Optimal order lot sizing and pricing with free shipping

Companies, especially those in e-business, are increasingly offering free shipping to buyers whose order sizes exceed the free shipping quantity. In this paper, given that the supplier offers free shipping, we determine the retailer’s optimal order lot size and the optimal retail price. We explicitly incorporate the supplier’s quantity discount, and transportation cost into the model. We analytically and numerically examine the impacts of free shipping, quantity discount and transportation cost on the retailer’s optimal lot sizing and pricing decisions. We find that free shipping can benefit the supplier, the retailer, and the end customers, and can effectively encourage the retailer to order more of the good, to the extent of ordering a few times of the optimal order lot size without free shipping. The order lot size will increase and the retail price will decrease if the supplier offers proper free shipping.     

奈特不确定下资产收益率发生紊乱的最优投资策略

在部分信息且市场利率非零的情形下,应用α-极大极小期望效用(α-MEU)模型区别投资者的含糊和含糊态度,研究资产预期收益率发生紊乱(disorder)时的投资组合问题.首先,利用倒向随机微分方程理论刻画了α-MEU.其次,给出紊乱时刻的后验概率过程满足的随机微分方程(SDE),以及价值过程所满足的倒向随机微分方程(BSDE).最后,应用鞅论解出指数效用时的最优交易策略和价值过程的明确表达式.     

Optimal trading strategy for European options with transaction costs

The European option with transaction costs is studied. The cost of making a transaction is taken to be proportional by a factor λ to the value (in dollars) of stock traded. When there are no transaction costs (i.e. when λ=0) the well-known Black-Scholes strategy tells how to hedge the option. Since no non-trivial perfect hedging strategy exists when λ>0 (see (Ann. Appl. Probab. 5(2) (1995) 327)), we instead try to maximize the expected utility attainable. We seek to understand the effect transaction costs have on the maximum attainable expected utility over all strategies, when λ is small but non-zero. It turns out that transaction costs diminish the expected utility by an amount which has the order of magnitude λ^2/3. We will compute that correction explicitly modulo an error which is small compared to λ^2/3. We will exhibit an explicit strategy whose expected utility differs from the maximum attainable expected utility by an error small in comparison to λ^2/3.     

Optimal posting price of limit orders: learning by trading

We model a trader interacting with a continuous market as an iterative algorithm that adjusts limit prices at a given rhythm and propose a procedure to minimize trading costs. We prove the $a.s.$ convergence of the algorithm under assumptions on the cost function and give some practical criteria on model parameters to ensure that the conditions to use the algorithm are met (notably, using the co-monotony principle). We illustrate our results with numerical experiments on both simulated and market data.     

Optimal and coherent economic-capital structures: evidence from long and short-sales trading positions under illiquid market perspectives

This paper broadens research literature associated with the assessment of modern portfolio risk management techniques by presenting a thorough modeling of nonlinear dynamic asset allocation and management under the supposition of illiquid and adverse market settings. Specifically, the paper proposes a re-engineered and robust approach to optimal economic capital allocation, in a Liquidity-Adjusted Value at Risk (L-VaR) framework, and particularly from the perspective of trading portfolios that have both long and short-sales trading positions. This paper expands previous approaches by explicitly modeling the liquidation of trading portfolios, over the holding period, with the aid of an appropriate scaling of the multiple-assets’ L-VaR matrix along with GARCH-M technique to forecast conditional volatility and expected return. Moreover, in this paper, the authors develop a dynamic nonlinear portfolio selection model and an optimization algorithm which allocates both economic capital and trading assets subject to some selected financial and operational rational constraints. The empirical results strongly confirm the importance of enforcing financially and operationally meaningful nonlinear and dynamic constraints, when they are available, on economic capital optimization procedure. The empirical results are interesting in terms of theory as well as practical applications and can aid in developing robust portfolio management algorithms that financial entities could consider in light of the aftermath of the latest financial crisis.     

