This working paper was written by Cho-Hoi Hui (Hong Kong Monetary Authority), Chi-Fai Lo (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) and Ho-Yan Ip (The Chinese University of Hong Kong).Asymmetric behaviour has been documented in unemployment rates which increase quickly in recessions but decline...

Asymmetric behaviour has been documented in unemployment rates which increase quickly in recessions but decline relatively slowly during expansions. To model such asymmetric dynamics, this paper provides a rigorous derivation of the asymmetric mean-reverting fundamental dynamics governing the...

This paper develops a valuation model of European options incorporating a stochastic default barrier, which extends a constant default barrier proposed in the Hull-White model. The default barrier is considered as an option writer's liability. Closed-form solutions of vulnerable European option...

This paper presents a benchmarking model for validation of default probabilities of listed companies for Basel II purposes. The model is based on the recent studies on the predictive capability of structural credit risk models. Benchmark ratings and one-year default probabilities are assigned to...

In this paper we have derived the analytical kernels of the pricing formulae of the CEV knockout options with time-dependent parameters for a parametric class of moving barriers. By a series of similarity transformations and changing variables, we are able to reduce the pricing equation to one...

An exchange rate model with crash risk is developed with the exchange rate confined in a wide moving band. A currency crash occurs when its exchange rate breaches a boundary. Using an asymmetric mean-reverting fundamental shock to incorporate intervention policy in the model, the log-normalised...

On 6 September 2011, a ceiling on the value of the Swiss franc was imposed, at CHF 1.2 per euro. With the continuous weakness of the euro area economy, this exchange rate limit was abandoned on 15 January 2015. This paper proposes a quasi-bounded process for the Swiss franc exchange rate...

Using data on Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia and Turkey, our empirical results show that the exchange rates of their currencies have adequate explanatory power in explaining their US dollar-denominated sovereign bonds, particularly in the post-crisis period. We develop a...