Optimal dividends problem with a terminal value for spectrally positive Levy processes

Abstract: In this paper we consider a modified version of the classical optimal dividends problem of de Finetti in which the dividend payments subject to a penalty at ruin. We assume that the risk process is modeled by a general spectrally positive Levy process before dividends are deducted. Using the fluctuation theory of spectrally positive Levy processes we give an explicit expression of the value function of a barrier strategy. Subsequently we show that a barrier strategy is the optimal strategy among all admissible ones. Our work is motivated by the recent work of Bayraktar, Kyprianou and Yamazaki (2013).