Optimal reinsurance under dynamic VaR constraint

This paper deals with the optimal reinsurance strategy from an insurer’s point of view. Our objective is to find the optimal policy that maximises the insurer’s survival probability. To meet the requirement of regulators and provide a tool to risk management, we introduce the dynamic version of Value-at-Risk (VaR), Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and worst-case CVaR (wcCVaR) constraints in diffusion model and the risk measure limit is proportional to company’s surplus in hand. In the dynamic setting, a CVaR/wcCVaR constraint is equivalent to a VaR constraint under a higher confidence level. Applying dynamic programming technique, we obtain closed form expressions of the optimal reinsurance strategies and corresponding survival probabilities under both proportional and excess-of-loss reinsurance. Several numerical examples are provided to illustrate the impact caused by dynamic VaR/CVaR/wcCVaR limit in both types of reinsurance policy.     

On the comparison of risk-neutral and risk-averse newsvendor problems

The objective of this paper is to investigate and compare the relationship between risk-neutral and risk-averse newsvendor problems under three different decision criteria: expected utility (EU) maximization, mean-variance (MV) analysis, and conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) minimization. Several models in the literature have shown that for special cases of the newsvendor problem (eg, no salvage value, no shortage penalty, and with recourse option), a risk-averse newsvendor orders less than a risk-neutral newsvendor. First, we present an observation about the EU maximization models with such special cases where a risk-averse newsvendor orders less than a risk-neutral one. We note that this observation does not extend to the newsvendor problem with positive shortage penalty. Using several counterexamples, we demonstrate that the common wisdom that a risk-averse newsvendor orders less than a risk-neutral newsvendor is not true in general. Second, we demonstrate, analytically where possible and numerically if not, that the comparison of the optimal order quantities of risk-neutral and risk-averse newsvendors depends on the key assumptions regarding the model inputs, namely, the decision criterion, the demand distribution and the cost parameters such as shortage penalty and unit ordering cost. Third, we show that EU and the MV criteria yield consistent results while EU and CVaR criteria may yield consistent or conflicting results depending on the loss function used for the CVaR criterion.     

Robust portfolio choice with CVaR and VaR under distribution and mean return ambiguity

We consider the problem of optimal portfolio choice using the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and Value-at-Risk (VaR) measures for a market consisting of n risky assets and a riskless asset and where short positions are allowed. When the distribution of returns of risky assets is unknown but the mean return vector and variance/covariance matrix of the risky assets are fixed, we derive the distributionally robust portfolio rules. Then, we address uncertainty (ambiguity) in the mean return vector in addition to distribution ambiguity, and derive the optimal portfolio rules when the uncertainty in the return vector is modeled via an ellipsoidal uncertainty set. In the presence of a riskless asset, the robust CVaR and VaR measures, coupled with a minimum mean return constraint, yield simple, mean-variance efficient optimal portfolio rules. In a market without the riskless asset, we obtain a closed-form portfolio rule that generalizes earlier results, without a minimum mean return restriction.     

基于在险价值的物流网络规划模糊两阶段模型与精确求解方法

针对物流网络规划问题中顾客需求和运输成本的不确定性,使用在险价值量化投资风险,建立了以投资损失的在险价值最小化为目标的模糊两阶段物流网络规划模型。对于模型中不确定参数均为规则模糊数的这一类模糊两阶段规划模型,本文通过理论分析和证明将其转化为等价的确定一阶段规划模型进行求解,从而将无穷维的优化问题转化为有限维的经典优化问题,降低了计算难度且得到了模型的精确解。不同规模的数值实验证实了所提出模型及其求解方法的有效性。     

Concentration bounds for empirical conditional value-at-risk: The unbounded case

Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) is a popular risk measure for modelling losses in the case of a rare but extreme event. We consider the problem of estimating CVaR from i.i.d. samples of an unbounded random variable, which is either sub-Gaussian or sub-exponential. We derive a novel one-sided concentration bound for a natural sample-based CVaR estimator in this setting. Our bound relies on a concentration result for a quantile-based estimator for Value-at-Risk (VaR), which may be of independent interest.     

