This paper analyses the implementation and calibration of the Heston Stochastic Volatility Model. We first explain how characteristic functions can be used to estimate option prices. Then we consider the implementation of the Heston model, showing that relatively simple solutions can lead to...

In this paper we 'update' the option implied probability of default (option iPoD) approach recently suggested in the literature. First, a numerically more stable objective function for the estimation of the risk neutral density is derived whose integrals can be solved analytically. Second, it is...

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) based cost norms have attractive properties in the regulation of natural monopolies. However, they are also sensitive to the choice of cost drivers. When some of the cost drivers are discretionary, this may lead to suboptimal incentives. When a regulated firm...

Motivated by my assignments with international Socio-Economic development institutions, and accredited scholarly associations, I developed a thirst to design a practical model to accelerate the pace of development of the third world nations. The prime Economic classification of the nations are...

Even in a floating foreign exchange rate regime monetary authorities sometimes intervene in the currency market due to liquidity demand and foreign exchange crisis. Typically, central banks intervene using foreign currency trades and/or changing domestic interest rates. We discuss this framework...

This paper presents a new approach to the modeling of the conditional correlation matrix in the multivariate GARCH framework which consists in breaking it into the product of a sequence of matrices with desirable characteristics. This feature will allow for a multi step estimation procedure,...

Valuation of mortgage backed securities (MBSs) and collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) is the big science of the financial world. There are many moving parts, each one drawing on expertise in a different field. Prepayment modeling draws on statistical modeling of economic behavior. Data...

The Danish water regulator uses, among other things, Data Envelopment Analysis to create a pseudo-competitive environment for the water companies. The benchmarking results are used to set an individual revenue cap for each company. The benchmarking model is currently criticized for not including...

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is often used by regulators to create a pseudo-competitive environment for sectors with natural monopolies. In addition to develop a theoretically well-behaved model, regulators need to take into account several other factors, such as the political agenda and the...