In this paper, Monte Carlo simulation for CCR (Counterparty Credit Risk) modeling is investigated. A jump-diffusion model, Bates' model, is used to describe the price process of an asset, and the counterparty default probability is described by a stochastic intensity model with constant intensity. In combination with Monte Carlo simulation, the variance reduction technique importance sampling is used in an attempt to make the simulations more efficient. Importance sampling is used for simulation of both the asset price and, for CVA (Credit Valuation Adjustment) estimation, the default time. CVA is simulated for both European and Bermudan options. It is shown that a significant variance reduction can be achieved by utilizing importance sampling for asset price simulations. It is also shown that a significant variance reduction for CVA simulation can be achieved for counterparties with small default probabilities by employing importance sampling for the default times. This holds for both European and Bermudan options. Furthermore, the regression based method least squares Monte Carlo is used to estimate the price of a Bermudan option, resulting in CVA estimates that lie within an interval of feasible values. Finally, some topics of further research are suggested. / I denna rapport undersöks Monte Carlo-simuleringar för motpartskreditrisk. En jump-diffusion-modell, Bates modell, används för att beskriva prisprocessen hos en tillgång, och sannolikheten att motparten drabbas av insolvens beskrivs av en stokastisk intensitetsmodell med konstant intensitet. Tillsammans med Monte Carlo-simuleringar används variansreduktionstekinken importance sampling i ett försök att effektivisera simuleringarna. Importance sampling används för simulering av både tillgångens pris och, för estimering av CVA (Credit Valuation Adjustment), tidpunkten för insolvens. CVA simuleras för både europeiska optioner och Bermuda-optioner. Det visas att en signifikant variansreduktion kan uppnås genom att använda importance sampling för simuleringen av tillgångens pris. Det visas även att en signifikant variansreduktion för CVA-simulering kan uppnås för motparter med små sannolikheter att drabbas av insolvens genom att använda importance sampling för simulering av tidpunkter för insolvens. Detta gäller både europeiska optioner och Bermuda-optioner. Vidare, används regressionsmetoden least squares Monte Carlo för att estimera priset av en Bermuda-option, vilket resulterar i CVA-estimat som ligger inom ett intervall av rimliga värden. Slutligen föreslås några ämnen för ytterligare forskning.

由於違約事件不斷發生以及在財務實證上顯示證券的報酬率有厚尾與高狹峰的現象，本文使用縮減式模型與Lévy過程來評價有信用風險下的可轉換公司債。在Lévy過程中，本研究假設股價服從NIG及VG模型，發現此兩種模型比傳統的GBM模型更符合厚尾現象。此外，在Lévy過程參數估計方面，本文使用最大概似法估計參數，在評價可轉換公司債方面，本研究採用最小平方蒙地卡羅法。本文之實證結果顯示，Lévy模型的績效比傳統GBM模型佳。 / Due to the reason that the default events occurred constantly and still continue taking place, empirical log return distributions exhibit fat tail and excess kurtosis, this paper evaluates convertible bonds under Lévy process with default risk using the reduced-form approach. Under the Lévy process, the underlying stock prices are set to be normal inverse Gaussian (NIG) and variance Gamma (VG) model to capture the jump components. In the empirical analysis, we use the maximum likelihood method to estimate the parameters of Lévy distributions, and apply the least squares Monte Carlo Simulation to price convertible bonds. Five examples are shown in pricing convertible bonds using the traditional model and Lévy model. The empirical results show that the performance of Lévy model is better than the traditional one.

Black and Scholes have proposed a model for pricing European options where the underlying asset follows a so-called geometric Brownian motion which assumes constant volatility. The proposed Black-Scholes model has an exact solution. However, it has been shown that such an assumption of constant volatility is not realistic, and numerous extensions have been developed. In addition, models usually do not have a closed-form solution which makes pricing a challenging task. The thesis focuses on pricing Bermudan options under two stochastic volatility Heston-type models using an Almost-Exact scheme for simulation. Namely, we focus on deriving the Almost-Exact scheme for Heston and Double Heston model and numerically study the behaviour of the scheme. We show that the AES works well when the number of simulated steps is equal to the number of exercise dates which makes it efficient.

鑒於近年全球海外可轉換公司債發行檔數大增，然而以此商品為研究主題的文獻並不多，於是決定以此為研究目標。 　　影響海外可轉換公司債的價格因素包括股票價格、匯率、國內利率、國外利率和發行公司的違約機率，因此可買回、可賣回海外可轉換公司債是一個複雜的商品，而評價也較為困難。本文採用三維度二項樹和最小平方蒙地卡羅法建立評價海外可轉債的數值模型。為了更貼近真實世界，本文考量各變數間相關性和動態信用風險；另外，為了使評價更為精準，於股價過程中加入跳躍過程。 　　本文將模型運用至兩檔台灣公司所發行的海外可轉債，發現理論價格傾向於高估，但是理論價格與市價極為接近，尤其當以最小平方蒙地卡羅法評價時。另外本文也針對發行條件和模型中各個變數作敏感度分析，其中重要的是發現股票波動度、股票與匯率間相關係數在海外可轉債評價中扮演重要的角色。 / The number of Euro-convertible bonds issued has highly increased in the early 2010s. However, the related literature is barely found. This paper studies the pricing models of this investment product. Euro-convertible bonds are complex instruments affected by the credit risk of the issuers, the dynamic process of stock prices, the term structure of the interest rate and the movement of the exchange rate in the same time. Accordingly, building the ECB pricing model is a hard work. This paper presents a model considering the dynamic credit risk and jump in stock price process to make valuation more precise. Another advantage of models in this paper is use of stochastic interest rates for both local and foreign so as to make the model more staying with the real world. The other advantage is taking the correlation between each random variables into account. For pricing the Euro-convertible bonds, the numerical methodologies used in this paper are three-dimension binomial tree and least squares Monte Carlo approach. For purpose of assessing the performance of the model, two Euro-convertible bonds issued by Taiwan companies are chosen as samples and the difference between the theoretical price and market price during its issue period are provided. The results demonstrate that in spite of pretty slight overestimation, the least squares Monte Carlo simulation does a better job. In addition, this paper performs several kinds of sensitivity analysis to have in-depth understanding about the models. The consequence shows that the volatility of a stock return and the correlation between stock and exchange rate play a central role in ECB valuations.

歐式信用違約交換選擇權通常都以短天期較富流動信，造成這樣情形的原因很可能是因為長天期的信用違約交換選擇權必須承擔標的公司的倒閉風險。美式信用違約交換選擇權讓持有者可以在選擇權到期以前履約，這使得持有者可以只注意信用違約交換溢酬的變動，而不必擔心標的公司的倒閉風險。在這篇論文當中，我們結合最小平方法以及單期信用違約溢酬模型評價美式信用違約交換選擇權，其中單期信用違約溢酬模型是由布瑞格在2004年所發表的模型。本篇論文評價方法的最大優點在於此方法類似於利率理論的市場模型，因此我們可以利用類似的想法評價任何與信用違約交換合約相關的信用衍生性商品。 / The most liquid European CDS options are usually of short maturities. This may result from that options with longer maturity have to bear more default risk of the reference company. American CDS options allow the holders to exercise options before option matures so that they can focus on spread movements without worrying about default risk. In this paper, we price American CDS options with one-period CDS spread model presented by Brigo (2004). The primary advantage of this model is that it is similar to LIBOR market model in interest rate theory. Therefore, path-dependent CDS-related products can be easily priced with familiar ideas.

