One payment, brought back to today
This calculator uses a zero-coupon bond: it pays 100 at maturity and makes no coupon payments along the way. With annual compounding, its price is P = 100 / (1 + y)^T, where y is the annual yield expressed as a decimal and T is the number of years to maturity. The model assumes the payment is made in full.
Why a higher yield means a lower price
At a 5% annual yield, a payment of 100 in five years is worth 78.35 today. At a 6% yield, the same payment is worth 74.73. The future payment has not changed; the discount rate has. A higher required yield reduces the present value, and a lower required yield increases it.
Zero-coupon bond · Face value 100 · Annual compounding.
Illustrative model; no credit risk, fees or market data.
Change one assumption at a time
Move the yield slider between 1% and 12%, then change maturity between one and twenty years. Keep maturity fixed to isolate a yield change; keep yield fixed to explore the effect of waiting longer for the payment. The example has no coupons and does not model default, credit spreads, liquidity or embedded options. Its purpose is to make the discounting relationship visible.
One quick check.
A fixed payment is due in five years. If the required yield rises, its present value…
A learning example, not a market recommendation. Work through the assumptions before applying any model.
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