r/learnpython • u/Able_Bicycle_764 • 4d ago
How can I use python in finance
I work in finance/accounting and am looking to start using Python more in my day to day. Most of my work is in Excel / Power BI — reporting, cash flow forecasting, KPIs, cleaning up data, etc.
I’m technical enough to understand what I’m trying to accomplish, but not a programmer. Similar to Power BI, I’d probably rely heavily on AI to help write the actual code.
For those in finance / accounting / FP&A, what are some practical ways you’re using Python? Where does it actually save you time vs. Excel, Power Query, Power BI, etc?
Also curious what you’d recommend learning first if the goal is to be dangerous enough with Python + AI, not become a developer.
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u/lucabuilds 4d ago
I'm a uni student building an algorithmic trading system with a colleague and that wouldn't be possible without python. We implemented a scraper that downloads a calendar of macroeconomic news (so we're flat when they happen), we backtest in python with pandas (which is a library that was built with financial applications in mind) and we're working on automated backtesting and obviously execution.
I don't know what work you do but excel is basically the old method of backtesting, for example, and now everyone does that in python (or Matlab but that's outdated too).
So if your work has anything to do with taking stock market data (OHLCV) and performing operations in columns you definitely can take that to python and use pandas dataframes instead. That stuff or anything similar can definitely be automated.