REAL OPTIONS VOLATILITY ESTIMATION WITH CORRELATED INPUTS

Real Options Analysis (ROA) provides a framework for valuing reactive and proactive managerial flexibility in investment decisions. Estimating the volatility parameter for a real options model is challenging because there are typically no historical returns for the underlying asset and no current market prices. A previously developed method of using simulation to estimate the volatility parameter for a real investment is demonstrated. The effects of serial price correlation and price-demand cross-correlation on volatility parameters developed with this method are explained. Finally, managerial implications of these findings are discussed.