- p.62

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine whether a number of hedging strategies, based on option and future contracts, can be implemented to hedge a share portfolio in a successful and cost-effective way during periods of market uncertainty. The study consists of two main sections, a review of the literature and an empirical survey. The review of the literature deals with the specifications of option and future contracts that trade on SAFEXand the use of option contracts to develop different hedging strategies. In the empirical survey the different hedging strategies were applied on a share portfolio of Rim over periods of three, six, nine and twelve months. The study yielded the following conclusions: o Call and put options can be combined in various ways to create different hedging strategies such as bear spread, straddle, strip, strangle and zero cost col/ar strateg ies. o By managing the option positions of the zero cost col/arstrategy actively, the portfolio can be hedged fully and cost effectively over any period. o The portfolio can be hedged fully and cost effectively over any period through the active management of future positions. The outcome of any hedging strategy ultimately depends on the assumptions and decisions made by the portfolio manager. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om te bepaal of 'n aantal verskansingstrategieë, wat op opsie- en termynkontrakte gebaseer is, suksesvol en kostedoeltreffend toegepas kan word om 'n aandeleportefeulje teen verwagte markdalings te beskerm. Die studie is in twee hoofafdelings verdeel, naamlik 'n teoretiese en empiriese ondersoek. Die teoretiese ondersoek handel oor die spesifikasies van opsie- en termynkontrakte wat op SAFEX verhandel en die gebruik van koop- en verkoopopsies om verskillende opsiestrategieë daar te stel. In die empiriese ondersoek is die verskillende verskansingstrategieë op 'n aandeleportefeulje van R1m oor 'n aantal tydperke van drie, ses, nege en twaalf maande getoets. Die volgende gevolgtrekkings kan uit die studie gemaak word: o Koop- en verkoopopsies kan in verskeie kombinasies gebruik word om verskillende verskansingstrategieë daar te stel. Voorbeelde van sulke strategieë is die bear spread-, straddle-, strip-, strangle- en zero cost collarstrategieë. o Deur die aktiewe bestuur van opsieposisies by die zero cost collar-strategie kan 'n portefeulje te alle tye ten volle verskans word. Die strategie is ook kostedoeltreffend . o Deur die aktiewe bestuur van termynkontrakte kan 'n aandeleportefeulje ook te alle tye ten volle en kostedoeltreffend verskans word. Die uiteindelike resultaat by die gebruik van termynkontrakte om 'n portefeulje te verskans, is soos by opsiekontrakte egter afhanklik van die aannames en besluite wat deur die portefeuljebestuurder geneem word.

In this study, value of demand information and the importance of option contracts are investigated for a supply chain consisting of a buyer and two suppliers in a single period setting. One supplier is cheap but prone to disruptions whereas the other one is perfectly reliable but expensive. At the beginning of the period, buyer orders from the unreliable supplier and reserves from the reliable supplier through a contract that gives buyer an option to use reserved units after getting disruption information of first supplier. We introduce three models which differ in terms of the level of information available when the ordering decisions are made. In the full information model, the options are exercised after getting disruption and demand information / in the partial information model, the options are exercised after getting disruption information before demand information. In the no information model, there is no options contract and units are ordered from the reliable supplier when buyer has no information about demand and disruption. Through the analysis of these models, we explore the value of advance demand and disruption information in the presence of an options contract.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 7, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita.

This dissertation contains two topics in operations research. The first topic is to design a distribution network to facilitate the repeated movement of shipments from many origins to many destinations. A method is developed to estimate transportation costs as a function of the number of terminals and moreover to determine the best number of terminals. The second topic is to study dynamics of a buyer's behavior when the buyer can buy goods through both option contracts and a spot market and the buyer attempts to learn the probability distribution of the spot price. The buyer estimates the spot price distribution as though it is exogenous. However, the spot price distribution is not exogenous but is endogenous because it is affected by the buyer's decision regarding option purchases.

This article addresses the most relevant aspects of Memorandum of Understanding, one of the most important contractual figures of our times. Through the article, the author explains this figure according to doctrinaire and jurisprudential pronouncements and determines its legal nature and the treatment the Peruvian legal system should grant to it. / El presente artículo aborda los aspectos más relevantes del Memorando de Entendimiento o Memorandum of Understanding, una de las figuras contractuales más importantes de nuestros tiempos. A lo largo del artículo, el autor explica esta figura a la luz de pronunciamientos doctrinarios y jurisprudenciales y, asimismo, determina su naturaleza jurídica y el tratamiento que el ordenamiento jurídico peruano debe otorgarle.

In this article, the authors explain the type of treatment the Call Spread options should be given. They argue that these should be treated as a unique derivative and not as one compound by two independent elements. Likewise, they outline the premium as an inherent element in the determination of any gains or losses from the financial options that it is decided to adopt. As an important point, they claim that adopting one specific side about the treatment of the Call Spread options and the premium implies having a viewpoint about their determination in the Income Tax. / En el presente artículo, los autores explican el tipo de tratamiento que se debería dar a las opciones Call Spread. Sostienen que debería ser tratado como un derivado único y no como uno compuesto por dos elementos independientes. Asimismo, señalan a la prima como un elemento inherente a la determinación de las eventuales ganancias o pérdidas definitivas generadas por las opciones financieras que se decida adoptar. Como punto importante, indican que adoptar una posición específica sobre el tratamiento de las opciones Call Spread y de las primas supone una posición sobre su determinación en el Impuesto a la Renta.