Implied risk aversion and pricing kernel in the FTSE 100 index

This paper studies the estimation of the pricing kernel and explains the pricing kernel puzzle found in the FTSE 100 index. We use prices of options and futures on the FTSE 100 index to derive the risk neutral density (RND). The option-implied RND is inverted by using two nonparametric methods: the implied-volatility surface interpolation method and the positive convolution approximation (PCA) method. The actual density distribution is estimated from the historical data of the FTSE 100 index by using the threshold GARCH (TGARCH) model. The results show that the RNDs derived from the two methods above are relatively negatively skewed and fat-tailed, compared to the actual probability density, that is consistent with the phenomenon of “volatility smile.” The derived risk aversion is found to be locally increasing at the center, but decreasing at both tails asymmetrically. This is the so-called pricing kernel puzzle. The simulation results based on a representative agent model with two state variables show that the pricing kernel is locally increasing with the wealth at the level of 1 and is consistent with the empirical pricing kernel in shape and magnitude.     

A much robust and updated evidences of the alternative real-estate based asset pricing

To response Harvey, Liu and Zhu’s and Gospodinov, Kan and Robotti’s criticism for an empirical study, we develop an alternative real-estate based model in asset pricing for an updated robustness. We make an innovation for the perspective of practitioners: the real-estate pricing factor is an alternative excess return of real estate portfolio. The results suggest that an updated and much robust role of the real-estate based asset pricing model: for example, the t-statistic of the real-estate pricing factor is higher than 3.00, suggesting that one is not derived from a data mining strategy. Moreover, we examine the performance of our alternative real-estate based model in a series of various portfolios (sorted in some vital anomalies); eventually, the results statistically support the real-estate based model.