Time-Discrete Hedging of Down-and-Out Puts with Overnight Trading Gaps

Hedging down-and-out puts (and up-and-out calls), where the maximum payoff is reached just before a barrier is hit that would render the claim worthless afterwards, is challenging. All hedging methods potentially lead to large errors when the underlying is already close to the barrier and the hedge portfolio can only be adjusted in discrete time intervals. In this paper, we analyze this hedging situation, especially the case of overnight trading gaps. We show how a position in a short-term vanilla call option can be used for efficient hedging. Using a mean-variance hedging approach, we calculate optimal hedge ratios for both the underlying and call options as hedge instruments. We derive semi-analytical formulas for optimal hedge ratios in a Black–Scholes setting for continuous trading (as a benchmark) and in the case of trading gaps. For more complex models, we show in a numerical study that the semi-analytical formulas can be used as a sufficient approximation, even when stochastic volatility and jumps are present.

Hedging the Price Risk Inherent in Revenue Protection Insurance

Crop revenue insurance is unique, because it involves a guarantee subsuming yield risk and highly systematic price risk. This study examines whether crop insurers could use options instead of, or in addition to, assigning policies to the Commercial Funds of the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) as per the Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) to hedge the price risk of revenue insurance policies. The behavioral model examines the optimal hedge ratio for a crop insurer with a book of business consisting of corn Revenue Protection (RP) policies. Results show that a mix of put and call options can hedge the price risk of the RP policies. The higher optimal hedge ratios of call options as compared to put options imply that the risk of increased liability due to upside price risk can be hedged using options better than downside price risk. This study also analyzed the combination of options with the SRA at 35, 50, and 75% retention levels. The zero optimal hedge ratios at each retention level and the negative correlation between RP indemnities and the option returns when the crop insurer mixed options and SRA suggest that the purchasing of options provides no additional risk protection to crop insurers beyond what is provided by the SRA despite retention limits.

Hedging stock market prices with WTI, Gold, VIX and cryptocurrencies: a comparison between DCC, ADCC and GO-GARCH models

PurposeIn a first place, the present paper is designed to examine the dynamic correlations persistent between five cryptocurrencies, WTI, Gold, VIX and four stock markets (SP500, FTSE, NIKKEI and MSCIEM). In a second place, it investigates the relevant optimal hedging strategy.Design/methodology/approachEmpirically, the authors examine how WTI, Gold, VIX and five cryptocurrencies can be applicable to hedge the four stock markets. Three variants of multivariate GARCH models (DCC, ADCC and GO-GARCH) are implemented to estimate dynamic optimal hedge ratios.FindingsThe reached findings prove that both of the Bitcoin and Gold turn out to display remarkable hedging commodity features, while the other assets appear to demonstrate a rather noticeable disposition to act as diversifiers. Moreover, the results show that the VIX turns out to stand as the most effectively appropriate instrument, fit for hedging the stock market indices various related refits. Furthermore, the results prove that the hedging strategy instrument was indifferent for FTSE and NIKKEI stock while for the American and emerging markets, the hedging strategy was reversed from the pre-cryptocurrency crash to the during cryptocurrency crash period.Originality/valueThe first paper's empirical contribution lies in analyzing emerging cross-hedge ratios with financial assets and compare hedging effectiveness within the period of crash and the period before Bitcoin crash as well as the sensitivity of results to refits choose to compare between short term hedging strategy and long-term one.

The connectedness between Sukuk and conventional bond markets and the implications for investors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the connectedness across a variety of Sukuk and conventional bond indices and the implications for optimal asset allocation for the period January 1, 2010–April 30, 2020. Design/methodology/approach The data set consists of five major Sukuk (Dow Jones Sukuk, Thompson Reuters BPA Malaysia Sukuk, Indonesia Government Sukuk, S&P MENA Sukuk and Tadawul Sukuk and Bonds Index) and five conventional bond indexes, one for developed (USA) and four for emerging markets (Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa and Qatar). This study investigates the connectedness and volatility spillover effects across the aforementioned indices, by following the Diebold and Yilmaz (2012) approach, based on the time-varying parameter vector autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model. In addition, this paper provides optimal hedge ratios and portfolio weights for investors. Findings The empirical results show that Sukuk and conventional bond markets are highly integrated and that total connectedness exhibits sensitivity to exogenous shocks. The Dow Jones and the Malaysian Sukuk indices are the primary shock transmitters to other markets. However, the weak volatility spillovers between the Dow Jones and conventional bonds suggest that opportunities for optimal asset allocation may in fact exist. The highest (lowest) hedging effectiveness can be achieved by taking a short position in Malaysian (Qatarian) bonds. Originality/value To the best of the knowledge, this is the largest sample taken into account to investigate the connectedness between Sukuk and conventional bonds.

Optimal currency hedge and the carry trade

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the efficiency of different hedging strategies for an investor holding a portfolio of foreign currency bonds. Design/methodology/approach The simplest strategies of no hedge and fully hedged are compared with the more sophisticated strategies of the ordinary least squares (OLS) approach and the optimal hedge ratios found by the dynamic conditional correlation-generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity approach. Findings The sophisticated hedging strategies are found to be superior to the simple strategies because they lower the portfolio risk in domestic currency terms and improve the Sharpe ratios for multi-asset portfolios. The analyses also show that both the OLS and dynamic hedging strategies imply holding a limited carry position by being long in high-yielding currencies but short in low-yielding currencies. Originality/value The performance of multi-currency portfolios is examined using more realistic assumptions than in the previous literature, including a weekly frequency and a constraint of no short selling. Furthermore, carry trades are shown to be part of an optimal portfolio.

Optimal Hedging Strategies for Natural Gas

This study examines the optimal hedge performance between natural gas market and crude oil, ECO, gold and US-bonds markets. To calculate optimal hedge ratios and hedging effectiveness, we apply several multivariate volatility models, namely CCC, DCC, cDCC and bayesDCC. The empirical results show that crude oil is the best asset to hedge natural gas followed by gold and ECO. This is a new result relative to the existing literature on natural gas prices. Additionally, we find that the bayesDCC model has the best performance on optimal hedge ratios (OHRs) calculation in terms of hedging effectiveness. Our findings will hold important financial risk management implications and asset portfolio for those invest in natural gas market.