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Finance Archive

The formula library

Every relationship, one place.

76 formulas with the meaning of every variable. Copy any one, open its parent note, or download the whole sheet for offline study.

76 formulas

Banking

Net interest income

NII = (Earning assets × Asset yield) − (Funding × Funding cost)

Interest earned minus interest paid.

Banking

Net interest margin

NIM = NII ÷ Earning assets

The spread expressed as a percentage of the money put to work.

Banking

Expected loss

EL = PD × LGD × EAD

Probability of default times loss given default times exposure at default.

Fintech

Contribution per loan

Contribution = Revenue − Expected loss − Servicing cost

What each loan adds before fixed costs.

Fintech

Break-even loan volume

Break-even loans = Fixed costs ÷ Contribution per loan

The number of loans needed to cover the platform.

Fintech

Acquisition payback

Payback = Customer acquisition cost ÷ Contribution per loan

How many loans it takes to earn back the cost of winning a customer.

Derivatives

Forward price (cost of carry)

F = S × (1 + r)ᵀ

The price that makes carrying the asset and agreeing to buy it later equivalent.

Derivatives

Call payoff at expiry

Payoff = max(S − K, 0)

The value of the right to buy at the strike.

Derivatives

Call profit

Profit = max(S − K, 0) − Premium

Payoff after the cost of the option.

Management Accounting

Contribution margin per unit

CM = Price − Variable cost per unit

The cash each sale leaves behind to cover fixed costs.

Price
Selling price per unit
Variable cost
Direct cost per unit

Management Accounting

Contribution margin ratio

CM ratio = CM ÷ Price

The share of every taka of sales that survives variable costs.

Management Accounting

Break-even units

Break-even units = Fixed costs ÷ CM

The volume at which contribution covers fixed costs exactly.

Management Accounting

Units for a target profit

Units = (Fixed costs + Target profit) ÷ CM

The volume needed to deliver a planned profit.

Management Accounting

Margin of safety

MoS = (Expected units − Break-even units) ÷ Expected units

How far sales can fall before the business makes a loss.

Management Accounting

Degree of operating leverage

DOL = Contribution ÷ Operating profit

The multiple by which a change in sales is amplified into a change in profit.

Investments

Bond price

P = Σ [C ÷ (1 + y)ᵗ] + F ÷ (1 + y)ⁿ

The present value of every coupon plus the present value of face value, discounted at the yield to maturity.

C
Coupon payment per period
F
Face value repaid at maturity
y
Yield to maturity
n
Number of periods to maturity

Investments

Current yield

Current yield = Annual coupon ÷ Price

The income return, ignoring any gain or loss at maturity.

Investments

Par, premium, and discount

Coupon = y → par; Coupon > y → premium; Coupon < y → discount

The relationship that tells you which way the bond trades.

Investments

Approximate price change

ΔP ÷ P ≈ −Modified duration × Δy

A first-order estimate of how much price moves for a small change in yield.

Financial Analysis

Current ratio

Current ratio = Current assets ÷ Current liabilities

A quick read on short-term financial strength.

Financial Analysis

Gross margin

Gross margin = (Revenue − COGS) ÷ Revenue

The share of each sale left after direct costs.

Financial Analysis

Return on equity

ROE = Net income ÷ Shareholders' equity

Profit generated for each unit of owners' capital.

Financial Analysis

Debt to equity

D/E = Total debt ÷ Shareholders' equity

How much debt the business carries relative to equity.

International Finance

Forward rate from interest rates

F = S × (1 + i_domestic) ÷ (1 + i_foreign)

The forward rate that removes any riskless gain from borrowing one currency and lending the other.

International Finance

Relative purchasing power parity

Expected change in spot ≈ Inflation differential

The currency of the higher-inflation country is expected to depreciate.

Financial Modeling

Cash flow from net income

FCF = Net income + D&A − ΔWorking capital − Capex

The bridge from accounting profit to the cash a model can actually deploy.

D&A
Depreciation and amortisation, a non-cash charge added back
ΔWorking capital
Cash absorbed by receivables, inventory, and payables
Capex
Cash spent on long-lived assets

Corporate Finance

Cost of equity (CAPM)

Re = Rf + β × (Rm − Rf)

The return shareholders require, built from the risk-free rate plus a premium for market risk.

Rf
Risk-free rate
β
Sensitivity of the shares to the market
Rm
Expected market return

Corporate Finance

After-tax cost of debt

Rd (after tax) = Rd × (1 − t)

The interest rate reduced by the tax shield on interest.

Corporate Finance

Capital weights

E/V and D/V, where V = E + D

Market values, not book values, drive the weights.

Corporate Finance

Weighted average cost of capital

WACC = (E/V) × Re + (D/V) × Rd × (1 − t)

The blended after-tax cost of all capital.

Valuation

Enterprise value from a multiple

EV = Multiple × Metric

Applies a peer multiple to the company's own metric.

Valuation

Equity value bridge

Equity value = Enterprise value − Net debt

Moves from the value of the business to the value of the shares.

Valuation

Perpetuity growth value

Value = FCF₁ ÷ (WACC − g)

The value of cash flows growing at a constant rate forever.

Investments

Macaulay duration

D = Σ [t × PV(CFₜ)] ÷ Price

The present-value-weighted average time to the bond's cash flows, in years.

t
Time of the cash flow, in periods
PV(CFₜ)
Present value of that cash flow

Investments

Modified duration

D* = D ÷ (1 + y ÷ m)

The percentage price change for a one-point change in yield.

y
Yield to maturity
m
Coupons per year

Investments

Price change with convexity

ΔP ≈ P × [−D* × Δy + ½ × C × Δy²]

A second-order estimate of the price change for a move in yield.

D*
Modified duration
C
Convexity
Δy
Change in yield, as a decimal

Investments

Gordon growth value

V₀ = D₁ ÷ (r − g)

Value per share equals next year's dividend divided by the required return minus the growth rate.

D₁
Dividend expected next year
r
Required return for the risk
g
Perpetual dividend growth rate

Investments

Next dividend

D₁ = D₀ × (1 + g)

Grows the dividend just paid by one year.

Investments

Implied required return

r = (D₁ ÷ V₀) + g

Rearranges the model: the return is the dividend yield plus the growth rate.

Risk Management

Rate-sensitive gap

Gap = Rate-sensitive assets − Rate-sensitive liabilities

How much of the book reprices when rates move.

Risk Management

Change in net interest income

ΔNII = Gap × Δrate

The first-order effect of a rate move on earnings.

Risk Management

Parametric value at risk

VaR = z × σ × Position value

The loss a position is expected to exceed only rarely over a set horizon and confidence level.

Risk Management

Liquidity coverage ratio

LCR = High-quality liquid assets ÷ Net cash outflows over 30 days

Whether a firm can survive a stressed month.

Financial Management

Future value

FV = PV × (1 + r)ⁿ

Grows a present amount forward by a constant rate per period.

PV
Present value
r
Rate per period
n
Number of periods

Financial Management

Present value

PV = FV ÷ (1 + r)ⁿ

Brings a future amount back to today's value.

Investments

Two-asset portfolio variance

σp² = w1²σ1² + w2²σ2² + 2·w1·w2·ρ·σ1·σ2

Portfolio risk is not the average of the parts; correlation decides how much of it survives.

w
Weight of each asset
σ
Volatility of each asset
ρ
Correlation between the two return series

Investments

Beta

β = Cov(Ra, Rm) ÷ Var(Rm) = ρ × (σa ÷ σm)

How much a holding moves when the market moves by one unit.

Cov(Ra, Rm)
Covariance of the asset with the market
Var(Rm)
Variance of the market return

Investments

Sharpe ratio

Sharpe = (E(R) − Rf) ÷ σ

Excess return per unit of total risk. Suits a whole portfolio.

Investments

Treynor ratio

Treynor = (E(R) − Rf) ÷ β

Excess return per unit of systematic risk. Suits one sleeve of a diversified book.

Investments

Jensen's alpha

α = E(R) − [Rf + β × (Rm − Rf)]

The return left over once the beta has been paid for.

Corporate Finance

Degree of financial leverage

DFL = EBIT ÷ (EBIT − Interest)

How much a change in operating profit moves earnings per share.

Corporate Finance

Degree of combined leverage

DCL = DOL × DFL = Contribution ÷ (EBIT − Interest)

The total amplification from sales to earnings per share.

Corporate Finance

Earnings per share

EPS = (EBIT − Interest) × (1 − t) ÷ Shares

Profit available to each share after interest and tax.

Corporate Finance

Interest coverage

Coverage = EBIT ÷ Interest expense

How many times operating profit covers the interest bill.

Ethics

Expected fine

Expected fine = Probability of penalty × Size of penalty

The probability-weighted cost of a failure.

Ethics

Net present value of controls

NPV = PV(Expected fine avoided) − Cost of controls

Whether prevention pays on the numbers alone.

Investments

Expected return

E(R) = Σ (pᵢ × Rᵢ)

The probability-weighted average of each possible outcome.

Investments

Capital asset pricing model

E(R) = Rf + β × (Rm − Rf)

Estimates the return required for holding a risky asset relative to the market.

Rf
Risk-free rate
β
Sensitivity to the market
Rm
Expected market return

Investments

Real return (Fisher)

Real return = (1 + nominal) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1

The return after removing the effect of inflation.

Corporate Finance

Net working capital

NWC = Current assets − Current liabilities

The short-term resources supporting operations.

Corporate Finance

Cash conversion cycle

CCC = Inventory days + Receivable days − Payable days

The number of days cash is tied up before it returns through sales and collection.

Corporate Finance

Contribution margin

CM = Price − Variable cost per unit

What each sale contributes towards fixed costs and profit.

Corporate Finance

Break-even revenue

Break-even revenue = Break-even units × Price

The sales value needed to cover all costs.

Corporate Finance

Net present value

NPV = Σ [CFₜ ÷ (1 + r)ᵗ] − C₀

Sum the discounted cash flows, then subtract the initial investment.

CFₜ
Cash flow in period t
r
Discount rate per period
C₀
Initial investment at time zero

Corporate Finance

Discount factor

DFₜ = 1 ÷ (1 + r)ᵗ

The multiplier that converts a period-t cash flow to today.

Financial Management

Simple interest

FV = PV × (1 + r × n)

Interest is paid on the original principal only.

Financial Management

Compound interest

FV = PV × (1 + r)ⁿ

Each period earns interest on the previous balance.

Corporate Finance

Internal rate of return

0 = Σ [CFₜ ÷ (1 + IRR)ᵗ] − C₀

The discount rate at which the present value of inflows equals the outlay.

Corporate Finance

Decision rule

Accept when IRR > cost of capital

For a conventional project, IRR above the hurdle rate is equivalent to a positive NPV.

Corporate Finance

Modified IRR

MIRR = (FV of inflows ÷ PV of outflows)^(1/n) − 1

Reinvests cash flows at the cost of capital, removing IRR's unrealistic reinvestment assumption.

Corporate Finance

Payback period

Payback = Years before full recovery + Unrecovered ÷ Cash flow that year

Time until cumulative cash flow returns the initial investment.

Corporate Finance

Discounted payback

Same as payback, using discounted cash flows

Payback measured in present-value terms, so it respects the time value of money.

Corporate Finance

Profitability index

PI = PV of inflows ÷ Initial investment

Value created per taka invested, useful when capital is rationed.

Financial Analysis

Accounting equation

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

Everything a business owns is financed by debt or by owners' capital.

Assets
Resources controlled by the business
Liabilities
Amounts owed to others
Equity
Owners' residual interest

Financial Analysis

Compound growth of a line item

FV = PV × (1 + g)ⁿ

Compare revenue or profit across years by applying a constant growth rate.

Financial Management

Present value of an annuity

PV = PMT × [1 − (1 + r)⁻ⁿ] ÷ r

Values an equal payment received each period, such as a loan instalment or lease.

PMT
Payment per period
r
Rate per period
n
Number of periods
Reference formula