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Zero-Coupon Bond Pricing and the T-Forward Measure

Article Quant Q&A · Author: glork

Summary

The document addresses a mistaken identity for a zero-coupon bond under stochastic interest rates. The bond price at a later time is a conditional expectation of future discounting; it cannot generally be obtained by multiplying its initial price by the realized accumulation of short rates. The conditional expectation depends on information available at that later time, so the proposed equality holds only when rates are deterministic.

It then derives the pricing relation under the maturity-matched forward measure. Using the Radon–Nikodym density and Bayes’ formula, the time-t value of a payoff at maturity T is expressed as the zero-coupon bond price at t multiplied by the conditional expectation of the payoff under the T-forward measure. Dividing by the bond price gives the forward-measure expectation. The argument is a theoretical derivation and assumes the stated risk-neutral pricing setup and measure definitions.

Key ideas

  • A zero-coupon bond price at time t is a conditional expectation of future discounting.
  • With stochastic rates, the bond price is not generally its initial price times realized short-rate accumulation.
  • The conditional expectation of the initial discount factor varies with information available at time t.
  • Bayes’ formula changes the risk-neutral pricing expectation into one under the T-forward measure.
  • The payoff expectation under the T-forward measure equals its price divided by the maturity-matched bond price.

Tags

Full text
# zero coupon problem calculus


# zero coupon problem calculus












I encounter a problem: do we have the following equality : $B(0,T_{i})e^{\int_{0}^{t}r_{s}ds}=B(t,T_{i})$ and if yes why because I am stuck with this ... I try to use that : $B(t,T_{i}) = B(0,T_{i})e^{\int_{0}^{t}r_{s}ds-0.5\int_{0}^{t}vol^{2}ds+\int_{0}^{t}voldW_{s}}$ Thanks !

Question revised:

Actually my question is the following : the forward price at t is defined by :$F_{t,T}=Price(t)/B(t,T)$. Let be $Price(t)=E_{Q}[e^{-\int_{t}^{T}r_{s}ds}Payoff|F_{t}]$. By using the forward measure defined by : $dQ^{T}=(e^{-\int_{0}^{T}r_{s}ds}/B(0,T) )dQ$ we have that : $Price(t)=E_{Q^{T}}[e^{-\int_{t}^{T}r_{s}ds}Payoff*B(0,T)/e^{-\int_{0}^{T}r_{s}ds}|F_{t}]$. I need to prove that this last equality is $E_{Q^{T}}[Payoff|F_{t}]*B(t,T)$ so that $Price(t)/B(t,T)=E_{QT}[Payoff|F_{t}]$ which is a "formula" I know.

## Answer by dm63 (score 1)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/22291

The first equation looks correct if B(t,T(i)) is a forward price of an instrument paying no dividends. The second equation looks correct if B(t,T(i)) is a random variable being projected by a lognormal process

## Answer by Gordon (score 1)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/22293

Let $r_t$ be the interest rate. Then \begin{align*} B(t, T_i) &= E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_t^{T_i} r_s ds\big)} \mid \mathscr{F}_t\Big]\\ &= e^{\int_0^t r_s ds} E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_0^{T_i} r_s ds\big)} \mid \mathscr{F}_t\Big]. \end{align*} Note that, for $t>0$, unless $r_t$ is deterministic, \begin{align*} E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_0^{T_i} r_s ds\big)} \mid \mathscr{F}_t\Big] &\ne E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_0^{T_i} r_s ds\big)}\Big]\\ &= B(0, T_i), \end{align*} as $$E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_0^{T_i} r_s ds\big)} \mid \mathscr{F}_t\Big]$$ is an $\mathscr{F}_t$ measurable random variable, while $$E\Big[e^{\big(-\int_0^{T_i} r_s ds\big)}\Big]$$ is a constant.

In conclusion, the identity $B(0,T_{i})e^{\int_{0}^{t}r_{s}ds}=B(t,T_{i})$ is incorrect, unless the interest rate is deterministic.

> Addition based on the revision.

Consider the payoff $Payoff_T$ at time $T$. Then the value at time $t$, where $0 \le t \le T$, under the risk-neutral probability measure $Q$, is given by \begin{align*} Price(t) = E_Q\left(e^{-\int_t^T r_s ds} Payoff_T \mid \mathscr{F}_t\right). \end{align*} Let $Q_T$ be the $T$-forward probability measure. Then, \begin{align*} \eta_t &\equiv \frac{dQ}{dQ_T}\big|_{\mathscr{F}_t}\\ &=\frac{e^{\int_0^t r_s ds} B(0, T)}{B(t, T)}. \end{align*} Using the abstract Bayes formula, \begin{align*} E_Q\left(e^{-\int_t^T r_s ds} Payoff_T \mid \mathscr{F}_t\right) &= E_{Q_T}\left(\frac{\eta_T}{\eta_t}e^{-\int_t^T r_s ds} Payoff_T \mid \mathscr{F}_t\right)\\ &=B(t, T) E_{Q_T}\left( Payoff_T \mid \mathscr{F}_t\right). \end{align*} That is, \begin{align*} E_{Q_T}\left( Payoff_T \mid \mathscr{F}_t\right) = \frac{Price(t)}{B(t, T)}. \end{align*}

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