Capital Market Line & Capital Allocation Line | CFA Level 1 - AnalystPrep (2024)

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Capital Market Line & Capital Allocation Line | CFA Level 1 - AnalystPrep (2)

portfolio-management

01 Sep 2019


We form a capital allocation line when we combine a risky asset portfolio with a risk-free asset. This represents the allocation between risk-free and risky assets based on investor risk preferences. The capital market line is a special case of the CAL, where the portfolio of risky assets is the market portfolio.

Passive and Active Portfolios

A market can be informationally efficient. In such a case, the quoted security price in the market is an unbiased estimate of all the future discounted cash flows and reflects all publicly known information about the security. If all security prices reflect all publicly available information, then, in theory, there is no way to outperform the market. If this is the investor’s belief, then investing in a passive portfolio is the simplest and most convenient approach. A passive portfolio will track and replicate the market.

Many investors do not believe the market price accurately reflects valuations. They have confidence in their ability to determine these mispricings based on their evaluation models. Such investors take an active approach to investing and overweighting undervalued assets and underweighting (or shorting, if allowed) overvalued assets. This style of investing is called active management.

The Market

The market includes all risky assets or anything that has value – stocks, bonds, real estate, human capital, and commodities. These assets are all defined in “the market.” Not all market assets are tradable or investable. If global assets are considered, hundreds of thousands of individual securities make up the market and are considered tradable and investable. A typical investor is likely to rely on their local or regional stock market as a measure of “the market”.

The Capital Market Line (CML)

The Capital Market Line (CML) is a special case of the CAL, that is, the line that makes up the allocation between a risk-free asset and a risky portfolio for an investor. In the case of the CML, the risk portfolio is the market portfolio. Where an investor has defined “the market” to be their domestic stock market index, the expected return of the market is expressed as the expected return of that index. The risk-return characteristics for the potential risk asset portfolios can be plotted to generate a Markowitz efficient frontier. The point at which the line from the risk-free asset touches or is tangential to the Markowitz portfolio is defined as the market portfolio. The line connecting the risk-free asset with the market portfolio is the CML.

Capital Market Line & Capital Allocation Line | CFA Level 1 - AnalystPrep (3)

The expected return and variance for the portfolio can be represented as follows:

$$ \text{Expectedreturn} = E(R_P) = wR_f + (1-w)E(R_m) $$

$$ \text{Variance} =\sigma_P^2 = w^2\sigma_f^2 + (1-w)^2\sigma_m^2 + 2w(1-w)Cov(R_f,R_m) $$

Where:

\(R_f\) is the return on the risk-free asset.

\(R_m\) is the return on the market.

\(w\) is the weight of the risk-free asset in the portfolio.

\(1-w\)is the weight of the market asset in the portfolio.

Theoretically, the standard deviation of the risk-free asset is zero, and the term, \(w^2\sigma_f^2\) falls out of the equation. Equally, the risk-free asset is assumed to have no covariance with the market portfolio. This means that the portfolio standard deviation is written as:

$$ \sigma_p = (1 – w)\sigma_m $$

By substitution, we can write:

$$ E(R_p) = R_f + \frac {E(R_m) – R_f}{\sigma_m}×\sigma_p $$

This is in the form of an equation of a straight line where the intercept isRf, and the slope is \(\frac {E(R_m) – R_f}{\sigma_m}\). This is the CML line which has a positive slope as the market return is greater than the risk-free return.

Question

What happens to the portfolio risk and return, respectively, as an investor moves up the CML?

A. Risk decreases, return decreases.

B. Risk increases, return decreases.

C. Risk increases, return increases.

Solution

The correct answer is C.

The overall portfolio risk and return increase as an investor moves up the CML.

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    Capital Market Line & Capital Allocation Line | CFA Level 1 - AnalystPrep (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the difference between capital market line and capital allocation line? ›

    The capital allocation line (CAL) makes up the allotment of risk-free assets and risky portfolios for an investor. CML is a special case of the CAL where the risk portfolio is the market portfolio. Thus, the slope of the CML is the Sharpe ratio of the market portfolio.

