An Attempt at Pricing Zero-Coupon Bonds under the Vasicek Model with a Mean Reverting Stochastic Volatility Factor

Sammanfattning: Empirical evidence indicates that the volatility in asset prices is not constant, but varies over time. However, many simple models for asset pricing rest on an assumption of constancy. In this thesis we analyse the zero-coupon bond price under a two-factor Vasicek model, where both the short rate and its volatility follow Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. Yield curves based on the two-factor model are then compared to those obtained from the standard Vasicek model with constant volatility. The simulated yield curves from the two-factor model exhibit "humps" that can be observed in the market, but which cannot be obtained from the standard model.