CML stands for Capital Market Line, and SML stands for Security Market Line.
1. The CML is a line that is used to show the rates of return, which depends on risk-free rates of return and levels of risk for a specific portfolio. SML, which is also called a Characteristic Line, is a graphical representation of the market’s risk and return at a given time.
2. While standard deviation is the measure of risk in CML, Beta coefficient determines the risk factors of the SML.
3. While the Capital Market Line graphs define efficient portfolios, the Security Market Line graphs define both efficient and non-efficient portfolios.
4. The Capital Market Line is considered to be superior when measuring the risk factors.
5. Where the market portfolio and risk free assets are determined by the CML, all security factors are determined by the SML.
Definition of 'Beta'
A measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole. Beta is used in the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), a model that calculates the expected return of an asset based on its beta and expected market returns.
Also known as "beta coefficient."
Definition of 'Coefficient Of Variation - CV'
A statistical measure of the dispersion of data points in a data series around the mean. It is calculated as follows:
The coefficient of variation represents the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean, and it is a useful statistic for comparing the degree of variation from one data series to another, even if the means are drastically different from each other.
In the investing world, the coefficient of variation allows you to determine how much volatility (risk) you are assuming in comparison to the amount of return you can expect from your investment. In simple language, the lower the ratio of standard deviation to mean return, the better your risk-return tradeoff.
Note that if the expected return in the denominator of the