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Principles of Finance

15.5 Using Excel to Make Investment Decisions

Principles of Finance15.5 Using Excel to Make Investment Decisions

Table of contents
  1. Preface
  2. 1 Introduction to Finance
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 1.1 What Is Finance?
    3. 1.2 The Role of Finance in an Organization
    4. 1.3 Importance of Data and Technology
    5. 1.4 Careers in Finance
    6. 1.5 Markets and Participants
    7. 1.6 Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Matters
    8. 1.7 Financial Instruments
    9. 1.8 Concepts of Time and Value
    10. Summary
    11. Key Terms
    12. Multiple Choice
    13. Review Questions
    14. Video Activity
  3. 2 Corporate Structure and Governance
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 2.1 Business Structures
    3. 2.2 Relationship between Shareholders and Company Management
    4. 2.3 Role of the Board of Directors
    5. 2.4 Agency Issues: Shareholders and Corporate Boards
    6. 2.5 Interacting with Investors, Intermediaries, and Other Market Participants
    7. 2.6 Companies in Domestic and Global Markets
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. CFA Institute
    11. Multiple Choice
    12. Review Questions
    13. Video Activity
  4. 3 Economic Foundations: Money and Rates
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 3.1 Microeconomics
    3. 3.2 Macroeconomics
    4. 3.3 Business Cycles and Economic Activity
    5. 3.4 Interest Rates
    6. 3.5 Foreign Exchange Rates
    7. 3.6 Sources and Characteristics of Economic Data
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. CFA Institute
    11. Multiple Choice
    12. Review Questions
    13. Problems
    14. Video Activity
  5. 4 Accrual Accounting Process
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 4.1 Cash versus Accrual Accounting
    3. 4.2 Economic Basis for Accrual Accounting
    4. 4.3 How Does a Company Recognize a Sale and an Expense?
    5. 4.4 When Should a Company Capitalize or Expense an Item?
    6. 4.5 What Is “Profit” versus “Loss” for the Company?
    7. Summary
    8. Key Terms
    9. Multiple Choice
    10. Review Questions
    11. Problems
    12. Video Activity
  6. 5 Financial Statements
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 5.1 The Income Statement
    3. 5.2 The Balance Sheet
    4. 5.3 The Relationship between the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement
    5. 5.4 The Statement of Owner’s Equity
    6. 5.5 The Statement of Cash Flows
    7. 5.6 Operating Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow to the Firm (FCFF)
    8. 5.7 Common-Size Statements
    9. 5.8 Reporting Financial Activity
    10. Summary
    11. Key Terms
    12. CFA Institute
    13. Multiple Choice
    14. Review Questions
    15. Problems
    16. Video Activity
  7. 6 Measures of Financial Health
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 6.1 Ratios: Condensing Information into Smaller Pieces
    3. 6.2 Operating Efficiency Ratios
    4. 6.3 Liquidity Ratios
    5. 6.4 Solvency Ratios
    6. 6.5 Market Value Ratios
    7. 6.6 Profitability Ratios and the DuPont Method
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. CFA Institute
    11. Multiple Choice
    12. Review Questions
    13. Problems
    14. Video Activity
  8. 7 Time Value of Money I: Single Payment Value
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 7.1 Now versus Later Concepts
    3. 7.2 Time Value of Money (TVM) Basics
    4. 7.3 Methods for Solving Time Value of Money Problems
    5. 7.4 Applications of TVM in Finance
    6. Summary
    7. Key Terms
    8. CFA Institute
    9. Multiple Choice
    10. Review Questions
    11. Problems
    12. Video Activity
  9. 8 Time Value of Money II: Equal Multiple Payments
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 8.1 Perpetuities
    3. 8.2 Annuities
    4. 8.3 Loan Amortization
    5. 8.4 Stated versus Effective Rates
    6. 8.5 Equal Payments with a Financial Calculator and Excel
    7. Summary
    8. Key Terms
    9. CFA Institute
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Problems
    12. Video Activity
  10. 9 Time Value of Money III: Unequal Multiple Payment Values
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 9.1 Timing of Cash Flows
    3. 9.2 Unequal Payments Using a Financial Calculator or Microsoft Excel
    4. Summary
    5. Key Terms
    6. CFA Institute
    7. Multiple Choice
    8. Review Questions
    9. Problems
    10. Video Activity
  11. 10 Bonds and Bond Valuation
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 10.1 Characteristics of Bonds
    3. 10.2 Bond Valuation
    4. 10.3 Using the Yield Curve
    5. 10.4 Risks of Interest Rates and Default
    6. 10.5 Using Spreadsheets to Solve Bond Problems
    7. Summary
    8. Key Terms
    9. CFA Institute
