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The Global Insight

How do you calculate the expected rate of return on a portfolio?

Author

Sarah Garza

Updated on February 07, 2026

Hear this out loudPauseThe expected return of a portfolio is calculated by multiplying the weight of each asset by its expected return and adding the values for each investment. For example, a portfolio has three investments with weights of 35% in asset A, 25% in asset B, and 40% in asset C.

What is the expected rate of return for a stock that has a beta of 1.0 if the expected return on the market is 15%?

Hear this out loudPauseStock A has a beta of 1.0 and very high unique risk. If the expected return on the market is 20%, then according to the CAPM the expected return on Stock A will be: more than 20% because of Stock A’s very high unique risk. at least 20% if the investor holds only Stock A.

How do you calculate portfolio return?

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

What investment has the highest return?

Hear this out loudPauseThe stock market has long been considered the source of the highest historical returns. Higher returns come with higher risk. Stock prices are more volatile than bond prices. Stocks are less reliable in shorter time periods.

What is the expected return of a market portfolio?

For example, if the risk-free rate is 3%, the expected return of the market portfolio is 10%, and the beta of the asset with respect to the market portfolio is 1.2, the expected return of the asset is: Expected return = 3% + 1.2 x (10% – 3%) = 3% + 8.4% = 11.4%.

What do you mean by expected return on investment?

Expected return is the anticipated profit or loss from an investor’s portfolio. Investors use expected return as a way of preparing for likely future outcomes. Expected return is just that: expected. It is not guaranteed, as it is based on historical returns and used to generate expectations, but it is not a prediction.

What is the beta of a market portfolio?

β c = the beta of the asset in question versus the market portfolio For example, if the risk-free rate is 3%, the expected return of the market portfolio is 10%, and the beta of the asset with respect to the market portfolio is 1.2, the expected return of the asset is: Expected return = 3% + 1.2 x (10% – 3%) = 3% + 8.4% = 11.4%

How do you calculate the expected return of an asset?

The basic expected return formula involves multiplying each asset’s weight in the portfolio by its expected return, then adding all those figures together. The expected return is usually based on historical data and is therefore not guaranteed.