What is the purpose of 'performance measurement' in investment management?

The purpose of performance measurement in investment management primarily revolves around evaluating investment returns against benchmarks. This process allows investment managers and stakeholders to assess how well a portfolio or an investment strategy has performed over a specific period.

Benchmarking is crucial because it provides a standard of comparison that reflects the performance expectations based on similar investment strategies or assets. By comparing actual returns to those of a benchmark, such as a stock index or a tailored portfolio, managers can identify whether they are meeting their performance objectives. This comparative analysis helps in understanding the effectiveness of investment decisions, which in turn can facilitate informed adjustments to strategies for future periods.

Performance measurement does not involve tracking daily market prices, as this would focus more on market volatility rather than on the effectiveness of a specific investment strategy over time. Similarly, analyzing a company's financial statements is more about evaluating the company's operational performance rather than measuring investment performance. Predicting future market trends also falls outside the core function of performance measurement, which is retrospective in nature, focusing on assessing past performance rather than forecasting future outcomes.