在過去二到三年之中，能源、金屬、軟性商品等原物料價格漲勢強勁，成為市場上最炙手可熱的商品。然而，原物料價格漲升為全球帶來了通膨隱憂，世界各國紛紛採用各種貨幣政策和財政政策試圖緩解通膨壓力。其中，利率政策即是相當重要的一環。在這樣的背景之下，是否對於能源、貴金屬和利率衍生性商品的設計和定價上產生影響，值得進一步檢視。因此，本論文選擇以中國大陸的原油與黃金連結複合式選擇權，以及利率（HIBOR）連結可贖回每日區間計息等兩種結構性存款作為研究個案，以財務工程的理論模型為中國銀行的金融創新產品作評價與分析。 在原油與黃金連結複合式選擇權部分，分別假設金價和油價服從幾何布朗運動（Geometric Brownian Motion）推導出封閉解，以及Schwartz的一因子均數回歸模型，採蒙地卡羅模擬法模擬標的資產之價格路徑並以之估算商品理論價值和發行機構利潤，之後則就避險參數和商品預期收益率作分析。在利率連結可贖回每日區間計息結構性存款部分，由於具有發行機構可提前贖回的特性，本論文採用LIBOR市場模型（BGM Model）為評價基礎，先利用市場報價資訊計算期初遠期利率及進行參數校準，再以蒙地卡羅模擬法模擬遠期利率路徑，最後以Longstaff and Schwartz（2001）提出的最小平方蒙地卡羅法（LSM）計算商品理論價值和發行機構利潤。 除估算商品理論價值以檢視中國銀行的商品定價合理性之外，本文也針對中國大陸的外匯和利率政策對金融機構在商品設計方面的影響作分析，最後則分別就財務工程與金融創新以及總體政策與金融市場兩方面提出結論與建議，以供各界參酌。 / The prices of physical commodities have risen a lot and led to pressure of inflation for several years. Many countries over the world have tried hard to tackle inflation threat with monetary and fiscal policies. Under this circumstance, the design and pricing of structured products should be affected. Therefore, the oil and gold-linked and interest rate-linked structured deposits launched by Bank of China are selected to be the case study in this thesis. Prices of the underlying assets are assumed to follow Geometric Brownian Motion, and the close-form solution of the oil and gold-linked structured deposit embedded with compound options is derived. Moreover, Schwartz’s One-Factor Mean Reversion Model is adopted to derive the fair value by simulation. In addition to the fair value and issuer’s profit, the expected rate of return, hedge parameters (Greeks) and model difference are presented in this thesis. As for the interest rate-linked Callable Daily Range Accrual Deposit, the thesis presents the steps of pricing by simulation. LIBOR Market Model (BGM Model) is adopted to derive the fair value of Callable Range Deposit with Least Squares Monte Carlo approach. Besides, the design and pricing of structured products are actually influenced by those policies in relation to interest rates and currencies adopted by government of Mainland China. The influence is discussed in the thesis as well. Eventually, the conclusions and suggestions are made with respect to macroeconomic policy and financial market as well as financial innovation.

