澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网

Is There a Positive Correlation Between Risk and Return?

Yes, there is a positive correlation (a relationship between two variables in which both move in the same direction) between risk and return—with one important 🐬caveat. There is no guarantee that taking greater risk rꦆesults in a greater return. Rather, taking greater risk may result in the loss of a larger amount of capital.

A more correct statement may be that there is a positive correlation between the amount of risk and the potential for return. Generally, a lower risk investment has a lowe🐲r potential for profit. A higher risk investment has a higher potential for profit but also a potential for a greater loss.

key takeaways

  • A positive correlation exists between risk and return: the greater the risk, the higher the potential for profit or loss.
  • Using the risk-reward tradeoff principle, low levels of uncertainty (risk) are associated with low returns and high levels of uncertainty with high returns.
  • An investor needs to understand his individual risk tolerance when constructing a portfolio.

Risk and Investments

The risk associated with investments can be thought of as lying along a spectrum. On the low-risk end, there are short-term 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:government bonds with low yields. The middle of the spectrum may contain investments such as rental property or high-yield debt. On the high-risk end of the spectrum are equity investments, futures and commodity contracts, including options.

Investments with different levels of risk are often placed together in a portfolio to maximize returns while minimizing the possibility of 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:volatility and loss. 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Modern portfolio theory (MPT) uses statistical techniques to determine an 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:efficient frontier that results in the lowest risk for a given 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:rate of return. Using the concepts of this theory, assets are combined in a portfolio based on statistical measurements such as 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:standard deviation and correlation.

The Risk-Return Tradeoff

The correlation between the hazards one runs in investing and the performance of investments is known as the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:risk-return tradeoff. The risk-return tradeoff states the higher the risk, the higher the reward—and vice versa. Using this principle, low levels of uncertainty (risk) are associated with low potentia🍸l returns and high levels of uncertainty 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.

Investors consider the risk-return tradeoff as one of the essenti🅰al components of d꧃ecision-making. They also use it to assess their portfolios as a whole.

Risk Tolerance

An investor needs to understand his individual 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:risk tolerance when constructing a portfolio of assets. Risk tolerance varies among investor𓆉s. Factors that impact 🌟risk tolerance may include:

  • the amount of time remaining until retirement
  • the size of the portfolio
  • future earnings potential
  • ability to replace lost funds
  • the presence of other types of assets: equity in a home, a pension plan, an insurance policy

Managing Risk and Return

Formulas, strܫategies, and algorithms abound that are dedꦡicated to analyzing and attempting to quantify the relationship between risk and return.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Roy's safety-first criterion, also known as the SFRatio, is an approach to investment decisions that sets a minimum required return for a given level of risk. Its formula provides a probability of getting a minimum-required return on a portfolio; an investor's optimal decision is to choose the portfolio with the hi꧃ghest SFRatio.

Another popular measure is the 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Sharpe ratio. This calculation compares an asset's, fund's, or portfolio's retur🔥n to the performance of a risk-free investment, most commonly the thꦉree-month U.S. Treasury bill. The greater the Sharpe ratio, the better the risk-adjusted performance.  

Compare Accounts
The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.

Related Articles