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Convexity Adjustment from Changing the Numéraire

Article Quant Q&A · Author: user9078057

Summary

The document explains why a claim paying an index value multiplied by one numéraire can have a different value when priced in units of another. It defines an adjusted initial index value as its expectation under the measure associated with the second numéraire, then uses the change-of-numéraire identity to express that expectation under the first measure.

The derivation separates the product expectation into the product of expectations and a covariance term. Since both relevant prices, expressed in units of the first numéraire, are martingales in the stated model, the covariance can be written as the expected accumulated quadratic covariation of their processes. This term produces the convexity adjustment. The explanation assumes traded self-financing strategies and suitable martingale and integrability conditions; it is a pricing identity, not a numerical estimate. It also clarifies that equality of claim values is achieved through the adjusted index and the appropriate numéraire-specific valuation, not by equating unadjusted expectations under one measure.

Key ideas

  • The value of a payoff depends on the numéraire and its associated pricing measure.
  • Changing numéraires gives an expectation weighted by the ratio of the two numéraires.
  • The adjustment to the initial index value is driven by covariance between the index claim and the numéraire ratio.
  • Under the stated martingale assumptions, terminal covariance is represented by expected quadratic covariation over time.
  • The result relies on the model treating the relevant prices as traded self-financing strategies.

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Full text
# How am I supposed to understand the following statement on the convexity adjusted rate


# How am I supposed to understand the following statement on the convexity adjusted rate












Given, a numéraire $(N(t))_{0\leq t \leq T}$ and an index $(X(t))_{0\leq t\leq T}$ that is a $\mathbb Q^{N}$-martingale, we consider the natural payoff $V_{N}(T)$, where it pays

$$V_{N}(T):=X(T)N(T) \; \; \text{in }T,$$

i.e. it pays the index $X(T)$ in units of $N(T)$.

Now let us consider the payoff $V_{M}(T)$, where

$$ V_{M}(T):=X(T)M(T)\; \; \text{in }T.$$

Question: It is stated that the value of $V_{M}(T)$ equals the value of the instrument that pays a "new" index $\frac{\tilde{X}(0)}{X(0)}X(T)$ in units of $N(T)$, where $$\tilde{X}(0):=X(0)+\frac{N(0)}{M(0)}\mathbb E^{\mathbb Q^{N}}\left[\int_{0}^{T}d\frac{V_{N}(t)}{N(t)}\cdot d\frac{M(t)}{N(t)}\right]$$

Comment:

I know how to arrive at $\tilde{X}(0)$ when defining $\tilde{X}(0)$ such that $$N(0)\cdot \mathbb E ^{\mathbb Q^{N}}\left[\frac{V_{M}(T)}{N(T)}\right]=V_{M}(0)=:\tilde{X}(0)\cdot M(0)$$

I just really do not understand the statement on the values of $V_{M}(T)$ and $\frac{\tilde{X}(0)}{X(0)}X(T)\cdot N(T)$ being equal.

In my attempt, the value of the "new" index is:

$N(0)\mathbb E^{\mathbb Q^{N}}\left[\frac{\frac{\tilde{X}(0)}{X(0)}X(T)\cdot N(T)}{N(T)}\right]=\tilde{X}(0)N(0)$ which of course does not necessarily equal $\tilde{X}(0)\cdot M(0)$

I think I may be missing something rather fundamental here, any ideas? Or is this simply a typo?

## Answer by Quantuple (score 2, accepted)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/69702

One way to attack this problem is obviously by invoking Girsanov theorem. Let's try to reach the same conclusion without it.

The first contingent claim delivers a payout $V^N(T) = X(T) N(T)$. Assuming that $(X(t))_{0 < t \leq T}$ is a $\Bbb{N}$-martingale, under the measure associated to the numéraire $N(t)$ we then get: $$ V^N(0) = N(0) \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ X(T) \right] = N(0) X(0) $$

The second contingent claim delivers a payout $V^M(T) = X(T) M(T)$. Under the measure associated to numéraire $M(t)$ we get: $$ V^M(0) = M(0) \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{M} \left[ X(T) \right] = M(0) \tilde{X}(0) \ne M(0) X(0) $$ since $(X(t))_{0 < t \leq T}$ is not a $\Bbb{M}$-martingale a priori but we defined $$ \tilde{X}_0 := \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{M} \left[ X(T) \right] $$

One can then write \begin{align} \tilde{X}_0 &= \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{M} \left[ X(T) \right] \\ &= \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ X(T) \frac{M(T)}{N(T)} \frac{N(0)}{M(0)} \right] \\ &= \frac{N(0)}{M(0)} \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ \frac{V^N(T)}{N(T)} \frac{M(T)}{N(T)} \right] \\ &= \frac{N(0)}{M(0)} \left( \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ \frac{V^N(T)}{N(T)} \right] \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ \frac{M(T)}{N(T)} \right] + \text{cov}\left( \frac{V^N(T)}{N(T)} , \frac{M(T)}{N(T)} \right)\right) \\ &=\frac{N(0)}{M(0)} \left( X(0) \frac{M(0)}{N(0)} + \int_0^T \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ d\left\langle \frac{V^N}{N}, \frac{M}{N} \right\rangle_t \right] \right) \\ &= X(0) + \frac{N(0)}{M(0)} \Bbb{E}_0^\Bbb{N} \left[ \int_0^T d\left\langle \frac{V^N}{N}, \frac{M}{N} \right\rangle_t \right] \end{align} hence the corresponding convexity adjustment. In the above, we have respectively used the following identities to move from one line to the other

- definition of (change of) numéraire

- definition of $V^N$

- definition of (terminal) covariance between 2 random variables

- Martingale property of $V^N(t)/N(t)$ and $M(t)/N(t)$ under $\Bbb{N}$ (both $V^N(t)$ and $M(t)$ represent the $t$-values of a self-financing traded strategy within our model economy, as such they their prices are martingales when expressed in $N_t$ units) along with Itô isommetry to tie terminal covariance to quadratic covariation

- Linearity of expectation operator.

Shown in full with attribution under the source's licence. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Stack Exchange)

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.