CATNet: A geometric deep learning approach for CAT bond spread prediction in the primary market

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Domfeh, Dixon, Safarveisi, Saeid
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Domfeh, Dixon
Safarveisi, Saeid
author_facet Domfeh, Dixon
Safarveisi, Saeid
contents Traditional models for pricing catastrophe (CAT) bonds struggle to capture the complex, relational data inherent in these instruments. This paper introduces CATNet, a novel framework that applies a geometric deep learning architecture, the Relational Graph Convolutional Network (R-GCN), to model the CAT bond primary market as a graph, leveraging its underlying network structure for spread prediction. Our analysis reveals that the CAT bond market exhibits the characteristics of a scale-free network, a structure dominated by a few highly connected and influential hubs. CATNet demonstrates higher predictive performance, significantly outperforming strong Random Forest and XGBoost benchmarks. Interpretability analysis confirms that the network's topological properties are not mere statistical artifacts; they are quantitative proxies for long-held industry intuition regarding issuer reputation, underwriter influence, and peril concentration. This research provides evidence that network connectivity is a key determinant of price, offering a new paradigm for risk assessment and proving that graph-based models can deliver both state-of-the-art accuracy and deeper, quantifiable market insights.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_10208
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle CATNet: A geometric deep learning approach for CAT bond spread prediction in the primary market
Domfeh, Dixon
Safarveisi, Saeid
Pricing of Securities
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Computational Finance
Risk Management
Traditional models for pricing catastrophe (CAT) bonds struggle to capture the complex, relational data inherent in these instruments. This paper introduces CATNet, a novel framework that applies a geometric deep learning architecture, the Relational Graph Convolutional Network (R-GCN), to model the CAT bond primary market as a graph, leveraging its underlying network structure for spread prediction. Our analysis reveals that the CAT bond market exhibits the characteristics of a scale-free network, a structure dominated by a few highly connected and influential hubs. CATNet demonstrates higher predictive performance, significantly outperforming strong Random Forest and XGBoost benchmarks. Interpretability analysis confirms that the network's topological properties are not mere statistical artifacts; they are quantitative proxies for long-held industry intuition regarding issuer reputation, underwriter influence, and peril concentration. This research provides evidence that network connectivity is a key determinant of price, offering a new paradigm for risk assessment and proving that graph-based models can deliver both state-of-the-art accuracy and deeper, quantifiable market insights.
title CATNet: A geometric deep learning approach for CAT bond spread prediction in the primary market
topic Pricing of Securities
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Computational Finance
Risk Management
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10208