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One measure of the risk or volatility of an individual stock is the standard dev

ID: 3182482 • Letter: O

Question

One measure of the risk or volatility of an individual stock is the standard deviation of the total return (capital appreciation plus dividends) over several periods of time. Although the standard deviation is easy to compute, it does not take into account the extent to which the price of a given stock varies as a function of a standard market index, such as the S&P 500.

As a result, many financial analysts prefer to use another measure of risk referred to as beta. Betas for individual stocks are determined by simple linear regression. The dependent variable is the total return for the stock and the independent variable is the total return for the stock market. For this case problem we will use the S&P 500 index as the measure of the total return for the stock market, and an estimated regression equation will be developed using monthly data. The beta for the stock is the slope of the estimated regression equation (b1). The data contained in the file named Beta provides the total return (capital appreciation plus dividends) over 36 months for eight widely traded common stocks and the S&P 500.

The value of beta for the stock market will always be 1; thus, stocks that tend to rise and fall with the stock market will also have a beta close to 1. Betas greater than 1 indicate that the stock is more volatile than the market, and betas less than 1 indicate that the stock is less volatile than the market. For instance, if a stock has a beta of 1.4, it is 40% more volatile than the market, and if a stock has a beta of .4, it is 60% less volatile than the market.

Managerial Report

You have been assigned to analyze the risk characteristics of these stocks. Prepare a report that includes but is not limited to the following items.

A (30 points). Compute descriptive statistics for each stock and the S&P 500. Comment on your results. Which stocks are the most volatile?

B (30 points). Compute the value of beta for each stock. Which of these stocks would you expect to perform best in an up market? Which would you expect to hold their value best in a down market?

C (40 points). Comment on how much of the return for the individual stocks is explained by the market.

