Paper 1, Section II, 29J

Stochastic Financial Models
Part II, 2013

(i) Suppose that the price StS_{t} of an asset at time tt is given by

St=S0exp{σBt+(r12σ2)t}S_{t}=S_{0} \exp \left\{\sigma B_{t}+\left(r-\frac{1}{2} \sigma^{2}\right) t\right\}

where BB is a Brownian motion, S0S_{0} and σ\sigma are positive constants, and rr is the riskless rate of interest, assumed constant. In this model, explain briefly why the time-0 price of a derivative which delivers a bounded random variable YY at time TT should be given by E(erTY)E\left(e^{-r T} Y\right). What feature of this model ensures that the price is unique?

Derive an expression C(S0,K,T,r,σ)C\left(S_{0}, K, T, r, \sigma\right) for the time- 0 price of a European call option with strike KK and expiry TT. Explain the italicized terms.

(ii) Suppose now that the price XtX_{t} of an asset at time tt is given by

Xt=j=1nwjexp{σjBt+(r12σj2)t}X_{t}=\sum_{j=1}^{n} w_{j} \exp \left\{\sigma_{j} B_{t}+\left(r-\frac{1}{2} \sigma_{j}^{2}\right) t\right\}

where the wjw_{j} and σj\sigma_{j} are positive constants, and the other notation is as in part (i) above. Show that the time-0 price of a European call option with strike KK and expiry TT written on this asset can be expressed as

j=1nC(wj,kj,T,r,σj)\sum_{j=1}^{n} C\left(w_{j}, k_{j}, T, r, \sigma_{j}\right)

where the kjk_{j} are constants. Explain how the kjk_{j} are characterized.