Pricing and Hedging of Discrete Dynamic Guaranteed Funds

We derive a risk-neutral pricing model for discrete dynamic guaranteed funds with geometric Gaussian underlying security price process. We propose a dynamic hedging strategy by adding a gamma factor to the conventional delta. Simulation results demonstrate that, when hedging discretely, the risk-neutral gamma-adjusted-delta strategy outperforms the dynamic delta hedging strategy by reducing the expected hedging error, lowering the hedging error variability, and improving the self-financing possibility. The discrete dynamic delta-only hedging not only causes potential overcharge to clients but also could be costly to the issuers. We show that a naive application of continuous-time hedging formula to a discrete-time hedging setting tends to worsen these possibilities.

[1]  Anders Grosen,et al.  Valuation of Early Exercisable Interest Rate Guarantees , 1997 .

[2]  P. Boyle,et al.  Option Replication in Discrete Time with Transaction Costs , 1992 .

[3]  Eduardo S. Schwartz,et al.  The pricing of equity-linked life insurance policies with an asset value guarantee , 1976 .

[4]  R. Heynen,et al.  Lookback options with discrete and partial monitoring of the underlying price , 1995 .

[5]  Hans U. Gerber A.S.A.,et al.  Pricing Lookback Options and Dynamic Guarantees , 2003 .

[6]  Svein-Arne Persson,et al.  Pricing rate of return guarantees in a Heath-Jarrow-Morton framework , 1999 .

[7]  K. Toft. On the Mean-Variance Tradeoff in Option Replication with Transactions Costs , 1996, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis.

[8]  Mark Broadie,et al.  Connecting discrete and continuous path-dependent options , 1999, Finance Stochastics.

[9]  David M. Kreps,et al.  Martingales and arbitrage in multiperiod securities markets , 1979 .

[10]  George G. Pennacchi The Value of Guarantees on Pension Fund Returns , 1999 .

[11]  T. Lai Random walk duality and the valuation of discrete lookback options , 1998 .

[12]  Hans U. Gerber,et al.  Pricing Dynamic Investment Fund Protection , 2000 .

[13]  Phelim P. Boyle,et al.  Reserving for maturity guarantees: Two approaches , 1997 .

[14]  H. Hom Pricing Discrete Barrier and Hindsight Options with the Tridiagonal Probability Algorithm , 2001 .

[15]  Hans U. Gerber,et al.  From ruin theory to pricing reset guarantees and perpetual put options , 1999 .

[16]  H. Leland. Option Pricing and Replication with Transactions Costs , 1985 .

[17]  A. Conze,et al.  Path Dependent Options: The Case of Lookback Options , 1991 .

[18]  P. Boyle,et al.  Dynamic Fund Protection , 2001 .

[19]  R. C. Merton,et al.  Option pricing when underlying stock returns are discontinuous , 1976 .

[20]  F. Black,et al.  The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities , 1973, Journal of Political Economy.

[21]  Phelim P. Boyle,et al.  Equilibrium Prices of Guarantees Under Equity-Linked Contracts , 1977 .

[22]  P. Boyle,et al.  Discretely adjusted option hedges , 1980 .

[23]  E. Shiu,et al.  Evaluation of the GIC rollover option , 1994 .