| Abstract | Investment Risk Versus Rate of Return on Indexes on Warsaw Stock Exchange Index WIG20 includes shares of twenty largest and most liquid companies listed on WSE, the next forty are grouped in mWIG40 index, and another eighty – in the sWIG80 index. It is generally agreed that the index WIG20 allows to realize lower rates of return with a lower risk level than indexes mWIG40 and sWIG80. Directly proportional relationship between the rate of return and the investment risk comes from the CAPM model. The purpose of this research is to verify this view by analyzing rates of return and their volatility on indexes WIG20, mWIG40 and sWIG80 in the period 16.05.2005–7.04.2011. The results show reversed relationship between the rates of return and volatility on the indexes. Throughout the whole period the index WIG20 had the lowest rate of return, at the highest level of volatility, and the index sWIG80 – the highest rates of return with lowest risk level. The relationship changed with the capital market conditions. WIG20 index has achieved the best rate of return only during a fall in the value of indexes, but at the highest level of investment risk. |
