Beta

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

Beta — A measure of a stock's volatility relative to the overall market. Beta of 1.0 = moves with the market. > 1.0 = more volatile. < 1.0 = less volatile.

Key facts

Category
Risk
Definition
A measure of a stock's volatility relative to the overall market. Beta of 1.0 = moves with the market. > 1.0 = more volatile. < 1.0 = less volatile.
Live example
/research/stock/TSLA
Last updated
2026-06-17

Worked example

Beta of 1.5: when the market drops 10%, this stock historically drops 15%. Beta of 0.6: market drops 10%, stock drops only 6%.

Interpretive bands

0.5 – 0.8
Defensive. Utilities, consumer staples, healthcare.
0.8 – 1.2
Market-like. Most large-cap index members.
1.2 – 2.0
Aggressive. Technology, consumer cyclicals, mid-caps.
> 2.0
Very high beta. Speculative names, leveraged ETFs.

How IndexAlpha uses Beta

3-year beta vs S&P 500 is surfaced on the Risk card. Used in parametric VaR calculations.

See it live

The Beta metric shows up on every IndexAlpha research page. See it now on TSLA — or research any stock to view its Beta.

Related terms

Common questions

What is Beta?

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

How does IndexAlpha use Beta?

3-year beta vs S&P 500 is surfaced on the Risk card. Used in parametric VaR calculations.

Sources