This paper defines an approximation to the value of funding ratio put options for pension funds. This option is, by construction, the ideal option to hedge the risk of a funding ratio falling below some required minimum level. It's value can be used for several applications, for example as a...

Trading in binary options is discussed using an approach based on expected profit (EP) and expected loss (EL) as metrics of reward and risk of trades. These metrics are reviewed and the role of the EL/EP ratio as an indicator of quality of trades, taking risk tolerance into account, is...

Finance researchers keep producing increasingly complex and computationally-intensive models of stock returns. Separately, professional analysts forecast stock returns daily for their clients. Are the sophisticated methods of researchers achieving better forecasts or are we better off relying on...

We analyse the profit-and-loss (P&L) of delta-hedging strategies for vanilla options in the presence of the implied volatility skew and derive an approximation for the P&L under the quadratic parametrization of the implied volatility. We apply this approximation to study the P&L of a straddle, a...

We investigate the effect of including variance derivatives as calibration and hedging instruments for pricing and hedging exotic structures. This is studied empirically using market data for SPX and VIX derivatives applied in a stochastic volatility jump diffusion model

We explore the use of an option selling overlay to improve portfolio rebalancing. Within a multi-asset class portfolio, portfolio weights deviate from targets as asset values fluctuate. Investors typically use a rebalancing process to bring portfolio weights back to their desired strategic...