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Impara Risk Assessment: Volatility and Sharpe Ratio | Investment Metrics and Portfolio Analysis
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bookRisk Assessment: Volatility and Sharpe Ratio

Understanding risk is essential for any investor. Volatility is a primary measure of risk, representing how much a portfolio's returns fluctuate over time. A portfolio with high volatility experiences larger swings in value, while a portfolio with low volatility is more stable. However, risk is not just about how much returns move—it's also about how those returns compare to the risk taken. This is where the Sharpe Ratio comes in. The Sharpe Ratio is a popular metric that helps investors evaluate the risk-adjusted performance of a portfolio by comparing its excess return (over a risk-free rate) to its volatility.

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import numpy as np import pandas as pd # Simulated daily returns for a portfolio (as from previous examples) portfolio_returns = pd.Series([0.001, 0.002, -0.0015, 0.0025, -0.0005, 0.0012, 0.0008]) # Calculate portfolio volatility (standard deviation of returns) volatility = portfolio_returns.std() print(f"Portfolio Volatility: {volatility:.4f}")
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The Sharpe Ratio helps you understand how much excess return you receive for the extra volatility you endure by holding a riskier asset. The formula for the Sharpe Ratio is:

Sharpe Ratio = (Portfolio Return - Risk-Free Rate) / Portfolio Volatility

Here, the portfolio return is typically the average return over a period, the risk-free rate is the return of a theoretically riskless investment (such as U.S. Treasury bills), and portfolio volatility is the standard deviation of returns, as calculated above. A higher Sharpe Ratio means better risk-adjusted performance, indicating that the portfolio is providing more return per unit of risk.

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# Assume an annualized risk-free rate (e.g., 2% per year, converted to daily) risk_free_rate_daily = 0.02 / 252 # Calculate mean daily portfolio return mean_return = portfolio_returns.mean() # Calculate Sharpe Ratio sharpe_ratio = (mean_return - risk_free_rate_daily) / volatility print(f"Sharpe Ratio: {sharpe_ratio:.2f}")
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1. What does a higher Sharpe Ratio indicate about a portfolio?

2. Why is volatility important for investors?

3. What is typically used as the risk-free rate in Sharpe Ratio calculations?

question mark

What does a higher Sharpe Ratio indicate about a portfolio?

Select the correct answer

question mark

Why is volatility important for investors?

Select the correct answer

question mark

What is typically used as the risk-free rate in Sharpe Ratio calculations?

Select the correct answer

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Grazie per i tuoi commenti!

Sezione 2. Capitolo 2

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Suggested prompts:

Can you explain what a good Sharpe Ratio value is?

How do I interpret the Sharpe Ratio result in this example?

What are some limitations of using the Sharpe Ratio?

bookRisk Assessment: Volatility and Sharpe Ratio

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Understanding risk is essential for any investor. Volatility is a primary measure of risk, representing how much a portfolio's returns fluctuate over time. A portfolio with high volatility experiences larger swings in value, while a portfolio with low volatility is more stable. However, risk is not just about how much returns move—it's also about how those returns compare to the risk taken. This is where the Sharpe Ratio comes in. The Sharpe Ratio is a popular metric that helps investors evaluate the risk-adjusted performance of a portfolio by comparing its excess return (over a risk-free rate) to its volatility.

12345678910
import numpy as np import pandas as pd # Simulated daily returns for a portfolio (as from previous examples) portfolio_returns = pd.Series([0.001, 0.002, -0.0015, 0.0025, -0.0005, 0.0012, 0.0008]) # Calculate portfolio volatility (standard deviation of returns) volatility = portfolio_returns.std() print(f"Portfolio Volatility: {volatility:.4f}")
copy

The Sharpe Ratio helps you understand how much excess return you receive for the extra volatility you endure by holding a riskier asset. The formula for the Sharpe Ratio is:

Sharpe Ratio = (Portfolio Return - Risk-Free Rate) / Portfolio Volatility

Here, the portfolio return is typically the average return over a period, the risk-free rate is the return of a theoretically riskless investment (such as U.S. Treasury bills), and portfolio volatility is the standard deviation of returns, as calculated above. A higher Sharpe Ratio means better risk-adjusted performance, indicating that the portfolio is providing more return per unit of risk.

12345678910
# Assume an annualized risk-free rate (e.g., 2% per year, converted to daily) risk_free_rate_daily = 0.02 / 252 # Calculate mean daily portfolio return mean_return = portfolio_returns.mean() # Calculate Sharpe Ratio sharpe_ratio = (mean_return - risk_free_rate_daily) / volatility print(f"Sharpe Ratio: {sharpe_ratio:.2f}")
copy

1. What does a higher Sharpe Ratio indicate about a portfolio?

2. Why is volatility important for investors?

3. What is typically used as the risk-free rate in Sharpe Ratio calculations?

question mark

What does a higher Sharpe Ratio indicate about a portfolio?

Select the correct answer

question mark

Why is volatility important for investors?

Select the correct answer

question mark

What is typically used as the risk-free rate in Sharpe Ratio calculations?

Select the correct answer

Tutto è chiaro?

Come possiamo migliorarlo?

Grazie per i tuoi commenti!

Sezione 2. Capitolo 2
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