Month   

Microsoft

Exxon Mobil

Caterpillar

Johnson & Johnson

McDonald's

Sandisk   

Qualcomm

Procter & Gamble

S&P 500

Jan-03

-0.08201

-0.02261

-0.0304

-0.00186

-0.11443

-0.24867

0.0349

0.000465

-0.027415

Feb-03

0.00211

0.00293

0.06867

-0.01781

-0.04424

0.09363

-0.08178

-0.043356

-0.017004

Mar-03

0.02152

0.02734

0.04681

0.10334

0.06245

0.00839

0.04251

0.087833

0.008358

Apr-03

0.05576

0.00715

0.07622

-0.02609

0.18257

0.43876

-0.11444

0.013588

0.081044

May-03

-0.03717

0.04119

-0.00856

-0.03141

0.09532

0.50165

0.05395

0.021925

0.050899

Jun-03

0.04185

-0.01346

0.06731

-0.04876

0.17779

0.1164

0.07124

-0.028752

0.011322

Jul-03

0.03003

-0.00919

0.21847

0.00174

0.04306

0.39734

0.04285

-0.009587

0.016224

Aug-03

0.00417

0.06661

0.06462

-0.03804

-0.02564

0.06633

0.10459

-0.006601

0.017873

Sep-03

0.04827

-0.02918

-0.04163

-0.00121

0.04996

0.05409

0.00823

0.063352

-0.011944

Oct-03

-0.05396

-0.00055

0.06987

0.01636

0.06202

0.26491

0.13967

0.063833

0.054962

Nov-03

-0.01645

-0.00355

0.0378

-0.0157

0.0412

0.00273

-0.06043

-0.020857

0.007129

Dec-03

0.06457

0.1326

0.09165

0.04787

-0.03121

-0.24276

0.21055

0.037822

0.050765

Jan-04

0.01023

-0.00512

-0.05444

0.03407

0.03665

-0.11275

0.08678

0.01657

0.017276

Feb-04

-0.04051

0.03996

-0.03046

0.01367

0.09946

-0.06372

0.07763

0.014147

0.012209

Mar-04

-0.06031

-0.01375

0.04383

-0.05917

0.00954

0.11566

0.05072

0.02312

-0.016359

Apr-04

0.04813

0.02308

-0.01227

0.06526

-0.0469

-0.18371

-0.05778

0.013063

-0.016791

May-04

0.00383

0.0228

-0.03062

0.03637

-0.03048

0.06479

0.07541

0.019574

0.012083

Jun-04

0.08883

0.02682

0.05428

-0.00018

-0.01515

-0.12008

0.08812

0.009831

0.017989

Jul-04

-0.00245

0.04256

-0.06974

-0.00772

0.05769

0.12125

-0.05166

-0.037472

-0.034291

Aug-04

-0.03896

0.00151

-0.01075

0.05636

-0.01745

-0.03988

0.10157

0.07325

0.002287

Sep-04

0.01282

0.04837

0.1066

-0.03046

0.03738

0.24711

0.02602

-0.033053

0.009364

Oct-04

0.01157

0.01842

0.00622

0.03639

0.03996

-0.28331

0.06557

-0.049704

0.014014

Nov-04

0.06864

0.04673

0.1367

0.03811

0.07341

0.08194

0.00048

0.044939

0.038595

Dec-04

-0.00336

0.0002

0.0651

0.05139

0.04294

0.10585

0.02042

0.029918

0.032458

Jan-05

-0.01647

0.00663

-0.08204

0.02018

0.01029

-0.01081

-0.1217

-0.029049

-0.02529

Feb-05

-0.03957

0.23217

0.06678

0.01832

0.0213

0.08826

-0.03008

-0.00263

0.018903

Mar-05

-0.03935

-0.0586

-0.03798

0.02378

-0.05865

0.03423

0.01609

-0.001695

-0.019118

Apr-05

0.04675

-0.04312

-0.03259

0.02189

-0.05877

-0.14748

-0.0475

0.026981

-0.020109

May-05

0.02292

-0.00947

0.06882

-0.01749

0.05561

0.09578

0.07079

0.018467

0.029952

Jun-05

-0.03721

0.0226

0.01275

-0.0313

-0.1031

-0.08625

-0.1143

-0.043518

-0.000143

Jul-05

0.031

0.02227

0.1365

-0.016

0.12324

0.4252

0.196

0.059905

0.035968

Aug-05

0.07224

0.02451

0.02931

-0.00375

0.04107

0.14814

0.00811

-0.002696

-0.011222

Sep-05

-0.06026

0.06077

0.05875

-0.00174

0.03205

0.24234

0.12692

0.071738

0.006949

Oct-05

-0.00117

-0.11646

-0.1006

-0.01043

-0.05643

0.22056

-0.11151

-0.053649

-0.017741

Nov-05

0.08016

0.03883

0.09869

-0.00862

0.0924

-0.13281

0.14361

0.021432

0.035186

Dec-05

-0.05527

-0.03205

-0.00017

-0.02672

-0.00384

0.23032

-0.05058

0.012065

-0.000952

Month   

Microsoft

Exxon Mobil

Caterpillar

Johnson & Johnson

McDonald's

Sandisk   

Qualcomm

Procter & Gamble

S&P 500

Jan-03

-0.08201

-0.02261

-0.0304

-0.00186

-0.11443

-0.24867

0.0349

0.000465

-0.027415

Feb-03

0.00211

0.00293

0.06867

-0.01781

-0.04424

0.09363

-0.08178

-0.043356

-0.017004

Mar-03

0.02152

0.02734

0.04681

0.10334

0.06245

0.00839

0.04251

0.087833

0.008358

Apr-03

0.05576

0.00715

0.07622

-0.02609

0.18257

0.43876

-0.11444

0.013588

0.081044

May-03

-0.03717

0.04119

-0.00856

-0.03141

0.09532

0.50165

0.05395

0.021925

0.050899

Jun-03

0.04185

-0.01346

0.06731

-0.04876

0.17779

0.1164

0.07124

-0.028752

0.011322

Jul-03

0.03003

-0.00919

0.21847

0.00174

0.04306

0.39734

0.04285

-0.009587

0.016224

Aug-03

0.00417

0.06661

0.06462

-0.03804

-0.02564

0.06633

0.10459

-0.006601

0.017873

Sep-03

0.04827

-0.02918

-0.04163

-0.00121

0.04996

0.05409

0.00823

0.063352

