Optimal dividends in the dual model

The optimal dividend problem proposed by de Finetti [de Finetti, B., 1957. Su un’impostazione alternativa della teoria collettiva del rischio. In: Transactions of the XVth International Congress of Actuaries, vol. 2. pp. 433-443] is to find the dividend-payment strategy that maximizes the expected discounted value of dividends which are paid to the shareholders until the company is ruined or bankrupt. In this paper, it is assumed that the surplus or shareholders’ equity is a Lévy process which is skip-free downwards; such a model might be appropriate for a company that specializes in inventions and discoveries. In this model, the optimal strategy is a barrier strategy. Hence the problem is to determine b^∗, the optimal level of the dividend barrier. A key tool is the method of Laplace transforms. A variety of numerical examples are provided. It is also shown that if the initial surplus is b^∗, the expectation of the discounted dividends until ruin is the present value of a perpetuity with the payment rate being the drift of the surplus process.     

Portfolio optimization with early announced discrete dividends

In this article we include discrete dividends in the stock price model and solve the corresponding generalized portfolio optimization problem. For this, we develop a new discrete dividend model that allows for the possibility of early announcement and ensures that the drop of the stock price at the ex-dividend date equals the dividend. The resulting portfolio problem can be solved explicitly for both the wealth and the trading strategy. We find that the resulting optimal portfolio process differs from the Merton strategy.     

Optimal dividend payments under a time of ruin constraint: Exponential claims

We consider the optimal dividends problem under the Cramér–Lundberg model with exponential claim sizes subject to a constraint on the expected time of ruin. We introduce the dual problem and show that the complementary slackness conditions are satisfied, thus there is no duality gap. Therefore the optimal value function can be obtained as the point-wise infimum of auxiliary value functions indexed by Lagrange multipliers. We also present a series of numerical examples.     

Optimal dividends and bankruptcy procedures: Analysis of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process

This paper investigates the impact of bankruptcy procedures on optimal dividend barrier policies. We specifically focus on Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code, which allows a firm in default to continue its business for a certain period of time. Our model is based on the surplus of a firm that earns investment income at a constant rate of credit interest when it is in a creditworthy condition. The firm pays a debit interest rate that depends on the deficit level when it is in financial distress. Thus, the surplus follows an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process with a negative surplus-dependent mean-reverting rate. Default and liquidation are modeled as distinguishable events by using an excursion time or occupation time framework. This paper demonstrates how the optimal dividend barrier can be obtained by deriving a closed-form solution for the dividend value function. It also characterizes the distributional property and expectation of bankruptcy time subject to the bankruptcy procedure. Our numerical examples show that under an optimal dividend barrier strategy, the bankruptcy procedure may not prolong the expected bankruptcy time in some situations.     

A note on optimal stopping of diffusions with a two-sided optimal rule

We consider a class of optimal stopping problems of diffusions with a two-sided optimal rule. We propose an approach for finding and characterizing the solution. We establish that the optimal stopping rule can be associated with the unique fixed point of an auxiliary function. The results are illustrated with an explicit example.     

Optimal dividends with incomplete information in the dual model

In [Gerber, H.U., Shiu, E.S.W., Smith, N., 2008. Methods for estimating the optimal dividend barrier and the probability of ruin. Insurance: Math. Econ. 42 (1), 243-254], methods were analyzed for estimating the optimal dividend barrier (in the sense of de Finetti). In particular, De Vylder approximations and diffusion approximations are discussed. These methods are useful when only the first few moments of the claim amount distribution are known.The purpose of this paper is to examine these and other methods (such as the gamma approximations and the gamproc approximations) in the dual model, see [Avanzi, B., Gerber, H.U., Shiu, E.S., 2007. Optimal dividends in the dual model. Insurance: Math. Econ. 41 (1), 111-123]. The dual model is obtained if the roles of premiums and claims are exchanged. In other words, the company has random gains, which constitute a compound Poisson process, and expenses occur continuously at a constant rate. The approximations can easily be implemented, and their accuracy is surprisingly good. Several numerical illustrations enhance the paper.     

Extensions of algorithmic senstivity calculations nonlinear programming using barrier and penalty functions

We provide a theoretical basis for approximating the sensitivity of a perturbed solution and the local optimalvalue function, using information generated by a sequential unconstrained minimization technique in the normal course of solving a mathematical program. We show that various algorithmic sensitivity results can be obtained without other assumptions than those needed for the corresponding nonalgorithmic results. Our results extend the algorithmic calculation of sensitivity information introduced by Fiacco, utilizing the logarithmic barrier function and quadratic penalty function     

On capital injections and dividends with tax in a classical risk model

Consider the classical risk model with dividends and capital injections. In addition to the model considered by Kulenko and Schmidli (2008), tax has to be paid for dividends. Capital injections yield tax exemptions. We calculate the value function and derive the optimal dividend strategy.     

An ordering policy with allowable shortage and permissible delay in payments

It is common business practice to purchase inventory on an open account. Purchased inventory can be considered to be financed in whole or in part with permissible delay in payments. This paper develops a model to determine an optimal ordering policy under conditions of allowable shortage and permissible delay in payment and shows that the total annual variable cost function possesses some kinds of convexities. With those convexities, a theorem is presented to determine the optimal order quantity. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the theorem.     

On the entropic perturbation and exponential penalty methods for linear programming

This note points out that the recently proposed exponential penalty approach to linear programming is identical to the well-known entropic perturbation approach. The primal and dual trajectories provided by these two approaches are shown to be equivalent.The work of the first author was supported partially by the North Carolina Supercomputing Center and 1995 Cray Research Grant.     

