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arXiv · 1412.7649

Optimal switching for pairs trading rule: a viscosity solutions approach

Minh Man Ngo·Huyen Pham
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Abstract

This paper studies the problem of determining the optimal cut-off for pairs trading rules. We consider two correlated assets whose spread is modelled by a mean-reverting process with stochastic volatility, and the optimal pair trading rule is formulated as an optimal switching problem between three regimes: flat position (no holding stocks), long one short the other and short one long the other. A fixed commission cost is charged with each transaction. We use a viscosity solutions approach to prove the existence and the explicit characterization of cut-off points via the resolution of quasi-algebraic equations. We illustrate our results by numerical simulations.

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Minh Man Ngo, Huyen Pham. 2014-12-24. Optimal switching for pairs trading rule: a viscosity solutions approach. https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.7649

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