A note on the pricing of multivariate contingent claims under a transformed-gamma distribution

We develop a framework for pricing multivariate European-style contingent claims in a discrete-time economy based on a multivariate transformed-gamma distribution. In our model, each transformed-gamma distributed underlying asset depends on two terms: a idiosyncratic term and a systematic term, where the latter is the same for all underlying assets and has a direct impact on their correlation structure. Given our distributional assumptions and the existence of a representative agent with a standard utility function, we apply equilibrium arguments and provide sufficient conditions for obtaining preference-free contingent claim pricing equations. We illustrate the applicability of our framework by providing examples of preference-free contingent claim pricing models. Multivariate pricing models are of particular interest when payoffs depend on two or more underlying assets, such as crack and crush spread options, options to exchange one asset for another, and options with a stochastic strike price in general

The Pricing of Contingent Claims in a Multivariate Gamma Distributed Economy

In this paper we establish a Risk Neutral Valuation Relationship and develop a framework for pricing multivariate European-style contingent claims in a discrete-time economy using a multivariate gamma distribution. In our framework, risk neutrality is obtained by using market equilibrium conditions, leading to preference-free contingent claim pricing equations. Multivariate contingent claim pricing models are of particular interest when payoffs depend on two or more stochastic variables, such as options to exchange one asset for another, options on mutual funds, and options with a stochastic strike price in general. In our model each underlying stochastic variable depends on a systematic gamma distributed term and on an idiosyncratic one, where the former has a direct impact on the correlation structure of the underlying variables. To illustrate the applicability of our framework, we present multivariate gamma distributed versions of well-known multivariate normally/lognormally distributed contingent claim pricing formulae. The gamma distribution is particularly suitable to price stochastic variables that present implied volatilities that are an increasing function of the strike price

Testing the Neoclassical Theory of Economic Growth: Evidence from Chinese Provinces

There has been renewed empirical work recently on testing the neoclassical model of economic growth using data on various groups of countries. But none of the cross-country regressions includes China, the largest developing economy in the world. This study utilises both cross-sectional and panel data on provinces of China over the reform period 1978–1995 to examine the extent to which the growth process in this country can be explained by the augmented Solow-Swan model. We found that in spite of restrictive assumptions used, the model provides a fairly good description of cross-sectional data. The levels and growth rates of GDP per capita are shown to be higher in regional economies with lower population growth, greater openness to foreign countries and more investment in physical and human capital. In addition, regional economies are shown to converge both conditionally and unconditionally over the reform period. However, the quantitative implications of the augmented Solow-Swan model are not borne out in panel data. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 1998economic growth, neo-classical model, China,