We study the hedging and valuation of generalized variance swaps defined on a forward swap interest rate. Our motivation is the fundamental role of variance swaps in the transfer of variance risk, and the extensive empirical evidence documenting that the variance realized by interest rates is...

This paper develops a method for selecting and analysing stress scenarios for financial risk assessment, with particular emphasis on identifying sensible combinations of stresses to multiple factors. We focus primarily on reverse stress testing - finding the most likely scenarios leading to...

Interconnections among financial institutions create potential channels for contagion and amplification of shocks to the financial system. We estimate the extent to which interconnections increase expected losses and defaults under a wide range of shock distributions. In contrast to most work on...

Contingent capital in the form of debt that converts to equity when a bank faces financial distress has been proposed as a mechanism to enhance financial stability and avoid costly government rescues. Specific proposals vary in their choice of conversion trigger and conversion mechanism. We...

We derive and analyze Monte Carlo estimators of price sensitivities ("Greeks") for contingent claims priced in a diffusion model. There have traditionally been two categories of methods for estimating sensitivities: methods that differentiate paths and methods that differentiate densities. A...

Financial risk measurement relies on models of prices and other market variables, but models inevitably rely on imperfect assumptions and estimates, creating model risk. Moreover, optimization decisions, such as portfolio selection, amplify the effect of model error. In this work, we develop a...