Understanding Risk and Return, the CAPM, and the Fama-French Three-Factor Model

14 Pages Posted: 19 Dec 2003

See all articles by Kent L. Womack

Kent L. Womack

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management (Deceased)

Ying Zhang

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Abstract

The first-year MBA finance course regularly includes a discussion of the CAPM. This teaching note extends the typical textbook discussion of CAPM in two ways. First, it provides a step-by-step approach explaining empirically how one can calculate beta and alpha using simple regression. Second, it extends the risk-return asset pricing relationship to the richer three-factor Fama-French model. By examining and controlling for the multiple betas of this model, students can come to understand mutual fund investment styles and multi-factor alphas.

Suggested Citation

Womack, Kent L. and Zhang, Ying, Understanding Risk and Return, the CAPM, and the Fama-French Three-Factor Model. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=481881

Kent L. Womack (Contact Author)

University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management (Deceased)

Ying Zhang

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
31,186
Abstract Views
73,452
Rank
127
PlumX Metrics