What Is a Mutual Fund Beta? (2024)

ByKent Thune

Updated on April 2, 2022

Reviewed byGordon Scott

What Is a Mutual Fund Beta? (1)

Definition

A mutual fund's beta is a measure of how volatile an investor can expect the fund to be compared to the overall market. A beta of more than one means that the fund is more volatile than the overall market, and a beta of less than one means that it is less volatile.

Key Takeaways

  • The beta for mutual funds is a statistical measure that can help to predict the volatility of the fund.
  • Beta can help to ensure that the investor is selecting a fund that suits their risk tolerance and investment objective.
  • Beta can also be used to help diversify the risk tolerance of a portfolio.
  • Beta is just one tool for diversification, and investors should also be aware of other methods of risk control, such as asset allocation.

Definition and Example of a Mutual Fund Beta

Beta, as it pertains to mutual fund investing, is a measure of a particular fund's sensitivity to movement in the broader market. In other words, it's a measure of volatility.

The beta for the market is exactly 1. If the mutual fund beta is 1.1, this indicates that, when the benchmark index is up, the fund has historically performed 10% better than that index. Conversely, when the benchmark index is down, a mutual fund with a beta of 1.1 can be expected to decline by 10% more than the index.

A fund can also have a beta that is lower than the benchmark index. In that case, if the fund's beta is 0.9, an investor can expect the fund to perform 10% worse than the index in up markets, and 10% better in down markets. For example, if the index gains 10%, the fund would be expected to gain 9%. If the market falls by 10%, the fund would be expected to decline in value by 9%.

Note

The higher a fund's beta, the higher its highs, and the lower its lows. A fund with a low beta will better protect investors during downturns, but they will miss out on some gains during bull markets.

How Does a Mutual Fund Beta Work?

As an example, consider a hypothetical fund that tracks the with a beta of 1.1. If the S&P rose by 10% one year, an investor who owned the hypothetical fund would have a return of 11%. If the S&P 500 index fell by 10% during the given year, the fund with a beta of 1.1 would be expected to fall by 11% during that year.

A mutual fund investor can use beta information to better plan their fund selection and match their investments with their investing style. If they're willing to tolerate wide swings in the fund's net asset value (NAV), then they may choose a fund with a high beta. These would be aggressive investors who are seeking high returns and willing to tolerate more volatility.

Note

A conservative mutual fund investor who is looking for a fund with less volatility may seek out a fund with a beta of less than 1.

Investors don't have to go all-in on a mutual fund with either high or low volatility. They may also choose to use a core and satellite investment strategy to diversify around a core holding. The core—where the bulk of their money is invested—represents the risk tolerance they're most comfortable with. Then, they build smaller "satellite" investments with different betas around that core. In this regard, beta can be used to better control volatility as you diversify and build a portfolio of mutual funds.

Alternatives to a Mutual Fund Beta

Beta is a statistical measure that can be quite useful for diversification and advanced risk/volatility measurement purposes. However, the average investor might not find it necessary to use beta in the process of choosing mutual funds. Many mutual fund summaries simplify the risk section—potential investors will often see the risk of a mutual fund listed in simple terms like "aggressive" or "conservative."

The overall risk of a given portfolio is determined by its unique asset allocation—the mix of various types of funds held. While beta can help you control risk exposure, diverse asset allocation is also important. For example, if you use an S&P 500 index fund for a core holding, you will need to choose other funds that are not investing in the same holdings as the index. In this case, since the S&P 500 index consists of large U.S. stocks, the investor could diversify with small-cap stock funds, international funds, and bond funds.

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Sources

The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Morningstar. "Beta: What is Beta?" Accessed Sept. 26, 2020.

What Is a Mutual Fund Beta? (2024)

FAQs

What Is a Mutual Fund Beta? ›

Beta of a mutual fund scheme is the volatility of the scheme relative to its market benchmark. If beta of a scheme is more than 1, then scheme is more volatile than its benchmark. If beta is less than 1, then the scheme is less volatile than the benchmark.

What is a good beta for a mutual fund? ›

Any beta less than 1 denotes lower volatility and higher than 1 denotes more volatility compared to the benchmark index. For example, if your mutual fund portfolio XYZ has a beta of 0.70, it denotes lower volatility. This means that for every rise or fall of 1 in the market, the value of XYZ may rise or fall by 0.70.

