Barra Risk Factor Analysis

You want to measure a security's overall risk, specifically in relation to general market trends. Chances are you'll be using the Barra Risk Factor Analysis, developed by Barra Inc. It pulls together dozens of relevant data metrics to inform an assessment.

Senior debt rating? Check. Earnings growth? Check. After pulling together the metrics, it will measure the risk factors against the three primary risk categories: exposure to varying investment themes, company-specific risk, and industry risk.