Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale

In this paper, we investigate the pricing via utility indifference of the right to sell a non-traded asset. Consider an agent with power utility who owns a single unit of an indivisible, non-traded asset, and who wishes to choose the optimum time to sell this asset. Suppose that this right to sell f...

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Main Authors: Evans, J, Henderson, V, Hobson, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2008
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author Evans, J
Henderson, V
Hobson, D
author_facet Evans, J
Henderson, V
Hobson, D
author_sort Evans, J
collection OXFORD
description In this paper, we investigate the pricing via utility indifference of the right to sell a non-traded asset. Consider an agent with power utility who owns a single unit of an indivisible, non-traded asset, and who wishes to choose the optimum time to sell this asset. Suppose that this right to sell forms just part of the wealth of the agent, and that other wealth may be invested in a complete frictionless market. We formulate the problem as a mixed stochastic control/optimal stopping problem, which we then solve. We determine the optimal behavior of the agent, including the optimal criteria for the timing of the sale. It turns out that the optimal strategy is to sell the non-traded asset the first time that its value exceeds a certain proportion of the agent's trading wealth. Further, it is possible to characterize this proportion as the solution to a transcendental equation. © Copyright the Authors.
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spelling oxford-uuid:54bdbc48-8c12-4cdb-94e8-62dc7063ae472022-03-26T16:39:46ZOptimal timing for an indivisible asset saleJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:54bdbc48-8c12-4cdb-94e8-62dc7063ae47EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008Evans, JHenderson, VHobson, DIn this paper, we investigate the pricing via utility indifference of the right to sell a non-traded asset. Consider an agent with power utility who owns a single unit of an indivisible, non-traded asset, and who wishes to choose the optimum time to sell this asset. Suppose that this right to sell forms just part of the wealth of the agent, and that other wealth may be invested in a complete frictionless market. We formulate the problem as a mixed stochastic control/optimal stopping problem, which we then solve. We determine the optimal behavior of the agent, including the optimal criteria for the timing of the sale. It turns out that the optimal strategy is to sell the non-traded asset the first time that its value exceeds a certain proportion of the agent's trading wealth. Further, it is possible to characterize this proportion as the solution to a transcendental equation. © Copyright the Authors.
spellingShingle Evans, J
Henderson, V
Hobson, D
Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title_full Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title_fullStr Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title_full_unstemmed Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title_short Optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
title_sort optimal timing for an indivisible asset sale
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AT hendersonv optimaltimingforanindivisibleassetsale
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