Sure! Here's a beginner-friendly breakdown of Liquidity 101 — the fundamentals of liquidity in finance and investing:
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🔹 What Is Liquidity?
Liquidity refers to how quickly and easily an asset can be converted into cash without significantly affecting its price.
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🔹 Types of Liquidity
1. Market Liquidity
How easy it is to buy or sell an asset in the market.
Example: Stocks on a major exchange (like Apple or Microsoft) are highly liquid.
Illiquid Example: Real estate or collectibles.
2. Accounting Liquidity
A company’s ability to meet short-term financial obligations.
Measured using ratios like:
Current Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities
Quick Ratio = (Current Assets - Inventory) / Current Liabilities
3. Funding Liquidity
A firm or individual's ability to raise cash when needed.
Important for banks and financial institutions.
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🔹 Why Liquidity Matters
For investors: High liquidity means easier entry and exit from positions.
For businesses: Strong liquidity means lower risk of insolvency.
In markets: More liquidity = tighter spreads, less volatility.
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🔹 Liquidity Examples