How does the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) assist in investment decisions?

The CAPM assists in investment decisions by helping investors and financial managers evaluate the relationship between risk and expected return. The model states that the expected return on a security equals the risk-free rate plus a risk premium based on the security’s beta and the market risk premium. In this way, CAPM provides a structured method for deciding whether the expected return of a stock is adequate given its level of systematic risk. Choice C is correct because this risk-return trade-off is the core purpose of the model. CAPM does not predict exact future prices, so choice B is incorrect. It also does not apply only to dividend-paying stocks, making choice A incorrect. Choice D is incorrect because no financial model can guarantee returns in an uncertain market. In financial management, CAPM is widely used to estimate the cost of common equity, evaluate investment performance, and compare required return across securities with different risk levels. Therefore, C is the best answer because CAPM is designed to support investment decisions by linking expected return to systematic market risk.

========