A stock that swings more than the market over time has a beta above 1.0. If a stock moves less than the market, the stock’s beta is less than 1.0. High-beta stocks are supposed to be riskier but provide higher return potential; low-beta stocks pose less risk but also lower returns.

What does the standard deviation tell you in stocks?

Standard deviation helps determine market volatility or the spread of asset prices from their average price. When prices move wildly, standard deviation is high, meaning an investment will be risky. Low standard deviation means prices are calm, so investments come with low risk.

How is the expected return of a stock calculated?

Thus, an investor might shy away from stocks with high standard deviations from their average return, even if their calculations show the investment to offer an excellent average return. It’s also important to keep in mind that expected return is calculated based on a stock’s past performance.

What is the expected return on an investment portfolio?

To illustrate the expected return for an investment portfolio, let’s assume the portfolio is comprised of investments in three assets – X, Y, and Z. $2,000 is invested in X, $5,000 invested in Y, and $3,000 is invested in Z. Assume that the expected returns for X, Y, and Z have been calculated and found to be 15%, 10%, and 20%, respectively.

How is standard deviation related to expected return?

Standard deviation represents the level of variance that occurs from the average. The concept of expected return is part of the overall process of evaluating a potential investment.

What is the purpose of the expected return?

Expected return is simply a measure of probabilities intended to show the likelihood that a given investment will generate a positive return, and what the likely return will be. The purpose of calculating the expected return on an investment is to provide an investor with an idea of probable profit vs risk.