A new prepayment model is developed, which improves the modeling of the borrowers decision process by incorporating an occupation-time derivative in the valuation framework of a fixed-rate mortgage. This option-theoretic mortgage valuation model is based on stochastic house-price and...

This paper develops improvements to existing finite-difference methods for pricing derivatives (on single and also multiple underlying factors) which contain early-exercise features. Both fixed-grid methods (based on Projected Successive Over Relaxation) and moving-grid methods (based on...

Since the seminal work of Merton(1974), structural models have frequently been implemented to price defaultable bonds. Empirical evidence shows significant skewness of results using Merton's model. The question is whether modifications can sufficiently improve the performance of structural...

Fixed rate endowment mortgages differ from fixed rate repayment mortgages primarily because, in the event of early termination, the amount owed by the borrower is a function of the evolution of the term structure of interest rates, whereas for a repayment mortgage it is pre-determined.We use a...

Sovereign CDS spreads exhibit strong co-movements across countries. We use dynamic latent factor modelling to filter the global, regional and country effects on the spreads of 37 sovereigns. On average, approximately two-thirds of monthly CDS variability is accounted for by international...

For 5,500 North American hedge funds following 11 different strategies, we analyse the stand-alone performance of these strategies using a stochastic discount factor approach. Employing the same data, we then consider the diversification benefits of each hedge fund strategy when combined with a...

We frame IPO pricing as an efficiency problem for prospective issuers and explore the effect of connections formed via lobbying and PAC (Political Action Committee) contributions as proxies for corporate political connections. Rather than imposing a regression-based framework, we allow...

Firms with high levels of organization capital, a firm-specific production factor provided by key employees, are known to be risky and earn high stock returns. We argue that fragility of organization capital -- its sensitivity to potential disruptions -- is an independently important determinant...