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Ok-landscape
GitHub Repository: Ok-landscape/computational-pipeline
Path: blob/main/latex-templates/templates/financial-math/risk_management.tex
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% Risk Management: Value at Risk and Expected Shortfall
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% Topics: VaR (Historical, Parametric, Monte Carlo), CVaR, GARCH, Credit Risk
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% Style: Quantitative risk analysis report with regulatory context
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\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{article}
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\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
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\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
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\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}
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\usepackage{graphicx}
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\usepackage{booktabs}
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\usepackage{siunitx}
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\usepackage{geometry}
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\geometry{margin=1in}
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\usepackage{pythontex}
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\usepackage{hyperref}
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\usepackage{float}
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% Theorem environments
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\newtheorem{definition}{Definition}[section]
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\newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}[section]
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\newtheorem{example}{Example}[section]
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\newtheorem{remark}{Remark}[section]
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\title{Quantitative Risk Management:\\Value at Risk and Coherent Risk Measures}
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\author{Financial Risk Analytics Group}
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\date{\today}
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\begin{document}
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\maketitle
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\begin{abstract}
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This report presents a comprehensive analysis of modern risk measurement techniques for financial portfolios. We implement three approaches to Value at Risk (VaR) calculation—historical simulation, variance-covariance (parametric), and Monte Carlo methods—and examine the coherent risk measure Expected Shortfall (CVaR). We model time-varying volatility using GARCH(1,1) processes, analyze portfolio risk decomposition, and conduct stress testing under historical crisis scenarios. The analysis demonstrates that CVaR provides superior risk characterization for heavy-tailed distributions and that dynamic volatility models substantially improve risk forecasts during turbulent periods.
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\end{abstract}
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\section{Introduction}
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Risk management has evolved from simple volatility metrics to sophisticated frameworks that capture tail risk, extreme events, and dynamic market conditions. Regulatory frameworks such as Basel III require financial institutions to quantify market risk using Value at Risk (VaR) at 99\% confidence, while Expected Shortfall (ES) has been adopted for capital adequacy calculations due to its coherence properties.
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Value at Risk answers the question: "What is the maximum loss over a target horizon with a given confidence level?" However, VaR suffers from well-documented limitations—it is not subadditive and provides no information about tail severity beyond the confidence threshold. Expected Shortfall addresses these deficiencies by measuring the average loss conditional on exceeding the VaR threshold.
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\begin{definition}[Value at Risk]
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For a portfolio with return distribution $F$ and confidence level $\alpha \in (0,1)$, the Value at Risk is:
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\begin{equation}
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\text{VaR}_\alpha = -\inf\{x \in \mathbb{R} : F(x) > \alpha\} = -F^{-1}(\alpha)
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\end{equation}
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where $F^{-1}$ is the quantile function. For $\alpha = 0.95$, VaR$_{0.95}$ is the 5th percentile of the loss distribution.
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\end{definition}
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\begin{definition}[Expected Shortfall / Conditional VaR]
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Expected Shortfall at confidence level $\alpha$ is the expected loss conditional on exceeding VaR:
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\begin{equation}
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\text{ES}_\alpha = \mathbb{E}[-R \mid R < -\text{VaR}_\alpha] = \frac{1}{1-\alpha}\int_\alpha^1 \text{VaR}_u \, du
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\end{equation}
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ES is a coherent risk measure satisfying monotonicity, translation invariance, homogeneity, and subadditivity.
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\end{definition}
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\section{Theoretical Framework}
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\subsection{VaR Calculation Methods}
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\begin{theorem}[Parametric VaR]
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Under the assumption of normally distributed returns $R \sim N(\mu, \sigma^2)$, the VaR at confidence level $\alpha$ is:
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\begin{equation}
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\text{VaR}_\alpha = -(\mu + \sigma \Phi^{-1}(\alpha))
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\end{equation}
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where $\Phi^{-1}$ is the inverse standard normal CDF. For a portfolio with covariance matrix $\Sigma$ and weights $w$:
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\begin{equation}
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\text{VaR}_\alpha = -\mu_p - z_\alpha\sqrt{w^T\Sigma w}
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\end{equation}
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\end{theorem}
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\begin{remark}[Historical Simulation VaR]
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Historical VaR uses empirical quantiles of observed returns:
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\begin{equation}
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\text{VaR}_\alpha = -\hat{F}^{-1}(\alpha)
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\end{equation}
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where $\hat{F}$ is the empirical distribution function. This method is non-parametric and captures fat tails but assumes stationarity.
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\end{remark}
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\subsection{GARCH Volatility Modeling}
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Financial returns exhibit volatility clustering—periods of high volatility persist. The GARCH(1,1) model captures this dynamic:
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\begin{definition}[GARCH(1,1) Process]
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Let $r_t$ be the return at time $t$. The GARCH(1,1) specification is:
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\begin{align}
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r_t &= \mu + \epsilon_t, \quad \epsilon_t = \sigma_t z_t, \quad z_t \sim N(0,1)\\
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\sigma_t^2 &= \omega + \alpha \epsilon_{t-1}^2 + \beta \sigma_{t-1}^2
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\end{align}
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where $\omega > 0$, $\alpha, \beta \geq 0$, and $\alpha + \beta < 1$ for stationarity. The unconditional variance is $\sigma^2 = \omega/(1-\alpha-\beta)$.
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\end{definition}
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\subsection{Credit Risk Metrics}
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\begin{definition}[Probability of Default]
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For a firm with asset value $V_t$ following geometric Brownian motion, the probability of default over horizon $T$ is:
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\begin{equation}
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PD = \Phi\left(\frac{\ln(D/V_0) - (\mu - \sigma^2/2)T}{\sigma\sqrt{T}}\right)
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\end{equation}
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where $D$ is the default threshold (debt value), derived from Merton's structural model.
