Comprehensive Institutional Breakdown
Developed by Nobel laureate William Sharpe, this ratio quantifies how much excess return an investor receives for holding a risky asset compared to a risk-free rate (e.g., U.S. Treasury bills). Ratios above 1.0 are considered good; above 2.0 are institutional grade.
Algorithmic Formula / Notation
Sharpe Ratio = (R_portfolio - R_free) ÷ σ_total
Institutional Scenario Example
A portfolio returning 14% with 8% standard deviation when risk-free rate is 4% has a Sharpe ratio of (14 - 4) / 8 = 1.25.
Cross-Market & Execution Note
Sharpe penalizes upside volatility, making the Sortino ratio a better fit for asymmetric trend runners.