IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wsi/ijtafx/v20y2017i07ns0219024917500480.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Explicit Implied Volatility Formula

Author

Listed:
  • DAN STEFANICA

    (Department of Mathematics, Baruch College, CUNY, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA)

  • RADOŠ RADOIČIĆ

    (Department of Mathematics, Baruch College, CUNY, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA)

Abstract

We show that an explicit approximate implied volatility formula can be obtained from a Black–Scholes formula approximation that is 2% accurate. The relative error of the approximate implied volatility is uniformly bounded for options with any moneyness and with arbitrary large or small option maturities and volatilities, including for long dated options and options on highly volatile underlying assets. For options within a large trading range, such as options with maturity less than five years and implied volatility less than 150%, the error of the approximate implied volatility relative to the Black–Scholes implied volatility is less than 10% points.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Stefanica & Radoš Radoičić, 2017. "An Explicit Implied Volatility Formula," International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Finance (IJTAF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(07), pages 1-32, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijtafx:v:20:y:2017:i:07:n:s0219024917500480
    DOI: 10.1142/S0219024917500480
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0219024917500480
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1142/S0219024917500480?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Isengildina-Massa, Olga & Curtis, Charles E., Jr. & Bridges, William & Nian, Minhuan, 2007. "Accuracy of Implied Volatility Approximations Using "Nearest-to-the-Money" Option Premiums," 2007 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2007, Mobile, Alabama 34927, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    2. Michael A. Kelly, 2006. "Faster Implied Volatilities via the Implicit Function Theorem," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 41(4), pages 589-597, November.
    3. Ivan Matić & Radoš Radoičić & Dan Stefanica, 2017. "Pólya-based approximation for the ATM-forward implied volatility," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(02n03), pages 1-15, June.
    4. Robert C. Merton, 2005. "Theory of rational option pricing," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Sudipto Bhattacharya & George M Constantinides (ed.), Theory Of Valuation, chapter 8, pages 229-288, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Chance, Don M, 1996. "A Generalized Simple Formula to Compute the Implied Volatility," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 31(4), pages 859-867, November.
    6. Corrado, Charles J. & Miller, Thomas Jr., 1996. "A note on a simple, accurate formula to compute implied standard deviations," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 595-603, April.
    7. Hallerbach, W.G.P.M., 2004. "An Improved Estimator For Black-Scholes-Merton Implied Volatility," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-054-F&A, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    8. Minqiang Li & Kyuseok Lee, 2011. "An adaptive successive over-relaxation method for computing the Black-Scholes implied volatility," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(8), pages 1245-1269.
    9. Hentschel, Ludger, 2003. "Errors in Implied Volatility Estimation," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(4), pages 779-810, December.
    10. Chambers, Donald R & Nawalkha, Sanjay K, 2001. "An Improved Approach to Computing Implied Volatility," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 36(3), pages 89-99, August.
    11. Dan Stefanica & Radoš Radoičić, 2016. "A sharp approximation for ATM-forward option prices and implied volatilites," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(01), pages 1-24, March.
    12. paolo pianca, 2005. "Simple Formulas to Option Pricing and Hedging in the Black- Scholes Model," Finance 0511005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Jim Gatheral & Ivan Matić & Radoš Radoičić & Dan Stefanica, 2017. "Tighter Bounds For Implied Volatility," International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Finance (IJTAF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(05), pages 1-14, August.
    14. Li, Minqiang, 2008. "Approximate inversion of the Black-Scholes formula using rational functions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 185(2), pages 743-759, March.
    15. Latane, Henry A & Rendleman, Richard J, Jr, 1976. "Standard Deviations of Stock Price Ratios Implied in Option Prices," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 31(2), pages 369-381, May.
    16. Kun Gao & Roger Lee, 2014. "Asymptotics of implied volatility to arbitrary order," Finance and Stochastics, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 349-392, April.
    17. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-654, May-June.
    18. Black, Fischer, 1976. "The pricing of commodity contracts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(1-2), pages 167-179.
    19. Michael R. Tehranchi, 2015. "Uniform bounds for Black--Scholes implied volatility," Papers 1512.06812, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2016.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuxuan Xia & Zhenyu Cui, 2018. "An exact and explicit implied volatility inversion formula," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 1-29, September.
