beta

Từ điển WordNet

    adj.

  • second in order of importance

    the candidate, considered a beta male, was perceived to be unable to lead his party to victory

  • preliminary or testing stage of a software or hardware product

    a beta version

    beta software

Microsoft Computer Dictionary

adj. Of or relating to software or hardware that is a beta. See also beta1. Compare alpha1.n. A new software or hardware product, or one that is being updated, that is ready to be released to users for beta testing in real-world situations. Usually betas have most or all of the features and functionality implemented that the finished product is to have. See also beta test. Compare alpha1.

Bloomberg Financial Glossary

贝塔（与股票相关的）系数贝塔（与股票相关的）系数
The measure of an asset's risk in relation to the market (for example, the S&P500) or to an alternative benchmark or factors. Roughly speaking, a security with a beta of 1.5, will have move, on average, 1.5 times the market return. [More precisely, that stock's excess return (over and above a short-term money market rate) is expected to move 1.5 times the market excess return).] According to asset pricing theory, beta represents the type of risk, systematic risk, that cannot be diversified away. When using beta, there are a number of issues that you need to be aware of: (1) betas may change through time; (2) betas may be different depending on the direction of the market (i.e. betas may be greater for down moves in the market rather than up moves); (3) the estimated beta will be biased if the security does not frequently trade; (4) the beta is not necessarily a complete measure of risk (you may need multiple betas). Also, note that the beta is a measure of comovement, not volatility. It is possible for a security to have a zero beta and higher volatility than the market.

Investopedia Financial Terms

Beta
A measure of the volatility, or systematic risk, of a security or a portfolio in comparison to the market as a whole.

Also known as "beta coefficient".
Investopedia Says:
Beta is calculated using regression analysis, and you can think of beta as the tendency of a security's returns to respond to swings in the market. A beta of 1 indicates that the security's price will move with the market. A beta of less than 1 means that the security will be less volatile than the market. A beta of greater than 1 indicates that the security's price will be more volatile than the market. For example, if a stock's beta is 1.2, it's theoretically 20% more volatile than the market.

Many utilities stocks have a beta of less than 1. Conversely, most high-tech Nasdaq-based stocks have a beta of greater than 1, offering the possibility of a higher rate of return, but also posing more risk.