APR vs APY

What are the difference between APR and APY

What are they and what is the difference?

APR and APY both represent an annualized return for the investor. They are both based on a recently generated return that is assumed to continue and hold constant for a year. The result, therefore, is an annualized rate of return given the current rate of return.

So, what is the difference between APR and APY? It comes down to one thing: Compounding.

APR assumes that any returns generated would be kept separate and idle, whereas APY assumes those returns are then put back to work and starts earning. The process of putting the returns back into the investment machine is what's known as "compounding".

See the following table to visualize the difference:

Data by American Express: APY vs. APR

Formula: (1+(r/365))^365-1 = APY

How does Feeder Finance calculate its APY figures?

  • Most products on Feeder uses current reward distribution that is compounded to annualize into a daily compounded APY.

  • AutoFarming products also have a "Trading Fee" component which is calculated based on a historical average APR.

  • In some cases, where the target does not require Feeder to auto-compound, such as ACS, Feeder displays a historical average APY. Depending on the target, the length of the historical average can vary.

The APY figure on the DApp gets updated every 15 to 30 minutes.

What affects changes to APY?

It is important to note that APY is dynamic and changes (up or down) at all times; the following are key drivers behind the changes:

The price of the reward token getting compounded back into the deposited balance, for example:

  • Were CAKE token price to rise significantly, so would the APY for CAKE related products; the same effects in reverse would take place if CAKE token price were to fall

Changes to endpoint APR due to other investors interacting with the contracts, for example:

  • Lending Pools: As more lenders supply to benefit from high APR, utilization rate drops, and so does APR on the endpoint and APY on Feeder

  • Swap Pools/PCS Farms: Depending on how active swapping is or how volatile the market is, trading fees are a sizable portion of the APR that goes into various products

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