不确定性对混合CVaR约束库存系统的影响

运用应用概率中的随机占优研究需求不确定性对混合CVaR约束库存系统最优订购量和最优利润的影响。引入刻画决策者风险态度的“风险偏好系数”,得到系统最优订购量和最优利润关于风险偏好系数的单调性。研究表明随机大需求总会导致系统较高的最优订购量和最优利润;在割准则序意义下,最优订购量可能随需求可变性的增加而增加也可能随需求可变性的增加而减少;在二阶随机占优且风险偏好系数大于等于1的情况下系统最优利润具有随机单调性,然而当风险偏好系数小于1时最优利润在二阶随机占优意义下的结论不一定成立,我们通过一个数值例子来说明。     

CVaR风险度量模型在投资组合中的运用

风险价值(VaR)是近年来金融机构广泛运用的风险度量指标，条件风险价值(CVaR)是VaR的修正模型，也称为平均超额损失或尾部VaR，它比VaR具有更好的性质。在本中，我们将运用风险度量指标VaR和CVaR，提出一个新的最优投资组合模型。介绍了模型的算法，而且利用我国的股票市场进行了实证分析，验证了新模型的有效性，为制定合理的投资组合提供了一种新思路。     

基于CVaR风险测度标准的价格补贴策略下的协调研究

基于条件风险值模型(CVaR),探讨了在一个风险中性制造商和一个风险规避零售商组成的制造商领导的斯塔克伯格博弈供应链中,制造商如何与风险规避零售商订立批发价契约以最大化其期望利润的问题。设计了价格补贴的契约协调机制,给出了该机制下风险规避程度对零售商和制造商最优决策的影响。证明了在一定的实施条件下,制造商通过设立价格补贴机制,可改善供应链双方利润与供应链效率。最后,用算例验证了模型和理论分析的可行性。     

Estimating allocations for Value-at-Risk portfolio optimization

Value-at-Risk, despite being adopted as the standard risk measure in finance, suffers severe objections from a practical point of view, due to a lack of convexity, and since it does not reward diversification (which is an essential feature in portfolio optimization). Furthermore, it is also known as having poor behavior in risk estimation (which has been justified to impose the use of parametric models, but which induces then model errors). The aim of this paper is to chose in favor or against the use of VaR but to add some more information to this discussion, especially from the estimation point of view. Here we propose a simple method not only to estimate the optimal allocation based on a Value-at-Risk minimization constraint, but also to derive—empirical—confidence intervals based on the fact that the underlying distribution is unknown, and can be estimated based on past observations.     

规避风险的多阶段最优库存研究

基于市场需求是随机的,并且在进行市场销售前,就要确定每个阶段的生产数量的背景下,建立了具有规避风险的多阶段库存凸随机规划模型.该模型以最小化损失函数的期望值为目标函数,以规避风险为约束条件,以价值风险(VaR)和条件价值风险(CVaR)为风险度量;采用样本平均近似方法(SAA)求解该模型,并分析样本平均近似方法的收敛性;最后,给出数值结果.     

Credit risk optimization with Conditional Value-at-Risk criterion

This paper examines a new approach for credit risk optimization. The model is based on the Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) risk measure, the expected loss exceeding Value-at-Risk. CVaR is also known as Mean Excess, Mean Shortfall, or Tail VaR. This model can simultaneously adjust all positions in a portfolio of financial instruments in order to minimize CVaR subject to trading and return constraints. The credit risk distribution is generated by Monte Carlo simulations and the optimization problem is solved effectively by linear programming. The algorithm is very efficient; it can handle hundreds of instruments and thousands of scenarios in reasonable computer time. The approach is demonstrated with a portfolio of emerging market bonds. Received: November 1, 1999 / Accepted: October 1, 2000?Published online December 15, 2000     

Loss-averse newsvendor problem with supply risk

Modeling the manufacturer as a newsvendor, in this paper we study the ordering decisions of a loss-averse newsvendor with supply and demand uncertainties. Using the stylized newsvendor models, we analyse several key issues, including the effect of the newsvendor’s loss aversion, the effect of demand uncertainty, and the effect of supply uncertainty on the decision maker’s optimal decision under the procurement model, in which the decision maker only pays for the actual quantity received. Through our analysis, we find the following facts: the optimal order quantity decreases with respect to the degree of loss-aversion; the supply uncertainty induces the decision maker to order more than that in a deterministic environment; a stochastically larger demand always results in a larger order quantity and a larger expected utility; the optimal expected utility decreases in the demand volatility while the optimal order quantity may increase or decrease. Moreover, with numerical experiments, we demonstrate that the supply risk negatively affects the utility more than the demand risk does.     

