Equity / Risk Metric

Beta

Definition

A measure of a stock’s volatility relative to the overall market. Beta of 1.0 moves with the market; >1.0 is more volatile; <1.0 is less volatile.

Formula / Rules
$ \beta = \frac{\text{Covariance}(R_i, R_m)}{\text{Variance}(R_m)} $
Example
A stock with beta 1.5 is expected to rise 15% if the market rises 10%. Market Capitalization (Market Cap) Category: Equity Definition: The total dollar market value of a company’s outstanding shares of stock. Calculated as current share price multiplied by
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Question
What is Beta in trading?
A measure of a stock’s volatility relative to the overall market. Beta of 1.0 moves with the market; >1.0 is more volatile; <1.0 is less volatile.
APA Citation
Clark, R. (2025). Beta. VixShield Trading Glossary. Retrieved from https://www.vixshield.com/glossary/beta
RC
Russell Clark, FNP-C
Author of SPX Mastery series · Founder of VixShield
Last updated:  ·  Source: VixShield Trading Glossary — From SPX Mastery by Russell Clark
⚠️ Not financial advice. This definition is educational content from the SPX Mastery book series by Russell Clark (VixShield). Past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading options involves substantial risk of loss and is not appropriate for all investors. Always paper trade before risking real capital.
💬 Community Pulse
View all Q&A →

Real questions answered using the Beta framework — click any to read the full answer:

📚 Deep Dives
All /learn articles →

Full analysis articles from the VixShield /learn library that use Beta:

🎬 Video: Beta
💡 Ask VixShield about Beta
Have a question about how Beta works in practice? We'll answer it and publish it as a community resource.