Esse trabalho propõe estudar o grau de integração da estrutura a termo da taxa de juros com o mercado global e regional nos países da América Latina. Modelos de fatores dinâmicos foram usados para extrair os fatores globais, regionais e idiossincráticos da estrutura a termo como em Diebold, Li e Yue (2008) e Bae e Kim (2011). Foi encontrado que a estrutura a termo da taxa de juros da América Latina é integrada ao mercado global além de existir uma integração regional entre os países. Esse resultado é robusto ao fazer análises de subpériodos. No entanto, o proporção de variância explicada por cada fator varia conforme mudamos a amostra analisada. Essa variação pode ser consequência do período pós-crise e das politicas monetárias realizadas pelos principais Bancos Centrais no período. Ademais, a curva de juros do Brasil parece ter sido pouca influenciada por fatores globais pois o país apresentava condições macroeconômicas diferentes do restante do mundo. / In this work we propose to study the degree of integration of the term structure of interest rate of Latin America countries with global and regional markets. Using dynamic factor models as Diebold, Li e Yue (2008) and Bae e Kim (2011) to extract the global, regional and country specific factors we found that the term structure of interest rates of Latin America countries is integrated with global and regional markets. This result is robust studying different sample periods. However, the proportion of variance explained by those factors change when the sample periods change. This variation in the proportion of variance can be understood as consequence of the post crises period and the unconventional monetary policy that followed. Brazil term structure doesn\'t seem to be affected to global components. We interpret this last result as being a consequence of the different economic cycle that the country had comparing to the rest of the world.

A solução da maioria dos problemas práticos enfrentados por administradores financeiros passa pela identificação prévia do custo de oportunidade para investimentos de diferentes prazos e riscos. Este trabalho busca, no conjunto de seus capítulos, realizar uma avaliação crítica das propriedades da estrutura temporal de taxas de juros em reais e de sua utilização como variável exógena fundamental na análise financeira. Sem a pretensão de esgotar qualquer dos temas abordados, procurou-se estabelecer a curva de juros para investimentos livres de riscos em moeda nacional e, através de um conjunto de testes empíricos e observações informais de séries de dados de mercado, identificar peculiaridades que possam invalidar a implementação no Brasil de modelos desenvolvidos no contexto internacional. Dados os aspectos característicos do mercado doméstico evidenciados nos estudos, foram apresentados modelos explicativos tanto para a formação das taxas prefixadas de período quanto para a determinação da remuneração de operações financeiras indexadas à taxa referencial TR. / The solution to most of the problems facing financial managers requires prior identification of the cost of money for different maturities and risks. This paper aims, in its overall content, to examine the Brazilian currency yield curve’s properties and its supporting role in financial analysis. With no intention of exhausting any of the tackled subjects, the Real risk-free term structure was defined and a set of empirical tests performed to identify, with the support of additional data observation, local market’s peculiarities that might prevent international models from being accurately applied in Brazil. Given the domestic market’s distinguishing features emphasized in the studies, models were proposed to explain how short term interest rates are determined in the marketplace for derivatives, and to allow the pricing of financial instruments indexed to the so called TR benchmark (Taxa Referencial).

The Nelson-Siegel framework published by Diebold and Li a decade ago created an important benchmark and originated several works in the literature of forecasting term structure of interest rates. For instance, the Arbitrage-Free Nelson-Siegel framework improved predictive performance by imposing no-arbitrage conditions to the Nelson-Siegel framework. However, these frameworks were built on the top of a parametric curve model that may lead to poor fitting for sensible term structure shapes affecting forecast results. We propose DCOBS with no-arbitrage restrictions to forecast the term structure. It is built on the top of the nonparametric constrained smoothing Bsplines yield curve model. This curve model has shown to be an optimum solution between financial integrity and respect to yield curve shapes. Even though this curve model may provide more volatile forward curves than parametric models, they are still more accurate than those from Nelson-Siegel frameworks. A software was developed with a complete implementation of yield curve fitting techniques discussed in this paper. DCOBS has been evaluated for ten years of brazilian government bond data and it has shown good consistence with stylized facts of yield curves. The results of DCOBS are promising, specially in short-term forecast, and has shown greater stability and lower root mean square errors than Arbitrage-Free Nelson-Siegel. / O framework Nelson-Siegel publicado por Diebold e Li uma década atrás criou um importante benchmark e originou diversos trabalhos na literatura de previsão de estrutura a termo de taxas de juros. Por exemplo, o framework Nelson-Siegel Livre de Arbitragem melhorou a performance preditiva impondo condições de não-arbitragem ao framework Nelson-Siegel. No entanto, estes frameworks foram construídos em cima do modelo de curvas paramétricas. Em casos mais sensíveis de formas de curvas, este modelo tem um desempenho muito ruim, afetando o resultado da previsão. Nós propomos o DCOBS com restrições de não-arbitragem para prever a estrutura a termo. Ele é construído em cima do modelo de curva não-paramétrico com B-Splines restritas e suavizadas. Este modelo demonstrou ser uma solução ótima entre integridade financeira e respeito às formas de curvas de juros. Embora este modelo de curva possa resultar em curvas forwards mais voláteis que os modelos paramétricos, ele é ainda mais acurado que aqueles do framework Nelson-Siegel. Um software foi desenvolvido com uma implementação completa das técnicas de ajustes de curvas de juros discutidas nesta dissertação. DCOBS foi avaliado utilizando dez anos de dados de títulos públicos do governo brasileiro e demonstrou boa consistência com os fatos estilizados das curvas de juros. Os resultados do DCOBS são promissores, especialmente na previsão de curto prazo, e demonstrou maior estabilidade e menor erro quadrático médio que o modelo Nelson-Siegel Livre de Arbitragem.

