The Black-Scholes-Merton (BSM) model is the cornerstone of derivatives pricing. However, because of its limitations, several extensions have been developed since its introduction. Reference [1] explores another direction for extending option pricing models by incorporating the roughness of volatility.
Specifically, the authors implement the rough Bergomi and rough Heston models and compare their performance with standard stochastic volatility models, including one with jumps. The study uses KOSPI 200 options data from January 2003 through June 2025, covering 5,571 trading days. Only at-the-money (ATM) and out-of-the-money (OTM) options with maturities of up to 180 days are included. The models are then evaluated both in-sample and out-of-sample.
The author pointed out,
This study compares the pricing performance of the rough volatility models (rBergomi and rHeston) and the classical models (SV; SVJDE ; SVJLN) in the KOSPI 200 index options market, applying the deep surrogate methodology in daily calibration and out-of-sample forecasting experiments over the 22 years from 2003 to 2025. In-sample, the nine-parameter SVJDE model performed best, but the difference from the rBergomi model, which uses only three core parameters, was not large. Out of sample, by contrast, rBergomi performed best at every forecast horizon. We attribute this to a structural limitation of the SVJ models, whose jump parameters overfit the current-day surface and cannot adapt to market conditions that change abruptly in a crisis. rBergomi, in contrast, maintained stable performance even in extreme environments, owing to its parsimony and to the structural flexibility of being able to reestimate the entire forward variance curve.
In short, the paper finds that KOSPI 200 volatility is empirically rough and that the rough Bergomi model delivers the best out-of-sample pricing performance.
It is worth noting that although the rough Bergomi model appears to have fewer parameters (three), its reliance on the forward volatility curve as an input effectively increases the number of parameters required.
While the study demonstrates the usefulness and strong pricing performance of rough volatility models, their effectiveness in hedging and trading remains to be evaluated.
Let us know what you think in the comments below or in the discussion forum.
References
[1] Jang, W. W. (2026). Empirical performance of rough volatility models in the KOSPI 200 options market using deep surrogates, Journal of Derivatives and Quantitative Studies.
Article Source Here: Do Rough Volatility Models Improve Option Pricing?
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