Browse Investing

Return Measurement and Attribution

Investing terms for return measurement and attribution.

Return Measurement and Attribution terms measure portfolio return, attribution, benchmark-relative results, tracking error, and risk-adjusted performance.

Use this branch when the question depends on how performance was calculated, attributed, benchmarked, or adjusted for risk.

What This Branch Covers

AreaUse it for
Performance Attribution, Benchmarks, and CaptureReturn calculation, attribution, benchmark, capture ratio, tracking error, alpha, Sharpe, Sortino, Treynor, or risk-adjusted performance terms.
Return Calculation MethodsReturn calculation, attribution, benchmark, capture ratio, tracking error, alpha, Sharpe, Sortino, Treynor, or risk-adjusted performance terms.

What to Check

Check the return formula, cash-flow timing, benchmark, fee treatment, reference rate or hurdle rate input, volatility period, attribution model, currency, and whether performance is gross, net, historical, or hypothetical.

Common Mistakes

  • Comparing money-weighted and time-weighted returns as if they were the same.
  • Reading alpha without checking benchmark and risk exposure.
  • Ignoring fees, cash flows, taxes, and survivorship bias.
  • Treating a high ratio as proof a strategy is suitable.

This page is educational and does not recommend a specific portfolio, security, fund, tax treatment, or account choice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Attribution

Attribution, benchmark, capture-ratio, and investment-performance terms used in portfolio review.

Return Methods

Return calculation terms for ROI, time-weighted return, money-weighted return, and Dietz methods.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026