Principal is the initial sum borrowed in a loan or the initial amount committed to an investment. Principal is used to calculate the cost of a loan or the profitability of an investment, and returns are expressed in a percentage of the original sum invested – the principal. Traders may come across this term when investing in stocks and bonds.
For example, if an investor buys $200,000 worth of Stock A, and that investment increases in value by 50% over the next five years, they will have $300,000 of Stock A at the end of the period. Though the value of their investment has increased, the principal always remains the same, and is used to calculate the investment return.
Likewise, when taking out a loan, the total amount paid out is the principal. A loan is simply a debt investment by the lender, so the same terminology applies. The cost of a loan can be expressed in terms of a percentage, calculated by taking the principal and adding any interest to find the total amount to be paid. The difference between the two is the cost of the loan.
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