Bond Formulas

This page lists the formulas used in calculations involving money, credit, and bonds. If you want to learn about these topics in detail, read the referring page.

Present Values and Future Values of Money

From The Present Value and Future Value of Money.

Future Value (FV) Formula
FV = P(1 + r)n
  • FV = Future Value of a dollar
  • P = Principal or Present Value
  • r = interest rate per time period
  • n = number of time periods
Present Value (PV) Formula
PV = FV
(1 + r)n
  • PV = Present Value
  • FV = Future Value
  • r = interest rate per time period
  • n = number of time periods
The Interest Rate of a Discount (IRD)
i = ( FV
PV
) 1/n - 1
i = Interest Rate of Discount per time period
n = number of time periods
FV = Future Value
PV = Present Value

or

From The Present Value and Future Value of an Annuity.

Future Value of an
Ordinary Annuity
(FVOA) Formula
FVOA = A × (1 + r)n - 1
r
Future Value of an Annuity
Due (FVAD) Formula
FVAD = A × (1 + r)n - 1
r
+ A(1+r)n - A
Present Value of an Annuity (PVA-∑ notation)
PVA = n

k=1
A
(1+i)k
PVA = Present Value of Annuity Amount
A = annuity payment
i = interest rate per time period
n = number of time periods
Present Value of an Annuity (PVA)
PVA = A * 1- 1
(1 + i)n

i
Present Value Annuity Payment
A = PV
1-(1+i)-n
i
= PV * i
1-(1+i)-n
Formula for the monthly payment of a loan.
A = monthly payment, or annuity payment.
PV = present value, or the amount of the loan.
i = interest rate per time period.
n = number of time periods.


Bond Yields

From Bond Yields.

Nominal Yield Formula
Nominal Yield = Annual Interest Payment
Par Value
Current Yield Formula
Current Yield = Annual Interest Payment
Current Market Price of Bond
Taxable Equivalent Yield (TEY) Formula for Municipal Bonds
Taxable Equivalent Yield = Muni Yield
100% - Your Federal Tax Bracket %
Yield-to-Maturity Approximation Formula for Bonds
Approximate Yield-to-Maturity % = Annual Interest
+
(Par Value - Bond Price)/Years till Maturity
(Par Value + Bond Price)/2

A more accurate calculation of yield to maturity or yield to call or yield to put:

Yield to Maturity, Yield to Call, or Yield to Put Formula
Bond Price = C1
(1+Y)1
+ C2
(1+Y)2
+ ... + Cn
(1+Y)n
+ P
(1+Y)n
  • C = coupon payment per period
  • P = par value of bond or call premium
  • n = number of years until maturity or until call or until put is exercised
  • Y = yield to maturity, yield to call, or yield to put per pay period, depending on which values of
    n and P are chosen.

or, expressed in summation, or sigma, notation:

B = n

k=1
Ik
(1+Y)k
+ P
(1+Y)n
Formula for the Effective Interest Rate of a Discounted Bond
i = (Future Value/Present Value)1/n - 1
i = interest rate per compounding period
n = number of compounding periods
FV = Future Value
PV = Present Value

or

Bond Equivalent Yield (BEY) Formula
Interest Rate Per Term Number of Terms per Year
BEY = Face Value - Price Paid
Price Paid
× Actual Number of Days in Year
Days Till Maturity

From Bond Pricing, Illustrated with Examples

Formula for Calculating Accrued Interest
Accrued Interest = Interest Payment × Number of Days
Since Last Payment
Number of days
between payments

From Volatility Of Bond Prices In The Secondary Market; Duration and Convexity

Macaulay Formula for Duration
T

t=1
t × Ct
(1 + y)t
D =
T

t=1
Ct
(1 + y)t
  • D = Macaulay duration
  • t = time until payment in years
  • T = total number of payments
  • Ct = cash flow at time t
  • y = bond yield until maturity
Note that the denominator =
the sum of all cash flows discounted
by the yield to maturity, which =
the bond's price.

