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The Daily Insight

What is the expected return and volatility?

Author

Andrew Mclaughlin

Published Feb 18, 2026

Volatility risk is the unpredictability of investment returns. Volatility risk is measured statistically using standard deviation, which is an estimate of the possible future variance of the actual returns to be generated by the asset class or portfolio around its estimated expected return rate.

How do you calculate expected return and volatility for a stock portfolio?

Key Points

  1. To calculate the expected return of a portfolio, you need to know the expected return and weight of each asset in a portfolio.
  2. The figure is found by multiplying each asset’s weight with its expected return, and then adding up all those figures at the end.

How do you calculate expected return in historical data?

How to calculate the expected return from a historical data – Quora. Take the average of daily return over a 3 year period (say 3*250 trading days). Expected yearly return = (1+daily_avg_return)^250–1.

How do you calculate a rate of return?

The rate of return is calculated as follows: (the investment’s current value – its initial value) divided by the initial value; all times 100. Multiplying the outcome helps to express the outcome of the formula as a percentage.

How do you calculate expected annual return?

The expected return is the amount of profit or loss an investor can anticipate receiving on an investment. An expected return is calculated by multiplying potential outcomes by the odds of them occurring and then totaling these results.

How do you calculate expected monthly return?

Take the ending balance, and either add back net withdrawals or subtract out net deposits during the period. Then divide the result by the starting balance at the beginning of the month. Subtract 1 and multiply by 100, and you’ll have the percentage gain or loss that corresponds to your monthly return.

What is the formula for total return?

How to Calculate Total Return. To calculate total return, first determine your cost basis for the asset or portfolio of assets in question. Subtract the current value of the investment from the cost basis, add the value of any income earnings. Take the resulting figure and multiply by 100 to make it a percentage figure …

What is the difference between realized return and expected return?

Expected return means the return investors expect to realize if an investment is made. In case of a higher risk, a higher return is expected to compensate for the increased risk. Realized return is the return actually earned by buying an asset.

What is the Realised rate of return?

The realized rate of return, more commonly referred to as the real rate of return, are the gains the investment made, offset by its losses and adjusted for inflation.

How do you calculate expected return in Excel?

In cell F2, enter the formula = ([D2*E2] + [D3*E3] + …) to render the total expected return.