Accept A Higher Possibility of Losses
Accept A Higher Possibility of Losses
GRADUATE SCHOOL
NARRATIVE REPORT
Topic Content/Discussion:
Chapter 8
Risk and Rates of Return
Learning Objectives
Explain the difference between stand-alone risk and risk in a portfolio context.
Describe how risk a version affects a stock’s required rate of return.
Discuss the difference between diversifiable risk and market risk, and explain how each type of risk affects
well-diversified investors.
Describe what the CAPM is and illustrate how it can be used to estimate a stock’s required rate of return.
Discuss how changes in the general stock and bond markets could lead to changes in the required rate of return
on a firm’s stock.
Discuss how changes in a firm’s operations might lead to changes in the required rate of return on the firm’s
stock.
The risk-return tradeoff states that the potential return rises with an increase in risk. Using this principle,
individuals associate low levels of uncertainty with low potential returns, and high levels of uncertainty or risk
with high potential returns. According to the risk-return tradeoff, invested money can render higher profits
only if the investor will accept a higher possibility of losses.
1. Probability distributions - listing of possible outcomes or events with probability assigned to each
outcome.
2. Expected Rates of Return, - the rate of return to be realized from an investment; the weighted average
of probability distribution of possible results
3. Historical, or past realized, rates of return
4. Standard Deviation – a statistical measure of variability of a set of observations.
5. Coefficient of variation (CV) – the standardized measure of the risk per unit of return; calculated as the
standard deviation divided by the expected return.
6. Sharpe Ratio – the measure of stand-alone risk that compares the asset’s realized excess return to its
standard deviation over a specified period
Risk Aversion – risk averse investor dislike risk and require higher rates of return as an inducement to riskier
securities.
Risk Premium - the difference between the expected rate of return on a given risky asset and that on a less
risky asset.
A model based on the proposition that any stock’s required rate of return is equal to the risk-free rate of return
plus a risk premium that reflects only the risk remaining after diversification
Diversification – is the process of allocating capital in a way to reduces the exposure to any one particular
asset or risk.
Expected Return on a Portfolio – the weighted average of the expected returns on the assets held in the
portfolio
Portfolio Risk - is a chance that the combination of assets or units, within the investments that you own, fail
to meet financial objectives. Each investment within a portfolio carries its own risk, with higher potential
return typically meaning higher risk.
Diversifiable Risk – the part of security’s risk associated with random events; it is eliminated by proper
diversification. This risk is also known as company specific or unsystematic risk
Examples: lawsuits, strikes, successful and unsuccessful marketing and R&D program etc.
Market Risk – the risks remains in a portfolio after diversification has eliminated all company-specific risk.
This risk is also known as nondiversifiable or systematic or beta risk.
Examples: war inflation, recessions, high interest rates, and other macro factors.
Relevant Risk – the risk that remains once a stock is in a diversified portfolio is its contribution to the
portfolio’s market risk. It is measured by the extent to which the stock moves up or down with the market.
Beta Coefficient, b – a metric that shows the extent to which a given stock’s returns move up and down with
the stock market. Beta measures market risk
Average Stock’s Beta, bA=1 – because an average-risk stock is one that tends to move up and down in step
with the general market.
Market Risk Premium RPM – the additional return over the risk-free rate needed to compensate investors
for assuming an average amount of risk.
Required return on stock = Risk-free return + Premium for the stock’s risk
Security Market Line (SML) Equation = an equation that shows the relationship between risk as measured
by beta and the required rates of return on individual securities.
A nominal interest rate refers to the interest rate before taking inflation into account. It is the interest rate
quoted on bonds and loans. The nominal interest rate is a simple concept to understand. If you borrow $100 at
a 6% interest rate, you can expect to pay $6 in interest without taking inflation into account. The disadvantage
of using the nominal interest rate is that it does not adjust for the inflation rate.