Two figures in, a clear answer out. The bond price calculator uses annual coupon rate, coupon frequency, face value, years to maturity and yield to maturity (ytm) to produce coupon per period, annual coupon and bond price, applying the standard relationship for this problem in the order the calculation actually needs it.
What Is the Bond Price Calculator?
The bond price calculator takes annual coupon rate, coupon frequency, face value, years to maturity and yield to maturity (ytm) and turns them into coupon per period, annual coupon and bond price.
It is the kind of calculation you would otherwise do on the back of an envelope: mechanical, repeatable and easy to get subtly wrong without noticing.
How the Bond Price Figure Is Built
Each result is calculated from the ones before it, so the working is fully visible. That matters when the answer is going to be quoted to somebody else and you need to be able to explain where it came from.
The figures are exactly as good as the assumptions underneath them. Check the rates, the periods and the tax treatment before you rely on the result.
Reading the Result Sensibly
A small change in an input can move the result by much more than you would expect, particularly where the calculation divides by one of the figures you supplied. That is worth understanding before you rely on a figure.
For anything that will be committed to, write the inputs down beside the result. A number you can reproduce is worth far more than one you cannot explain.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with annual coupon rate set to 10, coupon frequency set to 1.000000000000000, face value set to 5, the calculator returns bond price of 0.5, and coupon per period of 50, and annual coupon of 50. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out coupon per period?
Enter annual coupon rate, coupon frequency, face value, years to maturity and yield to maturity (ytm). The calculator then works through the relationship and reports coupon per period, annual coupon and bond price.
What does the bond price actually calculate?
It takes annual coupon rate, coupon frequency, face value, years to maturity and yield to maturity (ytm) and converts them into coupon per period, annual coupon and bond price using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter annual coupon rate?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Is the answer exact?
It is as exact as the formula and the inputs allow. The method itself is the standard one for this problem, so the only sources of error are the figures you enter and the precision you ask for.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.