this issue
previous article in this issuenext article in this issue

Document Details :

Title: Estimating the Value of the Wincat Coupons of the Winterthur Insurance Convertible Bond
Author(s): SCHMOCK, U.
Journal: ASTIN Bulletin
Volume: 29    Issue: 1   Date: May 1999   
Pages: 101-164
DOI: 10.2143/AST.29.1.504608

Abstract :
The three annual 2ΒΌ% interest coupons of the Winterthur Insurance convertible bond (face value CHF 4 700) will only be paid out if during their corresponding observation periods no major storm or hail storm on one single day damages at least 6000 motor vehicles insured with Witerthur Insurance. Data for events, where storm or hail damaged more than 1000 insured vehicles, are available for the last ten years. Using a constant-parameter model, the estimated discounted value of the three WINCAT coupons together is CHF 263 29. A conservative evaluation, which accounts for the standard deviation of the estimate, gives a coupon value of CHF 238.25 However, fitting models which admit a trend or a change-point, leads to substantially higher knock-out probabilities of the coupons. The estimated discounted values of the coupons can drop below the above conservative value; a conservative evaluation as above leads to substantially lower values. Hence, already the model uncertainty is higher than the standard deviations of the used estimators. This shows the dominance of the model risk. Consistency, dispersion, robustness and sensitivity of the models are analysed by a simulation study.