In finance, systematic risk, also sometimes called market risk, aggregate risk, or undiversifiable risk, is the risk associated with aggregate market returns. Systematic risk is a risk of security that cannot be reduced through diversification. It should not be confused with systemic risk, which is the risk that the entire financial system will collapse as a result of some catastrophic event.
In the capital asset pricing model, the rate of return required for an asset in market equilibrium depends on the systematic risk associated with returns on the asset, that is, on the covariance of the returns on the asset and the aggregate returns to the market. Risk in asset returns that is uncorrelated with aggregate market returns is called 'specific risk', 'diversifiable risk', or 'idiosyncratic risk'. Given diversified holdings of assets, each individual investors exposure to idiosyncratic risk associated with any particular asset is small and uncorrelated with the rest of their portfolio. Hence, the contribution of idiosyncratic risk to the riskiness of the portfolio as a whole is negligible. It follows that only systematic risk needs to be taken into account.
Market risk is the risk that the value of an investment will decrease due to moves in market factors. The four standard market risk factors are:
Equity risk, the risk that stock prices will change.
Interest rate risk, the risk that interest rates will change.
Currency risk, the risk that foreign exchange rates will change.
Commodity risk, the risk that commodity prices (e.g. grains, metals) will change.
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