An exact penalty on bilevel programs with linear vector optimization lower level

We are interested in a class of linear bilevel programs where the upper level is a linear scalar optimization problem and the lower level is a linear multi-objective optimization problem. We approach this problem via an exact penalty method. Then, we propose an algorithm illustrated by numerical examples.     

On barrier strategy dividends with Parisian implementation delay for classical surplus processes

In this paper, we apply a single barrier strategy to optimise dividend payments in the situation where there is a time lag d>0 between decision and implementation. Using a classical surplus process with exponentially distributed jumps, we obtain the optimal barrier b^* which maximises the expected present value of dividends.     

De Finetti’s optimal dividends problem with an affine penalty function at ruin

In a Lévy insurance risk model, under the assumption that the tail of the Lévy measure is log-convex, we show that either a horizontal barrier strategy or the take-the-money-and-run strategy maximizes, among all admissible strategies, the dividend payments subject to an affine penalty function at ruin. As a key step for the proof, we prove that, under the aforementioned condition on the jump measure, the scale function of the spectrally negative Lévy process has a log-convex derivative.     

Retailer’s optimal replenishment decisions with credit-linked demand under permissible delay in payments

Usually it is assumed that the supplier would offer a fixed credit period to the retailer but the retailer in turn would not offer any credit period to its customers, which is unrealistic, because in real practice retailer might offer a credit period to its customers in order to stimulate his own demand. Moreover, it is observed that credit period offered by the retailer to its customers has a positive impact on demand of an item but the impact of credit period on demand has received a very little attention by the researchers. To incorporate this phenomenon, we assume that demand is linked to credit period offered by the retailer to the customers.     

On the optimal value function for certain linear programs with unbounded optimal solution sets

Often, the coefficients of a linear programming problem represent estimates of true values of data or are subject to systematic variations. In such cases, it is useful to perturb the original data and to either compute, estimate, or otherwise describe the values of the functionf which gives the optimal value of the linear program for each perturbation. If the right-hand derivative off at a chosen point exists and is calculated, then the values off in a neighborhood of that point can be estimated. However, if the optimal solution set of either the primal problem or the dual problem is unbounded, then this derivative may not exist. In this note, we show that, frequently, even if the primal problem or the dual problem has an unbounded optimal solution set, the nature of the values off at points near a given point can be investigated. To illustrate the potential utility of our results, their application to two types of problems is also explained.This research was supported, in part, by the Center for Econometrics and Decision Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.The author would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their most useful comments on earlier versions of this paper.     

Dividend payments with a threshold strategy in the compound Poisson risk model perturbed by diffusion

In the absence of dividends, the surplus of an insurance company is modelled by a compound Poisson process perturbed by diffusion. Dividends are paid at a constant rate whenever the modified surplus is above the threshold, otherwise no dividends are paid. Two integro-differential equations for the expected discounted dividend payments prior to ruin are derived and closed-form solutions are given. Accordingly, the Gerber–Shiu expected discounted penalty function and some ruin related functionals, the probability of ultimate ruin, the time of ruin and the surplus before ruin and the deficit at ruin, are considered and their analytic expressions are given by general solution formulas. Finally the moment-generating function of the total discounted dividends until ruin is discussed.     

Path-following barrier and penalty methods for linearly constrained problems

In the present paper some barrier and penalty methods (e.g. logarithmic barriers, SUMT, exponential penalties), which define a continuously differentiable primal and dual path, applied to linearly constrained convex problems are studied, in particular, the radius of convergence of Newton’s method depending on the barrier and penalty para-meter is estimated, Unlike using self-concordance properties the convergence bounds are derived by direct estimations of the solutions of the Newton equations. The obtained results establish parameter selection rules which guarantee the overall convergence of the considered barrier and penalty techniques with only a finite number of Newton steps at each parameter level. Moreover, the obtained estimates support scaling method which uses approximate dual multipliers as available in barrier and penalty methods     

On the optimal design of the output transformation for discrete-time linear systems

The optimization of the output matrix for a discrete-time, single-output, linear stochastic system is approached from two different points of view. Firstly, we investigate the problem of minimizing the steady-state filter error variance with respect to a time-invariant output matrix subject to a norm constraint. Secondly, we propose a filter algorithm in which the output matrix at timek is chosen so as to maximize the difference at timek+1 between the variance of the prediction error and that of the a posteriori error. For this filter, boundedness of the covariance and asymptotic stability are investigated. Several numerical experiments are reported: they give information about the limiting behavior of the sequence of output matrices generated by the algorithm and the corresponding error covariance. They also enable us to make a comparison with the results obtained by solving the former problem.This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education (MPI 40%), Rome, Italy.     

Numerical solution of European call option with dividends and variable volatility

In this paper, the effect of strike price, interest rate, dividends and maturities on European call option with dividends is discussed. The volatility for the data of ONGC Ltd. listed in National Stock Exchange, India, during 03-01-2000 to 30-03-2009 is forecasted by GJR-GARCH method. The option price and Greeks are determined by solving modified Black-Scholes partial differential equation by adjusting forecasted volatility at each grid point of finite difference method. It is observed that call option premium decreases as strike price and dividend increases but it increases as rate of interest and time of maturities increases. Hence call option is more profitable for a long maturity, high interest rate and low dividend.     

Stopping of functionals with discontinuity at the boundary of an open set

We explore properties of the value function and existence of optimal stopping times for functionals with discontinuities related to the boundary of an open (possibly unbounded) set O. The stopping horizon is either random, equal to the first exit from the set O, or fixed (finite or infinite). The payoff function is continuous with a possible jump at the boundary of O. Using a generalization of the penalty method, we derive a numerical algorithm for approximation of the value function for general Feller-Markov processes and show existence of optimal or ε-optimal stopping times.