Derivatives Flashcards
Forward rate is less than spot rate (carry arbitrage)
Under carry arbitrage, when interest rates fall, forward prices decline.
Carry benefits vs. cost
Benefits (dividends, foreign interest, bond coupon payments)
represented by lowercase gamma
Costs (zero for financial instruments, but waste, storage and insurance on commodities)
Represented by lowercase theta
Value of a Forward Contract at Expiration
V(Long) = Spot - Forward (buying forward contracts)
V(Short) = FWD contract - Spot price (selling forward contracts)
Arbitrageur rules
- Borrow funds to purchase the underlying asset on a forward for futures contract
And invest proceeds from short selling transactions at the risk-free interest rate
- Don’t take price risk. Only focus is market price risk of the underlying or derivative.
FV of spot price using continuous compounding rate on a forward contract
FV(S0) = S0(underlying) x e^(rate x T)
FV spot price using annual compounding on forward contract
FV(S0) = S0 x (1+r)^T
Cash flows on Forward Contract
Done in parallel (not sequential)
@T=0
- Borrow funds to purchase underlying asset (+) plus financing using RFR
- Purchase underlying asset (-)
@ T=1
- Sell forward contract for delivery of underlying asset at T=1
FWD = FV(S0) - no arbitrage
Market FWD Price > Carry Model FWD Price
- Sell forward contract
- Borrow arbitrage profit at T=0
And pay off loan at contract expiration
Reverse Carry Arbitrage
Opposite transactions than Carry Model. Relevant when:
Market FWD Price < Carry Model FWD Price
- Buy forward contract
- Short the underlying
- Lend the short sale proceeds
- Borrow arbitrage profit
Valuation of Forward Contract
Forward value is the prevent value of the difference in forward contract prices PV(new - old)
Vt(T) = PV of differences in forward prices
Vt(T) = PVt,T[Ft(T) - F0(T)]
FV of underlying adjusted for carry cash flows
FV(0,T) = S0 + theta - gamma
I.e. spot price + carry costs - carry benefits
As carry benefits increase, forward price decreases (carry benefits lessen the burden of “carrying” the underlying by reducing the cost to carry the asset)
Continuous Dividend Yield
Assumption that dividends accrue continuously over the period in question rather than on specific discrete dates
Interest rate compounded annually equivalence as continuously compounded
(1+r)^T-t = ln(1+r)
Future value of the underlying adjusted for carry (continuous dividend yield)
FWD(T) = Spot x e^(r+theta-gamma)
Price of an equity forward contract
Forward Price=
S0 - PVD) x (1+r)^(T-t/365
Value of an Equity Forward Contract
The value of the long position in a forward contract on a stock at time t =
[S - PVD] - [FP / (1+r)^(T-t)
Price of a Fixed Income Forward Contract
Forward Price =
(S - PVC) x 1+r^(T-t)
Note: for treasury bonds, coupons are paid semi-annually
Value of a Fixed Income Forward Contract
Forward Price Value =
[S-PVC] - FP / (1+r^T-t)
Option valuation key assumptions
- Replicating instruments are identifiable and investable
- No market frictions such as transaction costs and taxes
- Short selling is allowed
- Underlying instrument follows a known statistical distribution
- Borrowing/Lending at RFR