Most term structure models with stochastic volatility are restrictive in that they assume the risk in derivative securities can be perfectly hedged by a portfolio consisting solely of bonds. Below, we demonstrate that this prediction fails in practice. In particular, we find that the changes in...

In contrast to the empirical findings of Helwege and Turner (1998), existing structural models of default predict that the term structure of credit spreads is downward sloping for speculative-grade debt. We demonstrate that this prediction is a consequence of the assumption that the default...

Empirical evidence shows that changes in aggregate labor income and stock market returns exhibit only weak correlation at short horizons. As we document below, however, this correlation increases substantially at longer horizons, which provides at least suggestive evidence that stock returns and...

Prior to the stock market crash of 1987, Black-Scholes implied volatilities of Samp;P 500 index options were relatively constant across moneyness. Since the crash, however, deep out-of-the-money Samp;P 500 put options have become %u2018expensive%u2019 relative to the Black-Scholes benchmark....

Most affine models of the term structure with stochastic volatility (SV) predict that the variance of the short rate is simultaneously a linear combination of yields and the quadratic variation of the spot rate. However, we find empirically that the A1(3) SV model generates a time series for the...

Reduced-form models of default that attribute a large fraction of credit spreads to compensation for credit-event risk typically preclude the most plausible economic justification for such risk to be priced, namely, a contemporaneous drop in the market portfolio. When this "contagion" channel is...

Structural models of default calibrated to historical default rates, recovery rates, and Sharpe ratios typically generate Baa-Aaa credit spreads that are significantly below historical values. However, this credit spread puzzle can be resolved if one accounts for the fact that default rates and...

Previous research (e.g., Lando (1998), Duffie, Schroder and Skiadas (1996), Duffie and Singleton (1999)) has shown that under a suitable no-jump condition, the price of a defaultable security is equal to its risk-neutral expected discounted cash flows if a modified discount rate is introduced to...

Most models of the term structure are restrictive in that they assume the bond market forms a complete market. That is, they assume all sources of risk affecting fixed income derivatives can be completely hedged by a portfolio consisting solely of bonds. Below, we present empirical evidence...

We propose a very fast and accurate algorithm for pricing swaptions when the underlying term structure dynamics are affine. The efficiency of the algorithm stems from the fact that the moments of the underlying asset (i.e., a coupon bond) possess simple closed-form solutions. These moments...