No / It is a commonly held view that gold protects investors’ wealth in the event of negative economic conditions. In this study, we test whether other metals offer similar or better investment opportunities in periods of market turmoil. Using a sample of 13 sovereign bonds, we show that other precious metals, palladium in particular, offer investors greater compensation for their bond market losses than gold. We also find that industrial metals, especially copper, tend to outperform gold and other precious metals as hedging vehicles and safe haven assets against losses in sovereign bonds. However, the outcome of the hedge and safe haven properties is not always consistent across the different bonds. Finally, our analysis suggests that copper is the best performing metal in the period immediately after negative bond price shocks.

Dans le premier chapitre, j'examine si les vendeurs à découvert sont mieux informés à propos des enchères d'obligation souveraines que le marché. Je trouve, en moyenne, une forte augmentation de la demande de vente à découvert avant les enchères. Néanmoins, la demande de vente à découvert ne prédit pas une augmentation future du rendement. Les vendeurs à découvert ne sont donc pas mieux informés sur le résultat des enchères et n'interprètent pas mieux que le marché.Dans le second chapitre, je développe et teste un modèle expliquant la baisse graduelle des prix observée dans les jours qui conduisent à des ventes anticipées d'actifs telles que les enchères du Trésor. Dans le modèle, les investisseurs averses au risque anticipent une vente d'actifs dont l'ampleur − et donc le prix − sont incertains. Je montre que les investisseurs font face à un compromis entre se hedger au moyen d'une position longue et spéculer sur la différence entre le prix avant la vente et le prix espéré de vente. En raison du hedging, le prix d'équilibre est supérieur au prix de vente espéré. À l'approche de la date de vente, l'incertitude quant au prix de vente diminue, les positions spéculatives à découvert augmentent et le prix diminue. Conformément aux prédictions, je trouve que le rendement des bons du Trésor italien augmente de 1,2 points de base après la publication d'informations sur le prix d'enchère, par rapport aux jours sans information.Dans le troisième chapitre, j'étudie le lien entre les prix et les taux repo au cours de la crise des subprimes. Je trouve que la relation de non-arbitrage entre les prix et les taux repo de Duffie (1996) performe moins bien pendant la crise. Cependant, les obligations à faible taux repo ont 18.0% plus de chance d'être plus coûteuses que les obligations identiques à taux repo élevé lors de la crise, contre seulement 9.0% avant la crise. Dans l'ensemble, bien qu'il existe de fortes limites à l'arbitrage, les prix et les taux repo présentent des co-mouvements plus importants pendant la crise. / In the first chapter, I ask if short-sellers are superiorly informed about sovereign auctions. I find a large average increase in demand for short-selling prior to auctions. Yet, the demand for short-selling a bond does not predict a subsequent increase in the bond's yield. Overall, there is no evidence that short-sellers predict or interpret auction outcomes better than the market.In the second chapter, I develop and test a model explaining the gradual price decrease observed in the days leading to large anticipated asset sales such as Treasury auctions. In the model, risk-averse investors anticipate an asset sale which magnitude, and hence price, are uncertain. I show that investors face a trade-off between hedging the price risk with a long position, and speculating on the difference between the pre-sale and the expected sale prices. Due to hedging, the equilibrium price is above the expected sale price. As the sale date approaches, uncertainty about the sale price decreases, short speculative positions increase and the price decreases. In line with the predictions, I find that the yield of Italian Treasuries increases by 1.2 bps after the release of auction price information, compared to non-information days.In the third chapter, I study the link between prices and repo rates during the subprime crisis. I find that the no-arbitrage relationship between prices and repo rates in Duffie (1996) fares worse during the crisis. However, low-repo-rate bonds have an 18.0% higher probability of being more expensive than identical high-repo-rate bonds during the crisis, compared to only 9.0% before the crisis. Overall, while there are high limits of arbitrage, prices and repo rates feature larger co-movements during the crisis.

