What is Merton Model?
The Merton Model, also known as the Structural Credit Risk Model, is a financial model developed by economist Robert C. Merton. It provides a framework for assessing the credit risk of a company's debt by analyzing the relationship between the company's assets and liabilities. The model is based on the idea that a company defaults on its debt when the value of its assets falls below a certain threshold relative to its liabilities.
Assumptions:
The company's assets follow a geometric Brownian motion, similar to stock prices in the Black-Scholes model for options pricing.
The company has a single, risk-free debt obligation with a fixed maturity.
The company's liabilities are assumed to be constant and known.
The default threshold represents the point at which the value of the company's assets falls below its liabilities, leading to default. This threshold can be expressed as the ratio of the company's liabilities to its assets.
How to Calculate Merton Model?
Merton Model calculator uses Distance to the Default = ln(Market Value of Company Assets/Market Value of Company Debt)+((Risk Free Interest Rate+(Volatility of Company Asset Value)^2/2)*Time to Maturity)/(Volatility of Company Asset Value*sqrt(Time to Maturity)) to calculate the Distance to the Default, The Merton Model formula is defined as a financial model developed by economist Robert C. Merton. It provides a framework for assessing the credit risk of a company's debt by analyzing the relationship between the company's assets and liabilities. Distance to the Default is denoted by DD symbol.
How to calculate Merton Model using this online calculator? To use this online calculator for Merton Model, enter Market Value of Company Assets (V), Market Value of Company Debt (DM), Risk Free Interest Rate (Rf), Volatility of Company Asset Value (σcav) & Time to Maturity (T) and hit the calculate button. Here is how the Merton Model calculation can be explained with given input values -> 126.1931 = ln(20000/10000)+((5+(0.2)^2/2)*25)/(0.2*sqrt(25)).