    2. Jim Gatheral & Ivan Matić & Radoš Radoičić & Dan Stefanica, 2017. "Tighter Bounds For Implied Volatility," International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Finance (IJTAF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(05), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Olesya Grishchenko & Xiao Han & Victor Nistor, 2018. "A volatility-of-volatility expansion of the option prices in the SABR stochastic volatility model," Papers 1812.09904, arXiv.org.
    4. Jaehyuk Choi & Minsuk Kwak & Chyng Wen Tee & Yumeng Wang, 2022. "A Black–Scholes user's guide to the Bachelier model," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(5), pages 959-980, May.
    5. Geon Lee & Tae-Kyoung Kim & Hyun-Gyoon Kim & Jeonggyu Huh, 2022. "Newton Raphson Emulation Network for Highly Efficient Computation of Numerous Implied Volatilities," Papers 2210.15969, arXiv.org.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Don M. Chance & Thomas A. Hanson & Weiping Li & Jayaram Muthuswamy, 2017. "A bias in the volatility smile," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 47-90, April.
    2. Minqiang Li & Kyuseok Lee, 2011. "An adaptive successive over-relaxation method for computing the Black-Scholes implied volatility," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(8), pages 1245-1269.
    3. Dan Stefanica & Radoš Radoičić, 2016. "A sharp approximation for ATM-forward option prices and implied volatilites," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(01), pages 1-24, March.
    4. Michele Mininni & Giuseppe Orlando & Giovanni Taglialatela, 2021. "Challenges in approximating the Black and Scholes call formula with hyperbolic tangents," Decisions in Economics and Finance, Springer;Associazione per la Matematica, vol. 44(1), pages 73-100, June.
    5. Noshaba Zulfiqar & Saqib Gulzar, 2021. "Implied volatility estimation of bitcoin options and the stylized facts of option pricing," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 7(1), pages 1-30, December.
    6. Sukhomlin, Nikolay & Santana Jiménez, Lisette Josefina, 2010. "Problema de calibración de mercado y estructura implícita del modelo de bonos de Black-Cox = Market Calibration Problem and the Implied Structure of the Black-Cox Bond Model," Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa = Journal of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Quantitative Methods for Economics and Business Administration, vol. 10(1), pages 73-98, December.
    7. Yibing Chen & Cheng-Few Lee & John Lee & Jow-Ran Chang, 2018. "Alternative Methods to Estimate Implied Variance: Review and Comparison," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(04), pages 1-28, December.
    8. Steven Li, 2003. "The estimation of implied volatility from the Black-Scholes model: some new formulas and their applications," School of Economics and Finance Discussion Papers and Working Papers Series 141, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology.
    9. Yuxuan Xia & Zhenyu Cui, 2018. "An exact and explicit implied volatility inversion formula," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 5(03), pages 1-29, September.
    10. Li, Minqiang, 2008. "Approximate inversion of the Black-Scholes formula using rational functions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 185(2), pages 743-759, March.
    11. Yixiao Lu & Yihong Wang & Tinggan Yang, 2021. "Adaptive Gradient Descent Methods for Computing Implied Volatility," Papers 2108.07035, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2023.
    12. Michael R. Tehranchi, 2015. "Uniform bounds for Black--Scholes implied volatility," Papers 1512.06812, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2016.
    13. Jaehyuk Choi & Kwangmoon Kim & Minsuk Kwak, 2009. "Numerical Approximation of the Implied Volatility Under Arithmetic Brownian Motion," Applied Mathematical Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 261-268.
    14. Kathrin Glau & Paul Herold & Dilip B. Madan & Christian Potz, 2017. "The Chebyshev method for the implied volatility," Papers 1710.01797, arXiv.org.
    15. David S. Bates, 1995. "Testing Option Pricing Models," NBER Working Papers 5129, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Jaehyuk Choi & Minsuk Kwak & Chyng Wen Tee & Yumeng Wang, 2022. "A Black–Scholes user's guide to the Bachelier model," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(5), pages 959-980, May.
    17. Jim Gatheral & Ivan Matić & Radoš Radoičić & Dan Stefanica, 2017. "Tighter Bounds For Implied Volatility," International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Finance (IJTAF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(05), pages 1-14, August.
    18. Bo Zhao & Stewart Hodges, 2013. "Parametric modeling of implied smile functions: a generalized SVI model," Review of Derivatives Research, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 53-77, April.
    19. Jaehyuk Choi & Jeonggyu Huh & Nan Su, 2023. "Tighter 'uniform bounds for Black-Scholes implied volatility' and the applications to root-finding," Papers 2302.08758, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2024.
    20. Ivan Matić & Radoš Radoičić & Dan Stefanica, 2017. "Pólya-based approximation for the ATM-forward implied volatility," International Journal of Financial Engineering (IJFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(02n03), pages 1-15, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wsi:ijtafx:v:20:y:2017:i:07:n:s0219024917500480. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tai Tone Lim (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.worldscinet.com/ijtaf/ijtaf.shtml .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.