[pt] O estudo da influência de fatores comuns na determinação dos preços de equilíbrio dos mais diversos ativos financeiros, em especial dos títulos de renda fixa, tem recebido bastante atenção nas literaturas de Finanças e Macroeconomia. Mais recentemente, Diebold, Li e Yue (2008) mostraram que os fatores que governam a dinâmica da curva de juros dos treasuries emitidos pelos governos dos EUA, Alemanha, Japão e Reino Unido são parcialmente determinados por influências globais, ou seja, que afetam os fatores nesses países simultaneamente. O objetivo desse trabalho é mostrar que esse fenômeno ainda é observado quando adicionamos países emergentes à amostra (mais especificamente, Brasil, México e Colômbia), quando analisamos o mercado de corporate bonds negociados nos EUA e emitidos por empresas privadas atuando em três setores da economia e com diversos níveis de risco e quando trabalhamos com dados misturados, ou seja, de países e empresas. As principais contribuições desse trabalho são estender o resultado de Diebold, Li e Yue (2008) para uma coleção mais ampla de ativos e identificar novos fatores comuns que não puderam ser revelados na análise efetuada por esses autores. / [en] The study of the influence of common factors in the determination of equilibrium prices of all kinds of financial assets, especially fixed return assets, has received a lot of attention from Macroeconomics and Finance literature. Most recently, Diebold, Li and Yue (2008) have shown that factors that govern the dynamics of the yield curve of the Treasuries issued by the American, German, Japanese and British Governments are partially determined by global influence, that is, that affect simultaneously factors in these countries. The purpose of this work is to show that this phenomena is still observed when we add emerging countries to the sample (more specifically, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia), when we analyze the corporate bond markets for companies with different risk levels in three sectors of the economy and when we work with mixed data, that is, of companies and countries. The main contribution of this paper is to extend the results obtained by Diebold, Li and Yue (2008) to a wider sample of assets and identify a new range of common factors that were not present in the analysis of these authors.

Orientador: Giuliano Contento de Oliveira / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Economia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T23:38:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Blikstad_NicholasMagunsDeleuse_M.pdf: 2418684 bytes, checksum: d8b98bbe49c4a2141d314bf67f99c71c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Esta dissertação tem o objetivo de analisar a crise da zona do euro (2007-2013) à luz do processo de integração europeu do pós-guerra e da teoria econômica ortodoxa que embasou e legitimou a forma de constituição da zona do euro. Em relação ao processo de integração, o trabalho enfatiza cinco fatores: 1) mudança das motivações; 2) consolidação da liderança alemã; 3) como as diversas etapas de integração impactaram na coordenação de políticas econômicas; 4) inserção do bloco no sistema monetário e financeiro internacional em cada período; e 5) constituição de um bloco com países heterogêneos. Argumenta-se que a evolução do processo de integração, resultando na constituição de uma união monetária, em 1999, ocorreu sob influência da teoria econômica ortodoxa, com o Novo Consenso Macroeconômico e a Hipótese dos Mercados Eficientes, além dos efeitos dessas teorias para as modificações da teoria das Áreas Monetárias Ótimas. Nesse sentido, sustenta-se que a institucionalidade da zona do euro, em um contexto de livre movimentação de capitais, resultou em problemas estruturais que permitiram: 1) a evolução dos desequilíbrios internos ao bloco, no período de expansão econômica (2000-2007), entre centro e periferia (PIIGS); 2) o aprofundamento e transformação da crise, a partir de 2010, com a crise dos títulos soberanos dos PIIGS; e 3) o prolongamento da crise, devido às recomendações realizadas pelas autoridades europeias. Defende-se, assim, que a crise da zona do euro é o resultado dessa dinâmica e que os países centrais possuem um papel essencial para sua determinação. Dessa forma, as causas da crise da zona do euro devem ser buscadas nos problemas estruturais do bloco, com a evolução de suas assimetrias internas e das dificuldades que a institucionalidade do euro impôs para a adoção de políticas econômicas autônomas, especialmente de caráter anticíclico. Para isso, será utilizado o referencial teórico keynesiano e pós-keynesiano, evidenciando a importância da incerteza, das expectativas e do comportamento dos bancos nesse processo / Abstract: This paper seeks to analyze the eurozone crisis (2007-2013) in the light of the European integration process and orthodox economic theory that contributed to legitimate the