Using the Sharpe Portfolio Model to Choose Economic Sectors for Expansion in a Rural Indiana County

The Sharpe stock portfolio model is used to analyze the economy of a rural Indiana county in the first attempt to use this model to analyze a regional economy. The major objective was to develop a technique that nontechnical people could use to identify regional industries that would be good candidates for expansion. Several promising industries for expansion were identified and a local chamber of commerce is currently working to encourage expansion in these sectors.