Omega Ratio

Publication Date :

01 Sep, 2019

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Table Of Contents

Omega Ratio Definition

The omega ratio is a weighted risk-return ratio for a given expected return level that helps us identify the chances of winning compared to losing (the higher, the better). It also considers the third and fourth momentum effect, i.e., skewness & Kurtosis, which gives this an immense usefulness compared to others.

For calculating the omega ratio, we require the cumulative excess return of the Asset. We need to calculate all the highs and lows cumulatively.

Omega Ratio Definition

The omega ratio is a ratio that assesses the risk and return of an investment at a specific expected return level. It helps us determine the likelihood of winning versus losing, with a higher ratio indicating better chances of success.
To calculate the omega ratio, one needs to determine the cumulative excess return of the asset by calculating its highs and lows cumulatively.
Investors can measure their omega ratio using Treynor, Sharpe, Sortino, and Jensen Alpha methods. These ratios help select portfolios that align with their risk preferences and desired risk-return profile.

The Formula of Omega Ratio

In simple form, the omega ratio formula can be understood as follows

Omega Ratio = ΣWinning - Benchmarking / ΣBenchmarking - Loosing

Example of Omega Ratio

Standard Deviation = 4%, Mean Return = 6%

Return Earned in Past

Period	Return (X)	Excess Return (X- x̄)
1	8%	2%
2	9%	3%
3	7%	1%
4	15%	9%
5	2%	-4%
6	3%	-3%
7	4%	-2%
8	5%	-1%
9	6%	0%
10	1%	-5%

Omega Ratio formula = ∑ Winning - Benchmarking / ∑ Benchmarking - Losing

= ∑ 15/ ∑ 15

Omega Ratio =1

Types of Omega Ratio

The organization uses various measures to check its risk compared to the risk undertaken. As per the term structure theory of Fixed income, people are willing to take the risk if they are compensated in the form of higher returns. The higher risk should support the higher return, but there should be a trade-off so that higher returns can be seen after adjusting on a risk-adjusted basis.

Any ratio used to check the performance should be used in conjunction with another ratio, not in isolation.

The following are different measures of the omega ratio.

Treynor Ratio – Excess return earned/ Beta
Sharpe Ratio – Excess return earned/ Standard Deviation
Sortino Ratio – Excess return/ Downward Standard Deviation
Jensen Alpha – Return on a portfolio – Return as per Capital asset pricing model (CAPM), i.e., Excess Return in percentage.

Benefits

It covers all the distribution, whether normal or left or right-skewed.
It covers all the risk-return attributes. Mean, Standard deviation, Kurtosis, skewness. This is the main advantage of using this ratio, which is not tackled by any other similar ratio that makes it superior to others.
The omega ratio is useful in the case of a hedge fund that invests in exotic financial products where the Asset does not have a distribution, which is normal.
They are mostly used by a hedge fund that uses long/short strategies to earn arbitrage.
In real life, no asset class can fit into the normal distribution; it provides a better result in this picture.
The omega calculation usefulness can be seen as it uses kithe actual return distribution instead of the normal distribution. So the omega ratio responds accurately to the past analysis of the risk-return distribution of the investment being considered.
The mutual fund invests in a diversified portfolio. It’s commonly used to check the performance and indicator of the likelihood of estimates.
It rewards those portfolios which provide an excess return in comparison to losses.
Easy to provide ranking to portfolio or asset class through omega ratio.

Limitations

Heavy reliance on ratio can be a blunder because of using past data and nonstationarity in using the lookback data.
It makes the resulting complex for a small investor, only useful for sophisticated investors.
Dependency on another ratio. It cannot independently rely only on itself.
It is heavily affected by the outliers that make the result affected heavily.
Value at Risk (VAR), Scenario Analysis, and stress-based testing are also needed if the Asset under management (AUM) is high.
Hedge funds charge fees in the form of carried interest and management fees for managing the fund. Omega helps to find out the ranking considering the effect of risk with the return component. Still, after considering the fund's high fees, the result can show a slightly different picture than before, considering the effect of that component.

Conclusion

The omega ratio is useful in choosing the portfolio per the investor's desired profile. Some investors (Risk-averse people) want that they should at least earn the minimum rate of return that is the saving rate provided by the bank, or even more risk-averse people want that their capital should not be at risk. One can check their risk tolerance level and risk appetite ability to choose a low or high omega ratio to align; they require a risk-return profile with the particular class.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a good omega ratio?

e risk-adjusted performance is good if the ratio is greater than 1. It suggests the portfolio has a higher chance of achieving returns above the target level and a lower probability of incurring significant losses. In addition, a ratio of 1 indicates that the threshold value matches the average return on investment.

What is the difference between Omega and Sortino ratios?

The Omega ratio measures risk using the returns' first-order lower partial moment (LPM) with the arithmetic means in the denominator. On the other hand, the Sortino ratio uses the second-order LPM with the quadratic mean in the denominator. In simple terms, the two ratios differ in the type of LPM used to measure risk.

What is the Omega ratio for mutual funds?

The omega ratio measures risk and return, similar to the Sharpe ratio. It is helpful for investors in evaluating the appeal of hedge funds, mutual funds, or individual securities.