This dissertation is centered around two comprehensive themes: the extraction of information embedded in equity index option prices, and how to use this information in order to be able to make optimal decisions in the equity index option markets. These problems are important for decision makers in the equity index options markets, since they are continuously faced with making decisions under uncertainty given observed market prices. The methods developed in this dissertation provide robust tools that can be used by practitioners in order to improve the quality of the decisions that they make. In order to be able to extract information embedded in option prices, the dissertation develops two different methods for estimation of stable option implied surfaces which are consistent with observed market prices. This is a difficult and ill-posed inverse problem which is complicated by the fact that observed option prices contain a large amount of noise stemming from market micro structure effects. Producing estimated surfaces that are stable over time is important since otherwise risk measurement of derivatives portfolios, pricing of exotic options and calculation of hedge parameters will be prone to include significant errors. The first method that we develop leads to an optimization problem which is formulated as a convex quadratic program with linear constraints which can be solved very efficiently. The second estimation method that we develop in the dissertation makes it possible to produce local volatility surfaces of high quality, which are consistent with market prices and stable over time. The high quality of the surfaces estimated with the second method is the crucial input to the research which has resulted in the last three papers of the dissertation. The stability of the estimated local volatility surfaces makes it possible to build a realistic dynamic model for the equity index derivatives market. This model forms the basis for the stochastic programming (SP) model for option hedging that we develop in the dissertation. We show that the SP model, which uses generated scenarios for the squared local volatility surface as input,  outperforms the traditional hedging methods that are described in the literature. Apart from having an accurate view of the variance of relevant risk factors, it is when building a dynamic model also important to have a good estimate of the expected values, and thereby risk premia, of those factors. We use a result from recently published research which lets us recover the real-world density from only a cross-section of observed option prices via a local volatility model. The recovered real-world densities are then used in order to identify and estimate liquidity premia that are embedded in option prices. We also use the recovered real-world densities in order to test how well the option market predicts the realized statistical characteristics of the underlying index. We compare the results with the performance of commonly used models for the underlying index. The results show that option prices contain a premium in the tails of the distribution. By removing the estimated premia from the tails, the resulting density predicts future realizations of the underlying index very well.

6 The result of my thesis is the finding that narrative analysis is an approach that allows understanding biblical text in a bigger scope. The better comprehension is particularly given by understanding of the deep narrative structures. This works also for the exegesis where the narrative-analytical frame serves as a sieve that separates statements burdened by theology. However these statements can be seen as the door through which we can enter the story and determine its fundamental message. On the other hand, narrative approach cannot be considered as an all-embracing approach for understanding the Old Testament text, because it does not help us neither to discover what exactly led the author to create the Absalom's cycle, nor to define what demands he places on the readers.

Chapter 1 of the dissertation investigates the firms' restructuring choice between minority carve-outs and tracking stocks using samples during 1990-2001. The extra compensation from the restructured units, the liquidity conditions, and the preservation of synergy are the significant factors determining a firm's restructuring decision. Additional compensation seems to be a major driving force behind restructuring via tracking stock. One year after the restructuring, the executive compensation of the tracking stock group increases by 241% compared to 32% for the carve-out sample. In spite of the significant increase in the compensation, the three-year buy-and-hold return for tracking stock parents is more negative than that of the carve-out parents. Thus, if the extra compensation was designed to align the interests of managers and shareholders, the goal did not materialize. The primary motive behind restructuring through carve-outs is to control the liquidity problem. Although the operating performance of the parents of either group does not improve three years after the restructuring, the long-term stock performance of carve-out parents improves when a restructured unit is less related to the parent. Chapter 2 of the dissertation compares the degree of overreaction between value stocks and growth stocks using the implied volatility from option prices. Applying Stein's (1989) mean reversion model and Heynen, Kemna, and Vorst's (1994) GARCH and EGARCH methods, I compare the theoretical and empirical measures of reaction of longterm options in respect to short-term options for the growth and the value portfolios, which are separately classified by price-to-book and price-to-earning ratios. The evidence suggests that growth portfolios largely overreact to a greater degree than the value portfolios assuming mean reversion, GARCH, and EGARCH models. The findings potentially explain why value stocks outperform growth stocks in the long run, lending support to overreaction as an explanation for the value effect.