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Problems
    13. Video Activity
  12. 11 Stocks and Stock Valuation
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 11.1 Multiple Approaches to Stock Valuation
    3. 11.2 Dividend Discount Models (DDMs)
    4. 11.3 Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Model
    5. 11.4 Preferred Stock
    6. 11.5 Efficient Markets
    7. Summary
    8. Key Terms
    9. CFA Institute
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Problems
    13. Video Activity
  13. 12 Historical Performance of US Markets
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 12.1 Overview of US Financial Markets
    3. 12.2 Historical Picture of Inflation
    4. 12.3 Historical Picture of Returns to Bonds
    5. 12.4 Historical Picture of Returns to Stocks
    6. Summary
    7. Key Terms
    8. Multiple Choice
    9. Review Questions
    10. Video Activity
  14. 13 Statistical Analysis in Finance
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 13.1 Measures of Center
    3. 13.2 Measures of Spread
    4. 13.3 Measures of Position
    5. 13.4 Statistical Distributions
    6. 13.5 Probability Distributions
    7. 13.6 Data Visualization and Graphical Displays
    8. 13.7 The R Statistical Analysis Tool
    9. Summary
    10. Key Terms
    11. CFA Institute
    12. Multiple Choice
    13. Review Questions
    14. Problems
    15. Video Activity
  15. 14 Regression Analysis in Finance
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 14.1 Correlation Analysis
    3. 14.2 Linear Regression Analysis
    4. 14.3 Best-Fit Linear Model
    5. 14.4 Regression Applications in Finance
    6. 14.5 Predictions and Prediction Intervals
    7. 14.6 Use of R Statistical Analysis Tool for Regression Analysis
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Problems
    13. Video Activity
  16. 15 How to Think about Investing
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 15.1 Risk and Return to an Individual Asset
    3. 15.2 Risk and Return to Multiple Assets
    4. 15.3 The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM)
    5. 15.4 Applications in Performance Measurement
    6. 15.5 Using Excel to Make Investment Decisions
    7. Summary
    8. Key Terms
    9. CFA Institute
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Problems
    13. Video Activity
  17. 16 How Companies Think about Investing
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 16.1 Payback Period Method
    3. 16.2 Net Present Value (NPV) Method
    4. 16.3 Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Method
    5. 16.4 Alternative Methods
    6. 16.5 Choosing between Projects
    7. 16.6 Using Excel to Make Company Investment Decisions
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. CFA Institute
    11. Multiple Choice
    12. Review Questions
    13. Problems
    14. Video Activity
  18. 17 How Firms Raise Capital
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 17.1 The Concept of Capital Structure
    3. 17.2 The Costs of Debt and Equity Capital
    4. 17.3 Calculating the Weighted Average Cost of Capital
    5. 17.4 Capital Structure Choices
    6. 17.5 Optimal Capital Structure
    7. 17.6 Alternative Sources of Funds
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. CFA Institute
    11. Multiple Choice
    12. Review Questions
    13. Problems
    14. Video Activity
  19. 18 Financial Forecasting
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 18.1 The Importance of Forecasting
    3. 18.2 Forecasting Sales
    4. 18.3 Pro Forma Financials
    5. 18.4 Generating the Complete Forecast
    6. 18.5 Forecasting Cash Flow and Assessing the Value of Growth
    7. 18.6 Using Excel to Create the Long-Term Forecast
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Problems
    13. Video Activity
  20. 19 The Importance of Trade Credit and Working Capital in Planning
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 19.1 What Is Working Capital?
    3. 19.2 What Is Trade Credit?
    4. 19.3 Cash Management
    5. 19.4 Receivables Management
    6. 19.5 Inventory Management
    7. 19.6 Using Excel to Create the Short-Term Plan
    8. Summary
    9. Key Terms
    10. Multiple Choice
    11. Review Questions
    12. Video Activity
  21. 20 Risk Management and the Financial Manager
    1. Why It Matters
    2. 20.1 The Importance of Risk Management
    3. 20.2 Commodity Price Risk
    4. 20.3 Exchange Rates and Risk
    5. 20.4 Interest Rate Risk
    6. Summary
    7. Key Terms
    8. CFA Institute
    9. Multiple Choice
    10. Review Questions
    11. Problems
    12. Video Activity
  22. Index

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Calculate the average return and standard deviation for a stock.
  • Calculate the average return and standard deviation for a portfolio.
  • Calculate the beta of a stock.

