Risk-averse expected utility maximization implies that the pricing kernel must be a non-increasing function of aggregate wealth. However, empirical research has found that the pricing kernel frequently displays a locally increasing portion in aggregate wealth. This is known as the pricing kernel...

We study a model of dynamic adverse selection in which a large group of sellers sell an asset of uncertain quality to a larger group of buyers. The quality is known to the sellers but unknown to the buyers. There is, however, the possibility that if the asset is of low quality, this will be...

We propose a mathematical model for the word-of-mouth communications among stock investors through social networks and explore how the changes of the investors' social networks influence the stock price dynamics. First, we use a Gaussian fuzzy set to model the stock price expectation of an...

This paper proposes and studies an optimal placement problem in a limit order book. To gain some analytical insights, a simple correlated random walk model with mean-reversion is proposed for the best ask price. Optimal placement strategies for both single-period and multi-period cases are...

This paper presents a new approach to look at equity market valuations. The paper formulates a derivative of three valuation based ratios widely used by investors and fund managers. The derivative “Equity Market Valuation Index” converts valuation ratios in to an index that rages between...

In the past 20 years, momentum or trend following strategies have become an established part of the investor toolbox. We introduce a new way of analyzing momentum strategies by looking at the information ratio (IR, average return divided by standard deviation). We calculate the theoretical IR of...

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ability of the Dynamic Variance Gamma model, recently proposed by Bellini and Mercuri (2010), to evaluate option prices on the S&P500 index. We also provide a simple relation between the Dynamic Variance Gamma model and the Vix index. We use this...

Recent work showed that securities prices behave as quantum chaotic quantities that described by quantum equations. We study pricing of European style options under that framework. The resulting volatility surface exhibits the smile and other characteristics of equity options. Additionally, we...

The US Treasury effectively ”owns” about 24% of the stocks held by high income US taxable investors. Through the capital gains tax, Uncle Sam has an effective exposure of more than $1 trillion of equities. And this huge-but-silent investor might be about to get a lot bigger if capital gains...

Snakes and ladders is an ancient Indian game of chance that offers amusement as well as a metaphor for life's many ups and downs. Games offer useful and fun ways of conveying ideas as well as solution techniques and this game has considerable mathematical tractability. This note shows how snakes...