DTSSM (Duration Times Spread) for CDS: A New Measure of Spread Sensitivityy

We extend the study of Ben Dor, Dynkin, Hyman, Houweling, Leeuwen and Penninga [2007] on the behaviour of corporate bond spreads to the realm of credit default swaps using a new estimation technique. The quasi-maximum likelihood approach we employ can accommodate the stochastic nature of the relation between spread volatility and spread level. Consistent with the results for corporate bonds, we find support for a linear relationship between spread volatility and spread level with some evidence of non-linear effects.