form of the constitution of the euro area. Regarding the integration process, the paper emphasizes five factors: 1) change in the motivations; 2) consolidation of the German leadership; 3) how the different integration steps impacted in the coordination of the economic policies; 4) insertion of the region in the international monetary and financial system in each period; and 5) establishment of a monetary union with heterogeneous countries. It is argued that the evolution of the integration process, resulting in the formation of a monetary union in 1999, occurred under the influence of orthodox economic theory, with the New Consensus Macroeconomic and the Efficient Market Hypothesis, in addition of the effects of these theories to the modifications of the theory of Optimal Currency Area. In this sense, the overall goal of the dissertation is to show that the institutions of the euro area, in a context of free movement of capital, resulted in structural problems that allowed: 1) development of internal imbalances, between center and periphery (PIIGS), in the economic expansion period (2000-2007); 2) deepening and transformation of the crisis, from 2010, with the crisis of sovereign bonds in the PIIGS; and 3) prolonging the crisis, due to recommendations made by the European authorities. It is argued, therefore, that the eurozone crisis is the result of this dynamic and those central countries has a key role in its determination. In this sense, the causes of the eurozone crisis must be sought in the structural problems of the monetary union, in the performance of its internal imbalances and the difficulties that the institutions of the euro imposed for the adoption of autonomous economic policies, especially countercyclical ones. For this, a theoretical framework of Keynesian and post-Keynesian nature will be used, highlighting the importance of uncertainty and bank behavior / Mestrado / Teoria Economica / Mestre em Ciências Econômicas

Les périodes marquées par une aversion au risque intense sont souvent l’origine de distorsions notables dans les prix de marché, et de pertes substantielles pour les investisseurs. Chaque épisode de crise financière montre que les mouvements de ventes généralisées sur les marchés ont des conséquences très négatives sur l’économie réelle. Ainsi, explorer le phénomène d’aversion au risque et la dynamique de propagation du sentiment de panique sur les marchés financiers peut aider à appréhender ces périodes de forte volatilité.Dans ce rapport de thèse, nous explorons différentes dimensions du phénomène d’aversion au risque, dans le cadre de portefeuilles d’obligations souveraines Européennes. Le rendement des obligations d’Etat, quotté par les traders, est sensé refléter entre autre le risque que le Trésor fasse défaut sur sa dette, avant que l’obligation vienne à maturation. Il s’agit là du risque souverain. Les crises financières habituellement occasionnent un mouvement important des rendements vers des niveaux plus élevés. Ce type de correction reflète un accroissement du risque souverain, et implique nécessairement une hausse du coût de financement pour les Trésors nationaux. Un objectif de ce rapport est donc de fournir des détails inédits aux Trésors sur la manière dont les rendements obligataires sont sensés se détériorer en période d’aversion au risque.Chapitre I explore le risque souverain dans le cadre d’un modèle probabiliste impliquant des distributions à queues lourdes, ainsi que la méthode GAS qui permet de capturer la dynamique de la volatilité. L’ajustement obtenu avec les distributions Hyperboliques Généralisées est robuste, et les résultats laissent penser que notre approche est particulièrement efficace durant les périodes marquées par une volatilité erratique. Dans un but de simplification, nous décrivons la mise en place d’un estimateur de volatilité intemporel, sensé refléter la volatilité intrinsèque de chaque obligation. Cet estimateur suggère que la volatilité croit de manière quadratique lorsque celle-ci est exprimée en fonction de la fonction de répartition des variations de rendements. Dans un second temps nous explorons une version bivariée du modèle. La calibration, robuste, met en valeur les corrélations entre chaque obligation. En guise d’observation générale, notre analyse confirme que les distributions à queues épaisses sont tout à fait appropriées pour l’exploration des prix de marché en période de crise financière.Chapitre II explore différentes manières d’exploiter notre modèle probabiliste. Afin d’identifier la dynamique de la contagion entre les obligations souveraines, nous analysons la réaction attendue du marché à une série de chocs financiers. Nous considérons un niveau important de granularité pour ce qui est de la sévérité du choc sous-jacent, et ceci nous permet d’identifier des lois empiriques supposées généraliser le comportement de la réaction de marché lorsque l’aversion au risque