This is neither an R primer nor an introduction to finance. If you have some familiarity with both R and finance this will help you deepen your knowledge.

As you go through the examples you will learn how to use the ggplot2 library to plot zoo time series, how to calculate annualised returns for series stored in zoo objects, how to construct an approximate total return series from a yield series, and how to convert a price and dividend series to a total return series for the S&P 500.