The vanna-volga method, also called the traders' rule of thumb is an empirical procedure that can be used to infer an implied-volatility smile from three available quotes for a given maturity. It is based on the construction of locally replicating portfolios whose associated hedging costs are...

A quanto option can be any cash-settled option, whose payoff is converted into a third currency at maturity at a pre-specified rate, called the quanto factor. There can be quanto plain vanilla, quanto barriers, quanto forward starts, quanto corridors, etc. The valuation theory is covered for...

The Heston model stands out from the class of stochastic volatility (SV) models mainly for two reasons. Firstly, the process for the volatility is nonnegative and mean-reverting, which is what we observe in the markets. Secondly, there exists a fast and easily implemented semi-analytical...

This paper aims to unify exotic option closed formulas by generalizing a large class of existing formulas and by setting a framework that allows for further generalizations. The formula presented covers options from the plain vanilla to most, if not all, mountain range exotic options and is...

This paper analyzes the evolution of the structured products market focusing on the tools available for private investors, on which they rely for the selection process. The selection process is extremely difficult because there is a myriad of products, because of the dynamic nature of the market...

We investigate the robustness of existing methods to calibrate the Cheyette interest rate model to at-the-money swaption, caps and floors. Existing algorithms may fail, because they suffer from numerical instability of derivatives. Therefore, we apply derivative-free techniques and find that...

We have compared the performance of savings plans within the class of difference capital guarantee mechanisms: from the stop loss to classic investments in actuarial reserve funds. CPPI strategies with different leverage factors can be viewed as a compromises between these two extremes. In...

In Zeiten stark schwankender Finanzmarkte liegt der Fokus von Investoren insbesondere auf dem mit einer Anlage verbundenen Risiko. Gerade in diesen Marktphasen suchen Investoren nach Moglichkeiten, ihr bestehendes Portfolio weiter zu diversifizieren. Volatilitätsinvestments bieten durch ihre...

We investigate the characteristic functions of multi-factor Cheyette Models and the application to the valuation of interest rate derivatives. The model dynamic can be classiffied as an affine-diffusion process implying an exponential structure of the characteristic function. The characteristic...