本文針對躉繳保費的附保證變額壽險進行評價，保單形式為生死合險，假設投保人可將期初的投資金額連結到兩種投資標的：股價指數及債券型基金，並以BGM模型描述利率的動態過程，然後分別計算不含解約權及含解約權的附保證變額壽險躉繳保費，進而求算出隱含在保單中的保證價值和解約權價值。針對含解約權的附保證變額壽險，以Longstaff and Schwartz(2001)提出的最小平方蒙地卡羅法處理解約的問題。最後，我們求算不同年齡下的男性保費，並且在投資比例、起始最低保證、最低保證給付成長率、針對解約的保證給付成長率和第一個允許的解約時點變動下，分別討論對於保證價值和解約權價值的影響。 結果顯示：(1)當起始最低保證給付等於期初投資金額時，投資在股票的比例越大，越能凸顯保證價值和解約權價值佔保費的比重。以30歲男性為例，保證價值佔不含解約權之附保證變額壽險的比例，由全部投資在債券型基金的0.03%，成長到全部投資在股票的13.86%；而解約權價值佔含解約權之附保證變額壽險的比例，由全部投資在債券型基金的0.05%，成長到全部投資在股票的9.12%。(2)投資比例、起始最低保證給付和最低保證給付成長率越大，保證價值越高。(3)起始最低保證給付和針對解約的保證給付成長率越大，解約權價值越大；而最低保證給付成長率和第一個允許的解約時點越大，解約權價值越小。(4)投資比例隨著最低保證給付不同對解約權價值有不同的影響。 關鍵字：附保證變額壽險、BGM利率模型、解約選擇權、最小平方蒙地卡羅法 / This study emphasizes on the pricing of variable life insurance with minimum guarantees. As an endowment policy in a single premium form, in this paper, it is assumed that the insured can distribute the initial investment amount into two underlying assets: the stock index fund and bond fund. Simulating the interest rate under a BGM model, computational procedures are performed for the single premium of the variable life insurance policy without surrender option and embedding a surrender option, and further, the guarantee value and surrender value embedded in the insurance policy. For the variable life insurance policy embedding a surrender option, the Least Square Monte-Carlo method proposed by Longstaff and Schwartz (2001) is applied to solve the surrender conditions. Finally, we calculate the premium for a male at different ages, and respectively analyze the variations of the guarantee value and surrender value under the influence of the investment portfolio, the initial minimum guaranteed amount, the growth rate of the minimum guarantee, the growth rate of the minimum guarantee for surrender and the first permitted surrender time. The results show that: (1) when the initial minimum guaranteed amount equals the initial investment amount, higher proportion invested in stock will result in larger percentage of the guarantee value and surrender value to total premium. Take a 30-year old male as an example: the percentage of guarantee value to the premium of variable life insurance with minimum guarantee and without a surrender option, which is 0.03% when the initial investment amount thoroughly goes to bond fund, rises up to 13.86% with the entire amount invested in stock index fund. Likewise, the percentage of surrender value to the premium of variable life insurance with minimum guarantee and surrender option is 0.05% with total amount invested in bond fund, while it is 9.12% with the entire amount invested in stock index fund. (2) The higher proportion invested in stock, the initial minimum guaranteed amount and the growth rate of minimum guaranteed amount, the larger guarantee value. (3) Larger initial minimum guaranteed amount and the growth rate of the minimum guaranteed amount for surrender would contribute to a higher surrender value. The higher growth rate of the minimum guaranteed amount and the first permitted surrender time, the lower surrender value. (4) The influence of the investment portfolio to surrender value depends on the initial minimum guaranteed amount. Key words: Variable life insurance with minimum guaranteed amount, BGM interest rate model, surrender option, least squares Monte Carlo approach.

The Autonomic Power System (APS) grand challenge was a multi-disciplinary EPSRC-funded research project that examined novel techniques that would enable the transition between today's and 2050's highly uncertain and complex energy network. Being part of the APS, this thesis reports on the sub-project 'RR2: Avoiding High-Impact Low Probability events'. The goal of RR2 is to develop new algorithms for controlling risk exposure to high-impact low probability (Hi-Lo) events through the provision of appropriate risk-sensitive control strategies. Additionally, RR2 is concerned with new techniques for identifying and modelling risk in future energy networks, in particular, the risk of Hi-Lo events. In this context, this thesis investigates two distinct problems arising from energy risk management. On the one hand, we examine the problem of finding managerial strategies for exercising the operational flexibility of energy assets. We look at this problem from a risk perspective taking into account non-linear risk preferences of energy asset managers. Our main contribution is the development of a risk-sensitive approach to the class of optimal switching problems. By recasting the problem as an iterative optimal stopping problem, we are able to characterise the optimal risk-sensitive switching strategies. As byproduct, we obtain a multiplicative dynamic programming equation for the value function, upon which we propose a numerical algorithm based on least squares Monte Carlo regression. On the other hand, we develop tools to identify and model the risk factors faced by energy asset managers. For this, we consider a class of models consisting of superposition of Gaussian and non-Gaussian Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. Our main contribution is the development of a Bayesian methodology based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to make inference into this class of models. On extensive simulations, we demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of the algorithms to different data features. Furthermore, we construct a diagnostic tool based on Bayesian p-values to check goodness-of-fit of the models on a Bayesian framework. We apply this tool to MCMC results from fitting historical electricity and gas spot price data- sets corresponding to the UK and German energy markets. Our analysis demonstrates that the MCMC-estimated models are able to capture not only long- and short-lived positive price spikes, but also short-lived negative price spikes which are typical of UK gas prices and German electricity prices. Combining together the solutions to the two problems above, we strive to capture the interplay between risk, uncertainty, flexibility and performance in various applications to energy systems. In these applications, which include power stations, energy storage and district energy systems, we consistently show that our risk management methodology offers a tradeoff between maximising average performance and minimising risk, while accounting for the jump dynamics of energy prices. Moreover, the tradeoff is achieved in such way that the benefits in terms of risk reduction outweigh the loss in average performance.

