Glossary for Investors

Beta

In investing, Beta is a measure of the sensitivity of a security or portfolio to broad market movements. The beta of the market index is 1.0. A security with a beta of greater than 1.0 tends to rise or fall more than the market; a security with a beta of less than 1.0 tends to rise or fall less than the market. The term “beta” can also indicate the portion of portfolio returns that result from market exposure, rather than from manager strategies or skill (alpha).

Alternative and private-market assets tend to exhibit lower Beta values.

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