Maximum Drawdown Explained: The Real Risk No Average Captures
Maximum drawdown is the worst peak-to-trough loss a portfolio has taken – the single number that captures the pain volatility hides.
Market Education
Learn how stocks, bonds and capital markets work. Explore plain-English explanations, worked examples and charts, then follow related coverage to connect market concepts with current events. Find your way around ECMSource.
DuPont Analysis Explained: 3-Step and 5-Step ROE
DuPont analysis splits return on equity into margin, asset turnover, and leverage so you can see whether a high ROE comes from operating skill, capital efficiency, or just borrowing.
CAPE Ratio Explained: When Stocks Are Truly Expensive
Shiller PE sits near 41, second only to the 1999 peak. What CAPE measures, when it works, when it misleads, with verified historical data.
Bank Capital Ratios Explained: CET1, Tier 1, Tier 2
What CET1, Tier 1, and Tier 2 capital ratios mean, the Basel III minimums, buffers, and why bank capital is back in the headlines.
Capital Structure Waterfall: Who Gets Paid First in Default
Senior debt, subordinated bonds, preferred stock, common equity — here is the exact order claims get paid when a company defaults, with the GM 2009 worked example.
Options Greeks Explained: Delta, Gamma, Theta, Vega, Rho
What delta, gamma, theta, vega, and rho actually measure — with worked examples, typical ranges, and the mistakes traders make.
Bond Duration Explained: Why a 1% Rate Move Wrecks Long Bonds
Duration is the single number that explains why a 30-year Treasury can lose roughly 16% in a year when yields rise 1%. Here is how it works, with current data.
Carry Trade Explained: How It Works and Why It Blows Up
How the carry trade works in plain English: borrow in a low-rate currency, invest in a higher-yielder, pocket the spread — and what causes the unwinds.
PEG Ratio Explained: When Growth Justifies a High P/E
PEG = P/E / earnings growth. Below 1 is the classic Lynch rule. Why the metric helps with growth stocks — and where it misleads.
Money Market Funds Explained: How They Work and Real Risks
Money market funds hold a record $7.89 trillion. Here’s how MMFs work, what drives their yields, the 2023 SEC reforms, and where the real risks hide.