Average Return and Standard Deviation for a Single Stock

Excel can be used to calculate the average returns and the standard deviation of returns for both a single stock and a portfolio of stocks. It can also be used to calculate the beta for a stock. Historic stock price data for stocks you are interested in analyzing can easily be downloaded from sites such as Yahoo! Finance into Excel. The examples in this section use monthly stock data from December 2017 to December 2020 from Yahoo! Finance.

Monthly price data for AMZN (Amazon) is shown in column B of Figure 15.4. To begin, monthly returns must be calculated from the price data using the formula

Monthly Return = Ending Price - Beginning PriceBeginning PriceMonthly Return = Ending Price - Beginning PriceBeginning Price
15.20

The ending prices shown in Figure 15.4 are the last price the stock traded for each month. Each month, the return is calculated under the assumption that you purchased the stock at the last trading price of the previous month and sold at the last price of the current month. Thus, the return for January 2018 is calculated as

Monthly Return = Jan2018 Price - Dec2017 PriceDec2017 Price = $1,450.89 - $1,169.47$1,169.47 = 0.2406 = 24.06%Monthly Return = Jan2018 Price - Dec2017 PriceDec2017 Price = $1,450.89 - $1,169.47$1,169.47 = 0.2406 = 24.06%
15.21

This is accomplished in Excel by placing the formula =(B3-B2)/B2 in cell C3. This formula can then be copied down the spreadsheet through row C38. Now that each monthly return is in column C, you can calculate the average of the monthly returns in cell C39 and the standard deviation of returns in cell C40.

An Excel screenshot the ending price and monthly return of Amazon’s stock price for 13 months. The average monthly return is 0.0330. The standard deviation is 0.0933
Figure 15.4 Calculating the Average Return and the Standard Deviation of Returns for AMZN (data source: Yahoo! Finance)

Over the three-year period, the average monthly return for AMZN was 3.3%. However, this return was highly volatile, with a standard deviation of 9.33%. Remember that this means that approximately two-thirds of the time, the monthly return from AMZN was between −6.03% and 12.63%.

Download the spreadsheet file containing key Chapter 15 Excel exhibits.

Average Return and Standard Deviation for a Portfolio

The Excel screenshot in Figure 15.5 shows the return and standard deviation calculation for a portfolio. This sample four-stock portfolio contains AMZN, CVS, AAPL (Apple), and NFLX (Netflix). This portfolio is constructed as an equally weighted portfolio; because there are four stocks in this portfolio, each has a weight of 25%.

The Excel screenshot shows the Average Return and Standard Deviation for a Portfolio containing four-stocks: Amazon, CVS, Apple, and Netflix. The monthly average return and standard deviation is calculated for the individual stocks, as well as the entire portfolio. It shows that the portfolio has a Monthly Average Return of 0.0269 and a Standard Deviation of 0.0710.
Figure 15.5 Calculation of the Average Return and Standard Deviation for a Portfolio (data source: Yahoo! Finance)

The monthly returns for each stock are recorded in their respective columns. The portfolio return for each month is calculated as the weighted average of the four monthly individual stock returns. The formula for the portfolio return is

Portfolio Return = 0.25 × RAMZN + 0.25 × RCVS + 0.25 × RAAPL + 0.25 × RNFLXPortfolio Return = 0.25 × RAMZN + 0.25 × RCVS + 0.25 × RAAPL + 0.25 × RNFLX
15.22

The formula =$B$1*B3+$C$1*C3+$D$1*D3+$E$1*E3 is placed in cell F3. The formula is then copied down column F to calculate the portfolio return for each month. After the monthly portfolio return is calculated, then the average monthly portfolio return is calculated in cell F39. The average monthly portfolio return is 2.69%.

