Time-weighted rate of returns provide a popular alternative to money-weighted returns in which each time period is given equal weight regardless of the amount invested, hence the name “time-weighted”.
In the “true or classical time-weighted” methodology performance is calculated for each subperiod between cash flows using simple wealth ratios. The subperiod returns are then chain linked as follows:
where: Vt is the valuation immediately after the cash flow Ct at the end of period t.
Since (Vt - Ct)/Vt-1 = 1 + rt is the wealth ratio immediately prior to receiving the external cash flow, Equation (2.18) simplifies to the familiar Equation (2.6) from before: