What does beta measure in finance?

Beta is a crucial measure in finance that quantifies the sensitivity of an asset's returns to the movements of the overall market. Specifically, it reflects the systematic risk associated with that asset relative to the market, which cannot be diversified away. A beta greater than 1 signifies that the asset tends to be more volatile than the market, implying that it will experience larger price swings during market movements. Conversely, a beta less than 1 indicates that the asset is less volatile, suggesting that it moves less dramatically than the market.

In the context of portfolio management and asset pricing, understanding beta helps investors assess the risk associated with a particular investment and how it may fit within a broader strategy. By measuring market risk, beta serves as a vital component in models such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), which is used to determine a theoretically appropriate required rate of return of an asset, considering its risk in relation to the market.

The other options refer to different financial concepts: market liquidity pertains to how easily an asset can be bought or sold; dividend yield measures the return an investor receives from dividends relative to the stock price; and company growth potential assesses the future earnings growth prospects of a business, none of which capture the essence of systematic market risk like beta