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Anyone researching Zhongyu Gas Holdings Limited (HKG:3633) might want to consider the historical volatility of the share price. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. The first category is company specific volatility. This can be dealt with by limiting your exposure to any particular stock. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market.
Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk', beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. Any stock with a beta of greater than one is considered more volatile than the market, while those with a beta below one are either less volatile or poorly correlated with the market.
View our latest analysis for Zhongyu Gas Holdings
What does 3633's beta value mean to investors?
Given that it has a beta of 1.24, we can surmise that the Zhongyu Gas Holdings share price has been fairly sensitive to market volatility (over the last 5 years). Based on this history, investors should be aware that Zhongyu Gas Holdings are likely to rise strongly in times of greed, but sell off in times of fear. Many would argue that beta is useful in position sizing, but fundamental metrics such as revenue and earnings are more important overall. You can see Zhongyu Gas Holdings's revenue and earnings in the image below.
How does 3633's size impact its beta?
Zhongyu Gas Holdings is a fairly large company. It has a market capitalisation of HK$18b, which means it is probably on the radar of most investors. It takes deep pocketed investors to influence the share price of a large company, so it's a little unusual to see companies this size with high beta values. It may be that that this company is more heavily impacted by broader economic factors than most.
What this means for you:
Since Zhongyu Gas Holdings tends to moves up when the market is going up, and down when it's going down, potential investors may wish to reflect on the overall market, when considering the stock. This article aims to educate investors about beta values, but it's well worth looking at important company-specific fundamentals such as Zhongyu Gas Holdings’s financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following: