Svetlozar T. Rachev - Böcker

In the last decade rating-based models have become very popular in credit risk management. These systems use the rating of a company as the decisive variable to evaluate the default risk of a bond or loan. The popularity is due to the straightforwardness of the approach, and to the upcoming new capital accord (Basel II), which allows banks to base their capital requirements on internal as well as external rating systems. Because of this, sophisticated credit risk models are being developed or demanded by banks to assess the risk of their credit portfolio better by recognizing the different underlying sources of risk. As a consequence, not only default probabilities for certain rating categories but also the probabilities of moving from one rating state to another are important issues in such models for risk management and pricing.

It is widely accepted that rating migrations and default probabilities show significant variations through time due to macroeconomics conditions or the business cycle. These changes in migration behavior may have a substantial impact on the value-at-risk (VAR) of a credit portfolio or the prices of credit derivatives such as collateralized debt obligations (D+CDOs). In Rating Based Modeling of Credit Risk the authors develop a much more sophisticated analysis of migration behavior. Their contribution of more sophisticated techniques to measure and forecast changes in migration behavior as well as determining adequate estimators for transition matrices is a major contribution to rating based credit modeling.

Internal ratings-based systems are widely used in banks to calculate their value-at-risk (VAR) in order to determine their capital requirements for loan and bond portfolios under Basel II One aspect of these ratings systems is credit migrations, addressed in a systematic and comprehensive way for the first time in this book The book is based on in-depth work by Trueck and Rachev

The first comprehensive account of the theory of mass transportation problems and its applications. In Volume I, the authors systematically develop the theory with emphasis on the Monge-Kantorovich mass transportation and the Kantorovich-Rubinstein mass transshipment problems. They then discuss a variety of different approaches towards solving these problems and exploit the rich interrelations to several mathematical sciences - from functional analysis to probability theory and mathematical economics. The second volume is devoted to applications of the above problems to topics in applied probability, theory of moments and distributions with given marginals, queuing theory, risk theory of probability metrics and its applications to various fields, among them general limit theorems for Gaussian and non-Gaussian limiting laws, stochastic differential equations and algorithms, and rounding problems. Useful to graduates and researchers in theoretical and applied probability, operations research, computer science, and mathematical economics, the prerequisites for this book are graduate level probability theory and real and functional analysis.

This is the first comprehensive account of the theory of mass transportation problems and its applications. In volume I, the authors systematically develop the theory of mass transportation with emphasis to the Monge-Kantorovich mass transportation and the Kantorovich-Rubinstein mass transshipment problems, and their various extensions. They discuss a variety of different approaches towards solutions of these problems and exploit the rich interrelations to several mathematical sciences--from functional analysis to probability theory and mathematical economics. The second volume is devoted to applications to the mass transportation and mass transshipment problems to topics in applied probability, theory of moments and distributions with given marginals, queucing theory, risk theory of probability metrics and its applications to various fields, amoung them general limit theorems for Gaussian and non-Gaussian limiting laws, stochastic differential equations, stochastic algorithms and rounding problems. The book will be useful to graduate students and researchers in the fields of theoretical and applied probabilitry, operations research, computer science, and mathematical economics.The prerequisites for this book are graduate level probability theory and real and functional analysis.

This groundbreaking book extends traditional approaches of risk measurement and portfolio optimization by combining distributional models with risk or performance measures into one framework. Throughout these pages, the expert authors explain the fundamentals of probability metrics, outline new approaches to portfolio optimization, and discuss a variety of essential risk measures. Using numerous examples, they illustrate a range of applications to optimal portfolio choice and risk theory, as well as applications to the area of computational finance that may be useful to financial engineers.

A comprehensive look at how probability and statistics is applied to the investment process Finance has become increasingly more quantitative, drawing on techniques in probability and statistics that many finance practitioners have not had exposure to before. In order to keep up, you need a firm understanding of this discipline.Probability and Statistics for Finance addresses this issue by showing you how to apply quantitative methods to portfolios, and in all matter of your practices, in a clear, concise manner. Informative and accessible, this guide starts off with the basics and builds to an intermediate level of mastery.•    Outlines an array of topics in probability and statistics and how to apply them in the world of finance•    Includes detailed discussions of descriptive statistics, basic probability theory, inductive statistics, and multivariate analysis•    Offers real-world illustrations of the issues addressed throughout the textThe authors cover a wide range of topics in this book, which can be used by all finance professionals as well as students aspiring to enter the field of finance.

An in-depth guide to understanding probability distributions and financial modeling for the purposes of investment management In Financial Models with Lévy Processes and Volatility Clustering, the expert author team provides a framework to model the behavior of stock returns in both a univariate and a multivariate setting, providing you with practical applications to option pricing and portfolio management. They also explain the reasons for working with non-normal distribution in financial modeling and the best methodologies for employing it.The book's framework includes the basics of probability distributions and explains the alpha-stable distribution and the tempered stable distribution. The authors also explore discrete time option pricing models, beginning with the classical normal model with volatility clustering to more recent models that consider both volatility clustering and heavy tails. Reviews the basics of probability distributionsAnalyzes a continuous time option pricing model (the so-called exponential Lévy model)Defines a discrete time model with volatility clustering and how to price options using Monte Carlo methodsStudies two multivariate settings that are suitable to explain joint extreme eventsFinancial Models with Lévy Processes and Volatility Clustering is a thorough guide to classical probability distribution methods and brand new methodologies for financial modeling.

While mainstream financial theories and applications assume that asset returns are normally distributed, overwhelming empirical evidence shows otherwise. Yet many professionals don’t appreciate the highly statistical models that take this empirical evidence into consideration. Fat-Tailed and Skewed Asset Return Distributions examines this dilemma and offers readers a less technical look at how portfolio selection, risk management, and option pricing modeling should and can be undertaken when the assumption of a non-normal distribution for asset returns is violated. Topics covered in this comprehensive book include an extensive discussion of probability distributions, estimating probability distributions, portfolio selection, alternative risk measures, and much more. Fat-Tailed and Skewed Asset Return Distributions provides a bridge between the highly technical theory of statistical distributional analysis, stochastic processes, and econometrics of financial returns and real-world risk management and investments.

A comprehensive guide to financial econometrics Financial econometrics is a quest for models that describe financial time series such as prices, returns, interest rates, and exchange rates. In Financial Econometrics, readers will be introduced to this growing discipline and the concepts and theories associated with it, including background material on probability theory and statistics. The experienced author team uses real-world data where possible and brings in the results of published research provided by investment banking firms and journals. Financial Econometrics clearly explains the techniques presented and provides illustrative examples for the topics discussed.Svetlozar T. Rachev, PhD (Karlsruhe, Germany) is currently Chair-Professor at the University of Karlsruhe. Stefan Mittnik, PhD (Munich, Germany) is Professor of Financial Econometrics at the University of Munich. Frank J. Fabozzi, PhD, CFA, CFP (New Hope, PA) is an adjunct professor of Finance at Yale University’s School of Management. Sergio M. Focardi (Paris, France) is a founding partner of the Paris-based consulting firm The Intertek Group. Teo Jasic, PhD, (Frankfurt, Germany) is a senior manager with a leading international management consultancy firm in Frankfurt.

Bayesian Methods in Finance provides a detailed overview of the theory of Bayesian methods and explains their real-world applications to financial modeling. While the principles and concepts explained throughout the book can be used in financial modeling and decision making in general, the authors focus on portfolio management and market risk management—since these are the areas in finance where Bayesian methods have had the greatest penetration to date.

The authors reconsider the problem of parametrically specifying distribution suitable for asset-return models. They describe alternative distributions, showing how they can be estimated and applied to stock-index and exchange-rate data. The implications for options pricing are also investigated.

Numerical Methods in Finance have recently emerged as a new discipline at the intersection of probability theory, finance and numerical analysis. They bridge the gap between financial theory and computational practice and provide solutions to problems where analytical methods are often non-applicable. Numerical methods are more and more used in several topics of financial analy­ sis: computation of complex derivatives; market, credit and operational risk assess­ ment, asset liability management, optimal portfolio theory, financial econometrics and others. Although numerical methods in finance have been studied intensively in recent years, many theoretical and practical financial aspects have yet to be explored. This volume presents current research focusing on various numerical methods in finance. The contributions cover methodological issues. Genetic Algorithms, Neural Net­ works, Monte-Carlo methods, Finite Difference Methods, Stochastic Portfolio Opti­ mization as well as the application of other numerical methods in finance and risk management. As editor, I am grateful to the contributors for their fruitful collaboration. I would particularly like to thankStefan Trueck and Carlo Marinelli for the excellent editorial assistance received over the progress of this project. Thomas Plum did a splendid word-processingjob in preparing the manuscript. lowe much to George Anastassiou (ConsultantEditor, Birkhauser) and Ann Kostant Executive Editor, Mathematics and Physics, Birkhauser for their help and encouragement.

