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LOS 34.k: Describe modern term structure                                                  READING 34: THE TERM STRUCTURE AND
    models and how they are used.                                                                              INTEREST RATE DYNAMICS
                                                                                                 MODULE 34.6: INTEREST RATE MODELS
     The Vasicek Model
     Also suggests interest rates are mean reverting to some long-run value.

      dr = a(b − r)dt + σdz          The difference with CIR model?


      No interest rate (r): Implication?

     Volatility does NOT
     increase as the level
     of interest rates increase.

     The main disadvantage of the Vasicek model is that it fails to force interest rates to be non-negative.


      Assume that the current short-term rate is r = 3% and the long-run value for the short-term rate is b = 8%. Also assume that the
      speed of the adjustment factor is a = 0.40 and the annual volatility is σ = 2%. The Vasicek model provides the following formula
      for the change in short-term interest rates, dr:


      dr = 0.40(8% – r)dt + (2%)dz

      The stochastic term, dz, is typically drawn from a standard normal distribution with a mean of zero and a standard
      deviation of 1. Assume that a random number generator produced standard normal random error terms of 0.45, 0.18,
      −0.30, and 0.25. The Vasicek model would produce the evolution of interest rates shown below:
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