Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,783,539,099 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

risk
(redirected from Preventive measure)

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
Risk
Often defined as the standard deviation of the return on total investment. Degree of uncertainty of return on an asset. In context of asset pricing theory. See: Systematic risk.

risk
The variability of returns from an investment. The greater the variability (in dividend fluctuation or security price, for example), the greater the risk. Because investors are generally averse to risk, investments with greater inherent risk must promise higher expected yields.

Risk
The uncertainty associated with any investment. That is, risk is the possibility that the actual return on an investment will be different from its expected return. A vitally important concept in finance is the idea that an investment that carries a higher risk has the potential of a higher return. For example, a zero-risk investment, such as a U.S. Treasury security, has a low rate of return, while a stock in a start-up has the potential to make an investor very wealthy, but also the potential to lose one's entire investment. Certain types of risk are easier to quantify than others. To the extent that risk is quantifiable, it is generally calculated as the standard deviation on an investment's average return.

Risk. Risk is the possibility you'll lose money if an investment you make provides a disappointing return. All investments carry a certain level of risk, since investment return is not guaranteed.

According to modern investment theory, the greater the risk you take in making an investment, the greater your return has the potential to be if the investment succeeds.

For example, investing in a startup company carries substantial risk, since there is no guarantee that it will be profitable. But if it is, you're in a position to realize a greater gain than if you had invested a similar amount in an already established company.

As a rule of thumb, if you are unwilling to take at least some investment risk, you are likely to limit your investment return.


risk

Uncertainty regarding the possibility of loss.


Risk

What Does Risk Mean?

The chance that an investment's actual return will be different from the expected return, including the ultimate risk of losing all of one's original investment. Risk usually is measured by calculating the standard deviation of the historical returns or average returns of a specific investment.

Investopedia explains Risk

A fundamental premise of investing is the risk-reward trade-off. The greater the amount of risk an investor is willing to take on, the greater the potential return. The reason for this is that investors need to be compensated for taking on additional risk. For example, a U.S. Treasury bond is considered to be one of the safest investments and therefore provides low potential returns. Stocks are riskier; they offer no guarantee and thus can yield higher returns. After all, the U.S. government is unlikely to go out of business, whereas many companies fail every day. In the end, investors should expect to be rewarded for taking on additional risk.

Related Terms:
Beta
Correlation
Risk-Return Trade-Off
Systematic Risk
Unsystematic Risk



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in
 
Financial browser? ? Full browser
 
Preventive maintenance
Preventive Maintenance Basis Database
Preventive Maintenance Center
Preventive Maintenance Checklist
Preventive Maintenance Checks & Services
Preventive Maintenance Checks and Balances
Preventive Maintenance Checks and Services
Preventive Maintenance Daily
Preventive Maintenance Database
Preventive Maintenance Inspection
Preventive Maintenance Instructions
Preventive Maintenance Level
Preventive Maintenance Man-Hours per Operating Hour
Preventive Maintenance Management
Preventive Maintenance Management Plan
Preventive Maintenance Management Program
Preventive Maintenance Manual
Preventive Maintenance Optimization
Preventive Maintenance Pest Control
Preventive Maintenance Prediction Program
Preventive Maintenance Procedure
Preventive Maintenance Service
Preventive Maintenance System
Preventive Maintenance/Instrument Calibration
Preventive measure
preventive measures
Preventive Measures, Analyses, Controls, and Tests
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
preventive medicine
Preventive Medicine and Public Health
Preventive Medicine and Rehabilitation Center
Preventive Medicine Attitudes and Activities Questionnaire
Preventive Medicine Fellowship
Preventive Medicine Measures
Preventive Medicine Officer
Preventive Medicine Planning Tool
Preventive Medicine Research Institute
Preventive Medicine Residency
Preventive Medicine Team
Preventive Medicine Technician
Preventive Medicine Unit
preventive nursing
Preventive Officer
Preventive Oncology Academic Award
 
Financial Dictionary
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.