An accessible guide to the growing field of financial econometrics As finance and financial products have become more complex, financial econometrics has emerged as a fast-growing field and necessary foundation for anyone involved in quantitative finance. The techniques of financial econometrics facilitate the development and management of new financial instruments by providing models for pricing and risk assessment. In short, financial econometrics is an indispensable component to modern finance.The Basics of Financial Econometrics covers the commonly used techniques in the field without using unnecessary mathematical/statistical analysis. It focuses on foundational ideas and how they are applied. Topics covered include: regression models, factor analysis, volatility estimations, and time series techniques. Covers the basics of financial econometrics—an important topic in quantitative financeContains several chapters on topics typically not covered even in basic books on econometrics such as model selection, model risk, and mitigating model riskGeared towards both practitioners and finance students who need to understand this dynamic discipline, but may not have advanced mathematical training, this book is a valuable resource on a topic of growing importance.

A Probability Metrics Approach to Financial Risk Measures relates the field of probability metrics and risk measures to one another and applies them to finance for the first time. Helps to answer the question: which risk measure is best for a given problem?Finds new relations between existing classes of risk measuresDescribes applications in finance and extends them where possiblePresents the theory of probability metrics in a more accessible form which would be appropriate for non-specialists in the fieldApplications include optimal portfolio choice, risk theory, and numerical methods in financeTopics requiring more mathematical rigor and detail are included in technical appendices to chapters

Numerical Methods in Finance have recently emerged as a new discipline at the intersection of probability theory, finance and numerical analysis. They bridge the gap between financial theory and computational practice and provide solutions to problems where analytical methods are often non-applicable. Numerical methods are more and more used in several topics of financial analy­ sis: computation of complex derivatives; market, credit and operational risk assess­ ment, asset liability management, optimal portfolio theory, financial econometrics and others. Although numerical methods in finance have been studied intensively in recent years, many theoretical and practical financial aspects have yet to be explored. This volume presents current research focusing on various numerical methods in finance. The contributions cover methodological issues. Genetic Algorithms, Neural Net­ works, Monte-Carlo methods, Finite Difference Methods, Stochastic Portfolio Opti­ mization as well as the application of other numerical methods in finance and risk management. As editor, I am grateful to the contributors for their fruitful collaboration. I would particularly like to thankStefan Trueck and Carlo Marinelli for the excellent editorial assistance received over the progress of this project. Thomas Plum did a splendid word-processingjob in preparing the manuscript. lowe much to George Anastassiou (ConsultantEditor, Birkhauser) and Ann Kostant Executive Editor, Mathematics and Physics, Birkhauser for their help and encouragement.

These proceedings contain selected papers presented at the Conference on Approximation, Probability and Related Fields held in Santa Barbara, California, on May 20-22, 1993. The main topics of the conference were: 1) approximation of functions by polynomials, splines, and operators, and applications to stochastics 2) numerical methods for approximation of deterministic and stochastic integrals 3) orthogonal polynomials and stochastic processes 4) positive linear operators and related deterministic and stochastic inequalities 5) multivariate approximation and interpolation 6) rate of convergence in probability theory 7) approximations and martingales 8) deterministic and stochastic inequalities 9) stability of deterministic and stochastic models 10) signal analysis 11) prediction theory 12) wavelets and approximations based on wavelets The Conference was very successful and received many compliments. We quote some of the letters sent by the participants: -"Many thanks for the wonderful conference and the exemplary organization!"-"Many thanks for your good and effective work" We would like to thank the international organizing committee consisting of Paul Butzer, Stamatis Cambanis and Zuhair Nashed as well as the local organizing committee consisting of Bessy Athanasopoulos, Raisa Feldman, and Gleb Haynatzki for their superb work and for their contribution to the success of the Conference. The chairmer A ~ C*p,. ~lflIl", George Anastassiou Svetlozar Rachev ix CONTENTS 1. Preservation of Moduli of Continuity for Bernstein-type Operators ...Jose A. Adell and Jesus de la Cal 2. Lp-Korovkin Type Inequalities for Positive Linear Operators ...19 G. A. Anastassiou 3. On Some Shift-Invariant Integral Operators, Multivariate Case ...

