Term: Tracking Error

This statistic measures the standard deviation of a fund’s excess returns over the returns of an index or benchmark portfolio. As such, it can be an indication of ‘riskiness’ in the manager’s investment style. A Tracking Error below 2 suggests a passive approach, with a close fit between the fund and its benchmark. At 3 and above the correlation is progressively looser: the manager will be deploying a more active investment style, and taking bigger positions away from the benchmark’s composition.

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