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One-period tree with up move to 110 and down to 80

Question

Interest rates are zero. A stock at 100100 will move in one step either to 110110 (with real-world probability 2/32/3) or to 8080. Find the price of a call struck at 100100.

Short answer

20/3≈6.6720/3\approx6.67. The risk-neutral up probability solves 110q+80(1−q)=100110q+80(1-q)=100, so q=23q=\tfrac23 (equal here to the real probability, by coincidence). The call pays 1010 up and 00 down, so it is worth 23×10\tfrac23\times10. Replication agrees: hold 13\tfrac13 share and borrow 262326\tfrac23.

Adapted from Joshi, Denson & Downes, Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers, Q2.22, p.18; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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