Routing and scheduling in project shipping

Tramp shipping companies are committed to transport a set of contracted cargoes and try to derive additional revenue from carrying optional spot cargoes. Here, we present a real life ship routing and scheduling problem for a shipping company operating in project shipping, a special segment of tramp shipping. This segment differs from more traditional tramp segments, as the cargoes are usually transported on a one-time basis. Because of the special nature of the cargoes, complicating requirements regarding stowage onboard the ships and cargo coupling must be considered while determining routes and schedules for the ships in the fleet. A mathematical model is presented and a tabu search heuristic is proposed to solve the problem. Computational results show that the tabu search heuristic provides optimal or near-optimal solutions in a reasonable amount of time, and that it can give significant improvements to manual planning for the shipping company.     

Pooling,pricing and trading of risks

Exchange of risks is considered here as a transferable-utility, cooperative game, featuring risk averse players. Like in competitive equilibrium, a core solution is determined by shadow prices on state-dependent claims. And like in finance, no risk can properly be priced merely in terms of its marginal distribution. Pricing rather depends on the pooled risk and on the convolution of individual preferences. The paper elaborates on these features, placing emphasis on the role of prices and incompleteness. Some novelties come by bringing questions about existence, computation and uniqueness of solutions to revolve around standard Lagrangian duality. Especially outlined is how repeated bilateral trade may bring about a price-supported core allocation.     

Planning and coordination of production and distribution facilities for multiple commodities

We study an integrated logistics model for locating production and distribution facilities in a multi-echelon environment. Designing such logistics systems requires two essential decisions, one strategic (e.g., where to locate plants and warehouses) and the other operational (distribution strategy from plants to customer outlets through warehouses). The distribution strategy is influenced by the product mix at each plant, the shipments of raw material from vendors to manufacturing plants and the distribution of finished products from the plants to the different customer zones through a set of warehouses. First we provide a mixed integer programming formulation to the integrated model. Then, we present an efficient heuristic solution procedure that utilizes the solution generated from a Lagrangian relaxation of the problem. We use this heuristic procedure to evaluate the performance of the model with respect to solution quality and algorithm performance. Results of extensive tests on the solution procedure indicate that the solution method is both efficient and effective. Finally a `real-world' example is solved to explore the implications of the model.     

Mathematical-economic models of regional production planning of consumer commodities

Presented at the seminar of the Department of Economic Cybernetics, February 4, 1983.     

Existence of equilibrium for economies with infinitely many commodities and infinitely countable consumers

This paper examines the existence of equilibria for double infinite eonomies. S.F. Richard and S. Srivastava have established the existence of equilibria for economies with infinitely countable consumers when commodity space isL ^∞ (M, M, μ). However, most Banach Lattices as commodity spaces haven’t interior points in their positive cones, so their result can’t be applied to many cases. We here consider a general Banach Lattice as commodity space and introduce a concept of equiproperness on preferences. Under the assumption the existence of equilibrium for economy is established. Finally, we examine the existence of equilibria for production economies.     

Competitive equilibria in economies with multiple divisible and indivisible commodities and without money

A general equilibrium model is considered with multiple divisible and multiple indivisible commodities. In models with indivisibles it is typically assumed that an indivisible commodity, called money, is present that is needed to transfer the value of amounts of indivisible goods. For economies with divisible and indivisible goods and money and without producers it is well understood in the literature that a general equilibrium exists if the individual demands and supplies for the indivisible goods all belong to the same class of discrete convexity. In this paper we consider economies with multiple divisible and multiple indivisible commodities, but without money as one specific commodity for value transfer. Moreover, we allow for one or more producers that own a nonincreasing returns to scale technology. However, one of the producers has a production technology which is linear in producing divisible goods. In this way the composite of the divisible goods takes over the role of money in the model. Individual endowments being large enough for production together with discrete convexity guarantees the existence of a competitive equilibrium using Kakutani’s fixed point theorem.     