A estimação da estrutura da taxa de juros é relevante por duas razões fundamentais: em primeiro lugar é considerado como um indicador antecipado de política, sendo uma das principais ferramentas para os bancos centrais como instrumento de política monetária; em segundo lugar, através da curva de rendimentos é possível fazer valoração de ativos financeiros. A causa da sua relevância, tanto na área macroeconômica e como no campo financeiro, uma ampla literatura dedicada a estimá-la se desenvolveu. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste documento é a previsão da curva de rendimentos da Colômbia através da metodologia de Spectrum Singular Analysis (SSA) durante o período 2006-2014. Para a previsão são usados parâmetros diários estimados pelo modelo de fatores de Nelson e Siegel (1987). Os resultados indicam ganhos na acurácia preditiva fora da amostra da abordagem de MSSA em relação ao modelo Random Walk e outros benchmarks amplamente usados na literatura, principalmente nos horizontes de previsão mais curtos. Os resultados são estatisticamente significantes. Assim mesmo, observasse que o MSSA se ajusta melhor que os modelos competidores em todos os horizontes para as previsões das menores maturidades. / The estimation of the Yield curve is relevant because of two fundamental reasons: firstly, it is considered an anticipated indicator of economic policies, being one of the principal central banks tools as instrument of monetary policy; secondly, through this estimation it is possible to valuate financial assets. Due to its relevance in the macroeconomics area and the financial field, an extensive literature has been dedicated to its estimation. Concerning that, the goal of this document is to get a prediction of Colombia’s yield curve through the Spectrum Singular Analysis (SSA) from 2006 to 2014. Daily estimated parameters by Nelson and Siegel (1987) factors model are used to obtain the prognostication. Results are statistically significant and indicate gains of the MMSA on the accuracy of previsions out of the sample in relation to the Random Walk competitor model and other benchmarks widely used in literature, mainly on short term previsions. Likewise, we observe that the MSSA method is better adjusted than competitors’ models in all the horizons for the previsions where maturity is lower. / La estimación de la curva de rendimientos es relevante por dos razones fundamentales: en primer lugar es considerado como un indicador anticipado de política económica, siendo una de las principales herramientas para los bancos centrales como instrumento de política monetaria; en segundo lugar, a través de esta es posible realizar valoración de activos financieros. Dada su relevancia tanto en el área macroeconómica como en el campo financiero una amplia literatura ha sido dedicada a su estimación. En este sentido, el objetivo de este documento es la previsión de la curva de rendimientos de Colombia a través de la metodología de Spectrum Singular Analysis (SSA) durante noviembre de 2006 a diciembre de 2014. Para su pronóstico son usados los parámetros diarios estimados por el modelo de factores de Nelson e Siegel (1987). Los resultados son estadísticamente significativos e indican ganancias del método MSSA en la precisión de las previsiones fuera de la muestra principalmente en horizontes de previsión más cortos en relación al Random Walk y otros benchmarks ampliamente usados en la literatura. Así mismo, se observa que el método MSSA se ajusta mejor que los modelos competidores en todos los horizontes para las previsiones donde el vencimiento es menor.

