This firm has a beta of 0.0841. Let's try to break down what PNM Resources's beta means in this case. As returns on the market increase, PNM Resources returns are expected to increase less than the market. However, during the bear market, the loss on holding PNM Resources will be expected to be smaller as well. The beta indicator helps investors understand whether PNM Resources moves in the same direction as the rest of the market, and how volatile (i.e., risky) it is compared to the market (i.e., selected benchmark). In other words, if PNM Resources deviates very little from the market, it does not add much risk to the portfolio, but it also doesn't increase the expected returns.