UNDERSTANDING HEALTHCARE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
		Chapter 4 -- Financial Risk and Required Return
PROBLEM 5
A few years ago, the Value Line Investment Survey reported the following market betas for the stocks of
selected healthcare providers:
	Company			Beta
	Quorum Health Group			0.90
	Beverly Enterprises			1.20
	HEALTHSOUTH Corporation			1.45
	United Healthcare			1.70
At the time these betas were developed, reasonable estimates for the risk-free rate, RF, and the required
rate of return on the market, R(Rm), were 6.5 percent and 13.5 percent, respectively.
a. What are the required rates of return on the four stocks?
b. Why do their required rates of return differ?
c. Suppose that a person is planning to invest in only one stock rather than hold a well-diversified stock
portfolio. Are the required rates of return calculated above applicable to the investment? Explain your
answer.
ANSWER