Here’s some common financial and banking abbreviations, formatted in HTML:
Finance and banking are rife with abbreviations. Understanding these can greatly improve your comprehension of financial news, reports, and discussions. Here’s a breakdown of some common ones:
General Finance
- ROI
- Return on Investment. A measure of the profitability of an investment, usually expressed as a percentage.
- NPV
- Net Present Value. The difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time. Used in capital budgeting and investment planning.
- IRR
- Internal Rate of Return. The discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of all cash flows from a particular project equal to zero.
- EPS
- Earnings Per Share. A company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock.
- P/E Ratio
- Price-to-Earnings Ratio. A valuation ratio that compares a company’s share price to its earnings per share. A high P/E ratio could mean that a company’s stock is over-valued, or else that investors are expecting high growth rates in the future.
- CAGR
- Compound Annual Growth Rate. The year-over-year growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time.
- EBITDA
- Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization. A measure of a company’s overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to net income in some circumstances.
- GAAP
- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The common set of accounting principles, standards, and procedures that companies must follow when they compile their financial statements.
- SEC
- Securities and Exchange Commission. A U.S. government agency that oversees securities markets and protects investors.
- NAV
- Net Asset Value. Represents the value of an entity’s assets less the value of its liabilities. Often used for mutual funds and ETFs.
Banking
- APR
- Annual Percentage Rate. The annual rate charged for borrowing or earned through an investment, expressed as a percentage that represents the actual yearly cost of funds over the term of a loan.
- APY
- Annual Percentage Yield. The actual rate of return earned in a year, taking into account the effect of compounding interest.
- CD
- Certificate of Deposit. A savings certificate with a fixed maturity date, specified interest rate, and can only be withdrawn after a certain period.
- FDIC
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. An independent agency of the U.S. government that protects depositors of insured banks and savings associations.
- ATM
- Automated Teller Machine. A computerized telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public space without the need for a cashier, human clerk or bank teller.
- ACH
- Automated Clearing House. An electronic network for financial transactions in the United States.
- KYC
- Know Your Customer. The due diligence process that banks and other financial institutions use to verify the identity of their clients and assess their suitability, along with potential risks of illegal intentions towards the banking relationship.
- AML
- Anti-Money Laundering. A set of procedures, laws and regulations designed to stop the practice of generating income through illegal actions.
This list provides a foundation for understanding common finance and banking terms. Continued exposure and research will help you further expand your knowledge of these abbreviations and their contexts.