Finance Q&A

P/E is share price divided by earnings per share. It shows how much investors pay for each unit of current profit.

P/B is market value divided by net assets. It compares stock price to the book value on the balance sheet.

ROE is net profit divided by average shareholders' equity. It measures how efficiently a company uses shareholder capital.

Market cap equals share price times total shares outstanding. It is a quick way to size a listed company.

Inflation is a broad rise in prices over time. It erodes purchasing power and affects interest rates, valuation, and asset returns.

Nominal return is your headline gain. Real return is nominal return minus inflation, which reflects true purchasing-power growth.

An index fund tracks a target index by holding a basket of securities. Its goal is to replicate index performance, not beat it.

ETFs trade intraday like stocks, while mutual funds are usually priced once per day. They can track similar strategies with different trading mechanics.

Expense ratio is the annual management and operating cost charged by a fund as a percentage of assets.

Tracking error measures how far a fund's returns deviate from its benchmark index over time.

Diversification means spreading investments across assets, sectors, or regions so a single loss does not dominate your portfolio.

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount regularly. It reduces timing pressure and smooths entry cost across market swings.

Higher expected return usually requires taking higher uncertainty. The key is whether the risk is understandable and affordable for you.

Income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. Together they show profitability, financial position, and cash movement.

It shows assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time. It helps you assess leverage, liquidity, and capital structure.

It shows revenue, costs, and profit over a period. It helps you evaluate a company's profitability trend.

It tracks operating, investing, and financing cash flows. It shows whether profits are turning into real cash.

Net income flows into equity, and cash changes appear in the cash flow statement then reconcile to balance-sheet cash. They should be consistent.

Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditure. It represents cash that can be used for debt repayment, dividends, or reinvestment.

Gross margin focuses on production economics before operating expenses, while net margin includes all costs and taxes to show final profitability.

Fast growth in receivables or inventory can signal weaker demand quality, slower cash conversion, or potential write-down risk.

Debt-to-asset ratio equals total liabilities divided by total assets. It is a basic indicator of leverage and solvency pressure.

Goodwill usually comes from acquisitions when purchase price exceeds identifiable net assets. Large impairments can hurt future earnings.

Yes. Profit is accrual-based, while cash flow is timing-based. Slow collections, high inventory, or heavy capex can create a cash squeeze.