A3.11 B3.16
(i) Suppose that is a random variable having the normal distribution with and .
For positive constants show that
where is the standard normal distribution function.
In the context of the Black-Scholes model, derive the formula for the price at time 0 of a European call option on the stock at strike price and maturity time when the interest rate is and the volatility of the stock is .
(ii) Let denote the price of the call option in the Black-Scholes model specified in (i). Show that and sketch carefully the dependence of on the volatility (when the other parameters in the model are held fixed).
Now suppose that it is observed that the interest rate lies in the range and when it changes it is linked to the volatility by the formula . Consider a call option at strike price , where is the stock price at time 0 . There is a small increase in the interest rate; will the price of the option increase or decrease (assuming that the stock price is unaffected)? Justify your answer carefully.
[You may assume that the function is decreasing in , and increases to as , where is the standard-normal distribution function and .]