Binomial exponential-utility terminal wealth 2026-10-14
For unrestricted final portfolio wealth in an -period binomial market, write for the bank growth factor, for absolute risk aversion, and for the binomial-market probability density. The displayed optimizer has the state-price budget constraint . Its exponential utility derivative satisfies for a constant . The concave supporting-tangent inequality bounds any competing expected utility by this value, because the expected linear error is . Strict concavity proves uniqueness, and market completeness supplies replication. The formula is altered by a constraint requiring nonnegative final wealth. With physical up probability and risk-neutral probability , .