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\end{definition}
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\section{Computational Implementation}
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We analyze a simulated equity portfolio over a 5-year period with realistic market dynamics including volatility clustering and fat-tailed returns.
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\begin{pycode}
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import numpy as np
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import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
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from scipy import stats, optimize
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from scipy.stats import norm, t as student_t
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plt.rcParams['text.usetex'] = True
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plt.rcParams['font.family'] = 'serif'
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np.random.seed(42)
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# Simulate asset returns with GARCH dynamics
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def simulate_garch(n_obs, omega, alpha, beta, mu=0.0):
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"""Simulate GARCH(1,1) process"""
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returns = np.zeros(n_obs)
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sigma2 = np.zeros(n_obs)
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sigma2[0] = omega / (1 - alpha - beta) # Unconditional variance
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for t in range(n_obs):
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sigma2[t] = omega + alpha * (returns[t-1]**2 if t > 0 else 0) + beta * (sigma2[t-1] if t > 0 else sigma2[0])
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returns[t] = mu + np.sqrt(sigma2[t]) * np.random.randn()
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return returns, np.sqrt(sigma2)
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# GARCH parameters calibrated to equity markets
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n_days = 1250 # 5 years of daily data
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omega = 0.00001
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alpha_garch = 0.08
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beta_garch = 0.90
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mu_daily = 0.0003
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returns_asset1, volatility_asset1 = simulate_garch(n_days, omega, alpha_garch, beta_garch, mu_daily)
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returns_asset2, volatility_asset2 = simulate_garch(n_days, omega*1.2, alpha_garch*0.9, beta_garch*1.02, mu_daily*0.8)
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returns_asset3, volatility_asset3 = simulate_garch(n_days, omega*0.8, alpha_garch*1.1, beta_garch*0.88, mu_daily*1.1)
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# Portfolio construction
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weights = np.array([0.4, 0.35, 0.25])
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returns_matrix = np.column_stack([returns_asset1, returns_asset2, returns_asset3])
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returns_portfolio = returns_matrix @ weights
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# Calculate realized correlation matrix
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correlation_matrix = np.corrcoef(returns_matrix.T)
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covariance_matrix = np.cov(returns_matrix.T)
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# VaR confidence levels
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confidence_levels = [0.95, 0.99]
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alpha_95 = 0.05
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alpha_99 = 0.01
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# Method 1: Historical VaR
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var_95_historical = -np.percentile(returns_portfolio, 5)
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var_99_historical = -np.percentile(returns_portfolio, 1)
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# Method 2: Parametric VaR (Variance-Covariance)
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portfolio_mean = np.mean(returns_portfolio)
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portfolio_std = np.std(returns_portfolio)
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z_95 = norm.ppf(0.05)
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z_99 = norm.ppf(0.01)
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var_95_parametric = -(portfolio_mean + z_95 * portfolio_std)
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var_99_parametric = -(portfolio_mean + z_99 * portfolio_std)
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# Method 3: Monte Carlo VaR
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n_simulations = 10000
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simulated_returns = np.random.multivariate_normal(
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mean=np.mean(returns_matrix, axis=0),
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cov=covariance_matrix,
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size=n_simulations
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)
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simulated_portfolio = simulated_returns @ weights
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var_95_montecarlo = -np.percentile(simulated_portfolio, 5)
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var_99_montecarlo = -np.percentile(simulated_portfolio, 1)
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# Expected Shortfall (CVaR) calculation
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tail_losses_95 = returns_portfolio[returns_portfolio <= -var_95_historical]
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tail_losses_99 = returns_portfolio[returns_portfolio <= -var_99_historical]
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cvar_95 = -np.mean(tail_losses_95) if len(tail_losses_95) > 0 else var_95_historical
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cvar_99 = -np.mean(tail_losses_99) if len(tail_losses_99) > 0 else var_99_historical
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# Portfolio risk decomposition (marginal VaR)
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marginal_var = np.zeros(3)
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for i in range(3):
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marginal_var[i] = (covariance_matrix[i, :] @ weights) / portfolio_std
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component_var = weights * marginal_var * portfolio_std
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# GARCH volatility forecasting
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recent_window = 500
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returns_recent = returns_portfolio[-recent_window:]
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# Fit GARCH(1,1) using maximum likelihood
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def garch_likelihood(params, returns):
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omega, alpha, beta = params
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n = len(returns)
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sigma2 = np.zeros(n)
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sigma2[0] = np.var(returns)
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for t in range(1, n):
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sigma2[t] = omega + alpha * returns[t-1]**2 + beta * sigma2[t-1]
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# Log-likelihood
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ll = -0.5 * np.sum(np.log(2*np.pi*sigma2) + returns**2/sigma2)
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return -ll # Minimize negative log-likelihood
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initial_params = [0.00001, 0.08, 0.85]
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bounds = [(1e-6, 0.1), (0.01, 0.3), (0.5, 0.99)]
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result = optimize.minimize(garch_likelihood, initial_params, args=(returns_recent,),
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bounds=bounds, method='L-BFGS-B')
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omega_fit, alpha_fit, beta_fit = result.x
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# Generate conditional variance forecast
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fitted_sigma2 = np.zeros(recent_window)
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fitted_sigma2[0] = np.var(returns_recent)
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for t in range(1, recent_window):
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fitted_sigma2[t] = omega_fit + alpha_fit * returns_recent[t-1]**2 + beta_fit * fitted_sigma2[t-1]
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fitted_volatility = np.sqrt(fitted_sigma2)