-0.011944

Oct-03

-0.05396

-0.00055

0.06987

0.01636

0.06202

0.26491

0.13967

0.063833

0.054962

Nov-03

-0.01645

-0.00355

0.0378

-0.0157

0.0412

0.00273

-0.06043

-0.020857

0.007129

Dec-03

0.06457

0.1326

0.09165

0.04787

-0.03121

-0.24276

0.21055

0.037822

0.050765

Jan-04

0.01023

-0.00512

-0.05444

0.03407

0.03665

-0.11275

0.08678

0.01657

0.017276

Feb-04

-0.04051

0.03996

-0.03046

0.01367

0.09946

-0.06372

0.07763

0.014147

0.012209

Mar-04

-0.06031

-0.01375

0.04383

-0.05917

0.00954

0.11566

0.05072

0.02312

-0.016359

Apr-04

0.04813

0.02308

-0.01227

0.06526

-0.0469

-0.18371

-0.05778

0.013063

-0.016791

May-04

0.00383

0.0228

-0.03062

0.03637

-0.03048

0.06479

0.07541

0.019574

0.012083

Jun-04

0.08883

0.02682

0.05428

-0.00018

-0.01515

-0.12008

0.08812

0.009831

0.017989

Jul-04

-0.00245

0.04256

-0.06974

-0.00772

0.05769

0.12125

-0.05166

-0.037472

-0.034291

Aug-04

-0.03896

0.00151

-0.01075

0.05636

-0.01745

-0.03988

0.10157

0.07325

0.002287

Sep-04

0.01282

0.04837

0.1066

-0.03046

0.03738

0.24711

0.02602

-0.033053

0.009364

Oct-04

0.01157

0.01842

0.00622

0.03639

0.03996

-0.28331

0.06557

-0.049704

0.014014

Nov-04

0.06864

0.04673

0.1367

0.03811

0.07341

0.08194

0.00048

0.044939

0.038595

Dec-04

-0.00336

0.0002

0.0651

0.05139

0.04294

0.10585

0.02042

0.029918

0.032458

Jan-05

-0.01647

0.00663

-0.08204

0.02018

0.01029

-0.01081

-0.1217

-0.029049

-0.02529

Feb-05

-0.03957

0.23217

0.06678

0.01832

0.0213

0.08826

-0.03008

-0.00263

0.018903

Mar-05

-0.03935

-0.0586

-0.03798

0.02378

-0.05865

0.03423

0.01609

-0.001695

-0.019118

Apr-05

0.04675

-0.04312

-0.03259

0.02189

-0.05877

-0.14748

-0.0475

0.026981

-0.020109

May-05

0.02292

-0.00947

0.06882

-0.01749

0.05561

0.09578

0.07079

0.018467

0.029952

Jun-05

-0.03721

0.0226

0.01275

-0.0313

-0.1031

-0.08625

-0.1143

-0.043518

-0.000143

Jul-05

0.031

0.02227

0.1365

-0.016

0.12324

0.4252

0.196

0.059905

0.035968

Aug-05

0.07224

0.02451

0.02931

-0.00375

0.04107

0.14814

0.00811

-0.002696

-0.011222

Sep-05

-0.06026

0.06077

0.05875

-0.00174

0.03205

0.24234

0.12692

0.071738

0.006949

Oct-05

-0.00117

-0.11646

-0.1006

-0.01043

-0.05643

0.22056

-0.11151

-0.053649

-0.017741

Nov-05

0.08016

0.03883

0.09869

-0.00862

0.0924

-0.13281

0.14361

0.021432

0.035186

Dec-05

-0.05527

-0.03205

-0.00017

-0.02672

-0.00384

0.23032

-0.05058

0.012065

-0.000952

Explanation / Answer

beta is the measure of risk or volatality of a financial instrument. it takes into account how price of a security varies in comparison of stock market price. beta is the slope coefficient of the regression equation y=a+bx where a= intercept , b= slope , y= total return of stock and x= total return on stock market. Y is called dependent or response variable and X is called independent variable or covariate .

a.) descriptive statistics of the each stock and S&P index is given below

MCDONALDS

b.) beta of

1 microsoft =.45344807


2.EXXON= .73090713

3.CAATERPILLAR = 1.1932407

4. JOHSON AND JOHSON=.008757038

5.MCDONALDS= 1.53201185

6. SANDISK=2.604836177

7. QUALCOM=1.413894417

8. PROCTER= .506533238

C.) percentage of variation explained by return of stock price of market in total return of each stock(Y):

1.MICROSOFT=7.07%

2. EXXON=12.19%

3. CATERPILLAR=32.18%

4.JOHNSONAND JOHNSON=APPROXIMATELY 0 PERCENT

5. MCDONALD=33.78%

6.SANDISK=12.31%

7.QUATCOM=18.65%

8.PROCTER=12.94%

NOTE: S and Pstandard and poor is an american stock market index based on 500 companies listed on NYSE.

COMMENTSbased on standard deviation QUALCOMM has highest variation which implies it is most volatile among the stock of other 8 companies.

and if a comparison is made on the basis of beta then sandisk is most volatile.

johnson and johnson has lowest beta which indicates that it wil holdits value in comparison of other stocks even when market is low.

it also has less standard deviation.

COMPANIES AVERAGE STANDARD
DEVIATION
MICROSOFT 0.005025556 .044736984 EXXON 0.016637222 0.054566065 CATERPILLAR 0.030097222 0.067604277 JOHNSONS
AND JOHNSONS 0.005295556 0.03437834

MCDONALDS

0.024474167 0.067143928 SANDISK 0.069261944 0.192664468 QUALCOM .028360278 0.084981475 PROCTER 0.010588861 0.036548306 S and P 0.010095278 0.025961093
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