diff --git a/dcaf/metrics/npv.py b/dcaf/metrics/npv.py
index 48a9642..b60f95f 100644
--- a/dcaf/metrics/npv.py
+++ b/dcaf/metrics/npv.py
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@
 
 from collections.abc import Iterable
 from datetime import date
+from math import fsum
 
 from dcaf.shared.time import timedelta_fractional_years
 from dcaf.shared.types import DayCountConvention
+from dcaf.shared.validation import validate_finite
 
 
 def npv(
@@ -33,7 +35,8 @@ def npv(
         ``(amount, date)`` pairs to discount. Both financial amounts and
         physical quantities (e.g. MWh) are supported.
     rate : float
-        Annual discount rate as a decimal (e.g. ``0.10`` for 10%).
+        Annual discount rate as a decimal (e.g. ``0.10`` for 10%). Must be
+        finite and greater than ``-1``.
     valuation_date : date
         Reference date for discounting/compounding.
     convention : DayCountConvention, optional
@@ -46,6 +49,11 @@ def npv(
         Sum of present values. Returns ``0.0`` for an empty *values*
         sequence.
 
+    Raises
+    ------
+    ValueError
+        If *rate* is not finite or is less than or equal to ``-1``.
+
     Examples
     --------
     >>> from datetime import date
@@ -56,9 +64,12 @@ def npv(
     ... )  # doctest: +SKIP
     0.0  # approximately
     """
+    validate_finite(rate, "rate")
+    if rate <= -1.0:
+        raise ValueError("rate must be greater than -1.0")
+
     one_plus_r = 1.0 + rate
-    total = 0.0
-    for amount, d in values:
-        t = timedelta_fractional_years(valuation_date, d, convention)
-        total += amount / one_plus_r**t
-    return total
+    return fsum(
+        amount / one_plus_r ** timedelta_fractional_years(valuation_date, d, convention)
+        for amount, d in values
+    )
diff --git a/dcaf/streams/cashflows.py b/dcaf/streams/cashflows.py
index c38119d..0635808 100644
--- a/dcaf/streams/cashflows.py
+++ b/dcaf/streams/cashflows.py
@@ -840,7 +840,8 @@ def npv(
         Parameters
         ----------
         rate : float
-            The annual discount rate as a decimal (e.g., 0.10 for 10%).
+            The annual discount rate as a decimal (e.g., 0.10 for 10%). Must be
+            finite and greater than ``-1``.
         valuation_date : date
             The date at which to calculate the present value. This is the reference
             point for all discounting/compounding calculations.
@@ -854,6 +855,11 @@ def npv(
             The net present value of all cash cashflows in the stream, evaluated
             at the valuation date.
 
+        Raises
+        ------
+        ValueError
+            If ``rate`` is not finite or is less than or equal to ``-1``.
+
         Examples
         --------
         >>> # Calculate NPV at project start with 10% discount rate
diff --git a/dcaf/streams/generation.py b/dcaf/streams/generation.py
index 32413fd..3c1880c 100644
--- a/dcaf/streams/generation.py
+++ b/dcaf/streams/generation.py
@@ -645,7 +645,7 @@ def discounted_sum(
         Parameters
         ----------
         rate : float
-            Discount rate.
+            Annual discount rate. Must be finite and greater than ``-1``.
         valuation_date : date
             Reference date.
         convention : DayCountConvention, optional
@@ -656,6 +656,11 @@ def discounted_sum(
         float
             Discounted total MWh.
 
+        Raises
+        ------
+        ValueError
+            If ``rate`` is not finite or is less than or equal to ``-1``.
+
         Examples
         --------
         >>> stream = GenerationStream.from_capacity(100, 0.9, date(2030, 1, 1), 2)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_cashflow_stream.py b/tests/unit/test_cashflow_stream.py
index cad8997..4556e3f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_cashflow_stream.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_cashflow_stream.py
@@ -636,6 +636,29 @@ def test_npv_no_cashflows():
     assert abs(npv) < tol
 
 
+def test_npv_preserves_small_remainder_under_cancellation():
+    """At zero rate, exact offsetting amounts leave the original small cashflow."""
+    valuation_date = date(2026, 1, 1)
+    stream = CashFlowStream(
+        [
+            CashFlow(1_000_000_000_000.0, valuation_date),
+            CashFlow(0.01, valuation_date),
+            CashFlow(-1_000_000_000_000.0, valuation_date),
+        ]
+    )
+
+    assert stream.npv(rate=0.0, valuation_date=valuation_date) == 0.01
+
+
+def test_npv_rejects_rate_at_minus_one():
+    """The stream wrapper enforces the shared real-valued rate domain."""
+    valuation_date = date(2026, 1, 1)
+    stream = CashFlowStream([CashFlow(100.0, date(2026, 7, 1))])
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="rate must be greater than -1.0"):
+        stream.npv(rate=-1.0, valuation_date=valuation_date)
+
+
 # ---- filter by classification / is_cash keyword tests ----
 
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_generation.py b/tests/unit/test_generation.py
index 2c0aeca..335b573 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_generation.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_generation.py
@@ -568,6 +568,14 @@ def test_discounted_sum_zero_rate():
     assert abs(gs.discounted_sum(0.0, date(2030, 1, 1)) - gs.sum()) < 1e-6
 
 
+def test_discounted_sum_rejects_non_finite_rate():
+    """The generation wrapper enforces the shared finite-rate requirement."""
+    gs = GenerationStream([Generation(1000.0, date(2030, 1, 1))])
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="rate must be finite"):
+        gs.discounted_sum(float("inf"), date(2030, 1, 1))
+
+
 def test_discounted_sum_uses_constant_rate_escalation_for_discounting():
     """Discounted sum matches evaluation through the shared constant-rate policy."""
     valuation_date = date(2030, 1, 1)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_metrics.py b/tests/unit/test_metrics.py
index 3ad0062..d2f6663 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_metrics.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_metrics.py
@@ -44,6 +44,28 @@ def test_empty_values(self):
         """Empty iterable returns 0.0."""
         assert npv([], rate=0.10, valuation_date=date(2025, 1, 1)) == 0.0
 
+    def test_allows_finite_negative_rate_above_minus_one(self):
+        """A finite rate above -1 remains in the real-valued NPV domain."""
+        values = [(50.0, date(2026, 1, 1))]
+
+        assert npv(values, rate=-0.5, valuation_date=date(2025, 1, 1)) == pytest.approx(100.0)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("rate", [-1.0, -1.1])
+    def test_rejects_rate_at_or_below_minus_one(self, rate):
+        """Rates at or below -1 are singular or complex for fractional periods."""
+        values = [(100.0, date(2026, 7, 1))]
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="rate must be greater than -1.0"):
+            npv(values, rate=rate, valuation_date=date(2026, 1, 1))
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("rate", [float("nan"), float("inf"), float("-inf")])
+    def test_rejects_non_finite_rate(self, rate):
+        """NPV requires a finite discount rate."""
+        values = [(100.0, date(2026, 7, 1))]
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="rate must be finite"):
+            npv(values, rate=rate, valuation_date=date(2026, 1, 1))
+
     def test_compounding_past_values(self):
         """Values before valuation_date are compounded forward."""
         # 2025 is not a leap year: 2024-01-01 → 2025-01-01 = 366 days (2024 is leap)