Because this is an equally weighted portfolio, with each of the four stocks impacting the portfolio return in the same way, the average monthly portfolio return of 2.69% is the same as the sum of the average monthly returns of the four stocks divided by four, or 0.0330 + 0.0021 + 0.0380 + 0.03474 = 0.0269 = 2.69%0.0330 + 0.0021 + 0.0380 + 0.03474 = 0.0269 = 2.69%.

The standard deviation of the monthly portfolio returns is calculated in cell F40. This four-stock portfolio has a standard deviation of 7.10%. Unlike the average return, this standard deviation is not equal to the average of the standard deviations of returns of the four stocks. In fact, the standard deviation for the portfolio is less than the standard deviation for any one of the four stocks. Remember that this occurs because the stock returns are not perfectly positively correlated. The high return of one of the stocks in one month is dampened by a lower return in another stock during the same month. Likewise, a negative return in one stock during a month might be offset by a positive return in one of the other three stocks during the same month. This is the risk reduction benefit of holding a portfolio of stocks.

Calculating Beta

The standard deviation of a stock’s returns indicates the stock’s volatility. Remember that the volatility is caused by both firm-specific and systematic risk. Investors will not be rewarded for firm-specific risk because they can diversify away from it. Investors are, however, rewarded for systematic risk. To determine how much of a firm’s risk is due to systematic risk, you can use Excel to calculate the stock’s beta.

To calculate a stock’s beta, you need the monthly return for the market in addition to the monthly market return for the stock. In column B in Figure 15.6, the monthly return for SPY, the SPDR S&P 500 Trust, is recorded. SPY is an ETF that was created to mimic the performance of the S&P 500 index by State Street Global Advisors and is often used as a proxy for the overall market performance. The monthly returns for AMZN are visible in column C. It is important that these returns be lined up so that the returns for a particular month for both securities appear in the same row number. Also, you want to place the returns for SPY in the column to the left of the returns for AMZN so that when you create your graph, SPY will automatically appear on the horizontal axis.

You will use a scatter plot to create a graph. In Excel, go to the Insert tab, and then from the Chart menu, choose the first scatter plot option.

An Excel screenshot shows how to create a scatterplot using excel. The data for the monthly return for two stocks, SPY and AMZN are placed in columns B and C, respectively. These columns are selected. On the insert tab, the scatterplot icon is selected, revealing the different types of scatterplots available for this data.
Figure 15.6 Excel Format for Calculating Beta (data source: Yahoo! Finance)

Selecting the scatter plot option will result in a chart being inserted that looks like the chart in Figure 15.7. Each dot represents one month’s combination of returns, with the return for SPY measured on the horizontal axis and the return for AMZN measured on the vertical axis. Consider, for example, the dot in the furthest upper right-hand section of the figure. This dot is the plot of returns for the month of April 2020, when the return for SPY was 13.36% (measured on the horizontal axis) and the return for AMZN was 26.89% (measured on the vertical axis).

Hover your mouse over one of the dots, and right-click the dot to pull up a chart formatting menu. This menu will allow you to add labels to your axis and polish your chart in additional ways if you would like. Select the option Add Trendline.

A screenshot of scatter plot created in excel. The scatterplot is over the data that was entered into the Excel sheet.
Figure 15.7 Creating a Scatter Plot in Excel (data source: Yahoo! Finance)

When the trendline is inserted, a formatting box will appear on the right of your screen (see Figure 15.8). If it is not already selected, choose the Linear trendline option. Scroll down and select the “Display Equation on chart” option. You will see the equation y = 1.1477x + 0.0186y = 1.1477x + 0.0186 appear on the screen. This is the equation for the best-fit line that shows how AMZN moves when the market moves. The slope of this line, 1.1477, is the beta for AMZN. This tells you that for every 10% move the overall market makes, AMZN tends to move 11.477%. Because AMZN tends to move a little more than the broader market, it has a little more systematic risk than the average stock in the market.

A screenshot of an Excel sheet that shows the formatting box used to format a trendline for a scatter plot. Different trendline options are available to select.
Figure 15.8 Inserting a Trendline to Determine Beta (data source: Yahoo! Finance)
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