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Finance and economics formulas

The 32 formulas the glossary defines, on one page, so you can find the one you need and check the symbols. Each term links to its page, where the formula comes with a plain-English explanation, a worked example computed step by step, and the Python that reproduces it.

Finance · 18 formulas

Pricing, risk and portfolio maths.

Black-Scholes Model

worked exampleOpen
C = S·N(d₁) − K·e^(−rT)·N(d₂)
d₁ = [ln(S/K) + (r + σ²/2)T] / (σ√T),  d₂ = d₁ − σ√T

Closed-form price for European options.

Bond Duration

worked exampleOpen
D_mac = Σ (t · PV_t) / Price
D_mod = D_mac / (1 + y)

A bond's price sensitivity to interest-rate changes.

CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model)

worked exampleOpen
E(Rᵢ) = R_f + βᵢ · (E(R_m) − R_f)

Expected return as risk-free rate plus beta times market premium.

Cointegration (Pairs Trading)

Open
Engle–Granger: regress A on B, test residuals for stationarity (ADF)

Two non-stationary prices whose linear combo is stationary.

Expected Shortfall (CVaR)

Open
ES_α = −E[ r | r ≤ −VaR_α ]

Average loss in the worst tail beyond VaR.

Fama-French 3-Factor Model

Open
R − R_f = α + β·(R_m − R_f) + s·SMB + h·HML + ε

Extends CAPM with size (SMB) and value (HML) factors.

Gordon Growth Model

worked exampleOpen
P₀ = D₁ / (r − g)      (requires r > g)

Values a stock as next dividend over (required return − growth).

Information Ratio

Open
IR = (R_p − R_benchmark) / TrackingError

Active return divided by tracking error.

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

Open
Solve for r:  Σ_t  CF_t / (1 + r)^t = 0

The discount rate that makes a project NPV exactly zero.

Kelly Criterion

Open
f* = (b·p − q) / b        (discrete bets)
f* = μ / σ²              (continuous returns)

The bet size that maximises long-run logarithmic growth.

Mean Reversion

Open
z = (xₜ − rolling_mean) / rolling_std
Trade when |z| exceeds a threshold (e.g. 2)

The tendency of a price or spread to return to its average.

Net Present Value (NPV) & DCF

Open
NPV = Σ_t  CF_t / (1 + r)^t

Today's value of future cash flows, discounted for time and risk.

Put-Call Parity

worked exampleOpen
C − P = S − K·e^(−rT)

A no-arbitrage link between calls, puts, the stock, and a bond.

Sortino Ratio

Open
Sortino = (R_p − R_f) / σ_downside
σ_downside = sqrt( mean( min(R − target, 0)² ) )   (over ALL periods, target usually 0 or R_f)

Like Sharpe, but penalises only downside volatility.

Time Value of Money

Open
PV = FV / (1 + r)^n      FV = PV · (1 + r)^n

A dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow.

Treynor Ratio

Open
Treynor = (R_p − R_f) / β_p

Excess return per unit of market (systematic) risk.

Value at Risk (VaR)

worked exampleOpen
VaR_α = −quantile(returns, 1 − α)

Worst expected loss over a horizon at a confidence level.

WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital)

Open
WACC = (E/V)·R_e + (D/V)·R_d·(1 − T_c)

Blended after-tax cost of a firm’s equity and debt.

Economics · 12 formulas

Macro identities and the models built on them.

Cobb-Douglas Production Function

worked exampleOpen
Y = A · Kᵅ · Lᵝ      (constant returns when α + β = 1)

Output as a function of capital and labour with constant returns.

Comparative Advantage

Open
Specialise where opportunity cost is lowest:
OC(good A) = units of B forgone per unit of A

Gains from trade arise from differences in opportunity cost.

Fisher Equation

worked exampleOpen
(1 + i) = (1 + r)(1 + π)   ⇒   r ≈ i − π

Links nominal interest rates, real rates, and inflation.

Gini Coefficient

Open
G = (Σ_i Σ_j |x_i − x_j|) / (2 n² x̄)

Single-number measure of income or wealth inequality (0–1).

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

worked exampleOpen
Y = C + I + G + (X − M)
Real GDP = Nominal GDP / (Deflator / 100)

Total market value of goods & services produced in an economy.

Inflation Rate (CPI)

Open
Inflation_t = (CPI_t / CPI_{t−12}) − 1

Year-over-year percentage rise in a basket of consumer prices.

Keynesian Multiplier

Open
k = 1 / (1 − MPC)
ΔGDP = k × ΔSpending

How an initial spending injection cascades into larger GDP change.

Nash Equilibrium

Open
No player i can improve by deviating:
uᵢ(sᵢ*, s₋ᵢ*) ≥ uᵢ(sᵢ, s₋ᵢ*)  ∀ sᵢ

A state where no player can gain by changing strategy alone.

Okun's Law

worked exampleOpen
(Y − Y*)/Y* ≈ −c · (u − u*)   with c ≈ 2

Empirical link between unemployment and the output gap.

Price Elasticity of Demand

worked exampleOpen
PED = (%ΔQ) / (%ΔP)
Elastic if |PED| > 1, inelastic if |PED| < 1

How responsive quantity demanded is to a change in price.

Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

worked exampleOpen
S = P_domestic / P_foreign

Exchange rates should equalise the price of identical goods.

Quantity Theory of Money

Open
M · V = P · Q
⇒ %ΔP ≈ %ΔM + %ΔV − %ΔQ

Money supply × velocity equals price level × real output.

Statistics · 2 formulas

The estimators behind the models.

Where to go next

  • The full glossary adds the terms that have no formula: Python, SQL and the IT vocabulary of a first job.
  • The courses put these formulas to work in the browser, on real market and macro data.
  • The thesis data guide shows where to pull the series these formulas need, from FRED, the ECB, Yahoo Finance and the SEC.