medium · Quantitative Finance stochastic

In the derivation of the Black-Scholes PDE, a delta-hedged portfolio Π = V - Δ S is constructed.

Why does the term involving (dS)^2 appear in the change dΠ?

  1. Because the derivative value V is a non-linear function of S, making its second-order sensitivity significant due to the properties of Brownian motion.
  2. Because transaction costs require an extra term accounting for how frequently the hedge position must be rebalanced continuously through time.
  3. Because the stock price S has a non-zero drift mu, which makes the second-order time sensitivity of the hedged portfolio value especially relevant here.
  4. Because the risk-free rate r is continuously compounded, requiring an additional quadratic adjustment term to capture growth of the riskless bond position correctly.

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