ARE IMMUNIZATION STRATEGIES EFFECTIVE? AN EMPIRICAL STUDY BASED ON QUOTATIONS FROM MTS POLAND MARKET

• Authors: Klimkowska Joanna
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper presents results of an empirical study designed to test effectiveness of immunization strategies for a portfolio of default-free fixed-income bonds, where immunization strategy consists in selecting a portfolio for which the exposure of its terminal value to arbitrary interest rate changes is minimized. Two immunization strategies were tested: M(2) minimization strategy - based on the second order duration, and M(A) minimization strategy - based on the absolute value duration. Immunization strategies were applied to RP Treasury fixed-coupon bonds traded on the MTS Poland Market. Upon deriving the empirical term structure of interest rates, three types of portfolio have been constructed for 25 different investment horizons: one for each immunization strategy, while portfolios of the third type were composed of two bonds selected quasi-randomly. Next, relative changes in the terminal value of all portfolios have been calculated on three dates: one day after, one week after, and four weeks after portfolios were constructed. The two immunization strategies have performed equally well in terms of the relative decrease in the end-of-horizon value of portfolio, and much better than the quasi-random portfolios. Results, therefore, do not support claims of superiority of the M(A) strategy over the M(2) strategy, reported by some researchers. .

Keywords

EN

DURATION; IMMUNIZATION; INTEREST RATE RISK

Discipline

• ECONOMICS: ECONOMICS

• Publisher: Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of Economic Analysis
• Journal: Roczniki Kolegium Analiz Ekonomicznych
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 18
• Pages: 165-181
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Klimkowska Joanna

• Joanna Klimkowska, Szkola Glówna Handlowa w Warszawie, Instytut Ekonometrii, al. Niepodleglosci 164, 02-554 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09PLAAAA061627