We study VSTOXX, VSTOXX futures and VSTOXX exchange-traded notes (ETNs) econometrically. We find that different rates of mean reversion capture fluctuations in the short and long maturities, respectively. We fit an exponential Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) model to the data and find it to capable of simulating ETN time series that have similar properties to the historical observed ETN time series. We compare these results to a similar study performed on ETNs and futures for VIX. We also look at the joint behavior of VIX and VSTOXX futures, and explore portfolio allocation strategies among ETNs for both markets.

Bio:

Andrew Papanicolaou is an assistant Professor in the Department of Finance and Risk Engineering. He holds a B.S. from University of California at Santa Barbara (2003), an M.S. from University of Southern California (2007), and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University (2010). His research focuses on filtering theory, parameter estimation, stochastic control, and financial mathematics. Specific problems he’s studied include model selection and calibration for pricing of volatility derivatives, statistical inference for hidden economic indicators, and optimal strategies for investment in markets with unobserved factors. His past appointments were as a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at Princeton in the department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering from 2010 to 2013, and as a lecturer at the University of Sydney in the School of Mathematics & Statistics from 2013 to 2015.