Robust Planning for an Open-Pit Mining Problem under Ore-Grade Uncertainty

Open-pit mining production planning is a risky problem: operation costs are considerable, many parameters are inherently subject to uncertainty and, moreover, the mining operation can only be done once. In this work we address uncertainty in the ore-grade, where we only assume the availability of an i.i.d. sample of the joint distribution of ore-grade in the blocks of the mining site. We consider an open-pit mining problem involving extraction and processing decisions under capacity constraints. We apply and compare the risk-hedging performance of three approaches for optimization under uncertainty: Value-at-Risk, Conditional Value-at-Risk and a proposed robust optimization approach. The latter is shown to have desirable risk-averse properties. Computational results on one small size vein-type mine are shown.     

应用极值理论计算VaR的一种方法

在险价值(value at risk，简称VaR)是度量市场风险的一种普遍使用的工具，也是金融风险管理中的基础工具。计算VaR有许多不同的方法，本考虑了数据间的相关性，通过部分重叠数据分组的方法来计算VaR，发现所得到的VaR更符合实际；另外，我们对分组大小作了研究，发现分组数据大小的幂律存在，并对恒生指数作了具体分析。由此得出计算VaR的合理的数据分组大小。     

A risk-averse newsvendor with law invariant coherent measures of risk

For general law invariant coherent measures of risk, we derive an equivalent representation of a risk-averse newsvendor problem as a mean-risk model. We prove that the higher the weight of the risk functional, the smaller the order quantity. Our theoretical results are confirmed by sample-based optimization.     

Optimal investment-reinsurance policy for an insurance company with VaR constraint

This paper investigates an investment-reinsurance problem for an insurance company that has a possibility to choose among different business activities, including reinsurance/new business and security investment. Our main objective is to find the optimal policy to minimize its probability of ruin. The main novelty of this paper is the introduction of a dynamic Value-at-Risk (VaR) constraint. This provides a way to control risk and to fulfill the requirement of regulators on market risk. This problem is formulated as an infinite horizontal stochastic control problem with a constrained control space. The dynamic programming technique is applied to derive the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation and the Lagrange multiplier method is used to tackle the dynamic VaR constraint. Closed-form expressions for the minimal ruin probability as well as the optimal investment-reinsurance/new business policy are derived. It turns out that the risk exposure of the insurance company subject to the dynamic VaR constraint is always lower than otherwise. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate our results.     

Optimal Security Liquidation Algorithms

This paper develops trading strategies for liquidation of a financial security, which maximize the expected return. The problem is formulated as a stochastic programming problem that utilizes the scenario representation of possible returns. Two cases are considered, a case with no constraint on risk and a case when the risk of losses associated with trading strategy is constrained by Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) measure. In the first case, two algorithms are proposed; one is based on linear programming techniques, and the other uses dynamic programming to solve the formulated stochastic program. The third proposed algorithm is obtained by adding the risk constraints to the linear program. The algorithms provide path-dependent strategies, i.e., the fraction of security sold depends upon price sample-path of the security up to the current moment. The performance of the considered approaches is tested using a set of historical sample-paths of prices.     

风险厌恶条件下竞争报童问题的二层规划模型

有效应用数学规划方法研究报童类产品的库存管理,能够降低企业的成本和风险,从而提高企业的经济效益.此类问题的研究,目前主要集中在应用Nash博弈研究竞争报童问题以及零售商所持风险态度对供应链库存水平的影响.试图研究序贯决策下的竞争报童问题模型以及零售商所持风险态度对供应链库存水平的影响.由此建立了二层规划模型.算例表明序贯决策的竞争报童问题中,总订购量随风险厌恶程度的提高而降低.     

期末二次订购下风险规避且促销的收益共享契约协调研究

在期末二次订购下,利用CVaR准则考察收益共享下销售商风险规避且促销的决策问题,并得到一些有意义的管理启示。讨论了风险中性制造商在两生产模式下的生产决策。探讨了收益共享措施的协调问题,分析了各参数的关系,获得如下启示:销售商越是风险规避,首次订购量越少;制造商的首次生产量不一定是首次订购量,在有二次订货情况下可以投机生产来获得额外利润;在收益共享措施下,批发价固定,要风险态度不同的销售商订购等量的商品,风险规避度大的销售商,分享收益的比例小;如果制造商想要收益共享比例增大,那么首次批发价就要降低。