The correlation between stocks A and B is 0.50, while the correlation between stocks A and C is −0.5. You already own Stock A and are thinking of buying either Stock B or stock C. If you want your portfolio to have the lowest possible risk, would you buy stock B or C? Would you expect the stock you choose to affect the return that you earn on your portfolio?
The lower the correlation of the assets that we are adding in the portfolio , with the existing assets in the portfolio. The greater the investor can enjoy the benefits of diversification in the portfolio as a result of which the risk in the portfolio will be minimised to the minimum.
In this case, the investor has a positive correlation with asset B, and a negative correlation with asset C :
We should never add all the eggs in the same basket ,although the level of correlation is same that is 0.5, one has a positive correlation with A , and asset C has a negative correlation. Hence we will enjoy greater diversification if we add asset C with a negative correlation.As asset C seems to be fro a different asset class.
Yes, as the risk will be reduced the expected returns will also be expected to improve upon addition of Asset C.
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