We derive and interpret the main results of Modern Portfolio Theory and the Theory of Active Portfolio Management from the perspective that, for active investors, the cross-sectional dispersion of returns is more relevant as a measure of risk than time series volatility. We show that all key...

Both the cross-sectional dispersion of U.S. stock returns and the VIX provide forecasts of alpha dispersion across high- and low-performing portfolios of stocks that are statistically and economically significant. These findings suggest that absolute return investors can use cross-sectional...