A comparison principle between rough and non-rough Heston models - with applications to the volatility surface

Abstract: We present a number of related comparison results, which allow to compare moment explosion times, moment generating functions and critical moments between rough and non-rough Heston models of stochastic volatility. All results are based on a comparison principle for certain non-linear Volterra integral equations. Our upper bound for the moment explosion time is different from the bound introduced by Gerhold, Gerstenecker and Pinter (2018) and tighter for typical parameter values. The results can be directly transferred to a comparison principle for the asymptotic slope of implied volatility between rough and non-rough Heston models. This principle shows that the ratio of implied volatility slopes in the rough vs. the non-rough Heston model increases at least with power-law behavior for small maturities.