General diffusion processes (GDP), or Ito's processes, are potential candidates for the modeling of asset prices, interest rates and other financial quantities to cope with empirical evidence. This thesis considers the applications of general diffusions in finance and potential extensions. In particular, we focus on financial problems involving (optimal) stopping times. A typical example is the valuation of American options. We investigate the use of Laplace-Carson transform (LCT) in valuing American options, and discuss its strengthen and weaknesses. Homotopy analysis from topology is then introduced to derive closed-form American option pricing formulas under GDP. Another example is taken from optimal dividend policies with bankruptcy procedures, which is closely related to excursion time and occupation time of a general diffusion. With the aid of Fourier transform, we further extend the analysis to the case of multi-dimensional GDP by considering the currency option pricing with mean reversion and multi-scale stochastic volatility. / Zhao, Jing. / Adviser: Hoi-Ying Wong. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-04, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

When pricing American-style options on d assets by Monte Carlo methods, one usually stores the simulated asset prices at all time steps on all paths in order to determine when to exercise the options. If N time steps and M paths are used; then the storage requirement is d · M · N. In this thesis, we give two simulation methods to price multi-asset American-style options, where the storage requirement only grows like (d + 1)M + N. The only additional computational cost is that we have to generate each random number twice instead of once. For machines with limited memory, we can now use larger values of M and N to improve the accuracy in pricing the options. / by Wong Chi Yan. / Adviser: Raymond H. Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-03, Section: B, page: 1708. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-82). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

by Veronica Ho Pui Kwan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103). / Prologue --- p.1 / Chapter Essay I: --- Examination of the GARCH Option Pricing Model in the case of Hang Seng Index Option / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.4 / Chapter 2. --- Holes' in the Black-Scholes Model --- p.7 / Chapter 3. --- A Big 'Hole' -- Varying Volatility --- p.14 / Chapter 4. --- A Remedy : the GARCH Option Pricing Model --- p.31 / Chapter 5. --- Research Methodology and Data --- p.38 / Chapter 6. --- Empirical Results --- p.50 / Chapter 7. --- Conclusion --- p.67 / Chapter Essay II: --- Barrier Options / Chapter 1. --- Introduction on Barrier Option --- p.70 / Chapter 2. --- Pricing Models --- p.74 / Chapter 3. --- Hedging of Barrier Option --- p.81 / Chapter 4. --- Examination of a Down-and-Out Put Option --- p.88 / References --- p.99

Wang, Qian. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-74). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- A Review of Pricing in Internet Industry --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Static Pricing --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Flat-rate Pricing --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Usage-based Pricing --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Paris Metro Pricing --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Dynamic Pricing --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Smart-market Pricing --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Responsive Pricing --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Edge Pricing --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Comparisons --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.17 / Chapter 3 --- Uplink Pricing --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- Model Description --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3 --- Uplink Pricing in a Competitive Market --- p.36 / Chapter 3.4 --- The Cooperative Strategy with Uplink Pricing --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- The Cooperative Case --- p.41 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The Threat Strategy --- p.45 / Chapter 3.5 --- Further Discussion --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Accounting Cost --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Peer-to-Peer Locality --- p.48 / Chapter 3.6 --- Related Works --- p.48 / Chapter 3.7 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.49 / Chapter 4 --- Viability of Paris Metro Pricing --- p.51 / Chapter 4.1 --- The Model --- p.52 / Chapter 4.2 --- Flat-rate Pricing versus Paris Metro Pricing --- p.54 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- One-channel Flat-rate Pricing --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Two-Channel Identical Pricing --- p.56 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Flat-rate Pricing versus Two-Channel Iden-tical Pricing --- p.57 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Flat-rate Pricing versus Paris Metro Pricing --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3 --- Case Studies --- p.60 / Chapter 4.4 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.62 / Chapter 5 --- Conclusion --- p.63 / A Equation Derivation --- p.65 / Chapter A. --- l Proof for Lemma 3.3.2 --- p.65 / Bibliography --- p.71

