We consider the problem of maximizing expected utility for a power investor who can allocate his wealth in a stock, a defaultable security, and a money market account. The dynamics of these security prices are governed by geometric Brownian motions modulated by a hidden continuous time finite...

We introduce an asymptotic expansion for forward start options in a multi-factor local-stochastic volatility model. We derive explicit approximation formulas for the so-called forward implied volatility which can be useful to price complex path-dependent options, as cliquets. The expansion...

In this paper, we address the mathematical analysis and numerical solution of a model for pricing a defined benefit pension plan. More precisely, the benefits received by the member of the plan depend on the average salary and early retirement is allowed. Thus, the mathematical model is posed as...

We give a direct proof of the Harnack inequality for a class of Kolmogorov operators associated with a linear SDE and we find the explicit expression of the optimal Harnack constant. We discuss some possible implication of the Harnack inequality in finance: specifically we infer no-arbitrage...

The Hobson and Rogers model for option pricing is considered. This stochastic volatility model preserves the completeness of the market and can potentially reproduce the observed smile and term structure patterns of implied volatility. A calibration procedure based on ad-hoc numerical schemes...

We propose the use of a classical tool in PDE theory, the parametrix method, to build approximate solutions to generic parabolic models for pricing and hedging contingent claims. We obtain an expansion for the price of an option using as starting point the classical Black and Scholes formula....

The path-dependent volatility model by Hobson and Rogers is considered. It is known that this model can potentially reproduce the observed smile and skew patterns of different directions, while preserving the completeness of the market. In order to quantitatively investigate the pricing...

We prove existence, regularity and a Feynman-Ka\v{c} representation formula of the strong solution to the free boundary problem arising in the financial problem of the pricing of the American Asian option with arithmetic average.