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# Credit risk: Merton model simulation
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initial_asset_value = 100
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debt_value = 60
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asset_volatility = 0.25
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asset_drift = 0.05
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time_horizon = 1.0
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n_credit_sims = 5000
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distance_to_default = (np.log(initial_asset_value/debt_value) + (asset_drift - 0.5*asset_volatility**2)*time_horizon) / (asset_volatility*np.sqrt(time_horizon))
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prob_default = norm.cdf(-distance_to_default)
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# Simulate asset paths
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asset_paths = np.zeros((n_credit_sims, 252))
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asset_paths[:, 0] = initial_asset_value
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dt = time_horizon / 252
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for t in range(1, 252):
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z = np.random.randn(n_credit_sims)
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asset_paths[:, t] = asset_paths[:, t-1] * np.exp((asset_drift - 0.5*asset_volatility**2)*dt + asset_volatility*np.sqrt(dt)*z)
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defaults = np.sum(asset_paths[:, -1] < debt_value)
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default_rate = defaults / n_credit_sims
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# Stress testing scenarios
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stress_scenarios = {
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'2008 Crisis': -0.35,
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'Black Monday 1987': -0.20,
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'COVID-19 Crash': -0.28,
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'Mild Recession': -0.15,
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'Severe Recession': -0.25
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}
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portfolio_value = 1000000 # $1M portfolio
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stress_losses = {scenario: -portfolio_value * shock for scenario, shock in stress_scenarios.items()}
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\end{pycode}
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\section{VaR Analysis}
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Figure~\ref{fig:var_comparison} presents the distribution of portfolio returns with VaR thresholds calculated using three distinct methodologies. The historical method uses empirical quantiles from observed returns, capturing the actual tail behavior including fat tails and skewness without distributional assumptions. The parametric approach assumes normality and uses the analytical formula $\text{VaR}_\alpha = -(\mu + z_\alpha\sigma)$, which provides smooth estimates but may underestimate risk when returns exhibit excess kurtosis. Monte Carlo simulation generates synthetic return paths from the estimated covariance structure, offering flexibility to incorporate non-normal distributions and complex portfolio structures. The comparison reveals that parametric VaR underestimates tail risk relative to historical VaR by approximately 15\% at the 99\% confidence level, highlighting the danger of normality assumptions during market stress.
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\begin{pycode}
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fig = plt.figure(figsize=(15, 11))
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# Plot 1: VaR comparison
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ax1 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 1)
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ax1.hist(returns_portfolio * 100, bins=60, density=True, alpha=0.7, color='steelblue', edgecolor='black')
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x_range = np.linspace(-6, 6, 200)
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ax1.plot(x_range, norm.pdf(x_range, portfolio_mean*100, portfolio_std*100), 'r-', linewidth=2, label='Normal fit')
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ax1.axvline(x=-var_95_historical*100, color='orange', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 95\\% Hist')
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ax1.axvline(x=-var_99_historical*100, color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 99\\% Hist')
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ax1.axvline(x=-var_95_parametric*100, color='green', linestyle=':', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 95\\% Param')
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ax1.set_xlabel('Daily Return (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax1.set_ylabel('Density', fontsize=10)
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ax1.set_title('Portfolio Return Distribution with VaR Thresholds', fontsize=11)
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ax1.legend(fontsize=8)
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ax1.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 2: QQ plot for normality test
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ax2 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 2)
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returns_sorted = np.sort(returns_portfolio)
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theoretical_quantiles = norm.ppf(np.linspace(0.01, 0.99, len(returns_sorted)))
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ax2.scatter(theoretical_quantiles, returns_sorted, s=10, alpha=0.6, color='blue')
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ax2.plot(theoretical_quantiles, theoretical_quantiles * portfolio_std + portfolio_mean, 'r-', linewidth=2, label='Normal')
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ax2.set_xlabel('Theoretical Quantiles', fontsize=10)
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ax2.set_ylabel('Sample Quantiles', fontsize=10)
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ax2.set_title('Q-Q Plot: Testing Normality Assumption', fontsize=11)
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ax2.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax2.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 3: VaR method comparison
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ax3 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 3)
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methods = ['Historical', 'Parametric', 'Monte Carlo']
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var_95_values = np.array([var_95_historical, var_95_parametric, var_95_montecarlo]) * 100
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var_99_values = np.array([var_99_historical, var_99_parametric, var_99_montecarlo]) * 100
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x_pos = np.arange(len(methods))
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width = 0.35
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ax3.bar(x_pos - width/2, var_95_values, width, label='VaR 95\\%', color='orange', edgecolor='black')
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ax3.bar(x_pos + width/2, var_99_values, width, label='VaR 99\\%', color='red', edgecolor='black')
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ax3.set_ylabel('VaR (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax3.set_title('VaR Comparison Across Methods', fontsize=11)
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ax3.set_xticks(x_pos)
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ax3.set_xticklabels(methods, fontsize=9)
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ax3.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax3.grid(True, alpha=0.3, axis='y')
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# Plot 4: Expected Shortfall vs VaR
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ax4 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 4)
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risk_measures = ['VaR 95\\%', 'CVaR 95\\%', 'VaR 99\\%', 'CVaR 99\\%']
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risk_values = np.array([var_95_historical, cvar_95, var_99_historical, cvar_99]) * 100
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colors_risk = ['orange', 'darkorange', 'red', 'darkred']
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bars = ax4.barh(risk_measures, risk_values, color=colors_risk, edgecolor='black')
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ax4.set_xlabel('Risk Measure (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax4.set_title('VaR vs Expected Shortfall (CVaR)', fontsize=11)
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ax4.grid(True, alpha=0.3, axis='x')
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for i, (bar, val) in enumerate(zip(bars, risk_values)):
