In this paper we suggest a simple way of backing out market-wide risk-neutral default probability (and default density) distributions from quoted credit default swap (CDS) index spreads. We apply the approach to two market-wide European portfolios represented by two frequently traded iTraxx...

In this paper we discuss the potential for commercial microfinance in China. Particular emphasis is put on securitization of microloans and on structured microfinance in a China context. Three particular factors that we believe could support a strong growth in Chinese structured microfinance are...

In Risk Management, modelling large numbers of assets and their variances and covariances together in a unified framework is often important. In such multivariate frameworks, it is difficult to incorporate GARCH models and thus a new member of the ARCH-family, Orthogonal GARCH, has been...

This paper analyzes regional differences across Chinese regions, employing an optimum currency area framework. Empirically, we consider the cross-sectional correlation measure of Solnik & Roulet (2000) when examining data on GDP, trade, inflation and regional budget between 1991 and 2001. Our...

Nord Pool, the first multinational exchange for electricity trading, has existed since January 1996. Typical characteristics of electricity prices on Nord Pool are a very high volatility and a large number of very large, or extreme, price changes. In this paper we look at hourly spot prices on...

When choosing evaluation measures for variance and covariance forecasts one has to consider what the actual purpose of these forecasts is. In this paper we extend the results of Gibson and Boyer (1998) by looking at portfolios of rainbow currency options and how simulated trading of such options...