Risk

Risk and
and
Return
Return
 Defining
Defining Return
Return
Income received on an investment
plus any change in market price,
price
usually expressed as a percent of
the beginning market price of the
investment.
Dt + (Pt - Pt-1 )
R=
Pt-1
 Return
Return Example
Example
The stock price for Stock A was $10 per
share 1 year ago. The stock is currently
trading at $9.50 per share and shareholders
just received a $1 dividend.
dividend What return
was earned over the past year?
 Return
Return Example
Example
The stock price for Stock A was $10 per
share 1 year ago. The stock is currently
trading at $9.50 per share and shareholders
just received a $1 dividend.
dividend What return
was earned over the past year?

$1.00 + ($9.50 - $10.00 )

R= = 5%
$10.00
 Defining
Defining Risk
Risk
The variability of returns from
those that are expected.
What rate of return do you expect on your
investment (savings) this year?
What rate will you actually earn?
Does it matter if it is a bank CD or a share
of stock?
 Discrete vs. Continuous
Distributions
Discrete Continuous
0.4 0.035
0.35 0.03
0.3 0.025
0.25 0.02
0.2 0.015
0.15 0.01
0.1 0.005
0.05
0
0

4%
-5%

13%
22%

49%
58%
67%
31%
40%
-32%

-14%
-50%
-41%

-15% -3% 9% 21% 33% -23%

 Determining
Determining Expected
Expected
Return
Return (Discrete
(Discrete Dist.)
Dist.)
n
R =  ( Ri )( Pi )
i=1

R is the expected return for the asset,

Ri is the return for the ith possibility,
Pi is the probability of that return
occurring,
n is the total number of possibilities.
 How
How to
to Determine
Determine the
the Expected
Expected
Return
Return and
and Standard
Standard Deviation
Deviation

Stock BW
Ri Pi (Ri)(Pi)
The
-.15 .10 -.015 expected
-.03 .20 -.006 return, R,
.09 .40 .036 for Stock
BW is .09
.21 .20 .042
or 9%
.33 .10 .033
Sum 1.00 .090
 Determining
Determining Standard
Standard
Deviation
Deviation (Risk
(Risk Measure)
Measure)
n
=  ( Ri - R )2( Pi )
i=1

Deviation , is a statistical
Standard Deviation,
measure of the variability of a distribution
around its mean.
It is the square root of variance.
Note, this is for a discrete distribution.
 How
How to
to Determine
Determine the
the Expected
Expected
Return
Return and
and Standard
Standard Deviation
Deviation

Stock BW
Ri Pi (Ri)(Pi) (Ri - R )2(Pi)
-.15 .10 -.015 .00576
-.03 .20 -.006 .00288
.09 .40 .036 .00000
.21 .20 .042 .00288
.33 .10 .033 .00576
Sum 1.00 .090 .01728
Determining
Determining Standard
Standard
Deviation
Deviation (Risk
(Risk Measure)
Measure)
n
= 
i=1
( Ri - R ) ( Pi )
2

= .01728

= .1315 or 13.15%
 Coefficient
Coefficient of
of Variation
Variation
The ratio of the standard deviation of
a distribution to the mean of that
distribution.
It is a measure of RELATIVE risk.
CV =  / R
CV of BW = .1315 / .09 = 1.46
 Determining
Determining Expected
Expected
Return
Return (Continuous
(Continuous Dist.)
Dist.)
n
R =  ( Ri ) / ( n )
i=1

R is the expected return for the asset,

Ri is the return for the ith observation,
n is the total number of observations.
 Determining
Determining Standard
Standard
Deviation
Deviation (Risk
(Risk Measure)
Measure)
n
=  ( R i - R )2
i=1

(n)
Note, this is for a continuous
distribution where the distribution is
for a population. R represents the
population mean in this example.
 Risk
Risk Attitudes
Attitudes
Certainty Equivalent (CE)
CE is the
amount of cash someone would
require with certainty at a point in
time to make the individual
indifferent between that certain
amount and an amount expected to
be received with risk at the same
point in time.
 Risk
Risk Attitudes
Attitudes
Certainty equivalent > Expected value
Risk Preference
Certainty equivalent = Expected value
Risk Indifference
Certainty equivalent < Expected value
Risk Aversion
Most individuals are Risk Averse.
Averse
 Risk Attitude Example
You have the choice between (1) a guaranteed
dollar reward or (2) a coin-flip gamble of
$100,000 (50% chance) or $0 (50% chance).
The expected value of the gamble is $50,000.
 Mary requires a guaranteed $25,000, or more, to
call off the gamble.
 Raleigh is just as happy to take $50,000 or take
the risky gamble.
 Shannon requires at least $52,000 to call off the
gamble.
 Risk
Risk Attitude
Attitude Example
Example
What are the Risk Attitude tendencies of each?

Mary shows “risk aversion” because her

“certainty equivalent” < the expected value of the
gamble.
Raleigh exhibits “risk indifference” because her
“certainty equivalent” equals the expected value
of the gamble.
Shannon reveals a “risk preference” because her
“certainty equivalent” > the expected value of the
gamble.