A general parametric framework based on the generalized Student t-distribution is developed for pricing S&P500 options. Higher order moments in stock returns as well as time-varying volatility are priced. An important computational advantage of the proposed framework over Monte Carlo-based...

This paper assesses the robustness of the relative performance of spot- and options-based volatility forecasts to the treatment of microstructure noise. Robustness of the results to the method of constructing option-implied forecasts is also investigated. Using a test for superior predictive...

Recent empirical work has questioned the consistency of US fiscal policy with an intertemporal budget constraint. Empirical results have tended to indicate that the deficit process has undergone at least one structural shift during recent decades, with the deficit becoming either unsustainable...

An empirical model of multiple asset classes across countries is formulated in a latent factor framework. A special feature of the model is that financial market linkages during periods of financial crises, including spillover and contagion effects, are formally specified. The model also...