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About

Professional investors prioritize risk-adjusted returns over absolute gains. A portfolio generating 20% returns with extreme volatility often poses more danger than a stable 10% return asset. The Sharpe Ratio quantifies this trade-off by measuring the excess return per unit of deviation. Fund managers use this metric to determine if investment performance is due to smart decisions or excessive risk taking. Accurate calculation requires precise annualized volatility inputs and a benchmark risk-free rate.

This tool facilitates side-by-side comparison of two assets. It highlights the superior investment vehicle based on efficiency rather than raw profit. Understanding these ratios helps in constructing balanced portfolios that withstand market turbulence.

risk management investment analysis portfolio theory volatility finance

Formulas

The Sharpe Ratio S is defined as the difference between the portfolio return Rp and the risk-free rate Rf divided by the standard deviation σp.

S = Rp Rfσp

Where Rp is the expected portfolio return and σp represents portfolio volatility.

Reference Data

Asset ClassAnnual Return (Avg)Volatility (Std Dev)Risk-Free RateSharpe Ratio
S&P 500 (Historical)10.5%15.0%3.5%0.47
US Treasury Bonds5.2%4.0%3.5%0.43
Emerging Markets12.8%22.0%3.5%0.42
Corporate Bonds (IG)6.1%7.5%3.5%0.35
Gold7.8%16.0%3.5%0.27
Real Estate (REITs)11.2%19.0%3.5%0.41
Bitcoin (Cyclical)50.0%80.0%3.5%0.58
Hedge Fund Index8.5%6.5%3.5%0.77

Frequently Asked Questions

A ratio above 1.0 is generally considered good by industry standards. A value above 2.0 is rated as very good while anything above 3.0 represents excellent risk-adjusted performance. Negative values indicate the asset is performing worse than a risk-free bond.
The risk-free rate represents the theoretical return of an investment with zero risk. Investors subtract this from their asset's return to isolate the 'risk premium'. This ensures that the Sharpe Ratio only measures the compensation received for taking on additional volatility.
Yes. However cryptocurrencies often exhibit extreme volatility. When calculating the ratio for high-variance assets it is crucial to use a long enough time horizon to get a statistically significant standard deviation input.
Annualized inputs are standard. If you use monthly returns you must annualize them by multiplying the mean return by 12 and the standard deviation by the square root of 12 to maintain consistency with the annual risk-free rate.