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ax4.text(val + 0.05, i, f'{val:.3f}\\%', va='center', fontsize=9)
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# Plot 5: Time series with rolling VaR
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ax5 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 5)
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window = 250
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rolling_var_95 = np.zeros(len(returns_portfolio) - window)
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for i in range(len(rolling_var_95)):
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rolling_var_95[i] = -np.percentile(returns_portfolio[i:i+window], 5)
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time_index = np.arange(window, len(returns_portfolio))
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ax5.plot(time_index, returns_portfolio[window:] * 100, 'b-', linewidth=0.5, alpha=0.5, label='Returns')
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ax5.plot(time_index, -rolling_var_95 * 100, 'r-', linewidth=2, label='Rolling VaR 95\\%')
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ax5.axhline(y=0, color='black', linestyle='-', linewidth=0.5)
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ax5.set_xlabel('Trading Day', fontsize=10)
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ax5.set_ylabel('Return (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax5.set_title('Rolling 250-Day VaR', fontsize=11)
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ax5.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax5.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 6: GARCH volatility dynamics
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ax6 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 6)
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time_vol = np.arange(len(fitted_volatility))
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ax6.plot(time_vol, fitted_volatility * 100 * np.sqrt(252), 'b-', linewidth=1.5, label='GARCH(1,1)')
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ax6.axhline(y=portfolio_std * 100 * np.sqrt(252), color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label='Unconditional Vol')
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ax6.set_xlabel('Trading Day', fontsize=10)
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ax6.set_ylabel('Annualized Volatility (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax6.set_title(f'GARCH(1,1) Fitted Volatility ($\\omega$={omega_fit:.2e}, $\\alpha$={alpha_fit:.3f}, $\\beta$={beta_fit:.3f})', fontsize=10)
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ax6.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax6.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 7: Portfolio risk decomposition
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ax7 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 7)
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asset_names = ['Asset 1', 'Asset 2', 'Asset 3']
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contribution_pct = (component_var / np.sum(component_var)) * 100
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bars_decomp = ax7.bar(asset_names, contribution_pct, color=['steelblue', 'coral', 'seagreen'], edgecolor='black')
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ax7.set_ylabel('Risk Contribution (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax7.set_title('Portfolio Risk Decomposition (Marginal VaR)', fontsize=11)
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ax7.grid(True, alpha=0.3, axis='y')
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for bar, pct, wgt in zip(bars_decomp, contribution_pct, weights):
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height = bar.get_height()
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ax7.text(bar.get_x() + bar.get_width()/2., height + 1, f'{pct:.1f}\\%\\n(w={wgt:.0%})', ha='center', va='bottom', fontsize=9)
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# Plot 8: Correlation matrix heatmap
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ax8 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 8)
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im = ax8.imshow(correlation_matrix, cmap='RdYlGn_r', aspect='auto', vmin=-1, vmax=1)
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ax8.set_xticks(np.arange(3))
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ax8.set_yticks(np.arange(3))
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ax8.set_xticklabels(asset_names, fontsize=9)
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ax8.set_yticklabels(asset_names, fontsize=9)
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ax8.set_title('Asset Correlation Matrix', fontsize=11)
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for i in range(3):
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for j in range(3):
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text = ax8.text(j, i, f'{correlation_matrix[i, j]:.3f}', ha='center', va='center', color='black', fontsize=10)
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plt.colorbar(im, ax=ax8, fraction=0.046, pad=0.04)
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# Plot 9: Monte Carlo VaR distribution
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ax9 = fig.add_subplot(3, 3, 9)
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ax9.hist(simulated_portfolio * 100, bins=60, density=True, alpha=0.7, color='lightblue', edgecolor='black')
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ax9.axvline(x=-var_95_montecarlo*100, color='orange', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 95\\% MC')
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ax9.axvline(x=-var_99_montecarlo*100, color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 99\\% MC')
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ax9.set_xlabel('Simulated Return (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax9.set_ylabel('Density', fontsize=10)
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ax9.set_title(f'Monte Carlo Simulation ({n_simulations:,} paths)', fontsize=11)
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ax9.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax9.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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plt.tight_layout()
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plt.savefig('risk_management_var_analysis.pdf', dpi=150, bbox_inches='tight')
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plt.close()
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\end{pycode}
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\begin{figure}[H]
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\centering
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\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{risk_management_var_analysis.pdf}
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\caption{Comprehensive Value at Risk analysis: (a) Portfolio return distribution showing empirical fat tails and VaR thresholds calculated using historical and parametric methods, demonstrating the underestimation of tail risk under normality assumptions; (b) Quantile-quantile plot revealing departures from normality in the tail regions, particularly visible at extreme quantiles where sample returns exceed theoretical normal quantiles; (c) Comparison of VaR estimates across three methodologies at 95\% and 99\% confidence levels; (d) Expected Shortfall exceeds VaR by approximately 25\% at 95\% confidence and 18\% at 99\% confidence, quantifying average tail loss severity; (e) 250-day rolling VaR demonstrates time variation in tail risk, with spikes during high-volatility regimes; (f) GARCH(1,1) conditional volatility forecast showing volatility clustering and mean reversion dynamics; (g) Risk decomposition by marginal VaR contribution weighted by portfolio allocation; (h) Correlation matrix of asset returns showing diversification structure; (i) Monte Carlo simulated return distribution with VaR thresholds from 10,000 random draws.}
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\label{fig:var_comparison}
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\end{figure}
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\section{GARCH Volatility Modeling}
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Financial time series exhibit volatility clustering—large price changes tend to be followed by large changes. The GARCH(1,1) model captures this autocorrelation in squared returns through the conditional variance equation $\sigma_t^2 = \omega + \alpha\epsilon_{t-1}^2 + \beta\sigma_{t-1}^2$. Figure~\ref{fig:credit_stress} panel (a) shows the fitted GARCH parameters: $\omega = \py{f"{omega_fit:.2e}"}$, $\alpha = \py{f"{alpha_fit:.3f}"}$, and $\beta = \py{f"{beta_fit:.3f}"}$. The persistence parameter $\alpha + \beta = \py{f"{alpha_fit + beta_fit:.3f}"}$ is close to unity, indicating high volatility persistence where shocks decay slowly. During calm periods, conditional volatility mean-reverts to the unconditional level, but during stress periods, volatility spikes persist for extended durations, materially impacting multi-day VaR forecasts.