Algebraic properties of evolution partial differential equations modelling prices of commodities

Schwartz (J. Finance 1997; 52 :923–973) presented three models for the pricing of a commodity. The simplest was a variation on the Black–Scholes equation. The second allowed for a stochastic convenience yield on the commodity and the third added a stochastic variation in the underlying interest rate. We apply the techniques of Lie group analysis to resolve these equations, discuss their peculiar algebraic properties and indicate the route to the addition of other stochastic influences. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Competitive advantage and the cost of equity in international shipping

This paper examines the relationship between dividend-based and earnings-based cost of equity capital estimates under temporary competitive advantage. A new insight is that the true cost of equity is shown to approach the geometric mean of the supernormal dividend-based and simple earnings-based estimates, as the mean period of competitive advantage approaches the supernormal payback period. We proceed to analyse the international shipping sector across 14 countries from 1998 to 2005. Although the mean cost of equity is around 10–11%, there is high variability and non-normality. The cost of equity measures under temporary competitive advantage provide estimates statistically independent of those based on stock market risk.     

On a market equilibrium theorem with an infinite number of commodities

A direct proof is given of the market equilibrium theorem of Gale, Nikaido and Debreu for an infinite-dimensional commodity space. The theorem is closely related to a recent result of Aliprantis and Brown, but allows for excess demand correspondences rather than excess demand functions.     

Martingales and stochastic integrals in the theory of continuous trading

This paper develops a general stochastic model of a frictionless security market with continuous trading. The vector price process is given by a semimartingale of a certain class, and the general stochastic integral is used to represent capital gains. Within the framework of this model, we discuss the modern theory of contingent claim valuation, including the celebrated option pricing formula of Black and Scholes. It is shown that the security market is complete if and only if its vector price process has a certain martingale representation property. A multidimensional generalization of the Black-Scholes model is examined in some detail, and some other examples are discussed briefly.     

A full information pricing problem for the sale of several identical commodities

Summary k commodities of the same kind are for sale in a finite time intervalI, and potential customers arrive according to a Poisson process. It is assumed that no customer may buy more than one unit. The seller has to fix, for eacht I, a price for which he is willing to sell a commodity at timet. This decision is based on the knowledge of the probabilities that a customer appearing at timet will accept a price of at mostx monetary units (for allt I andx > 0). There is no possibility of recall of previous customers. We characterize an optimal price function and the maximal expected gain. Further the relation to the persistency problem of Elfving (1967) is exhibited.

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Zusammenfassung k gleichartige Güter sollen in einem endlichen ZeitintervallI an Kunden verkauft werden, deren Ankunftszeitpunkte einen Poisson-Prozeß bilden. Es wird angenommen, daß kein Kunde mehr als eine Einheit kauft. Der Verkäufer muß für jedest I einen Preis angeben, zu dem er eine Einheit zum Zeitpunktt im Falle einer Nachfrage verkaufen würde. Es wird vorausgesetzt, daß er für jedest I und jedesx>0 die Wahrscheinlichkeit kennt, daß ein zur Zeitt eintreffender Kunde höchstens den Preisx für das Gut akzeptiert; die Möglichkeit, auf frühere Kunden zurückzugreifen, ist ausgeschlossen. Für diese Situation wird eine optimale Preisfunktion sowie der zugehörige maximale erwartete Erlös bestimmt. Ferner wird die Beziehung dieses Modells zu einem verwandten Problem von Elfving (1967) herausgestellt.

     

Pairs trading and outranking: The multi-step-ahead forecasting case

Pairs trading is a popular speculation strategy. Several implementation methods are proposed in the literature: they can be based on a distance criterion or on co-integration. This article extends previous research in another direction: the combination of forecasting techniques (Neural Networks) and multi-criteria decision making methods (Electre III). The key contribution of this paper is the introduction of multi-step-ahead forecasts. It leads to major changes in the trading system and raises new empirical and methodological questions. The results of an application based on S&P 100 Index stocks are promising: this methodology could be a powerful tool for pairs selection in a highly non-linear environment.     

High frequency trading,liquidity, and execution cost

We build a model under the framework of discrete optimization to explain how high frequency trading (HFT) can be applied to supply liquidity and reduce execution cost. We derive the analytical properties of our model in finding the optimal solution to minimize the overall execution cost of HFT. We show that the execution cost can be reduced after increasing trading frequency (i.e., the higher the trading frequency, the lower the execution cost) with a simulation study. In addition, we conduct an empirical investigation with tick level data from US equity market through January 2008 to October 2010 to verify our conclusion drawn from the simulation study. Based on the simulation and empirical results we collected, we show that the HFT can reduce the execution cost when supplying liquidity.