s’intensifie. Puis, nous incorporons nos estimateurs de volatilité et de réaction de marché à certaines approches reconnues d’optimisation de portefeuille et nous notons une amélioration de la résistance des portefeuilles, dans cette nouvelle version. Finalement, nous développons une nouvelle méthodologie d’optimisation de portefeuille basée sur le principe de mean-reversion.Chapitre III est dédié au pricing de produits dérivés de taux. Nous considérons maintenant que l’aversion au risque cause l’émergence de discontinuités dans les prix de marché, que nous simulons par le biais de processus à sauts. Notre modèle se concentre sur les processus de Hawkes qui ont l’avantage de capturer la présence d’auto-excitation dans la volatilité. Nous développons une procédure de calibration qui se distingue des procédures habituelles. Les résultats de volatilité implicite sont cohérents avec la volatilité réalisée, et suggèrent que les coefficients de prime de risque ont été estimés avec succès. / Periods of deep risk aversion are usually marked by sizeable distortions in market prices, and substantial losses in portfolios. As observed during financial crises, a generalized debacle in financial markets is a very negative shock for the real economy. Against this backdrop, it looks relevant to explore how risk aversion tends to affect global market valuations, especially if this exercise helps make the promotion of more optimal portfolio rebalancing procedures.In this dissertation, we investigate different dimensions of risk aversion, with a focus on European Sovereign debt securities. For a given sovereign bond, the (quoted) yield to maturity has to reflect the underlying risk that the Treasury may default on its debt, before maturation of the bond. This is sovereign risk. Financial crises usually occasion an upward correction in bond yields. Since higher yields reflect larger sovereign risk and higher funding costs, national Treasuries are usually inclined to get a deeper understanding of how sovereign risk could evolve under the influence of fierce risk aversion. This is another objective of our research analysis.In Chapter I, we consider a probabilistic approach to sovereign risk exploration, with the main purpose of illustrating the non-linear reaction ensuing from a gradual deterioration in market sentiment. We consider heavy-tailed distributions, and we use the Generalised Autoregressive Score method as a means to capture the volatility momentum. The goodness of fit provided by Generalised Hyperbolic distributions is compelling, and results suggest that our approach is particularly relevant to fit periods or erratic volatility, typical of financial crises. As an attempt to simplify the model, we focus on an empirical formulation of the ‘untemporal’ volatility of each security. This estimator of the intrinsic volatility suggests that volatility tends to accelerate in a quadratic manner when it is expressed against the cumulative distribution function of the yield variations. In a second part, we extend this approach to a problem of larger dimension and we explore the dynamics of risk aversion from a bivariate point of view. Results look robust and illustrate multivariate correlations between sovereign securities. As a general conclusion, heavy-tailed distributions look remarkably efficient to replicate the distribution of times-series affected by distorted volatility and erratic price variations.Chapter II explores different ways to extract information from the model, about financial contagion and how it is supposed to propagate through sovereign securities. In particular, we explore the market reaction to a series of many shocks with gradual intensity. Results offer a high degree of granularity and we extrapolate empirical rules on the expected market dynamics, when risk aversion intensifies. Then we incorporate our estimators of volatility and market reaction (to shocks) into popular portfolio optimisation procedures and we see positive implications on the general resilience of these portfolios. Finally, we also design an in-house methodology for optimal portfolio rebalancing, based on mean reversion.In Chapter III, we explore how sovereign risk tends to affect the price of financial derivatives in a risk-off environment. We consider that risk aversion and the ensuing volatility now favour the emergence of sizeable discontinuities in market prices, that we model with stochastic jumps. The different approaches we investigate extensively rely on Hawkes processes. These stochastic processes seek to estimate the durable impact of risk aversion onto the dynamics of jumps, via the introduction of dedicated self-excited loops. We develop an original approach to the calibration, different from conventional procedures. In the end, the calculated implied volatility remains in the vicinity of the realised volatility and there is a visible capability to jump on any rise in risk aversion.