[pt] A expansão do mercado de derivativos no mundo e principalmente no Brasil tem impulsionado seus usuários a aprimorar e desenvolver ferramentas de apreçamento mais eficientes. Com esse intuito, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo evidenciar qual janela de observações gera a curtose e a assimetria que mais suavize o sorriso da volatilidade utilizando-se do modelo Corrado-Su. Para tanto, as empresas escolhidas foram a Petrobrás PN e a Vale PNA, devido a suas ações e opções de compra serem as mais líquidas no mercado brasileiro. A análise dos dados apontou para uma maior suavização do sorriso da volatilidade por parte das janelas de dados de curto prazo sobre as longo prazo, e uma equivalência de desempenho das primeiras ao do modelo Black-Scholes. / [en] The expansion of the derivatives market in the world and especially in Brazil has driven its users to enhance and develop tools for more efficient pricing. With this purpose, this paper aims to point which window of observations generates the kurtosis and skewness that more soften the volatility smile using the Corrado-Su model. Therefore, the firms that were chosen were Petrobras PN and Vale PNA, because their stocks and options are the most liquid in Brazilian market. The data analysis indicated a greater smoothing volatility smile using the windows of observations of the short term instead of the long term, and a equivalent performance of the first ones to that of the Black-Scholes model.

[pt] Algumas literaturas sugerem que a volatilidade implícita das opções de compra de ações não deve ser utilizada como estimador para a volatilidade futura. Contudo, estudos recentes e aplicados ao mercado brasileiro de ações comprovaram que em determinados casos existe relação entre a volatilidade implícita e a volatilidade real (ou realizada). Isso significa dizer que a primeira traz informações sobre a última. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste estudo é comparar a volatilidade implícita de dois modelos de apreçamento de opções com a volatilidade realizada. Entre os modelos de Black-Scholes (1973) e Corrado-Su (1996), utilizando dados de opções de Petrobras e Vale do Rio Doce, foram calculados, através do erro quadrático, aqueles resultados que mais se aproximaram da volatilidade realizada. Estes resultados trazem indícios de que o modelo de Black-Scholes, em média, foi superior ao Corrado-Su no período que vai de janeiro de 2005 a julho de 2009. Porém, o último, por levar em consideração a assimetria e a curtose da distribuição de retornos, chegou mais perto da volatilidade realizada apenas em alguns momentos específicos das economias brasileira e mundial. / [en] Several authors have proposed that implied volatility from purchase options should not be used as an estimate for future volatility. However, recent studies applied to the Brazilian stock market proved that in certain cases there is relation between implied volatility and realized volatility. This means that the first one provides information on the last. In this context, the objective of this study is to compare implied volatilities from two different option pricing models against the realized volatility. The models are Black-Scholes (1973) and Corrado-Su (1996). Working with purchase options on Petrobras and Vale do Rio Doce, it was calculated the difference, by quadratic error, between the implied volatility of these models and the realized volatility. After this, it was checked those results that came closer to the realized volatility. The results provide evidence that the Black-Scholes model, on average, has higher performance than Corrado-Su from January 2005 to July 2009. However, Corrado-Su by taking into account the asymmetry and kurtosis of the distribution of returns came closer to the realized volatility only in specific moments of the Brazilian and global economies.

