Problem bank

Problem 329 of 333EasyStochastic CalculusP329

Reading Z off a rate-decision market

  1. The central bank meets tomorrow and will cut, hold or hike. Your model gives real-world probabilities 0.20.2, 0.50.5 and 0.30.3. Digital contracts paying $1 in exactly one outcome trade at 0.30 (cut), 0.45 (hold) and 0.25 (hike). Rates are zero over one day.

    (a) Find the risk-neutral probabilities and Z=dQ/dPZ = d\mathbb Q/d\mathbb P in each outcome. Check that E[Z]=1E[Z] = 1.

    (b) A position pays X=6X = 6 on a cut, 11 on a hold and −5-5 on a hike. Price it using E[ZX]E[ZX], and find its real expected payoff.

    (c) Which outcome does the market treat as the bad state, and how can you tell from ZZ?