Duration and Convexity

From Duration and Convexity, with Illustrations and Formulas

Bond Value = Present Value of Coupon Payments + Present Value of Par Value

Duration Approximation Formula
Duration = P- − P+
2 × P0(Δy)
P0 = Bond price.
P- = Bond price when interest rate is incremented.
P+ = Bond price when interest rate is decremented.
Δy = change in interest rate in decimal form.
Macaulay Duration Formula
Macaulay Duration = T

t=1
t × wt
  • T = number of cash flow periods.
  • t =time in years
  • wt = weighted average of cash flow at time t
  • CFt = Cash flow at time t
  • y = yield to maturity

Where:

Weighted Average of the PV of each Cash Flow
wt = CFt / (1 + y)t
Bond Price
= Present Value of Cash Flow
Bond Price
  • t =time in years
  • wt = weighted average of cash flow at time t
  • CFt = Cash flow at time t
  • y = yield to maturity
Modified Duration Formula
Modified Duration = DMac
1 + y/k
  • DMac = Macaulay Duration
  • dP/P = small change in bond price
  • dy = small change in yield
  • y = yield to maturity
  • k = number of payments per year
Effective Duration Formula

Effective Duration

= ΔP/P
Δi
  • Δi = interest rate differential
  • ΔP = Bond price at i + Δi −
    bond price at i - Δi.

The formula for the duration of a coupon bond is the following:

Duration Formula for Coupon Bond
Coupon Bond Duration = 1 + y
y
(1 + y) + T (c − y)
c [(1 + y)T− 1] + y
  • y = yield to maturity
  • c = coupon interest rate in decimal form
  • T = years till maturity

If the coupon bond is selling for par value, then the above formula can be simplified:

Duration Formula for Coupon Bond Selling for Face Value
Duration for Coupon Bond Selling for Face Value = 1 + y
y
[ 1 − 1
(1 + y)T
]
  • y = yield to maturity
  • T = years till maturity
Fixed Annuity Duration Formula
Fixed Annuity Duration = 1 + y
y
T
(1 + y)T − 1
  • y = yield to maturity
  • T = years till maturity
Perpetuity Duration Formula

Perpetuity Duration

= 1 + y
y
  • Δi = interest rate differential
  • ΔP = Bond price at i + Δi −
    bond price at i - Δi.

Portfolio Duration = w1D1 + w2D2 + … + wKDK

Convexity Formula
Convexity = 1
P × (1 + y)2
T

t=1
[ CFt
(1 + y)t
(t2 + t) ]

P = Bond price.

y = Yield to maturity in decimal form.

T = Maturity in years.

CFt=Cash flow at time t.

Change in Bond Prices Using Duration + Convexity Adjustment
ΔP
P
= -Dm × Δy + (Δy)2
2
× Convexity

Δy = yield change

ΔP = Bond price change

Convexity can also be estimated with a simpler formula, like the approximation formula for duration:

1. Convexity Approximation Formula
Convexity = P+ + P- - 2P0
2 × P0(Δy)2
P0 = Bond price.
P- = Bond price when interest rate is incremented.
P+ = Bond price when interest rate is decremented.
Δy = change in interest rate in decimal form.

Note, however, that this convexity approximation formula must be used with this convexity adjustment formula, then added to the duration adjustment:

1. Convexity Adjustment Formula
Convexity Adjustment = Convexity × 100 × (Δy)2
Δy = change in interest rate in decimal form.

Hence:

Bond Price Change Formula
Bond Price Change = Duration × Yield Change + Convexity Adjustment

Important Note! The convexity can actually have several values depending on the convexity adjustment formula used. Many calculators on the Internet calculate convexity according to the following formula:

2. Convexity Approximation Formula
Convexity = P+ + P- - 2P0
P0(Δy)2
P0 = Bond price.
P- = Bond price when interest rate is incremented.
P+ = Bond price when interest rate is decremented.
Δy = change in interest rate in decimal form.

Note that this formula yields double the convexity as the Convexity Approximation Formula #1. However, if this equation is used, then the convexity adjustment formula becomes:

2. Convexity Adjustment Formula
Convexity Adjustment = Convexity/2 × 100 × (Δy)2
Δy = change in interest rate in decimal form.

As you can see in the Convexity Adjustment Formula #2 that the convexity is divided by 2, so using the Formula #2's together yields the same result as using the Formula #1's together.

To add further to the confusion, sometimes both convexity measure formulas are calculated by multiplying the denominator by 100, in which case, the corresponding convexity adjustment formulas are multiplied by 10,000 instead of just 100! Just keep in mind that convexity values as calculated by various calculators on the Internet can yield results that differ by a factor of 100. They can all be correct if the correct convexity adjustment formula is used!

The price value of a basis point (PVBP), or the dollar value of a 01 (DV01).

PVBP = |initial price − price if yield changes by 1 basis point|

(Math note: the expression |×| denotes the absolute value of ×.)