Volume 21 Number 1 June 1996


Valuing Bonds with Embedded Average Price Options

by Stephen A. Easton

Abstract

Average price options are based on the average (either arithmetic or geometric) price of the underlying asset during an option's life. Recently, Australia's largest private bank, the National Australia Bank, and the regional Metway Bank, have issued bonds that contain embedded arithmetic average share index options. The purpose of this paper is to value these options using Monte Carlo simulation, and then to value the bonds themselves. Using a wide range of estimates of the parameters that determine the values of these bonds, it would appear that the fixed-term deposits offered by these same banks represent more profitable investments.

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Keywords

AVERAGE PRICE OPTIONS; BONDS; MONTE CARLO SIMULATION.


Contact Details

Stephen A. Easton
Associate Professor
Department of Accounting and Finance
Monash University
Clayton
Victoria, 3168

The author would like to thank Rob Brown, Robert Faff, Alan Farley, Paul Kofman, Paul Lalor, Patricia McBride, Keith McLaren, Ian O'Connor, Graham Peirson, Alan Ramsay, two anonymous referees and participants at Monash University, the Australian National University and the Eighth Annual Australasian Finance and Banking Conference for helpful comments.



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