Exponential utility indifference valuation in two Brownian settings with stochastic correlation

Citation
Frei, Christoph et Schweizer, Martin, Exponential utility indifference valuation in two Brownian settings with stochastic correlation, Advances in applied probability , 40(1), 2008, pp. 401-423
ISSN journal
00018678
Volume
40
Issue
1
Year of publication
2008
Pages
401 - 423
Database
ACNP
SICI code
Abstract
We study the exponential utility indifference valuation of a contingent claim B in an incomplete market driven by two Brownian motions. The claim depends on a nontradable asset stochastically correlated with the traded asset available for hedging. We use martingale arguments to provide upper and lower bounds, in terms of bounds on the correlation, for the value VB of the exponential utility maximization problem with the claim B as random endowment. This yields an explicit formula for the indifference value b of B at any time, even with a fairly general stochastic correlation. Earlier results with constant correlation are recovered and extended. The reason why all this works is that, after a transformation to the minimal martingale measure, the value VB enjoys a monotonicity property in the correlation between tradable and nontradable assets.