Markov decision process algorithms for wealth allocation problems with defaultable bonds

This paper is concerned with analysing optimal wealth allocation techniques within a defaultable financial market similar to Bielecki and Jang (2007). It studies a portfolio optimization problem combining a continuous-time jump market and a defaultable security; and presents numerical solutions through the conversion into a Markov decision process and characterization of its value function as a unique fixed point to a contracting operator. This work analyses allocation strategies under several families of utilities functions, and highlights significant portfolio selection differences with previously reported results