arXiv subjects

Bertrand Tavin

Publications and source records attributed to Bertrand Tavin.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2018

Seasonal Stochastic Volatility and the Samuelson Effect in Agricultural Futures Markets

We introduce a multi-factor stochastic volatility model for commodities that incorporates seasonality and the Samuelson effect. Conditions on the seasonal term under which the corresponding volatility factor is well-defined are given, and five different specifications of the seasonality pattern are proposed. We calculate the joint characteristic function of two futures prices for different maturities in the risk-neutral measure. The model is then presented under the physical measure, and its state-space representation is derived, in order to estimate the parameters with the Kalman filter for time series of corn, cotton, soybean, sugar and wheat futures from 2007 to 2017. The seasonal model significantly outperforms the nested non-seasonal model in all five markets, and we show which seasonality patterns are particularly well-suited in each case. We also confirm the importance of correctly modelling the Samuelson effect in order to account for futures with different maturities. Our results are clearly confirmed in a robustness check carried out with an alternative dataset of constant maturity futures for the same agricultural markets.

q-fin.PR↗

arXiv2015

Seasonal Stochastic Volatility and Correlation together with the Samuelson Effect in Commodity Futures Markets

We introduce a multi-factor stochastic volatility model based on the CIR/Heston volatility process that incorporates seasonality and the Samuelson effect. First, we give conditions on the seasonal term under which the corresponding volatility factor is well-defined. These conditions appear to be rather mild. Second, we calculate the joint characteristic function of two futures prices for different maturities in the proposed model. This characteristic function is analytic. Finally, we provide numerical illustrations in terms of implied volatility and correlation produced by the proposed model with five different specifications of the seasonality pattern. The model is found to be able to produce volatility smiles at the same time as a volatility term-structure that exhibits the Samuelson effect with a seasonal component. Correlation, instantaneous or implied from calendar spread option prices via a Gaussian copula, is also found to be seasonal.

q-fin.PR↗

arXiv2015

From the Samuelson Volatility Effect to a Samuelson Correlation Effect: Evidence from Crude Oil Calendar Spread Options

We introduce a multi-factor stochastic volatility model based on the CIR/Heston stochastic volatility process. In order to capture the Samuelson effect displayed by commodity futures contracts, we add expiry-dependent exponential damping factors to their volatility coefficients. The pricing of single underlying European options on futures contracts is straightforward and can incorporate the volatility smile or skew observed in the market. We calculate the joint characteristic function of two futures contracts in the model in analytic form and use the one-dimensional Fourier inversion method of Caldana and Fusai (JBF 2013) to price calendar spread options. The model leads to stochastic correlation between the returns of two futures contracts. We illustrate the distribution of this correlation in an example. We then propose analytical expressions to obtain the copula and copula density directly from the joint characteristic function of a pair of futures. These expressions are convenient to analyze the term-structure of dependence between the two futures produced by the model. In an empirical application we calibrate the proposed model to volatility surfaces of vanilla options on WTI. In this application we provide evidence that the model is able to produce the desired stylized facts in terms of volatility and dependence. In a separate appendix, we give guidance for the implementation of the proposed model and the Fourier inversion results by means of one and two-dimensional FFT methods.

q-fin.PR↗