The Nelson-Siegel framework published by Diebold and Li a decade ago created an important benchmark and originated several works in the literature of forecasting term structure of interest rates. For instance, the Arbitrage-Free Nelson-Siegel framework improved predictive performance by imposing no-arbitrage conditions to the Nelson-Siegel framework. However, these frameworks were built on the top of a parametric curve model that may lead to poor fitting for sensible term structure shapes affecting forecast results. We propose DCOBS with no-arbitrage restrictions to forecast the term structure. It is built on the top of the nonparametric constrained smoothing Bsplines yield curve model. This curve model has shown to be an optimum solution between financial integrity and respect to yield curve shapes. Even though this curve model may provide more volatile forward curves than parametric models, they are still more accurate than those from Nelson-Siegel frameworks. A software was developed with a complete implementation of yield curve fitting techniques discussed in this paper. DCOBS has been evaluated for ten years of brazilian government bond data and it has shown good consistence with stylized facts of yield curves. The results of DCOBS are promising, specially in short-term forecast, and has shown greater stability and lower root mean square errors than Arbitrage-Free Nelson-Siegel. / O framework Nelson-Siegel publicado por Diebold e Li uma década atrás criou um importante benchmark e originou diversos trabalhos na literatura de previsão de estrutura a termo de taxas de juros. Por exemplo, o framework Nelson-Siegel Livre de Arbitragem melhorou a performance preditiva impondo condições de não-arbitragem ao framework Nelson-Siegel. No entanto, estes frameworks foram construídos em cima do modelo de curvas paramétricas. Em casos mais sensíveis de formas de curvas, este modelo tem um desempenho muito ruim, afetando o resultado da previsão. Nós propomos o DCOBS com restrições de não-arbitragem para prever a estrutura a termo. Ele é construído em cima do modelo de curva não-paramétrico com B-Splines restritas e suavizadas. Este modelo demonstrou ser uma solução ótima entre integridade financeira e respeito às formas de curvas de juros. Embora este modelo de curva possa resultar em curvas forwards mais voláteis que os modelos paramétricos, ele é ainda mais acurado que aqueles do framework Nelson-Siegel. Um software foi desenvolvido com uma implementação completa das técnicas de ajustes de curvas de juros discutidas nesta dissertação. DCOBS foi avaliado utilizando dez anos de dados de títulos públicos do governo brasileiro e demonstrou boa consistência com os fatos estilizados das curvas de juros. Os resultados do DCOBS são promissores, especialmente na previsão de curto prazo, e demonstrou maior estabilidade e menor erro quadrático médio que o modelo Nelson-Siegel Livre de Arbitragem.

This thesis contains four chapters, each of which examines different aspects of the uncertainty facing monetary policymakers.''Monetary policy and market interest rates'' investigates how interest rates set on financial markets respond to policy actions taken by the monetary authorities. The reaction of market rates is shown to depend crucially on market participants' interpretation of the factors underlying the policy move. These theoretical predictions find support in an empirical analysis of the U.S. financial markets.''Predicting monetary policy using federal funds futures prices'' examines how prices of federal funds futures contracts can be used to predict policy moves by the Federal Reserve. Although the futures prices exhibit systematic variation across trading days and calendar months, they are shown to be fairly successful in predicting the federal funds rate target that will prevailafter the next meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee from 1994 to 1998.''Monetary policy with uncertain parameters'' examines the effects  of parameter uncertainty on the optimal monetary policy strategy. Under certain parameter configurations, increasing uncertainty is shown to lead to more aggressive policy, in contrast to the accepted wisdom.''Should central banks be more aggressive?'' examines why a certain class of monetary policy models leads to more aggressive policy prescriptions than what is observed in reality. These counterfactual results are shown to be due to model restrictions rather than central banks being too cautious in their policy behavior. An unrestricted model, taking the dynamics of the economy and multiplicative parameter uncertainty into account, leads to optimal policy prescriptions which are very close to observed Federal Reserve behavior. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 1999</p>