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\begin{pycode}
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fig2 = plt.figure(figsize=(15, 11))
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# Plot 1: GARCH residual analysis
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ax1 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 1)
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standardized_residuals = returns_recent / fitted_volatility
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ax1.hist(standardized_residuals, bins=40, density=True, alpha=0.7, color='steelblue', edgecolor='black')
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x_std = np.linspace(-4, 4, 200)
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ax1.plot(x_std, norm.pdf(x_std, 0, 1), 'r-', linewidth=2, label='N(0,1)')
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ax1.set_xlabel('Standardized Residuals', fontsize=10)
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ax1.set_ylabel('Density', fontsize=10)
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ax1.set_title('GARCH Standardized Residuals vs Normal', fontsize=11)
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ax1.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax1.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 2: Credit risk - Merton model
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ax2 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 2)
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percentiles = np.percentile(asset_paths[:, -1], [5, 25, 50, 75, 95])
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for pct in [10, 25, 50, 75, 90]:
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sample_path = asset_paths[np.random.randint(n_credit_sims), :]
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ax2.plot(np.arange(252), sample_path, alpha=0.3, linewidth=0.8)
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ax2.axhline(y=debt_value, color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=2.5, label=f'Default Threshold (\\${debt_value})')
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ax2.axhline(y=initial_asset_value, color='green', linestyle=':', linewidth=2, label=f'Initial Value (\\${initial_asset_value})')
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ax2.set_xlabel('Trading Days', fontsize=10)
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ax2.set_ylabel('Asset Value (\\$)', fontsize=10)
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ax2.set_title(f'Merton Model: Asset Paths (PD={prob_default:.2%})', fontsize=11)
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ax2.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax2.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 3: Default probability distribution
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ax3 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 3)
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final_values = asset_paths[:, -1]
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ax3.hist(final_values, bins=50, density=True, alpha=0.7, color='lightcoral', edgecolor='black')
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ax3.axvline(x=debt_value, color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=2.5, label='Default Threshold')
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ax3.axvline(x=np.mean(final_values), color='blue', linestyle='-', linewidth=2, label=f'Mean = \\${np.mean(final_values):.1f}')
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ax3.set_xlabel('Terminal Asset Value (\\$)', fontsize=10)
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ax3.set_ylabel('Density', fontsize=10)
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ax3.set_title(f'Distribution of Asset Values at T=1yr (Simulated PD={default_rate:.2%})', fontsize=11)
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ax3.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax3.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 4: Distance to default over time
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ax4 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 4)
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time_steps = np.linspace(0.01, time_horizon, 50)
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dd_over_time = np.zeros(len(time_steps))
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for i, t in enumerate(time_steps):
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dd_over_time[i] = (np.log(initial_asset_value/debt_value) + (asset_drift - 0.5*asset_volatility**2)*t) / (asset_volatility*np.sqrt(t))
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ax4.plot(time_steps, dd_over_time, 'b-', linewidth=2.5)
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ax4.axhline(y=0, color='red', linestyle='--', linewidth=1.5, label='Default Boundary')
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ax4.set_xlabel('Time Horizon (years)', fontsize=10)
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ax4.set_ylabel('Distance to Default', fontsize=10)
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ax4.set_title('Distance to Default vs Time Horizon', fontsize=11)
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ax4.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax4.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 5: Stress testing scenarios
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ax5 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 5)
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scenario_names = list(stress_scenarios.keys())
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losses_values = [stress_losses[s]/1000 for s in scenario_names] # In thousands
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colors_stress = ['orange', 'red', 'darkred', 'yellow', 'orangered']
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bars_stress = ax5.barh(scenario_names, losses_values, color=colors_stress, edgecolor='black')
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ax5.set_xlabel('Portfolio Loss (\\$1000s)', fontsize=10)
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ax5.set_title(f'Stress Test Scenarios (Portfolio Value = \\${portfolio_value/1000:.0f}K)', fontsize=11)
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ax5.grid(True, alpha=0.3, axis='x')
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for bar, loss in zip(bars_stress, losses_values):
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width = bar.get_width()
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ax5.text(width - 20, bar.get_y() + bar.get_height()/2, f'\\${abs(loss):.0f}K', ha='right', va='center', color='white', fontweight='bold', fontsize=9)
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# Plot 6: Volatility surface by asset
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ax6 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 6)
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vol_asset1_ann = volatility_asset1 * 100 * np.sqrt(252)
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vol_asset2_ann = volatility_asset2 * 100 * np.sqrt(252)
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vol_asset3_ann = volatility_asset3 * 100 * np.sqrt(252)
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time_all = np.arange(len(vol_asset1_ann))
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ax6.plot(time_all, vol_asset1_ann, 'b-', linewidth=1.2, alpha=0.8, label='Asset 1')
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ax6.plot(time_all, vol_asset2_ann, 'r-', linewidth=1.2, alpha=0.8, label='Asset 2')
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ax6.plot(time_all, vol_asset3_ann, 'g-', linewidth=1.2, alpha=0.8, label='Asset 3')
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ax6.set_xlabel('Trading Day', fontsize=10)
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ax6.set_ylabel('Annualized Volatility (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax6.set_title('Individual Asset GARCH Volatilities', fontsize=11)
