What is the FREQUENCY Function? The FREQUENCY Function is categorized under Excel Statistical functions. The function will calculate and return a frequency distribution. We can use it to get the frequency of values in a dataset. In financial modeling, FREQUENCY can be useful in calculating the frequency of a value within a range of values….
What is the REPT Function? The REPT Function is categorized under Excel Logical functions. The function will repeat characters a given number of times. In financial analysis, we can use the REPT function to fill a cell or pad values to a certain length. We can also build histograms, a chart commonly used in financial…
What is Tactical Asset Allocation (TAA)? Tactical asset allocation (TAA) refers to an active management portfolio strategy that shifts asset allocations in a portfolio to take advantage of market trends or economic conditions. In other words, tactical asset allocation refers to an investment style in which asset classes such as stocks, bonds, cash, etc. are…
What is the QUARTILE Function? The QUARTILE Function is categorized under Excel Statistical functions. The function will return the quartile of a given data set. As a financial analyst, QUARTILE can be used to find out, for example, a specific percentage of incomes in a population. The function is very useful in revenue analysis. Formula…
What is the FIXED Function? The FIXED Function is categorized under Excel TEXT functions. It will provide a text representation of a number rounded to the specified number of decimal places. While doing financial analysis, we often import data from external sources. The FIXED function helps convert numbers into text. Formula =FIXED(number, [decimals], [no_commas]) The…
What is the PV Function? The PV Function is a widely used financial function in Microsoft Excel. It calculates the present value of a loan or an investment. In financial statement analysis, PV is used to calculate the dollar value of future payments in the present time. For multiple payments, we assume periodic, fixed payments and…
What is the RTD (Real Time Data) Function? The RTD Function belongs to the Excel Lookup and Reference category. The function will retrieve real time data from a program that supports COM automation. As a financial analyst, the RTD function is very useful, as it helps in refreshing values from real-time data servers in Excel…
What is the COUNTBLANK Function? The COUNTBLANK Function is categorized under Excel STATISTICAL functions. COUNTBLANK will count the number of empty cells in a given range of cells. In financial analysis, the function can be useful in highlighting or counting empty cells in a given range. Formula =COUNTBLANK(range) Where: Range specifies the range of cells in…
What is the STDEV Function? The STDEV Function is categorized under Excel Statistical functions. The function will estimate the standard deviation based on a sample. As a financial analyst, STDEV can be useful in using the annual rate of return on an investment to measure its volatility. A risky stock will show a higher standard…
What is Initial Margin? Initial margin refers to the percentage of equity a margin account holder must contribute to the purchase of securities. In other words, initial margin refers to the proportion of the total market value of the securities purchased that must be paid in cash by the investor. Understanding Initial Margin An investor…
