An overview of modern and historical interest rate model theory is given with thespecific aim of derivative pricing. A variety of stochastic interest rate models arediscussed within a South African market context. The various models arecompared with respect to characteristics such as mean...

This thesis consists of two related parts. In the first part we conduct an empiricalexamination of the dynamics of Australian interest rates of six different maturities,covering the whole yield curve. This direct study of the long rates is quite novel. Weuse maximum likelihood estimation on a...

Modern societies are facing energy and environmental challenges. In a framework of climate change, escalating global energy consumption, declining fossil sources and uncertainties regarding future supply, one key question of the 21st century is how to secure a clean and efficient power...

The use of options on various stock markets over the world has introduced a unique opportunity for investors to hedge, speculate, create synthetic financial instruments and reduce funding and other costs in their trading strategies.The power of options lies in their versatility. They enable an...

This study set out to draw a pricing comparison between two similar contracts in the South African derivatives market. These contracts, a normal option and a warrant on the same underlying stock are considered. The research shows that although the two derivatives are the same in all respects,...

Consider an exchange economy with multiple competitive equilibria. Agents know the set of equilibria, but not which will be selected. To insure against unfavorable equilibrium outcomes, they trade on markets for commodities contingent on the equilibrium price vector. Such price-contingent...

When a stock is added into the S&P 500 Index, it is automatically "cross-listed" in the index derivative markets (i.e., S&P 500 Index futures and Index options). I examined the effects of such cross-listing on the trading volume and return volatility of the underlying component stocks....

A Synthetic Repurchase is an open market share repurchase program enhanced with sales of put derivatives on the firm’s own stock. Microsoft, in 1999, using a synthetic repurchase program sold put derivatives on its own stock and received $766 million in premiums and, at the same time, signaled...

The last years have witnessed a dramatic shift of the world`s military, political, and economic paradigm from a bi-polar competitive gridlock to a more fluid, multi-player environment. This change has necessarily been followed by a re-evaluation of the strategic thinking and by a reassessment of...