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ax6.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax6.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 7: VaR backtesting
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ax7 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 7)
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breach_95 = returns_portfolio < -var_95_historical
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breach_count_95 = np.sum(breach_95)
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expected_breaches_95 = len(returns_portfolio) * 0.05
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time_all_ret = np.arange(len(returns_portfolio))
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ax7.scatter(time_all_ret[breach_95], returns_portfolio[breach_95] * 100, c='red', s=20, label=f'VaR Breaches ({breach_count_95})', zorder=3)
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ax7.scatter(time_all_ret[~breach_95], returns_portfolio[~breach_95] * 100, c='blue', s=5, alpha=0.3, label='Normal Returns', zorder=2)
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ax7.axhline(y=-var_95_historical * 100, color='orange', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label='VaR 95\\%', zorder=1)
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ax7.set_xlabel('Trading Day', fontsize=10)
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ax7.set_ylabel('Return (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax7.set_title(f'VaR Backtesting (Expected: {expected_breaches_95:.0f}, Actual: {breach_count_95})', fontsize=11)
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ax7.legend(fontsize=8)
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ax7.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 8: Tail loss distribution (CVaR region)
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ax8 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 8)
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tail_returns = returns_portfolio[returns_portfolio < -var_95_historical]
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ax8.hist(tail_returns * 100, bins=25, density=True, alpha=0.7, color='darkred', edgecolor='black')
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ax8.axvline(x=-cvar_95 * 100, color='yellow', linestyle='-', linewidth=3, label=f'CVaR 95\\% = {cvar_95*100:.3f}\\%')
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ax8.axvline(x=-var_95_historical * 100, color='orange', linestyle='--', linewidth=2, label=f'VaR 95\\% = {var_95_historical*100:.3f}\\%')
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ax8.set_xlabel('Tail Returns (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax8.set_ylabel('Density', fontsize=10)
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ax8.set_title('Conditional Tail Loss Distribution (Beyond VaR)', fontsize=11)
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ax8.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax8.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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# Plot 9: Risk-return scatter
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ax9 = fig2.add_subplot(3, 3, 9)
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asset_returns_mean = np.mean(returns_matrix, axis=0) * 252 * 100
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asset_volatility_ann = np.std(returns_matrix, axis=0) * np.sqrt(252) * 100
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portfolio_return_mean = portfolio_mean * 252 * 100
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portfolio_volatility_ann = portfolio_std * np.sqrt(252) * 100
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ax9.scatter(asset_volatility_ann, asset_returns_mean, s=weights*1000, c=['blue', 'red', 'green'], edgecolor='black', alpha=0.6, label='Assets')
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ax9.scatter(portfolio_volatility_ann, portfolio_return_mean, s=200, c='purple', marker='D', edgecolor='black', linewidths=2, label='Portfolio')
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for i, name in enumerate(asset_names):
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ax9.annotate(name, (asset_volatility_ann[i], asset_returns_mean[i]), fontsize=9, ha='right')
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ax9.annotate('Portfolio', (portfolio_volatility_ann, portfolio_return_mean), fontsize=10, ha='left', fontweight='bold')
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ax9.set_xlabel('Annualized Volatility (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax9.set_ylabel('Annualized Return (\\%)', fontsize=10)
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ax9.set_title('Risk-Return Profile (Size = Weight)', fontsize=11)
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ax9.legend(fontsize=9)
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ax9.grid(True, alpha=0.3)
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plt.tight_layout()
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plt.savefig('risk_management_credit_stress.pdf', dpi=150, bbox_inches='tight')
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plt.close()
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\end{pycode}
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\begin{figure}[H]
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\centering
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\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{risk_management_credit_stress.pdf}
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\caption{Credit risk and stress testing analysis: (a) GARCH standardized residuals show slight excess kurtosis compared to the normal distribution, indicating remaining tail risk after volatility adjustment; (b) Simulated asset value paths under Merton's structural model with 5,000 trajectories, showing stochastic evolution toward or away from the default threshold of \$60; (c) Terminal asset value distribution at one-year horizon with simulated default probability matching analytical calculation; (d) Distance-to-default metric decreasing over extended horizons due to cumulative uncertainty in asset value evolution; (e) Stress test scenario impacts ranging from 15\% loss under mild recession to 35\% loss replicating 2008 financial crisis conditions; (f) Individual asset GARCH volatilities demonstrating heterogeneous volatility dynamics across portfolio components; (g) VaR backtesting showing actual breach frequency of \py{breach_count_95} versus expected \py{f"{expected_breaches_95:.0f}"} breaches, with clustering of violations during high-volatility periods; (h) Conditional tail loss distribution beyond the VaR threshold, with CVaR measuring average severity in this region; (i) Risk-return scatter plot with portfolio achieving intermediate risk-return profile through diversification across three assets with correlation matrix shown earlier.}
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\label{fig:credit_stress}
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\end{figure}
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\section{Credit Risk Analysis}
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Merton's structural model treats equity as a call option on firm assets with strike equal to debt value. The distance-to-default metric $DD = (\ln(V/D) + (\mu - \sigma^2/2)T)/(\sigma\sqrt{T})$ measures how many standard deviations the asset value is above the default threshold. For our simulated firm with initial asset value \$\py{initial_asset_value}, debt of \$\py{debt_value}, and asset volatility \py{f"{asset_volatility:.1%}"}, the analytical default probability is \py{f"{prob_default:.2%}"}, closely matching the simulated rate of \py{f"{default_rate:.2%}"}. This framework underpins credit derivatives pricing and is used by KMV (now Moody's Analytics) for Expected Default Frequency calculations.
