This paper introduces a method for simulating multivariate samples that have exact means, covariances, skewness and kurtosis. A new class of rectangular orthogonal matrices is fundamental to the methodology, and these "L-matrices'' can be deterministic, parametric or data specific in nature. The...

Several principal component models of volatility smiles and skews have been based on daily changes in implied volatilities, by strike and/or by moneyness. Derman and Kamal (1997) analyze S&P500 and Nikkei 225 index options where the daily change in the volatility surface is specified by delta...

Equity hedge funds are thought to effectively operate market timing by implementing switching strategies conditional on market circumstances. In this paper we use only the reported monthly returns on a set of funds to infer the type of switching strategies they follow, if any, as well as their...

It is a common problem in risk management today that risk measures and pricing models are being applied to a very large set of scenarios based on movements in all possible risk factors. The dimensions are so large that the computations become extremely slow and cumbersome, so it is quite common...

This paper presents an empirical study of hedging the four largest US index exchange traded funds (ETFs). When hedging each ETF position with its own index futures we find that it is difficult to improve on the naïve 1:1 futures hedge, that hedging is less effective around the time of dividend...

Under the new capital accord stress tests are to be included in market risk regulatory capital calculations. This development necessitates a coherent and objective framework for stress testing portfolios exposed to market risk. Following recent criticism of stress testing methods our tests are...

A price process is scale-invariant if and only if the returns distribution is independent of the price level. We show that scale invariance preserves the homogeneity of a pay-off function throughout the life of the claim and hence prove that standard price hedge ratios for a wide class of...

historical forward rates are used to calibrate the lognormal forward rate model - as advocated by Hull and White (1999, 2000), Longstaff, Santa Clara and Schwartz (1999), Rebonato (1999a,b,c), Rebonato and Joshi (2001) and many others - a Libor yield curve needs to be fit to the available data...