Understanding Alpha: Non-Systematic ROI Explained

Understanding Non-Systematic Return on Investment

www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

DEM 2013

[By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™ ]

https://marcinkoassociates.com

According to Wayne Firebaugh CPA, CFP®, CMP™ alpha measures non-systematic return on investment [ROI], or the return that cannot be attributed to the market.

It shows the difference between a fund’s actual return and its expected performance given the level of systematic (or market) risk (as measured by beta).

Example

For example, a fund with a beta of 1.2 in a market that returns 10% would be expected to earn 12%. If, in fact, the fund earns a return of 14%, it then has an alpha of 2 which would suggest that the manager has added value. Conversely, a return below that expected given the fund’s beta would suggest that the manager diminished value.

In a truly efficient market, no manager should be able to consistently generate positive alpha. In such a market, the endowment manager would likely employ a passive strategy that seeks to replicate index returns. Although there is substantial evidence of efficient domestic markets, there is also evidence to suggest that certain managers do repeat their positive alpha performance.

In fact, a 2002 study by Roger Ibbotson and Amita Patel found that “the phenomenon of persistence does exist in domestic equity funds.” The same study suggested that 65% of mutual funds with the highest style-adjusted alpha repeated with positive alpha performances in the following year.

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More Research

Additional research suggests that active management can add value and achieve positive alpha in concentrated portfolios.

A pre 2008 crash study of actively managed mutual funds found that “on average, higher industry concentration improves the performance of the funds. The most concentrated funds generate, after adjusting for risk … the highest performance. They yield an average abnormal return [alpha] of 2.56% per year before deducting expenses and 1.12% per year after deducting expenses.”

FutureMetrics

FutureMetrics, a pension plan consulting firm, calculated that in 2006 the median pension fund achieved record alpha of 3.7% compared to a 60/40 benchmark portfolio, the best since the firm began calculating return data in 1988. Over longer periods of time, an endowment manager’s ability to achieve positive alpha for their entire portfolio is more hotly debated.  Dimensional Fund Advisors, a mutual fund firm specializing in a unique form of passive management, compiled FutureMetrics data on 192 pension funds for the period of 1988 through 2005.

Their research showed that over this period of time approximately 75% of the pension funds underperformed the 60/40 benchmark. The end result is that many endowments will use a combination of active and passive management approaches with respect to some portion of the domestic equity segment of their allocation.

Assessment

One approach is known as the “core and satellite” method in which a “core” investment into a passive index is used to capture the broader market’s performance while concentrated satellite positions are taken in an attempt to “capture” alpha. Since other asset classes such as private equity, foreign equity, and real assets are often viewed to be less efficient, the endowment manager will typically use active management to obtain positive alpha from these segments.

Notes:

  • Ibbotson, R.G. and Patel, A.K. Do Winners Repeat with Style? Summary of Findings – Ibbotson & Associates, Chicago (February 2002).
  • Kacperczyk, M.T., Sialm, C., and Lu Zheng. On Industry Concentration of Actively Managed Equity Mutual Funds. University of Michigan Business School. (November 2002).
  • 2007 Annual US Corporate Pension Plan Best and Worst Investment Performance Report.  FutureMetrics, April 20, 2007.

Conclusion

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™8Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™

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The Importance of Public Relations in Healthcare

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Public Relations [PR] is differentiated than advertising in that an advertiser pays for and has control over the message. It differs from personal selling in that the message is non-personal, i.e., not directed to a particular individual patient. We pay for advertising but pray for public relations. Public relations are not controllable but it is free; advertising is not free. PR suggests that “good news or bad news”; just spell the doctors name correctly

Change Management is the discipline that guides how we prepare, equip and support individuals to successfully adopt to change in order to drive organizational success and outcomes.

For example, a senior doctor may retire, become ill, or a junior associate might become a practice partner. How will patients be affected?

Crisis Management is the precautions and identification of threats to an organization and its stakeholders, and the methods used by the organization to deal with these threats.