Um dos reflexos esperados pela utilização da contabilidade está em uma menor assimetria informacional entre as partes, sendo capaz de afetar a performance econômica das empresas, reduzindo o custo de capital próprio das mesmas (BUSHMAN; SMITH, 2001). À vista disso, ganhos na qualidade da informação emanada pela contabilidade teriam o poder de influenciar o custo do capital próprio, diminuindo-o e elevando a performance das firmas. Com intuito de auferir tais ganhos, foi criado o International Accounting Standards Board - IASB que passou a emitir normas denominadas International Financial Reporting Standards - IFRS que, por sua vez, delimitaram uma série de medidas a serem seguidas, buscando harmonizar as práticas contábeis sob um único pilar. Entretanto, a adoção das IFRS não está desprendida das forças do mercado de capitais e da qualidade do enforcement do país adotante, não havendo uma correlação clara entre a convergência contábil e o acréscimo de qualidade. Consequentemente, o impacto da sua adoção perante a performance econômica e o custo de capital próprio também é divergente. O presente trabalho tem o intuito de avaliar os impactos sobre o custo de capital próprio das empresas brasileiras de capital aberto em função da convergência, averiguando o comportamento da taxa. Ademais, busca-se aplicar quatro metodologias de estimativa do custo de capital próprio: Ohlson Juettner-Nauroth (2005), Easton (2004), Claus e Thomas (2001) e Gebhardt, Lee e Swaminathan (2001) e confrontá-las na avaliação do impacto da adoção do IFRS no Brasil. Os resultados indicam uma redução do custo de capital próprio em três pontos base perante o modelo de Easton (2004), mas resultados não significantes para os modelos de Gebhardt, Lee e Swaminathan (2001) e Ohlson Juettner-Nauroth (2005), sendo o modelo de Claus e Thomas (2001) excluído da análise por dados insuficientes. Tais pontos predizem a necessidade de aprofundamento das pesquisas com modelos de custo implícito e ressalva se a adoção internacional foi realmente eficiente frente aos incentivos e o enforcement vigente no país. / One of the expected consequences when using accounting is a lower information asymmetry between the parties, being able to affect the economic performance of firms, reducing the cost of equity capital of them (BUSHMAN; SMITH, 2001). Thus gains in the quality of the information disclosed by accounting would have the power to influence the cost of equity capital, reducing it and increasing the performance of the firms. With the purpose of obtaining these gains, was created the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) which began issuing accounting standards called International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to delimit a range of measures to be followed, seeking to harmonize the accounting practices under one pillar. However, the adoption of IFRS is not detached from the forces of capital markets and of the adopter country enforcement, without a clear correlation between the accounting convergence and the quality increase. Consequently, the impact of its adoption on the economic performance of firms and the cost of equity capital is also divergent. This study aims to evaluate the impact on the cost of equity capital of Brazilian joint-stock companies due to the convergence to IFRS. Furthermore, the present work seek to apply four methods of estimating the cost of equity capital: Ohlson Juettner-Nauroth (2005), Easton (2004), Claus and Thomas (2001) and Gebhardt, Lee and Swaminathan (2001) confronting each one on the analysis of the IFRS adoption impacts in Brazil. The results indicate a reduction of 3 basis points in the cost of equity capital under the framework of Easton (2004), but there are no significant results for the models of Ohlson Juettner-Nauroth (2005), Gebhardt, Lee and Swaminathan (2001), which the Claus and Thomas (2001) model was excluded for enough data. These points predict the need for further development of research on implied cost of capital models and raise the question if international convergence was really efficient given the incentives and the current enforcement in the country.

Este trabalho tem por objetivo verificar a eficácia do modelo parametrizado SVI (Stochastic Volatility Inspired), apresentando-o como um método alternativo à construção da volatilidade implícita para opções de ações e de índice no mercado brasileiro. Primeiramente, o conceito financeiro de opção e sua teoria de precificação são apresentados, incluindo os modelos de Black-Scholes e Heston, a importância da volatilidade implícita e seu comportamento estocástico e detalhando o funcionamento de cada parâmetro do modelo SVI (Stochastic Volatility Inspired). Um algoritmo é desenvolvido em cima da base teórica, assim como sua implementação computacional. Além disso, são feitos experimentos com dados de mercado reais e seus resultados analisados e comparados com os de publicações anteriores. / This work aims to verify the efficiency of parameterized SVI (Stochastic Volatility Inspired) model, presenting it as an alternative method to construct the implied volatility for stock and index options in Brazilian market. First, the financial option concept and its pricing theory are presented, including Black-Scholes and Heston models, the importance of implied volatility and its stochastic behavior and detailing the operation of each parameter of the SVI (Stochastic Volatility Inspired) model. An algorithm is developed on top of the theoretical basis, as well as its computational implementation. In addition, experiments are performed with real market data and their results are analyzed and compared with those of previous publications.

Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia de cálculo de sensibilidades utilizando equa- ções analíticas, levando em a conta a correção de smile na superfície de volatilidade, que não é contemplada no modelo de Black e Scholes. Dada a diferença signicativa na mensura ção do risco as instituições nanceiras calculam suas sensibilidades incorporando esta correção, mas tal determinação tem sido realizada por métodos numéricos, que acabam sendo mais lentos que a abordagem aqui proposta. São apresentadas equações analíticas para as principais sensibilidades do modelo a partir de dados de mercado usados na constução da superfície de volatilidade implícita. Ilustramos a comparação da técnica proposta com o método numérico com base no mercado de opções sobre taxa de câmbio Brasileiro. / This work presents a study on how we should adapted the Greeks or risk factors of the Black and Scholes model. We can derive analytical equations for the main sensitivities of the model and using the market data to build an implied volatility surface and to get additional terms for the risk factors. We propose to implement this model in a scheme of analytic differential equations derived from the pricing model and from the implied volatility function. The building of this implied volatility and risk factors was based on the foreign exchange Brazilian market.

This research critically analyses and compares how the United Arab Emirates (UAE)1 Law and English and Welsh (EW) Law regulates obligations in a contract, for a thing that is to come into existence in the future, namely a construction contract. Uncertainty/speculation as to how an obligation is to be performed in UAE Law is termed gharar. The word that is synonymous with this terminology in EW Law is “risk”. The extent of gharar or ‘risk’ (these terms are used on an interchangeable basis in this thesis) in an obligation plays a fundamental role in the profitability of a construction contract. Where losses become unacceptable, particularly for the Contractor, a dispute will arise. These circumstances may be in conflict with UAE Law, which obligates parties to a contract to ensure circulation of wealth by maintaining the anticipated profit to be made from a contract. This analysis also reviews how the level of gharar or ‘risk’ can be increased by operation of two types of provision that are included in standard forms of construction contract such as the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, Geneva, Switzerland (FIDIC) Conditions of Contract for Construction for Building and Engineering Works Designed by the Employer 1st Ed. 1999 (FIDIC99). The first is a provision that releases the Employer from liability where the Contractor does not give timely notice of an Employer’s act of prevention. The second is a provision giving the Employer a discretion to act in an opportunistic manner, and exempt or limit his liability. It considers how FIDIC99 should be applied to control gharar or ‘risk’ in a positive way. It also identifies similarities between how UAE Law controls gharar and that of the notion of parties’ reasonable expectations in contract Law (herein referred to as parties’ expectations), and how relational contracts operate to ensure parties achieve their expectations.

Como a volatilidade é a única variável não observada nas fórmulas padrão de apreçamento de opções, o mercado financeiro utiliza amplamente o conceito de volatilidade implícita, isto é, a volatilidade que ao ser aplicada na fórmula de apreçamento resulte no preço correto (observado) das opções negociadas. Por isso, entender como as volatilidades implícitas das diversas opções de dólar negociadas na BM&F, o objeto de nosso estudo, variam ao longo do tempo e como estas se relacionam é importante para a análise de risco de carteiras de opções de dólar/real bem como para o apreçamento de derivativos cambiais exóticos ou pouco líquidos. A proposta de nosso estudo é, portanto, verificar se as observações da literatura técnica em diversos mercados também são válidas para as opções de dólar negociadas na BM&F: que as volatilidades implícitas não são constantes e que há uma relação entre as variações das volatilidades implícitas e as variações do valor do ativo objeto. Para alcançar este objetivo, aplicaremos a análise de componentes principais em nosso estudo. Com esta metodologia, reduziremos as variáveis aleatórias que representam o processo das volatilidades implícitas em um número menor de variáveis ortogonais, facilitando a análise dos dados obtidos. / Volatility is the only unobserved variable in the standard option pricing formulas and hence implied volatility is a concept widely adopted by the financial market, meaning the volatility which would make the formula yield the options real market price. Therefore, understanding how the implied volatility of the options on dollar traded at BM&F, the subject of our study, vary over time is important for risk analysis over dollar option books and for pricing of exotic or illiquid derivatives Our works proposal is to verify if the observations made by the technical literature over several markets could also be applied to the options on dollar traded at BM&F: implied volatilities do vary over time and there is a relation between this variation and the variation of the underlying asset price. In order to fulfill these goals, we will apply principal component analysis in our study. This methodology will help us analyze the data by reducing the number of variables that represent the implied volatility process into a few orthogonal variables.