The prices of derivatives contracts can be used to estimate ‘risk-neutral' probability density functions that give an indication of the weight investors place on different future prices of their underlying assets, were they risk-neutral. In the likely case that investors are risk-averse, this...

In this paper, we derive a probabilistic approximation for three different versions of the SABR model: Normal, Log-Normal and a displaced diffusion version for the general constant elastic of variance case. Specifically, we focus on capturing the terminal distribution of the underlying process...

Recently, simulation methods combined with regression techniques have gained importance when it comes to American option pricing. In this paper we consider such methods and we examine numerically their convergence properties. We first consider the Least Squares Monte-Carlo (LSM) method of...

We prove here a general closed-form expansion formula for forward-start options and the forward implied volatility smile in a large class of models, including the Heston stochastic volatility and time-changed exponential Levy models.This expansion applies to both small and large maturities and...

In this work, we suggest a novel quadratic programming-based algorithm to generate an arbitrage-free call option surface. Our approach relies on a regression spline-based implementation of the framework proposed by Orosi (2011) who presents a multi-parameter extension of the models of Figlewski...

This paper demonstrates that it is possible to improve significantly on the estimated call prices obtained with the regression and simulation-based least-squares Monte Carlo method by using put-call symmetry. The results show that, for a large sample of options with characteristics of relevance...

We describe a broad setting under which, for European options, if the underlying asset form a geometric random walk then, the error with respect to the Black-Scholes model converges to zero at a speed of 1/n for continuous payoffs functions, and at a speed of 1/√n for discontinuous payoffs...

This chapter deals with the estimation of risk neutral distributions for pricing index options resulting from the hypothesis of the risk neutral valuation principle. After justifying this hypothesis, we shall focus on parametric estimation methods for the risk neutral density functions...

This paper is a comparison study of non-parametric techniques used to estimate risk neutral densities from option prices. Cross sectional option prices are first generated using Monte Carlo simulation. Using these simulated options data, risk neutral densities of the underlying asset are...

The Gram-Charlier expansion, where skewness and kurtosis directly appear as parameters, has become popular in Finance as a generalization of the normal density. We show how positivity constraints can be numerically implemented, thereby guaranteeing that the expansion defines a density. The...