Stability and analytic expansions of local solutions of systems of quadratic BSDEs with applications to a price impact model

We obtain stability estimates and derive analytic expansions for local solutions of multi-dimensional quadratic BSDEs. We apply these results to a financial model where the prices of risky assets are quoted by a representative dealer in such a way that it is optimal to meet an exogenous demand. We show that the prices are stable under the demand process and derive their analytic expansions for small risk aversion coefficients of the dealer.Comment: Final version, 28 page

Stability of the utility maximization problem with random endowment in incomplete markets

We perform a stability analysis for the utility maximization problem in a general semimartingale model where both liquid and illiquid assets (random endowments) are present. Small misspecifications of preferences (as modeled via expected utility), as well as views of the world or the market model (as modeled via subjective probabilities) are considered. Simple sufficient conditions are given for the problem to be well-posed, in the sense the optimal wealth and the marginal utility-based prices are continuous functionals of preferences and probabilistic views.Comment: 21 pages, revised version. To appear in "Mathematical Finance"

Power Utility Maximization in Constrained Exponential L\'evy Models

We study power utility maximization for exponential L\'evy models with portfolio constraints, where utility is obtained from consumption and/or terminal wealth. For convex constraints, an explicit solution in terms of the L\'evy triplet is constructed under minimal assumptions by solving the Bellman equation. We use a novel transformation of the model to avoid technical conditions. The consequences for q-optimal martingale measures are discussed as well as extensions to non-convex constraints.Comment: 22 pages; forthcoming in 'Mathematical Finance

Weighted entropy and optimal portfolios for risk-averse Kelly investments

Following a series of works on capital growth investment, we analyse log-optimal portfolios where the return evaluation includes `weights' of different outcomes. The results are twofold: (A) under certain conditions, the logarithmic growth rate leads to a supermartingale, and (B) the optimal (martingale) investment strategy is a proportional betting. We focus on properties of the optimal portfolios and discuss a number of simple examples extending the well-known Kelly betting scheme. An important restriction is that the investment does not exceed the current capital value and allows the trader to cover the worst possible losses. The paper deals with a class of discrete-time models. A continuous-time extension is a topic of an ongoing study

Optional decomposition of supermartingales and hedging contingent claims in incomplete security markets

Let M(X) be a family of all equivalent local martingale measures for some locally bounded d-dimensional process X, and V be a positive process. Main result of the paper (Theorem 2.1) states that the process V is a supermartingale whatever Q in M(X), if and only if this process admits the following decomposition: V_t = V_0 + \int_0^t H_s dX_s - C_t, t>= 0, where H is an integrand for X, and C is an adapted increasing process. We call such a representation the optional because, in contrast to Doob-Meyer decomposition, it generally exists only with an adapted (optional) process C. We apply this decomposition to the problem of hedging European and American style contingent claims in a setting of incomplete security markets.Doob-Meyer decomposition, optional decomposition, martingale measure, stochastic integral, semimartingale topology, incomplete market, hedging, options

Optional decompositions under constraints

Motivated by a hedging problem in mathematical finance, El Karoui and Quenez [7] and Kramkov [14] have developed optional versions of the Doob-Meyer decomposition which hold simultaneously for all equivalent martingale measures. We investigate the general structure of such optional decompositions, both in additive and in multiplicative form, and under constraints corresponding to di_erent classes of equivalent measures. As an application, we extend results of Karatzas and Cvitanic [3] on hedging problems with constrained portfolios

On a stochastic differential equation arising in a price impact model

We provide sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of solutions to a stochastic differential equation which arises in a price impact model. These conditions are stated as smoothness and boundedness requirements on utility functions or Malliavin differentiability of payoffs and endowments.Comment: 20 pages. Keywords: Clark-Ocone formula, large investor, Malliavin derivative, Pareto allocation, price impact, Sobolev's embedding, stochastic differential equation; a couple of minor editorial corrections to make it identical to the paper accepted to Stochastic Processes and Their Application