Use Excel formulas to compute haircuts
Company: Jane Street
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Data Manipulation (SQL/Python)
Difficulty: Medium
Interview Round: HR Screen
You are given an Excel worksheet with columns such as Asset, Market Value, and Haircut %. Using only cell references (no copy-paste of numeric values), write formulas to compute each asset’s haircut-adjusted value and the total adjusted collateral value. Explain which formulas you would use, how you would apply absolute vs. relative references, and how you would ensure changes in the input table automatically propagate to the results.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates spreadsheet proficiency in constructing dynamic Excel formulas, the correct application of absolute versus relative cell references, and aggregation techniques to compute haircut-adjusted asset values and totals.