What does a 100% beta mean? ›

Beta greater than 1: This denotes a volatility that is greater than the broad-based index. Many new technology companies have a beta higher than 1. Beta greater than 100: This is impossible, as it indicates volatility that is 100 times greater than the market.

What is the beta score of a mutual fund? ›

A beta of 1.0 indicates that the investment's price will move in lock-step with the market. A beta of less than 1.0 indicates that the investment will be less volatile than the market. Correspondingly, a beta of more than 1.0 indicates that the investment's price will be more volatile than the market.

What is a good beta ratio? ›

Key Takeaways. Beta is a concept that measures the expected move in a stock relative to movements in the overall market. A beta greater than 1.0 suggests that the stock is more volatile than the broader market, and a beta less than 1.0 indicates a stock with lower volatility.

Is 0.5 a good beta? ›

Betas less than 1.0 indicate less volatility: if the stock had a beta of 0.5, it would have risen or fallen just half a percent as the index moved 1%.

What is the ideal beta for a portfolio? ›

Beta is the risk-reward measurement that informs investors how sensitive their portfolio is to market changes. The market benchmark index sits at a 1.0, and for the lowest possible volatility in a portfolio, investors need to try to remain as close to a 1.0 as possible.

What is considered a bad beta? ›

There is no such thing as an empirically “good” or “bad” beta for a stock. The type of beta you want for your portfolio depends on the type of investor you are. If you're building a high-dividend, low-volatility portfolio that's of a more conservative nature, a low beta — below 1.0 — is likely a good choice for you.

What is the beta of the S&P 500? ›

The beta of the S&P 500 is expressed as 1.0. The beta of an individual stock is based on how it performs in relation to the index's beta. A stock with a beta of 1.0 indicates that it moves in tandem with the S&P 500.

What is an acceptable beta? ›

Beta = 1 – Power. Values of beta should be kept small, but do not have to be as small as alpha values. Values between . 05 and . 20 are acceptable.

How to check mutual fund beta? ›

Actually, beta is calculated statistically by fitting a line through a plot of excess monthly returns of the fund over risk free rate (on Y-axis) versus excess monthly returns of market benchmark over risk free rate – the slope or gradient of the best fit line through this plot is the Beta of the fund.

What beta is considered high risk? ›

Beta helps investors understand the systematic risk of a stock and its potential reaction to market changes. If the beta score exceeds 1, it implies a higher level of volatility, whereas a beta score below 1 indicates lower volatility.

What is a good Sharpe Ratio for a mutual fund? ›

This tells us that with a Sharpe ratio of 2, Portfolio B provides a superior return on a risk-adjusted basis. Generally speaking, a Sharpe ratio between 1 and 2 is considered good. A ratio between 2 and 3 is very good, and any result higher than 3 is excellent.

What is a reasonable beta? ›

What Is a Good Beta Value? A beta value between 0.8 and 1.2 is ideal. It shows a stock's movements are similar to the market, like the S&P 500. A beta under 1 means the stock is less volatile than the market.

What is a normal first beta? ›

In general, a beta hCG level of over 100 is generally considered a good, positive result. But what's more important than the absolute beta number that helps determine normal levels is the rate of increase over time (it should double every 48 hours).

What is the acceptable beta ratio? ›

Beta Ratio is the ratio between the line inner diameter to bore size of the orifice. The flow coefficient is found to be stable between beta ratio of 0.2 to 0.7 below which the uncertainity in flow measurement increases.

Is a beta of 1.2 good? ›

If a stock has a beta of 1.2, it might be considered 20 percent riskier than the benchmark and therefore should compensate investors with a higher expected return. If the index returned 10 percent, the stock should return 12 percent.

What is an acceptable beta value? ›

Values of beta should be kept small, but do not have to be as small as alpha values. Values between . 05 and . 20 are acceptable.

What is considered to be a good beta? ›

For investors who are seeking lower-risk investments, a beta close to 1 may be considered "good." For investors who have a higher tolerance for risk and are seeking higher returns, a beta greater than 1 may be considered "good."

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