Modelling Default Contagion Using Multivariate Phase-Type Distributions

Alexander Herbertsson ()
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Alexander Herbertsson: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG

No 271, Working Papers in Economics from University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

Abstract: We model dynamic credit portfolio dependence by using default contagion in an intensity-based framework. Two different portfolios (with 10 obligors), one in the European auto sector, the other in the European financial sector, are calibrated against their market CDS spreads and the corresponding CDS-correlations. After the calibration, which are perfect for the banking portfolio, and good for the auto case, we study several quantities of importance in active credit portfolio management. For example, implied multivariate default and survival distributions, multivariate conditional survival distributions, implied default correlations, expected default times and expected ordered defaults times. The default contagion is modelled by letting individual intensities jump when other defaults occur, but be constant between defaults. This model is translated into a Markov jump process, a so called multivariate phase-type distribution, which represents the default status in the credit portfolio. Matrix-analytic methods are then used to derive expressions for the quantities studied in the calibrated portfolios.

Keywords: Portfolio credit risk; intensity-based models; dynamic dependence modelling; CDS-correlation; default contagion; Markov jump processes; multivariate phase-type distributions; matrixanalytic methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C02 C63 G13 G32 G33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36 pages
Date: 2007-10-31
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ban and nep-rmg
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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