Title: Stochastic Models in Financial Mathematics Author: Bc. Oliver Waczulík Department: Department of Probability and Mathematical Statistics Supervisor: doc. RNDr. Jan Hurt, CSc., Department of Probability and Mathe- matical Statistics Abstract: This thesis looks into the problems of ordinary stochastic models used in financial mathematics, which are often influenced by unrealistic assumptions of Brownian motion. The thesis deals with and suggests more sophisticated alternatives to Brownian motion models. By applying the fractional Brownian motion we derive a modification of the Black-Scholes pricing formula for a mixed fractional Bro- wnian motion. We use Lévy processes to introduce subordinated stable process of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type serving for modeling interest rates. We present the calibration procedures for these models along with a simulation study for estima- tion of Hurst parameter. To illustrate the practical use of the models introduced in the paper we have used real financial data and custom procedures program- med in the system Wolfram Mathematica. We have achieved almost 90% decline in the value of Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistics by the application of subordinated stable process of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type for the historical values of the monthly PRIBOR (Prague Interbank Offered Rate) rates in...

Neste trabalho propomos um modelo de mercado através de uma discretização aleatória do movimento browniano proposta por Leão & Ohashi (2010). Com este modelo, dada uma função payoff, vamos desenvolver uma estratégia de hedging e uma metodologia para precificação de opções / In this work we propose a market model using a discretization scheme of the random Brownian motion proposed by Leão & Ohashi (2010). With this model, for any given payoff function, we develop a hedging strategy and a methodology to option pricing

Magister Scientiae - MSc / We investigate some simulation-based approaches for the valuing of the employee stock options. The mathematical models that deal with valuation of such options include the work of Jennergren and Naeslund [L.P Jennergren and B. Naeslund, A comment on valuation of executive stock options and the FASB proposal, Accounting Review 68 (1993) 179-183]. They used the Black and Scholes [F. Black and M. Scholes, The pricing of options and corporate liabilities, Journal of Political Economy 81(1973) 637-659] and extended partial differential equation for an option that includes the early exercise. Some other major relevant works to this mini thesis are Hemmer et al. [T Hemmer, S. Matsunaga and T Shevlin, The influence of risk diversification on the early exercise of employee stock options by executive officers, Journal of Accounting and Economics 21(1) (1996) 45-68] and Baril et al. [C. Baril, L. Betancourt, J. Briggs, Valuing employee stock options under SFAS 123 R using the Black-Scholes-Merton and lattice model approaches, Journal of Accounting Education 25 (1-2) (2007) 88-101]. The underlying assets are studied under the GARCH (generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity) effects. Particular emphasis is made on the American style employee stock options. / South Africa

Reservoir economic performance is based upon future cash flows which can be generated from a reservoir. Future cash flows are a function of hydrocarbon volumetric flow rates which a reservoir can produce, and the market conditions. Both of these functions of future cash flows are associated with uncertainties. There is uncertainty associated in estimates of future hydrocarbon flow rates due to uncertainty in geological model, limited availability and type of data, and the complexities involved in the reservoir modeling process. The second source of uncertainty associated with future cash flows come from changing oil prices, rate of return etc., which are all functions of market dynamics. Robust integration of these two sources of uncertainty, i.e. future hydrocarbon flow rates and market dynamics, in a model to predict cash flows from a reservoir is an essential part of risk assessment, but a difficult task. Current practices to assess a reservoir’s economic performance by using Deterministic Cash Flow (DCF) methods have been unsuccessful in their predictions because of lack in parametric capability to robustly and completely incorporate these both types of uncertainties. This thesis presents a procedure which accounts for uncertainty in hydrocarbon production forecasts due to incomplete geologic information, and a novel real options methodology to assess the project economics for upstream petroleum industry. The modeling approach entails determining future hydrocarbon production rates due to incomplete geologic information with and without secondary information. The price of hydrocarbons is modeled separately, and the costs to produce them are determined based on market dynamics. A real options methodology is used to assess the effective cash flows from the reservoir, and hence, to determine the project economics. This methodology associates realistic probabilities, which are quantified using the method’s parameters, with benefits and costs. The results from this methodology are compared against the results from DCF methodology to examine if the real options methodology can identify some hidden potential of a reservoir’s performance which DCF might not be able to uncover. This methodology is then applied to various case studies and strategies for planning and decision making. / text

NJ, Univ., Dep. of Economics, Diss.--Princeton, 2005. / Kopie, ersch. im Verl. UMI, Ann Arbor, Mich. - Enth. 3 Beitr.

The main goal of this dissertation was to obtain an understanding as to the true economic nature of employee share options and the problems surrounding the accounting thereof. The main conclusion of this study is that employee share options should be expensed in the income statement as and when the employee's services are performed. The reason is that employee share options are valuable financial instruments which the employer has used to compensate the employee for his services. It was also concluded that exercise date accounting and classification of outstanding employee share options as liabilities on the balance sheet is the most appropriate accounting treatment. Such accounting treatment trues up the accounting of employee share options with that of cash-settled share appreciation rights, which are economically equivalent transactions. The measurement of employee share options should be based on their fair value using an option-pricing model adapted for the specific features of employee share options. / Accounting / Thesis (M. Com. (Accounting Science))

Neste trabalho propomos um modelo de mercado através de uma discretização aleatória do movimento browniano proposta por Leão & Ohashi (2010). Com este modelo, dada uma função payoff, vamos desenvolver uma estratégia de hedging e uma metodologia para precificação de opções / In this work we propose a market model using a discretization scheme of the random Brownian motion proposed by Leão & Ohashi (2010). With this model, for any given payoff function, we develop a hedging strategy and a methodology to option pricing

This thesis focuses on guaranteed investment funds, which have become very popular among investors in the Czech Republic in recent years. The reason for this popularity is the conservativeness of a typical domestic investor, who appreciates the lower bound for the value of his investment. Guaranteed funds characteristically have a complex structure and valuation of their profitability based solely on intuition is therefore impossible. This analysis tries to provide an answer to the question if investing in these funds is reasonable. A large part of the thesis is dedicated to the option theory and option valuation methods, including the famous Black-Scholes formula, as guaranteed investment funds have the characteristics of an option. Thanks to the complicated structure of these products, the analysis itself is done by Monte Carlo simulation.

The submitted work deals with option pricing. Mathematical approach is immediately followed by an economic interpretation. The main problem is to model the underlying uncertainities driving the stock price. Using two well-known valuation models, binomial model and Black-Scholes model, we explain basic principles, especially risk neutral pricing. Due to the empirical biases new models have been developped, based on pure jump process. Variance gamma process and its special symmetric case are presented.

Diplomová práce primárně řeší zda jsou exotické opce vhodné pro zajištění kurzových rizik a přináší návrh vhodné aplikace exotických opcí. Práce je zaměřena na úzkou skupinu exotických opcí, tzv. Path-Dependent opce. Tři často používané typy těchto opcí jsou analyzovány a testovány jak mezi sebou tak pro lepší porovnání i s klasickou vanilla opcí. Hlavním výstupem diplomové práce je návrh vhodného využití testovaných exotických opcí.