On the semimartingale property of discounted asset-price processes

A financial market model where agents trade using realistic combinations of simple (i.e., finite combinations of buy-and-hold) no-short-sales strategies is considered. Minimal assumptions are made on the discounted asset-price process — in particular, the semimartingale property is not assumed. Via a natural market viability assumption, namely, absence of arbitrage of the first kind, we establish that discounted asset-prices have to be semimartingales. Our main result can also be regarded as reminiscent of the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing.

► The semimartingale property of asset prices is established via market viability. ► The Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing and semimartingales are connected. ► Solvability of utility maximization implies semimartingale property of asset prices.