This thesis consists of four papers dealing with the futures price process. In the first paper, we propose a two-factor futures volatility model designed for the US natural gas market, but applicable to any futures market where volatility decreases with maturity and varies with the seasons. A closed form analytical expression for European call options is derived within the model and used to calibrate the model to implied market volatilities. The result is used to price swaptions and calendar spread options on the futures curve. In the second paper, a financial market is specified where the underlying asset is driven by a d-dimensional Wiener process and an M dimensional Markov process. On this market, we provide necessary and, in the time homogenous case, sufficient conditions for the futures price to possess a semi-affine term structure. Next, the case when the Markov process is unobservable is considered. We show that the pricing problem in this setting can be viewed as a filtering problem, and we present explicit solutions for futures. Finally, we present explicit solutions for options on futures both in the observable and unobservable case. The third paper is an empirical study of the SABR model, one of the latest contributions to the field of stochastic volatility models. By Monte Carlo simulation we test the accuracy of the approximation the model relies on, and we investigate the stability of the parameters involved. Further, the model is calibrated to market implied volatility, and its dynamic performance is tested. In the fourth paper, co-authored with Tomas Björk and Camilla Landén, we consider HJM type models for the term structure of futures prices, where the volatility is allowed to be an arbitrary smooth functional of the present futures price curve. Using a Lie algebraic approach we investigate when the infinite dimensional futures price process can be realized by a finite dimensional Markovian state space model, and we give general necessary and sufficient conditions, in terms of the volatility structure, for the existence of a finite dimensional realization. We study a number of concrete applications including the model developed in the first paper of this thesis. In particular, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for when the induced spot price is a Markov process. We prove that the only HJM type futures price models with spot price dependent volatility structures, generically possessing a spot price realization, are the affine ones. These models are thus the only generic spot price models from a futures price term structure point of view. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2004

In the first essay, I decompose inflation risk into (i) a part that is correlated with real returns on the market portfolio and factors that determine investor’s preferences and investment opportunities and (ii) a residual part. I show that only the first part earns a risk premium. All nominal Treasury bonds, including the nominal money-market account, are equally exposed to the residual part except inflation-protected Treasury bonds, which provide a means to hedge it. Every investor should put 100% of his wealth in the market portfolio and inflation-protected Treasury bonds and hold a zero-investment portfolio of nominal Treasury bonds and the nominal money market account. In the second essay, I solve the dynamic asset allocation problem of finite lived, constant relative risk averse investors who face inflation risk and can invest in cash, nominal bonds, equity, and inflation-protected bonds when the investment opportunityset is determined by the expected inflation rate. I estimate the model with nominal bond, inflation, and stock market data and show that if expected inflation increases, then investors should substitute inflation-protected bonds for stocks and they should borrow cash to buy long-term nominal bonds. In the lastessay, I discuss how heterogeneity in preferences among investors withexternal non-addictive habit forming preferences affects the equilibrium nominal term structure of interest rates in a pure continuous time exchange economy and complete securities markets. Aggregate real consumption growth and inflation are exogenously specified and contain stochastic components thataffect their means andvolatilities. There are two classes of investors who have external habit forming preferences and different localcurvatures oftheir utility functions. The effects of time varying risk aversion and different inflation regimes on the nominal short rate and the nominal market price of risk are explored, and simple formulas for nominal bonds, real bonds, and inflation risk premia that can be numerically evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation techniques are provided.

In life insurance contracts, actuaries generally value premiums using deterministic mortality rates and interest rates. They have ignored them stochastically in most of the studies. However it is known that neither interest rates nor mortality rates are constant. It is also known that companies may encounter insolvency problems such as ruin, so the ruin probability need to be added to the valuation of the life insurance contracts process. Insurance companies should model their surplus processes to price some types of life insurance contracts and to see risk position. In this study, mortality rates and surplus processes are modeled and financial strength of companies are utilized when pricing life insurance contracts.

Exchange rate forecasting is hard issue for most of floating exchange rate economies. Studying exchange rate is very attractive matter since almost no model could beat random walk in short run yet. Relative yields and information in relative yield curves are contemporary topics in empirical literature and this study follows Chen and Tsang (2009) who model exchange rate changes with relative factors obtained from Nelson-Siegel (1987) yield curve model and find that relative factor model can forecast exchange rate change up to 2 years and perform better than random walk in short run. Analysis follows the methodology defined by Chen and Tsang (2009) and TL/USD, TL/EUR exchange rate changes are modeled by the relative factors namely relative level, relative slope and relative curvature. Basically, 162 weekly datasets from 09.01.2007 to 16.03.2010 are used and the relative factors for each week are estimated. Afterwards, regression analysis is made and results show that relative level and relative curvature factors are significant up to 4-6 weeks horizon but relative slope does not provide any valuable information for exchange rate prediction in Turkish financial market. Length of forecasting horizon of relative factor model is too short when compared to other exchange rate models. Since it is accepted that exchange rates follow random walk, we provided some tests to compare performance of the model. Similar to the literature, only short run performance of relative factor model is compared to random walk model and concluded that the relative factor model does not provide better forecasting performance in Turkish financial market