Pricing competitiveness of jump-diffusion option pricing models: evidence from recent financial upheavals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the forecasting performance of jump-diffusion option pricing models of (Merton and Bates) with the benchmark Black–Scholes (BS) model relative to market, for pricing Nifty index options of India. The specific period chosen for this study canvasses the extreme up and down limits (jumps) of the Indian capital market. In addition, equity markets keep on facing high and low tides of financial flux amid new economic and financial considerations. With this backdrop, the paper focuses on finding an impeccable option-pricing model which can meet the requirements of option traders and practitioners during tumultuous periods in the future. Design/methodology/approach – Envisioning the fact, the all option-pricing models normally does wrong valuation relative to market. For estimating the structural parameters that governs the underlying asset distribution purely from the underlying asset return data, we have used the nonlinear least-square method. As an approach, we analyzed model prices by dividing the option data into 15 moneyness-maturity groups – depending on the time to maturity and strike price. The prices are compared analytically by continuously updating the parameters of two models using cross-sectional option data on daily basis. Estimated parameters then used to figure out the forecasting performance of models with corresponding BS and market – for pricing day-ahead option prices and implied volatility. Findings – The outcomes of the paper reveal that the jump-diffusion models are a better substitute of classical BS, thus improving the pricing bias significantly. But compared to jump-diffusion model of Merton’s, the model of Bates’ can be applied more uniquely to find out the pricing of three popularly traded categories: deep-out-of-the-money, out-of-the-money and at-the-money of Nifty index options. Practical implications – The outcome of this research work reveals that the jumps are important components of pricing dynamics of Nifty index options. Incorporation of jump-diffusion process into option pricing of Nifty index options leads to a higher pricing effectiveness, reduces the pricing bias and gives values closer to the market. As the models have been tested in extreme conditions to determine the dominant effectuality, the outcome of this paper helps traders in keeping the investment protected under normal conditions. Originality/value – The specific period chosen for this study is very unique; it canvasses the extreme up and down limits (jumps) of the Indian capital market and provides the most apt situation for testifying the pricing competitiveness of the models in question. To testify the robustness of models, they have been put into a practical implication of complete cycle of financial frame.