許多公司在發行公司債的時候，會給此公司債一個可提前贖回的特性，此種公司債稱為可贖回公司債(Callable Bond)，用來規避利率變動風險的金融商品也與我們熟知的利率交換不同，稱為可取消利率交換(Cancelable Swap)。其實可取消利率交換可以拆解成百慕達利率交換選擇權(Bermudan Swaption)加上利率交換，由於利率交換之評價較簡單也有市場一致的評價方法，因此百慕達利率交換選擇權便成為評價的重點。 評價的部分，由於百慕達式的商品有提前履約的特性，造成其封閉解不存在，因此需要利用其他的近似解或是數值方法來求它的價格。由於本文採用BGM(1997)的市場利率模型(Libor Market Model)，其高維度的性質導致數狀方法與有限差分法使用起來較無效率，因此本文選擇使用蒙地卡羅法做為評價的方法，同時利用Longstaff and Schwartz(2001)的最小平方蒙地卡羅法(Least Squares Monte Carlo Method)來解決提前履約的問題。 最後，本文將採用2種利率波動度假設與2種不同利率間相關係數的假設，共4種組合，在歐式利率交換選擇權的市場波動度下進行校準，使用校準出來的參數進行評價來得到4種價格。再進行商品的敏感度分析(Sensitivity Analysis)和風險值(Value at Risk)的計算。

本文實證探討黃金期貨報酬率的特性並在標的黃金期貨價格遵循狀態轉換跳躍擴散過程時實現美式選擇權之評價。在這樣的動態過程下，跳躍事件被一個複合普瓦松過程與對數常態跳躍振幅所描述，以及狀態轉換到達強度是由一個其狀態代表經濟狀態的隱藏馬可夫鏈所捕捉。考量不同的跳躍風險假設，我們使用Merton測度與Esscher轉換推導出在一個不完全市場設定下的風險中立黃金期貨價格動態過程。為了達到所需的精確度，最小平方蒙地卡羅法被用來近似美式黃金期貨選擇權的價值。基於實際市場資料，我們提供實證與數值結果來說明這個動態模型的優點。 / This dissertation empirically investigates the characteristics of gold futures returns and achieves the valuation of American-style options when the underlying gold futures price follows a regime-switching jump-diffusion process. Under such dynamics, the jump events are described as a compound Poisson process with a log-normal jump amplitude, and the regime-switching arrival intensity is captured by a hidden Markov chain whose states represent the economic states. Considering the different jump risk assumptions, we use the Merton measure and Esscher transform to derive risk-neutral gold futures price dynamics under an incomplete market setting. To achieve a desired accuracy level, the least-squares Monte Carlo method is used to approximate the values of American gold futures options. Our empirical and numerical results based on actual market data are provided to illustrate the advantages of this dynamic model.