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Should You Be Concerned About Cardiovascular Systems, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:CSII) Historical Volatility?

If you own shares in Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSII) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a measure of volatility. Modern finance theory considers volatility to be a measure of risk, and there are two main types of price volatility. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The other type, which cannot be diversified away, is the volatility of the entire market. Every stock in the market is exposed to this volatility, which is linked to the fact that stocks prices are correlated in an efficient market.

Some stocks mimic the volatility of the market quite closely, while others demonstrate muted, exagerrated or uncorrelated price movements. Beta can be a useful tool to understand how much a stock is influenced by market risk (volatility). However, Warren Buffett said 'volatility is far from synonymous with risk' in his 2014 letter to investors. So, while useful, beta is not the only metric to consider. To use beta as an investor, you must first understand that the overall market has a beta of one. A stock with a beta greater than one is more sensitive to broader market movements than a stock with a beta of less than one.

See our latest analysis for Cardiovascular Systems

What CSII's beta value tells investors

Given that it has a beta of 1.71, we can surmise that the Cardiovascular Systems share price has been fairly sensitive to market volatility (over the last 5 years). If the past is any guide, we would expect that Cardiovascular Systems shares will rise quicker than the markets in times of optimism, but fall faster in times of pessimism. 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 Cardiovascular Systems's revenue and earnings in the image below.

NasdaqGS:CSII Income Statement, February 18th 2020
NasdaqGS:CSII Income Statement, February 18th 2020

Could CSII's size cause it to be more volatile?

Cardiovascular Systems is a small cap stock with a market capitalisation of US$1.6b. Most companies this size are actively traded. It is quite common to see a small-cap stock with a beta greater than one. In part, that's because relatively few investors can influence the price of a smaller company, compared to a large company.

What this means for you:

Since Cardiovascular Systems 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 Cardiovascular Systems’s financial health and performance track record. I highly recommend you dive deeper by considering the following:

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  1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CSII’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CSII’s outlook.

  2. Past Track Record: Has CSII been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of CSII's historicals for more clarity.

  3. Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how CSII measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.