Wong, Kin Lung Keith. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-131). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Thesis/Assessment Committee --- p.iii / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Background Studies --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Ultra-high Frequency Data Handling with Database Server --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Use of Database Server --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Ultra-high Frequency Data Treatments --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Cleaning of Data --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Matching of a Trade and Its Standing Quote --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- Tick-by-tick Price Modeling --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Multivariate Linear Models --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Duration and Volume Handling --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- VAR Model Selection Techniques --- p.20 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Seasonality Handling --- p.24 / Chapter 3 --- Problem Definition and Framework --- p.27 / Chapter 3.1 --- Engle and Patton's Model --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2 --- Preparation of data --- p.31 / Chapter 3.3 --- Methods to Estimate Diurnal Adjustment Param- eters --- p.38 / Chapter 3.4 --- Transformation of the Model to Fit in VARX soft- wares --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5 --- Modification of the Model --- p.47 / Chapter 3.6 --- Estimating and Forecasting the Exogenous Vari- ables --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Modelling BUYt and SELLt --- p.52 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Modelling DURt and VOLt --- p.53 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Modelling k(t) --- p.56 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- Forecasting the Cross Terms and the Sum of Buys and Sells --- p.62 / Chapter 3.7 --- Forecasting with the Main Model --- p.64 / Chapter 4 --- Experimental Evaluation --- p.67 / Chapter 5 --- Conclusion --- p.73 / Chapter A --- Source and Data Information --- p.76 / Chapter B --- Model Estimation Results for (3.13) --- p.80 / Chapter C --- Model Forecasting Results for (3.13) and (3.2) --- p.102 / Bibliography --- p.127

Li, Nasha. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 28-30). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / Tables and Figures --- p.v / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2. --- Literature Review --- p.2 / Chapter 3. --- Factor-Augmented Regression Framework --- p.6 / Chapter 3.1 --- Estimation of latent factors --- p.8 / Chapter 3.2 --- Number of factors --- p.9 / Chapter 3.3 --- Interpretation of the factors --- p.11 / Chapter 4. --- Data --- p.12 / Chapter 5. --- Empirical Results --- p.13 / Chapter 5.1 --- Common factors --- p.13 / Chapter 5.2 --- Descriptive analysis --- p.16 / Chapter 5.3 --- Macroeconomic factors and excess returns predictability --- p.18 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- In-sample specifications --- p.18 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Out-of-sample prediction performance --- p.24 / Chapter 6. --- Conclusion --- p.26 / Reference --- p.28 / Appendixes --- p.31 / Appendix I: Tables and Figures --- p.31 / Appendix II: Data --- p.52 / Appendix III: Calculation of the Fama-French three factors --- p.59

This study examines the effect of the introduction of CSI300 Index Futures on the volatility of the stock market. Taking into account of the existence of the long term trend of diminishing volatility of the Chinese stock market, the difference-in-difference method was used instead of the simple before-and-after method to investigate how the volatility of the constituent stocks changes relative to the non-constituent stocks after the introduction of CSI300 Index Futures. Empirical results revealed that the volatility of the constituent stocks increased as compared with that of non-constituent stocks before and after the inception of the CSI300 Index Futures. The temporal-self comparison for the stocks entered or removed from the CSI300 Index List showed that that the introduction of index futures has a long-term destabilizing effect. / 本文研究滬深300股票指數期貨的推出對我國股票市場波動率的影響。考慮到中國股市長期波動率下降的趨勢的存在,我們用差上差的方法取代了傳統的簡單事前事後比較方法來研究成分股相對于非成分股波動率在滬深300股票指數期貨推出前後是如何變化的。實證結果顯示成分股股票相對于非成分股股票,波動率在滬深300股票指數期貨推出前後實際上是上升的。對於進入或者剔除出滬深300指數名單的股票的實證研究顯示,這種股票不同狀態的自我比較說明對於滬深300股票指數期貨的推出在長期有失穩作用。 / Luo, Shengjie. / Thesis M.Phil. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2014. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-42). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 12, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Mathematics

published_or_final_version / Statistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

It is well established that stock market volatility has a memory of the past, moreover it is found that volatility correlations are long ranged. As a consequence, volatility cannot be characterized by a single correlation time in general. Recent empirical work suggests that the volatility correlation functions of various assets actually decay as a power law. Moreover it is well established that the distribution functions for the returns do not obey a Gaussian distribution, but follow more the type of distributions that incorporate what are commonly known as fat–tailed distributions. As a result, if one is to model the evolution of the stock price, stock market or any financial derivative, then standard Brownian motion models are inaccurate. One must take into account the results obtained from empirical studies and work with models that include realistic features observed on the market. In this thesis we show that it is possible to derive the path integral for a non-Gaussian option pricing model that can capture fat–tails. However we find that the path integral technique can only be used on a very small set of problems, as a number of situations of interest are shown to be intractable. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1378473 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 2010