For example, recall in 1982, that Tylenol™ commanded 35 percent of the over-the-counter analgesic market in America and it represented nearly 17 percent of Johnson & Johnson’s profits. But, when seven people died from consuming the tainted drug, a national panic ensued. Moreover, Americans started to question the safety of all over-the-counter medications.

Fortunately, J&J commenced the proto-typical positive crisis response in the following way:

  • J&J acted quickly, with complete candidness about what happened and within hours of learning of the deaths, J&J installed toll-free numbers for consumers, sent alerts to healthcare providers nationwide, and stopped advertising the product. J&J recalled 31 million bottles of Tylenol™ capsules and offered replacement products free of charge. J&J did not wait for evidence to see whether the contamination might be more widespread.
  • J&J’s leadership was in the lead and seemed in full control throughout the crisis. The chairman was admired for his leadership to pull Tylenol™ capsules off the market and his forthrightness in dealing with the media. The Tylenol™ crisis led the news every night on every station for six weeks.
  • J&J placed consumers first. J&J spent more than $100 million for the recall and re-launch of Tylenol™. The stock which had been trading near a 52-week high just before the tragedy, dropped for a time, but recovered to its highs only two months later.
  • J&J accepted responsibility. The disaster could have been described in many different ways: as an assault on the company, as a problem somewhere in the process of getting Tylenol™ from J&J factories to retail stores, or as the acts of a crazed criminal. Yet, the company accepted full responsibility.
  • J&J sought to ensure that measures were taken to prevent a recurrence of the problem. J&J introduced tamper-proof packaging that would make it much more difficult for a similar incident to occur in the future.
  • J&J presented itself prepared to handle the short-term damage in the name of consumer safety. Within a year of the disaster, J&J’s share of the analgesic market, which had fallen to 7 percent from 37 percent following the poisoning, had climbed back to 30 percent.

This wildly successful response in now the stuff of graduate and business school case models for excellence in teaching!

PRM stands for Patient Relationship Management, which is a system for managing all interactions with current and potential patients, families, friends, referring physicians, clinics and hospitals. The goal is simple: improve relationships to grow your medical practice. PRM technology helps medical practices and clinics stay connected to patients, streamline processes, and improve profitability.

When people talk about PRM, they’re usually referring to a PRM system: software that helps track each interaction with a patient or elated others. That can include practice sales calls, treatment or service plans, marketing e-mails, website, social media and more. PRM tools can unify patient and practice data from many sources and even use Artificial Intelligence [AI] to help better manage relationships across the entire doctor– patient lifecycle – spanning departments described elsewhere in the Marketing, Advertising and Sales ME-Ps.

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com 

References:

1. Purcarea, Victor: The impact of marketing strategies in healthcare systems.  J. Med Life. 2019 Apr-Jun;12(2):93–96. doi: 10.25122/jml-2019-1003

READINGS:

Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: The Business of Medical Practice [3rd Edition]. Springer Publishing, New York, 2010.

Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Hospitals & Healthcare Organizations [Management Strategies, Operational Techniques, Tools, Templates and Case Studies].  Productivity Press, New York, 2012.

Marcinko, DE and Hetico, HR: Financial Management Strategies for Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations [Tools, Techniques, Checklists and Case Studies]. Productivity Press, New York, 2012.

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Stocks, Bonds and Crypto-Currrency

By A.I. and Staff Reporters

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  • Bonds: The 10-year Treasury yield popped on solid economic data yesterday, including weekly jobless claims falling to their lowest since mid-July and Q2 GDP rising unexpectedly.
  • Stocks: But good news for the labor market and economy is bad news for anyone hoping the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates next month, and the major indexes sank for a third day in a row yesterday. All eyes now turn to today’s key PCE reading.
  • Crypto: Digital assets continued to tumble yesterday with ether falling below $4,000 for the first time in months. There may be more pain ahead: $22 billion in crypto options expire today.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

EDUCATION: Books

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