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Pricing a payoff of one over the terminal stock price

Question

In the Black-Scholes model (spot S0S_0, rate rr, volatility σ\sigma, no dividends), a derivative pays 1/ST1/S_T at time TT. Find its price today.

Short answer

1S0e(σ2−2r)T\dfrac{1}{S_0}e^{(\sigma^2-2r)T}. Under the risk-neutral measure ln⁡ST\ln S_T is normal with mean ln⁡S0+(r−12σ2)T\ln S_0+(r-\tfrac12\sigma^2)T and variance σ2T\sigma^2T, so E[1/ST]=1S0e−(r−σ2/2)T+σ2T/2=1S0e(σ2−r)T\mathbb{E}[1/S_T]=\tfrac{1}{S_0}e^{-(r-\sigma^2/2)T+\sigma^2T/2}=\tfrac{1}{S_0}e^{(\sigma^2-r)T}. Discounting by e−rTe^{-rT} gives the result.

Adapted from Zhou, A Practical Guide to Quantitative Finance Interviews, sec. 6.1 Option Pricing, 'Black-Scholes formula E', p.147; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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