How to compute investment return? How to measure investment risk? We will show that historically,
Over the long run, on average, investments with higher risk earn higher return.
Financial Market History: A Longer Horizon
Source: Jeremy J. Siegel, Stocks for the Long Run, 5th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014).
Average Annual Risk Premiums for Five Portfolios
Historical Average Return i1 n
• If you are making a guess about the size of the return for a
year selected at random, your best guess might be 11.7%.
Suppose you invested $1,000 in stock at $25 per share. After one year, the price increases to $35. For each share, you also receive $2 in dividends.
Dividend Yield = $2/$25 = 8% Capital Gains Yield = ($35 - $25)/$25 = 40% Total Percentage Return = 8% + 40% = 48% Total Dollar Return = 48% of $1,000 = $480 At the end of the year, the value of your $1,000 investment is $1,480