What is the Treynor ratio?
The Treynor ratio measures how much excess return a portfolio earns per unit of systematic risk, represented by beta. Jack Treynor developed the measure to reward managers who deliver strong returns without taking on unnecessary market exposure.
Compare downside-focused performance with the Sortino ratio calculator. For total volatility adjustment, use the Sharpe ratio calculator. Estimate portfolio beta with the portfolio beta calculator.
Treynor ratio formula
Where is portfolio return, is the risk-free rate, and measures sensitivity to the broad market. All return inputs should be annualized percentages in the same units.
Worked example
Suppose a portfolio earns 12%, the risk-free rate is 3%, and beta is 1.2. Excess return equals 12% minus 3%, or 9%. Treynor ratio equals 9% divided by 1.2, which is 7.5. A higher Treynor ratio generally indicates better return per unit of systematic risk.
Treynor vs Sharpe ratio
- Sharpe uses total standard deviation in the denominator, penalizing all volatility.
- Treynor uses beta, focusing only on market-related risk that cannot be diversified away.
- Treynor is most useful when comparing diversified portfolios against the same benchmark.
Frequently asked questions
What risk-free rate should I use?
Can beta be negative?
Is a Treynor ratio of 7.5 good?
When should I use Treynor instead of Sharpe?
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Resources and references
The formulas and methods in this calculator were checked against these independent sources.