    What is the capital market line CFA Level 1? ›

    We form a capital allocation line when we combine a risky asset portfolio with a risk-free asset. This represents the allocation between risk-free and risky assets based on investor risk preferences. The capital market line is a special case of the CAL, where the portfolio of risky assets is the market portfolio.

    What is capital allocation CFA Level 1? ›

    Capital allocation describes the process companies use to make decisions on capital projects, i.e., projects with a lifespan of one year or more. It is a cost-benefit exercise that seeks to produce results and benefits which are greater than the costs of the capital allocation efforts.

    When to use SML vs CML? ›

    If you are focused on analysing individual assets and their valuation based on risk, the SML is your tool of choice. On the other hand, if you aim to construct a diversified portfolio that optimises the risk-return tradeoff, the CML provides a comprehensive framework.

    What is the relationship between CML and SML? ›

    The CML is a line that is used to show the rates of return, which depends on risk-free rates of return and levels of risk for a specific portfolio. SML, which is also called a Characteristic Line, is a graphical representation of the market's risk and return at a given time.

    What are the similarities between CML and SML? ›

    The similarities between CML and SML are: (1) The Capital Market line and Security Market line are both based on the trade-off between risk and return. (2) Both the lines intersect the vertical axis or the y-axis at the risk-free rate point.

    What is the hardest subject in CFA Level 1? ›

    Hardest topics by CFA Level

    Generally, our research shows that candidates' CFA Level 1 hardest topics are Financial Statement Analysis, Fixed Income, Quantitative Methods, Derivatives and Economics.

    How difficult is CFA level 1? ›

    The Chartered Financial Analyst credential is one of the most demanding exams on Earth when it comes to preparation and study time required. The average pass rate for the CFA Level 1 is only 41%. For Level 2, you're looking at a passage rate of 45%. And Level 3 is not much easier at 52%.

    How long does it take to prepare for CFA Level 1? ›

    Successful Level I candidates spend more than 300 hours preparing for the exam on average. The best strategy is to leave at least four months (approximately 17 weeks) to finish all the reading material. Don't neglect end-of-chapter questions.

    What are the three types of capital allocations? ›

    There are several ways to allocate capital. Some of the most common include mergers and acquisitions, capital expenditures, and R&D.

    What are the 5 principles of capital allocation? ›

    Five Key Principles in Capital Allocation Process

    Cash flows, not accounting income: Cash flows reflect the actual money exchanged during transactions, while accounting income, like net income, might include non-cash items like depreciation expense and amortization. Stick to cash flows for capital allocation decisions.

    What are the steps in capital allocation? ›

    Capital allocation is a process carried out to make decisions on investment projects lasting over a year. Capital budgeting (allocation) can be divided into four steps: idea generation, investment analysis, capital allocation planning, and monitoring and post-auditing.

    Does CAPM use SML or CML? ›

    The CAPM is a formula that yields expected return. Beta is an input into the CAPM and measures the volatility of a security relative to the overall market. SML is a graphical depiction of the CAPM and plots risks relative to expected returns.

    What does the capital market line CML show? ›

    The Capital Market Line (CML) is a graphical representation of a risk and return relationship for assets in the capital market. The CML is used by investors to identify the optimal portfolio, which is the portfolio that provides the highest return for a given level of risk.

    What is the difference between CML and SML in CAPM? ›

    Difference Between CML and SML

    There is another important graphical relationship associated with the CAPM: the capital market line, or CML. It is easy to get the CML confused with the SML, but the CML only deals with portfolio risk. The SML deals with systematic, or market risk.

    What is meant by capital allocation line? ›

    Capital allocation line (CAL) is a graph created by investors to measure the risk of risky and risk-free assets. The graph displays the return to be made by taking on a certain level of risk. Its slope is known as the "reward-to-variability ratio".

    What is capital market line allocation? ›

    The capital allocation line (CAL), also known as the capital market link, is created on a graph from the possible combinations of risk-free and risky assets. The line displays the returns investors might earn by assuming a certain level of risk with their investment.

    What do you mean by capital market line? ›

    The Capital Market Line is a graphical representation of all the portfolios that optimally combine risk and return. CML is a theoretical concept that gives optimal combinations of a risk-free asset and the market portfolio.

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