Sharpe Ratio Calculator
Sharpe Ratio Calculator – Measure Risk-Adjusted Returns Easily
What is the Sharpe Ratio?
The Sharpe Ratio is one of the most popular tools in finance to measure risk-adjusted return of an investment. It helps investors understand how much extra return they are earning for each unit of risk taken. The higher the Sharpe Ratio, the better the investment is considered in terms of risk vs reward.
It was developed by Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe, and is widely used by mutual funds, hedge funds, and retail investors.
Why is the Sharpe Ratio Important?
In the stock market or mutual fund investing, return alone is not enough. An investment with high return but also high risk may not always be better than one with slightly lower return but much lower risk.
This is where Sharpe Ratio helps:
- ✅ Compares returns against the risk taken
- ✅ Useful for comparing two or more portfolios
- ✅ Helps in selecting mutual funds or ETFs
- ✅ Tells if your investment is giving good returns per unit of risk
Formula for Sharpe Ratio
Sharpe Ratio = (Average Return – Risk-Free Rate) / Volatility
Where:
- Average Return = Annual return of the investment
- Risk-Free Rate = Return of a risk-free investment like government bonds
- Volatility = Standard deviation or fluctuation in investment return
How to Use the Sharpe Ratio Calculator
Our Sharpe Ratio Calculator is very easy to use. Just fill 3 inputs and get instant result with a helpful interpretation.
Input Values
- Annual Return (%)
- This is the average yearly return of your investment.
- For example: If your mutual fund has returned 12% in the last year, enter
12
.
- Annual Volatility (%)
- This shows how much the returns have fluctuated in the year.
- Higher volatility = Higher risk.
- You can check volatility in mutual fund factsheets or stock data tools.
- Risk-Free Rate (%)
- The return from a risk-free asset like Indian Government bonds or bank FD.
- In India, this is generally around
6–7%
currently. You can also use RBI 10-year bond rate.
Output
Once you click the “Calculate” button, the calculator will show:
- Sharpe Ratio value
- Interpretation like “Poor”, “Acceptable”, “Good”, “Very Good”, or “Excellent”
- A short explanation to help you understand what it means
For example:
Sharpe Ratio: 1.20
Interpretation: Good
This means your investment is giving a good return for the risk you are taking.
What is a Good Sharpe Ratio?
Sharpe Ratio | Interpretation |
---|---|
Below 0.5 | Poor |
0.5 – 1.0 | Acceptable |
1.0 – 1.5 | Good |
1.5 – 2.0 | Very Good |
Above 2.0 | Excellent |
Higher Sharpe Ratio = Better risk-adjusted performance.
Tips and Tricks for Investors
- 📈 Always compare Sharpe Ratios when selecting between two funds or stocks.
- ⚖️ Don’t blindly go for higher returns — check if Sharpe Ratio justifies the risk.
- 📊 For long-term investing, look for mutual funds with Sharpe Ratio above 1.
- 🔍 Combine this with other ratios like Alpha, Beta, and Standard Deviation for full analysis.
- 🛡️ Use a conservative risk-free rate while calculating to stay on the safer side.
Final Words
The Sharpe Ratio is a powerful yet simple tool for smart investors. Whether you’re picking a mutual fund, evaluating your stock portfolio, or just want to understand your returns better — this calculator will help you make better investment decisions.
👉 Try the Sharpe Ratio Calculator above and get instant insight into your investment performance.