Modelling high-frequency FX rate dynamics: A zero-delay multi-dimensional HMM-based approach

Modelling exchange-driven fish price dynamics

Purpose

This paper aims to put forward and compare two accessible approaches to model and forecast spot prices in the fishing industry. The first modelling approach is a Markov-switching model (MSM) in which a Markov chain captures different economic regimes and a stochastic convenience yield is embedded in the spot price. The second approach is based on a multi-factor model (MFM) featuring three correlated stochastic factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The two proposed approaches are analysed in terms of parameter-estimation accuracy, information criteria and prediction performance. For MSM’s calibration, the quasi-log-likelihood method was applied directly while for the MFM’s parameter estimation, this paper designs an enhanced multi-variate maximum likelihood method with the aid of moments matching. The numerical experiments make use of both simulated and actual data compiled by the Fish Pool ASA. Data on both the Fish Pool’s forwards and Norwegian T-bill yields were additionally used in the MFM’s implementation.

Findings

Using simulated data sets, the MSM estimation gives more accurate results than the MFM estimation in terms of the norm in ℓ2 between the “true” and “computed” parameter estimates and significantly lower standard errors. With actual data sets used to evaluate the forecast values, both approaches have similar performances based on the error analysis. Under some metrics balancing goodness of fit and model complexity, the MFM outperforms the MSM.

Originality/value

With the aid of simulated and observed data sets examined in this paper, insights are gained concerning the appropriateness, as well as the benefits and weaknesses of the two proposed approaches. The modelling and estimation methodologies serve as prelude to reliable frameworks that will support the pricing and risk management of derivative contracts on fish price evolution, which creates price risk transfer mechanisms from the fisheries/aquaculture sector to the financial industry.

A computing platform for pairs-trading online implementation via a blended Kalman-HMM filtering approach

This paper addresses the problem of designing an efficient platform for pairs-trading implementation in real time. Capturing the stylised features of a spread process, i.e., the evolution of the differential between the returns from a pair of stocks, exhibiting a heavy-tailed mean-reverting process is also dealt with. Likewise, the optimal recovery of time-varying parameters in a return-spread model is tackled. It is important to solve such issues in an integrated manner to carry out the execution of trading strategies in a dynamic market environment. The Kalman and hidden Markov model (HMM) multi-regime dynamic filtering approaches are fused together to provide a powerful method for pairs-trading actualisation. Practitioners' considerations are taken into account in the way the new filtering method is automated. The synthesis of the HMM's expectation-maximisation algorithm and Kalman filtering procedure gives rise to a set of self-updating optimal parameter estimates. The method put forward in this paper is a hybridisation of signal-processing algorithms. It highlights the critical role and beneficial utility of data fusion methods. Its appropriateness and novelty support the advancements of accurate predictive analytics involving big financial data sets. The algorithm's performance is tested on historical return spread between Coca-Cola and Pepsi Inc.'s equities. Through a back-testing trade, a hypothetical trader might earn a non-zero profit under the assumption of no transaction costs and bid-ask spreads. The method's success is illustrated by a trading simulation. The findings from this work show that there is high potential to gain when the transaction fees are low, and an investor is able to benefit from the proposed interplay of the two filtering methods.