Financecalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Yield?
/jiːld/
In finance, yield is the income generated by an investment expressed as a percentage of its cost or current market value. It measures the return from dividends, interest, or rent relative to price.
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Everyday Example
If you buy a bond for £1,000 that pays £50 interest per year, the yield is 5%. If the bond price falls to £800 while still paying £50, the yield rises to 6.25% — price and yield move inversely.
publicReal-World Application
“Central bank decisions to raise interest rates cause bond yields to rise (bond prices fall), which has cascading effects on all asset classes — from stocks to property to company valuations.”
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Did you know?
The yield curve — which plots yields for bonds of different maturity dates — is one of the most closely watched economic indicators. An inverted yield curve (short-term yields exceeding long-term ones) has preceded every US recession since 1955.
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Key Insight
Yield is not the same as return. A 5% yield tells you the income component of return. Total return also includes any change in the asset's price — a 5% yield investment that falls 10% in value has a negative total return.
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