This pap er intro duces a general framework for market mo dels, namedM arket M o del Approach, through the concept of admissible sets of for-ward swap rates spanning a given tenor structure. We relate this conceptto results in graph theory by showing that a set is admissible if and only ifthe...

This paper introduces a time-inhomogeneous parameterization of the forward LIBOR volatilities and analyzes its implications for the valuation of Bermudan swaptions. The model approximates the actual term structure of volatilities with a curve from a given set defined by the parametric...

We examine the quantification of operational risk for banks. We adopt a financial-economics approach and interpret operational risk management as a means of optimizing the profitability of an institution along its value chain. We start by defining operational risk and then propose a...

We investigate the theoretical and empirical difference between thestandard convexity adjustment and Forward Libor Model in a particular case oftwo-period Constant Maturity Swaps. Using daily data from 1991 to 1997, wesimulate the difference (spread) between the two-period CMS swap rates...

Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are in the process of becoming, liquid and extremelyinformative instruments of default risk. Yet, default swap market has severalnovel aspects that have not received much attention. In this paper we studyan aspect of CDS´s that relates to the prediction of financial...

In this note the pricing of options on credit default swaps using the survival-measure -pricing technique is discussed. In particular, we derive amodification of the famous Black (1976) futures pricing formula which appliesto options on CDS, and show how other pricing formulae can be easily...

Have the euro and accompanying measures of financial integration had a discernable impact on the degree of diversification of European investors? This is an empirical question that this paper tries to answer by exploring four alternative avenues. First we focus on the final outcome: If European...

This paper systematically analyses the market for syndicated loans over the period from 1982 till 2000. A sub-sample of high-information loans is studied over the period from 1982 until 2000. Aspects such as market credit quality, average spreads, average tenors and other market characteristics...

This paper investigates the relative influences of industrial and country factors in international stock returns. Until very recently, academic research has consistently found that country factors dominate industrial factors. This result is in contradiction with practitioners beliefs. This paper...