This book covers the method of metric distances and its application in probability theory and other fields. The method is fundamental in the study of limit theorems and generally in assessing the quality of approximations to a given probabilistic model. The method of metric distances is developed to study stability problems and reduces to  the selection of an ideal or the most appropriate metric for the problem under consideration and a comparison of probability metrics. After describing the basic structure  of probability metrics and providing an analysis of the topologies in the space of probability measures generated by different types of probability metrics, the authors study stability problems by providing a characterization of the ideal metrics for a given problem and investigating the main relationships between different types of probability metrics. The presentation is provided in a general form, although specific cases are considered as they arise in the process of finding supplementary bounds or in applications to important special cases.Svetlozar T.  Rachev is the Frey Family Foundation Chair of Quantitative Finance, Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, SUNY-Stony Brook  and Chief Scientist of Finanlytica, USA. Lev B. Klebanov is a Professor in the Department of Probability and Mathematical Statistics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Stoyan V. Stoyanov is a Professor at EDHEC Business School and Head of Research, EDHEC-Risk Institute—Asia (Singapore).  Frank J. Fabozzi is a Professor at EDHEC Business School. (USA)

This is the first comprehensive account of the theory of mass transportation problems and its applications. In volume I, the authors systematically develop the theory of mass transportation with emphasis to the Monge-Kantorovich mass transportation and the Kantorovich-Rubinstein mass transshipment problems, and their various extensions. They discuss a variety of different approaches towards solutions of these problems and exploit the rich interrelations to several mathematical sciences--from functional analysis to probability theory and mathematical economics. The second volume is devoted to applications to the mass transportation and mass transshipment problems to topics in applied probability, theory of moments and distributions with given marginals, queucing theory, risk theory of probability metrics and its applications to various fields, amoung them general limit theorems for Gaussian and non-Gaussian limiting laws, stochastic differential equations, stochastic algorithms and rounding problems. The book will be useful to graduate students and researchers in the fields of theoretical and applied probabilitry, operations research, computer science, and mathematical economics. The prerequisites for this book are graduate level probability theory and real and functional analysis.

The first comprehensive account of the theory of mass transportation problems and its applications. In Volume I, the authors systematically develop the theory with emphasis on the Monge-Kantorovich mass transportation and the Kantorovich-Rubinstein mass transshipment problems. They then discuss a variety of different approaches towards solving these problems and exploit the rich interrelations to several mathematical sciences - from functional analysis to probability theory and mathematical economics. The second volume is devoted to applications of the above problems to topics in applied probability, theory of moments and distributions with given marginals, queuing theory, risk theory of probability metrics and its applications to various fields, among them general limit theorems for Gaussian and non-Gaussian limiting laws, stochastic differential equations and algorithms, and rounding problems. Useful to graduates and researchers in theoretical and applied probability, operations research, computer science, and mathematical economics, the prerequisites for this book are graduate level probability theory and real and functional analysis.

This book covers the method of metric distances and its application in probability theory and other fields. Its presentation offers specific cases as they arise in the process of finding supplementary bounds or in applications to important special cases.

This book provides an investor-friendly presentation of the premises and applications of the quantitative finance models governing investment in one asset class of publicly traded stocks, specifically real estate investment trusts (REITs).

This book provides an investor-friendly presentation of the premises and applications of the quantitative finance models governing investment in one asset class of publicly traded stocks, specifically real estate investment trusts (REITs). The models provide highly advanced analytics for REIT investment, including:portfolio optimization using both historic and predictive return estimation;model backtesting;a complete spectrum of risk assessment and management tools with an emphasis on early warning systems, risk budgeting, estimating tail risk, and factor analysis; derivative valuation;and incorporating ESG ratings into REIT investment.These quantitative finance models are presented in a unified framework consistent with dynamic asset pricing (rational finance). Given its scope and practical orientation, this book will appeal to investors interested in portfolio optimization and innovative tools for investment risk assessment.

New developments in measuring, evaluating and managing credit risk are discussed in this volume. Addressing both practitioners in the banking sector and resesarch institutions, the book provides a manifold view on one of the most-discussed topics in finance. Among the subjects treated are important issues, such as: the consequences of the new Basel Capital Accord (Basel II), different applications of credit risk models, and new methodologies in rating and measuring credit portfolio risk. The volume provides an overview of recent developments as well as future trends: a state-of-the-art compendium in the area of credit risk.

New developments in assessing and managing risk are discussed in this volume. Among the subjects treated are important issues such as: risk measures and allocation of risks, factor modeling, risk premia in the hedge funds industry and credit risk management.