Skewness

Can skewness be zero?

Yes, skewness can be zero. This occurs when the distribution is perfectly symmetrical. It is possible if there are an equal number of values on the left and right sides of the mean.

What does positive skewness mean?

Positive skewness means the distribution is skewed to the right. There are more values on the right side of the mean than on the left side. 

Condition for Positive Skewness = Mean > median >mode

What does negative skewness mean?

Negative skewness means the distribution is skewed to the left. There are more values on the left side of the mean than on the right side. 

Condition for negative skewness = Mode > median > mean

How is skewness used in finance and investment analysis?

In finance and investment analysis, skewness is used to measure the degree of asymmetry in returns on investment. Skewed returns can have an impact on portfolio management and risk management strategies, and understanding the skewness of a particular investment can help investors to make better-informed decisions.

What is the formula for calculating skewness?

The formula used to calculate Skewness is,

Skewness Formula= 3(Mean – Median)/S.D.

How is skewness used in hypothesis testing?

Skewness is used in hypothesis testing to determine whether a sample of data is normally distributed or not. If the skewness value is close to zero, the data is likely to be normally distributed. If the skewness value is positive or negative, the data is likely to be skewed and may require non-parametric tests for hypothesis testing.

The measure of skewness tells us the direction and the extent of skewness. In symmetrical distribution the mean, median, and mode are identical. the more the mean moves away from the mode, the larger the asymmetric or skewness.

Before learning let’s learn more about Mean, Median, and Mode first.