This indicator allows you to quickly assess whether a security has generated enough return during the last month, quarter, or year based on the risk taken. The Jensen’s alpha indicator can also be applied to sector indexes to determine which sectors are currently generating alpha, as displayed in Figure 4 below. As you can see, the materials and industrial sectors have been outperforming and generating positive alpha based on the last month’s return, whereas energy and consumer staples have been underperforming the most.