In the first part of this thesis, we introduce a new methodology for stress-test exercises. Our approach allows to consider richer stress-test exercises, which assess the impact of a modification of the whole distribution of asset prices' factors, rather than focusing as the common practices on a single realization of these factors, and take into account the potential reaction to the shock of the portfolio manager. The second part of the thesis is devoted to the pricing of bonds with very long-term time-to-maturity (more than ten years). Modeling the volatility of very long-term rates is a challenge, due to the constraints put by no-arbitrage assumption. As a consequence, most of the no-arbitrage term structure models assume a constant limiting rate (of infinite maturity). The second chapter investigates the compatibility of the so-called "level" factor, whose variations have a uniform impact on the modeled yield curve, with the no-arbitrage assumptions. We introduce in the third chapter a new class of arbitrage-free term structure factor models, which allows the limiting rate to be stochastic, and present its empirical properties on a dataset of US T-Bonds.

Cette thèse s’attèle à déterminer les conséquences théoriques et empiriques de la considération d’indicateurs socialement responsables dans la sélection de portefeuille traditionnelle. Le premier chapitre étudie la significativité de la perte d’efficience moyenne-variance d’un portefeuille d’obligations souveraines lorsque l’on introduit une contrainte sur la notation socialement responsable moyenne des Etats. En utilisant un échantillon d’obligations d’Etats développés sur la période 1995-2008, nous montrons qu’il est possible d’augmenter sensiblement la notation socialement responsable moyenne sans perdre significativement en termes de diversification. Le second chapitre propose une analyse théorique de l’effet sur la frontière efficiente d’une contrainte sur la notation socialement responsable du portefeuille. Nous mettons en évidence les différents cas de figure pouvant se produire en fonction de la corrélation entre les rendements attendus et les notations socialement responsables et de l’aversion au risque de l’investisseur. Enfin, puisque la question de l’efficience des portefeuilles investis en fonction de critères socialement responsables fait débat dans la littérature financière, un dernier chapitre propose un nouveau test d’efficience moyenne-variance dans le cas réaliste où aucun actif sans risque n’est disponible. / This thesis aims at determining the theoretical and empirical consequences of the consideration of socially responsible indicators in the traditional portfolio selection. The first chapter studies the significance of the mean-variance efficiency loss of a sovereign bond portfolio when introducing a constraint on the average socially responsible ratings of the governments. By using a sample of developed sovereign bonds on the period 1995-2008, we show that it is possible to increase sensibly the average socially responsible rating without significantly losing in terms of diversification. The second chapter proposes a theoretical analysis of the impact on the efficient frontier of a constraint on the socially responsible ratings of the portfolio. We highlight that different cases may arise depending on the correlation between the expected returns and the socially responsible ratings and on the investor’s risk aversion. Lastly, as the issue of the efficiency of socially responsible portfolios is a central point in the financial literature, the last chapter proposes a new mean-variance efficiency test in the realistic case where there is no available risk-free asset.

This thesis aims at determining the theoretical and empirical consequences of the consideration of socially responsible indicators in the traditional portfolio selection. The first chapter studies the significance of the mean-variance efficiency loss of a sovereign bond portfolio when introducing a constraint on the average socially responsible ratings of the governments. By using a sample of developed sovereign bonds on the period 1995-2008, we show that it is possible to increase sensibly the average socially responsible rating without significantly losing in terms of diversification. The second chapter proposes a theoretical analysis of the impact on the efficient frontier of a constraint on the socially responsible ratings of the portfolio. We highlight that different cases may arise depending on the correlation between the expected returns and the socially responsible ratings and on the investor’s risk aversion. Lastly, as the issue of the efficiency of socially responsible portfolios is a central point in the financial literature, the last chapter proposes a new mean-variance efficiency test in the realistic case where there is no available risk-free asset. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Cette thèse a pour ambition d’analyser si la performance environnementale, sociale et de gouvernance (ESG) est intégrée par les marchés de la dette d'entreprise et souveraine. Le premier chapitre se concentre sur les informations ESG publiés à contenu négatif et leur impact négatif sur le coût de la dette. Plus exactement, dans les secteurs industriels et utilitaires les événements négatifs sociaux et de gouvernance font augmenter le coût de la dette. Également, un bon niveau général de performance ESG agit comme un mécanisme d'assurance contre ces événements négatifs. Dans un deuxième chapitre seront présentés les résultats d’une simulation de portefeuille intégrant la performance ESG d'entreprise. Un gérant de portefeuille peut améliorer le niveau agrégé de la performance ESG du portefeuille de 1,5 écart-type sans faire baisser la performance financière. Ainsi, le gérant peut combiner cette intégration avec des stratégies d'allocation d'actif financiers ou des stratégies de rendement absolu. Dans un troisième chapitre les résultats sur la réduction du coût de la dette dû à une bonne performance environnementale et sociale de souverains émergents seront analysés. Enfin dans le quatrième chapitre je décris comment la performance de gouvernance des souverains influence la différence entre le yield émis en devise étrangère et celui émis en devise locale. Dans les pays développés cette différence augmente avec le risque politique, i.e. le yield étranger augmente plus rapidement que le yield domestique. Dans les pays émergents, c'est l’effet inverse qui est observé. Cette différence entre les deux yields varie plus fortement avec un taux croissant de la dette domestique détenue par des investisseurs étrangers. / This thesis analyzes if and to what extent debt markets value the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of firms and sovereigns. The first chapter shows that negative ESG news has a negative impact on the cost of debt of firms. The news relates to environmental and social events within the industrial/utilities sector. In this sector, a sound corporate social performance acts as an insurance against the adverse impact of negative environmental events on bond prices. The second chapter reveals that ESG scores integrated into portfolios do not change the financial performance ex post. A portfolio manager can increase the average ESG rating of her portfolio by 1.5 standard deviations without incurring cost. This leaves substantial room and opportunity for ESG ratings to be combined with asset allocation or absolute return strategies. The third chapter shows how ESG performance is linked to a lower cost of debt of emerging sovereigns. Research indicates that an emerging country’s average cost of capital decreases with its positive environmental and social performance. The fourth chapter discusses how governance performance may influence the spread of debt denominated in local and foreign currency. In developed countries, the spread between a foreign currency yield and a hedged local currency yield increases with our political risk indicator, i.e. the foreign yield increases faster than the domestic one. For emerging countries, the reverse trend is true. Interestingly, the foreign currency and local currency yield spreads move significantly stronger in absolute terms with increasing foreign investment participation in both emerging countries and developed countries’ debt markets.

La première partie de cette thèse introduit une nouvelle méthodologie pour la réalisation d’exercices de stress-tests. Notre approche permet de considérer des scénarios de stress beaucoup plus riches qu’en pratique, qui évaluent l’impact d’une modification de la distribution statistique des facteurs influençant les prix d’actifs, pas uniquement les conséquences d’une réalisation particulière de ces facteurs, et prennent en compte la réaction du gestionnaire de portefeuille au choc. La deuxième partie de la thèse est consacrée à la valorisation des obligations à maturité très longues (supérieure à 10 ans). La modélisation de la volatilité des taux de très long terme est un défi, notamment du fait des contraintes posées par l’absence d’opportunités d’arbitrage, et la plupart des modèles de taux d’intérêt en absence d’opportunités d’arbitrage impliquent un taux limite (de maturité infinie) constant. Le deuxième chapitre étudie la compatibilité du facteur "niveau", dont les variations ont un impact uniforme sur l’ensemble des taux modélisés, a fortiori les plus longs, avec l’absence d’opportunités d’arbitrage. Nous introduisons dans le troisième chapitre une nouvelle classe de modèle de taux d’intérêt, sans opportunités d’arbitrage, où le taux limite est stochastique, dont nous présentons les propriétés empiriques sur une base de données de prix d’obligations du Trésor américain. / In the first part of this thesis, we introduce a new methodology for stress-test exercises. Our approach allows to consider richer stress-test exercises, which assess the impact of a modification of the whole distribution of asset prices’ factors, rather than focusing as the common practices on a single realization of these factors, and take into account the potential reaction to the shock of the portfolio manager.
 The second part of the thesis is devoted to the pricing of bonds with very long-term time-to-maturity (more than ten years). Modeling the volatility of very long-term rates is a challenge, due to the constraints put by no-arbitrage assumption. As a consequence, most of the no-arbitrage term structure models assume a constant limiting rate (of infinite maturity). The second chapter investigates the compatibility of the so-called "level" factor, whose variations have a uniform impact on the modeled yield curve, with the no-arbitrage assumptions. We introduce in the third chapter a new class of arbitrage-free term structure factor models, which allows the limiting rate to be stochastic, and present its empirical properties on a dataset of US T-Bonds.