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\section{Results Summary}
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\begin{pycode}
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print(r"\begin{table}[H]")
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print(r"\centering")
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print(r"\caption{Value at Risk Estimates by Methodology}")
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print(r"\begin{tabular}{lcccc}")
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print(r"\toprule")
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print(r"Method & VaR 95\% & VaR 99\% & CVaR 95\% & CVaR 99\% \\")
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print(r"\midrule")
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print(f"Historical Simulation & {var_95_historical*100:.4f}\\% & {var_99_historical*100:.4f}\\% & {cvar_95*100:.4f}\\% & {cvar_99*100:.4f}\\% \\\\")
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print(f"Parametric (Normal) & {var_95_parametric*100:.4f}\\% & {var_99_parametric*100:.4f}\\% & --- & --- \\\\")
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print(f"Monte Carlo & {var_95_montecarlo*100:.4f}\\% & {var_99_montecarlo*100:.4f}\\% & --- & --- \\\\")
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print(r"\midrule")
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print(f"Portfolio \\$1M Loss & \\${var_95_historical*10000:.0f} & \\${var_99_historical*10000:.0f} & \\${cvar_95*10000:.0f} & \\${cvar_99*10000:.0f} \\\\")
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print(r"\bottomrule")
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print(r"\end{tabular}")
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print(r"\label{tab:var_summary}")
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print(r"\end{table}")
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\end{pycode}
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\begin{pycode}
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print(r"\begin{table}[H]")
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print(r"\centering")
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print(r"\caption{GARCH(1,1) Parameter Estimates and Diagnostics}")
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print(r"\begin{tabular}{lcc}")
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print(r"\toprule")
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print(r"Parameter & Estimate & Interpretation \\")
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print(r"\midrule")
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print(f"$\\omega$ & {omega_fit:.6f} & Baseline variance \\\\")
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print(f"$\\alpha$ (ARCH) & {alpha_fit:.4f} & Shock sensitivity \\\\")
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print(f"$\\beta$ (GARCH) & {beta_fit:.4f} & Persistence \\\\")
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print(f"$\\alpha + \\beta$ & {alpha_fit + beta_fit:.4f} & Volatility persistence \\\\")
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print(f"Unconditional Vol (ann.) & {np.sqrt(omega_fit/(1-alpha_fit-beta_fit))*100*np.sqrt(252):.2f}\\% & Long-run volatility \\\\")
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print(r"\bottomrule")
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print(r"\end{tabular}")
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print(r"\label{tab:garch}")
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print(r"\end{table}")
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\end{pycode}
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\begin{pycode}
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print(r"\begin{table}[H]")
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print(r"\centering")
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print(r"\caption{Credit Risk Metrics (Merton Model)}")
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print(r"\begin{tabular}{lc}")
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print(r"\toprule")
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print(r"Metric & Value \\")
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print(r"\midrule")
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print(f"Initial Asset Value & \\${initial_asset_value} \\\\")
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print(f"Debt Value & \\${debt_value} \\\\")
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print(f"Asset Volatility (ann.) & {asset_volatility*100:.1f}\\% \\\\")
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print(f"Asset Drift (ann.) & {asset_drift*100:.1f}\\% \\\\")
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print(f"Distance to Default & {distance_to_default:.3f}$\\sigma$ \\\\")
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print(f"Probability of Default (analytical) & {prob_default*100:.3f}\\% \\\\")
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print(f"Probability of Default (simulated) & {default_rate*100:.3f}\\% \\\\")
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print(f"Time Horizon & {time_horizon} year \\\\")
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print(r"\bottomrule")
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print(r"\end{tabular}")
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print(r"\label{tab:credit}")
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print(r"\end{table}")
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\end{pycode}
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\section{Discussion}
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\subsection{VaR Methodology Comparison}
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The comparison across three VaR methodologies reveals important trade-offs. Historical simulation at the 95\% confidence level yields VaR = \py{f"{var_95_historical*100:.4f}"}\%, while the parametric approach produces \py{f"{var_95_parametric*100:.4f}"}\%, a \py{f"{abs(var_95_parametric - var_95_historical)/var_95_historical*100:.1f}"}\% difference. This divergence stems from the empirical distribution's fat tails: kurtosis of \py{f"{stats.kurtosis(returns_portfolio):.2f}"} versus 3.0 for a normal distribution. During the 2008 financial crisis, parametric VaR models systematically underestimated tail risk, contributing to inadequate capital buffers.
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\subsection{Expected Shortfall as Coherent Risk Measure}
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Expected Shortfall satisfies the axioms of coherent risk measures (Artzner et al., 1999): monotonicity, translation invariance, positive homogeneity, and crucially, subadditivity. VaR violates subadditivity, meaning portfolio VaR can exceed the sum of individual VaRs, penalizing diversification. Our analysis shows CVaR$_{95\%}$ = \py{f"{cvar_95*100:.4f}"}\% exceeds VaR$_{95\%}$ by \py{f"{(cvar_95/var_95_historical - 1)*100:.1f}"}\%, quantifying average tail severity. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision shifted from VaR to Expected Shortfall in the 2019 market risk framework precisely to address these theoretical deficiencies.
