3.2.1.1. Systematic and Unsystematic Risk
A portfolio of securities is comprised of systematic and unsystematic risk. Systematic risk is the risk that the entire securities market will drop, dragging with it the performance of an individual stock or portfolio. Systematic risk is also referred to as market risk.
Unsystematic risk is the risk that the value of any specific security within the portfolio will decline due to factors specific to the issuer of that security, such