On Robust Utility Maximization

We investigate optimal consumption problems for a Black-Scholes market under uniform restrictions on Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall for logarithmic utility functions. We find the solutions in terms of a dynamic strategy in explicit form, which can be compared and interpreted. This paper continues our previous work, where we solved similar problems for power utility functions.

In this paper we consider stopping problems for continuous-time Markov chains under a general risk-sensitive optimization criterion for problems with finite and infinite time horizon. More precisely our aim is to maximize the certainty equivalent of the stopping reward minus cost over the time horizon. We derive optimality equations for the value functions and prove the existence of optimal stopping times. The exponential utility is treated as a special case. In contrast to r...

This paper provides a new version of the condition of Di Nunno et al. (2003), Ankirchner and Imkeller (2005) and Biagini and \{O}ksendal (2005) ensuring the semimartingale property for a large class of continuous stochastic processes. Unlike our predecessors, we base our modeling framework on the concept of portfolio proportions which yields a short self-contained proof of the main theorem, as well as a counterexample, showing that analogues of our results do not hold in the ...

We prove results on bounded solutions to backward stochastic equations driven by random measures. Those bounded BSDE solutions are then applied to solve different stochastic optimization problems with exponential utility in models where the underlying filtration is noncontinuous. This includes results on portfolio optimization under an additional liability and on dynamic utility indifference valuation and partial hedging in incomplete financial markets which are exposed to ri...

This paper examines an optimal investment problem in a continuous-time (essentially) complete financial market with a finite horizon. We deal with an investor who behaves consistently with principles of Cumulative Prospect Theory, and whose utility function on gains is bounded above. The well-posedness of the optimisation problem is trivial, and a necessary condition for the existence of an optimal trading strategy is derived. This condition requires that the investor's proba...

In this paper, we consider an informational market model with two flows of informations. The smallest flow F, which is available to all agents, is the filtration of the initial market model(S,F,P), where S is the assets' prices and P is a probability measure. The largest flow G contains additional information about the occurrence of a random time T. This setting covers credit risk theory where T models the default time of a firm, and life insurance where T represents the deat...

We study an optimal investment problem under default risk where related information such as loss or recovery at default is considered as an exogenous random mark added at default time. Two types of agents who have different levels of information are considered. We first make precise the insider's information flow by using the theory of enlargement of filtrations and then obtain explicit logarithmic utility maximization results to compare optimal wealth for the insider and the...

This paper investigates well posedness of utility maximization problems for financial markets where stock returns depend on a hidden Gaussian mean reverting drift process. Since that process is potentially unbounded well posedness cannot be guaranteed for utility functions which are not bounded from above. For power utility with relative risk aversion smaller than those of log-utility this leads to restrictions on the choice of model parameters such as the investment horizon ...

In an incomplete continuous-time securities market with uncertainty generated by Brownian motions, we derive closed-form solutions for the equilibrium interest rate and market price of risk processes. The economy has a finite number of heterogeneous exponential utility investors, who receive partially unspanned income and can trade continuously on a finite time-interval in a money market account and a single risky security. Besides establishing the existence of an equilibrium...

This paper extends the utility maximization literature by combining partial information and (robust) regulatory constraints. Partial information is characterized by the fact that the stock price itself is observable by the optimizing financial institution, but the outcome of the market price of the risk $\theta$ is unknown to the institution. The regulator develops either a congruent or distinct perception of the market price of risk in comparison to the financial institution...