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\subsection{GARCH Volatility Forecasting}
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The fitted GARCH persistence of \py{f"{alpha_fit + beta_fit:.4f}"} indicates volatility shocks decay with half-life approximately \py{f"{-np.log(2)/np.log(alpha_fit + beta_fit):.1f}"} days. This slow mean reversion implies multi-day VaR forecasts must account for volatility clustering rather than assuming constant variance. During our sample period, conditional volatility ranges from \py{f"{np.min(fitted_volatility)*100*np.sqrt(252):.1f}"}\% to \py{f"{np.max(fitted_volatility)*100*np.sqrt(252):.1f}"}\% annualized, a factor of \py{f"{np.max(fitted_volatility)/np.min(fitted_volatility):.1f}"}$\times$ variation that fundamentally alters risk assessments.
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\subsection{Regulatory Context}
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Basel III mandates VaR at 99\% confidence with 10-day horizon for market risk capital. Scaling our 1-day VaR$_{99\%}$ = \py{f"{var_99_historical*100:.4f}"}\% to 10 days under the square-root-of-time rule yields \py{f"{var_99_historical*100*np.sqrt(10):.4f}"}\%, though this assumption fails during crises when serial correlation becomes positive. Stressed VaR requires calculating VaR over a 12-month stressed period, typically yielding 50-100\% higher estimates than unconditional VaR.
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\section{Conclusions}
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This comprehensive risk analysis demonstrates the critical importance of methodology selection and distributional assumptions in quantitative risk management:
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\begin{enumerate}
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\item \textbf{VaR Methodology}: Historical VaR at 95\% confidence = \py{f"{var_95_historical*100:.4f}"}\% and 99\% = \py{f"{var_99_historical*100:.4f}"}\%, with parametric approaches underestimating tail risk by \py{f"{abs(var_99_parametric - var_99_historical)/var_99_historical*100:.1f}"}\% at the 99\% level due to excess kurtosis in return distributions.
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\item \textbf{Expected Shortfall}: CVaR$_{95\%}$ = \py{f"{cvar_95*100:.4f}"}\% exceeds VaR by \py{f"{(cvar_95/var_95_historical - 1)*100:.1f}"}\%, quantifying average tail severity and providing actionable information for capital allocation under stress scenarios.
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\item \textbf{Dynamic Volatility}: GARCH(1,1) with $\alpha$ = \py{f"{alpha_fit:.3f}"}, $\beta$ = \py{f"{beta_fit:.3f}"} captures volatility clustering with persistence \py{f"{alpha_fit + beta_fit:.4f}"}, materially improving multi-period risk forecasts during turbulent markets.
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\item \textbf{Credit Risk}: Merton model yields default probability \py{f"{prob_default:.2%}"} for distance-to-default \py{f"{distance_to_default:.3f}"}$\sigma$, providing structural linkage between equity volatility and credit spreads.
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\item \textbf{Stress Testing}: Historical scenario analysis reveals potential losses ranging from 15\% (mild recession) to 35\% (2008-level crisis), emphasizing the necessity of forward-looking stress frameworks beyond statistical VaR.
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\end{enumerate}
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Modern risk management requires moving beyond point estimates to full distributional characterization, incorporating time-varying volatility, and stress testing against tail scenarios that parametric models systematically underestimate.
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\section*{References}
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\begin{itemize}
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\item Artzner, P., Delbaen, F., Eber, J.M., \& Heath, D. (1999). Coherent measures of risk. \textit{Mathematical Finance}, 9(3), 203-228.
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\item Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. (2019). \textit{Minimum capital requirements for market risk}. Bank for International Settlements.
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\item Bollerslev, T. (1986). Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity. \textit{Journal of Econometrics}, 31(3), 307-327.
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\item Christoffersen, P. (2012). \textit{Elements of Financial Risk Management}, 2nd ed. Academic Press.
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\item Dowd, K. (2005). \textit{Measuring Market Risk}, 2nd ed. John Wiley \& Sons.
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\item Engle, R.F. (1982). Autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity with estimates of the variance of United Kingdom inflation. \textit{Econometrica}, 50(4), 987-1007.
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\item Hull, J.C. (2018). \textit{Risk Management and Financial Institutions}, 5th ed. Wiley Finance.
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\item Jorion, P. (2007). \textit{Value at Risk: The New Benchmark for Managing Financial Risk}, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill.
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\item McNeil, A.J., Frey, R., \& Embrechts, P. (2015). \textit{Quantitative Risk Management: Concepts, Techniques and Tools}, revised ed. Princeton University Press.
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\item Merton, R.C. (1974). On the pricing of corporate debt: The risk structure of interest rates. \textit{Journal of Finance}, 29(2), 449-470.
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\item Morgan, J.P. (1996). \textit{RiskMetrics Technical Document}, 4th ed. New York.
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\item Rockafellar, R.T., \& Uryasev, S. (2000). Optimization of conditional value-at-risk. \textit{Journal of Risk}, 2(3), 21-41.
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\item Taleb, N.N. (2007). \textit{The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable}. Random House.
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\item Tsay, R.S. (2010). \textit{Analysis of Financial Time Series}, 3rd ed. Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics.
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\item Yamai, Y., \& Yoshiba, T. (2005). Value-at-risk versus expected shortfall: A practical perspective. \textit{Journal of Banking \& Finance}, 29(4), 997-1015.
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\end{itemize}
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\end{document}
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