← Search

Review of Financial Studies Vol. 24 No. 2 2011

A Simple Robust Link Between American Puts and Credit Protection

Peter Carr1,2; Liuren Wu3

1 Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences · 2 New York University · 3 Baruch College

open access

Abstract

We develop a simple robust link between deep out-of-the-money American put options on a company's stock and a credit insurance contract on the company's bond. We assume that the stock price stays above a barrier B before default but drops below a lower barrier A after default, thus generating a default corridor [A,B] that the stock price can never enter. Given the presence of this default corridor, a spread between two co-terminal American put options struck within the corridor replicates a pure credit contract, paying off when and only when default occurs prior to the option expiry.

DOI
10.1093/rfs/hhq129
Volume
24
Issue
2
Pages
473-505
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

Cite