Final answer:
The fair rate of return for a stock with a beta of -0.5 can be calculated using the SML formula. The formula is Fair rate of return = Risk-free rate + (Beta × Market risk premium).
Step-by-step explanation:
The fair rate of return for a stock with a beta (β) of -0.5 can be calculated using the Security Market Line (SML) formula. The SML formula states that the fair rate of return for a stock is equal to the risk-free rate plus the stock's beta multiplied by the market risk premium.
Let's assume the risk-free rate is 2% and the market risk premium is 5%. The formula can be written as:
Fair rate of return = Risk-free rate + (Beta × Market risk premium)
Plugging in the values, we get:
Fair rate of return = 2% + (-0.5 × 5%)
Fair rate of return = 2% - 2.5%
The fair rate of return for a stock with a beta of -0.5 is -0.5%.