How to calculate expected return?

Asked by: Travon Bernhard IV  |  Last update: August 10, 2025
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The expected return is calculated by multiplying the probability of each possible return scenario by its corresponding value and then adding up the products. The expected return metric—often denoted as “E(R)”—considers the potential return on an individual security or portfolio and the likelihood of each outcome.

What is the formula for the expected value of returns?

So, to calculate expected value, first multiply the probability of a positive outcome by the potential return. Say, an investment has a 60% chance of increasing in value by $10,000. The calculation would be: 0.6 x $10,000 = $6,000. Then, multiply the probability of a negative outcome by the potential loss.

What is the formula for expected return model?

It considers various factors influencing a security's potential return and is relatively easy to use since most financial websites provide its components. The CAPM formula for the expected return of a stock is as follows: Expected Return = Risk-Free Rate (Rf) + (Beta (β) × Equity Risk Premium (ERP))

How do I calculate expected return in Excel?

Calculate Expected Rate of Return on a Stock in Excel
  1. In the first row, enter column labels: ...
  2. In the second row, enter your investment name in B2, followed by its potential gains and the probability of each gain in columns C2 – E2. ...
  3. In F2, enter the formula = (B2*C2)+(D2*E2)

How do you calculate expected rate of return on a calculator?

The formula for the expected rate of return looks like this: Expected Return = (Return A X Probability A) + (Return B X Probability B) (Where A and B indicate a different scenario of return and probability of that return.)

How to find the Expected Return and Risk

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What is the best way to calculate expected return?

You can calculate expected return by multiplying potential outcomes by the odds that they occur and totaling the result. Expected return isn't a guarantee of the expected outcome.

What is the formula for return on expectations?

Return on Expectations (ROEx) is a metric used to measure the performance of an investment, project, or any activity against its expected outcomes. It is calculated by dividing the actual difference (the real outcome) by the expected difference (the anticipated outcome), then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage.

Why do we calculate expected return?

Expected return calculations are a key piece of business operations and financial theory, and are described in the modern portfolio theory (MPT) or the Black-Scholes options pricing model. 12 The expected return helps determine whether an investment has a positive or negative average net outcome.

How to calculate expected ROI?

ROI is calculated by subtracting the initial cost of the investment from its final value, then dividing this new number by the cost of the investment, and finally, multiplying it by 100.

What is the shortcut formula for calculating the expected value?

To find the expected value, E(X), or mean μ of a discrete random variable X, simply multiply each value of the random variable by its probability and add the products. The formula is given as E ( X ) = μ = ∑ x P ( x ) .

How to calculate rate of return?

How do you calculate the rate of return? The rate of return is simply the percentage change in value over a period of time. It's calculated by subtracting the initial investment from its final value, then dividing that number by the initial amount invested. It's then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage.

What is the Excel formula for expected value?

To calculate expected value, you want to sum up the products of the X's (Column A) times their probabilities (Column B). Start in cell C4 and type =B4*A4. Then drag that cell down to cell C9 and do the auto fill; this gives us each of the individual expected values, as shown below.

What is a good expected rate of return?

Most investors would view an average annual rate of return of 10% or more as a good ROI for long-term investments in the stock market. However, keep in mind that this is an average. Some years will deliver lower returns -- perhaps even negative returns. Other years will generate significantly higher returns.

What is the formula for expected rate of return in accounting?

Divide the annual net profit by the initial cost of the asset or investment. The result of the calculation will yield a decimal. Multiply the result by 100 to show the percentage return.

How do you calculate return value?

Absolute returns can be calculated using the formula: (The end value of the investment – Initial value of the investment)/ Initial value of the investment You can convert the return to a percentage by multiplying by 100 For example, you have an initial investment of Rs 25,000 that has grown to Rs 30,000.

How do you calculate the expected return quizlet?

The expected return can be calculated as the average of the returns in previous periods. The expected return reflects an estimate that can be based on sophisticated forecasts of future outcomes.

How do I calculate expected return?

The expected return is calculated by multiplying the probability of each possible return scenario by its corresponding value and then adding up the products. The expected return metric—often denoted as “E(R)”—considers the potential return on an individual security or portfolio and the likelihood of each outcome.

What is the general formula for ROI?

Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by dividing the profit earned on an investment by the cost of that investment. For instance, an investment with a profit of $100 and a cost of $100 would have an ROI of 1, or 100% when expressed as a percentage.

What is the formula for total return?

The total return of an investment includes both the capital gains and the income that it generates. As a strategy, the total return approach involves producing the highest possible return on investment. To put it simply, total return = (ending value – starting value) + earnings in that period.

How to calculate expected value?

Calculating Expected Value
  1. Step 1: Identify the event in question and the possible outcomes.
  2. Step 2: Identify the probabilities of each outcome.
  3. Step 3: Multiply the outcomes by their respective probabilities, and sum these products together to get the expected value.

What is the difference between return and expected return?

Realized return is the holding period return earned in the past. Expected return is the expected holding-period return for a stock in the future based on expected dividend yield and the expected price appreciation return.

What is a good return on investment over 5 years?

An impressive return on investment (ROI) after five years typically means gains that significantly outpace inflation and other common benchmarks. For stocks, this might be around 10-15% per year. For more conservative investments, anything above 6-8% annually is considered strong.

What is return of expectation?

The focus of the updated model, which is often referred to as the 'Return on Expectations' or 'ROE' model, is on ensuring that training objectives are strategically relevant to the organisation in the first place, clearly defining the expectations of the outcomes of the training, and then evaluating against both the ...

What is the difference between ROI and ROE?

While Return on Investment (ROI) and Return on Equity (ROE) are both metrics for assessing managerial performance, as reflected in the company's returns. ROI measures the percentage return on a particular investment, whereas ROE specifically evaluates the profitability relative to shareholders' equity.

What is the formula for expected payback?

To determine how to calculate payback period in practice, you simply divide the initial cash outlay of a project by the amount of net cash inflow that the project generates each year.