stock market glossary

uniqueboy

New member
StockCentral.com
Glossary of Investment Terms





Edited by:
Douglas Gerlach
Shannan Scarselletta





















© Copyright 2007 ICLUBcentral Inc.
All rights reserved.


ICLUBcentral Inc.
1430 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Customer Support: 617.661.CLUB
(617.661.2582)
Internet: ICLUBcentral - Software and Tools for Investors and Investment Clubs

1-9
12b-1 fees
A provision of the Investment Company Act of 1940 that allows a Mutual Fund to col-lect a fee for the promotion, sale, or other activity connected with the distribution of its shares. The fee must be reasonable (typically 1/2 to 1% of net assets managed), up to a maximum of 8.5% of the offering price per share.
401(k) plan
A tax-deferred defined contribution retirement plan offered by an employer.
403(b) plan
A tax-deferred annuity retirement plan available to employees of public schools and cer-tain nonprofit organizations.
52 Week Hi/Low Prices
The highest and lowest prices for the stock in the last 52 weeks.

A
Accounts Payable
Money owed by a company and payable within one year. It is listed on the Balance Sheet under Current Liabilities.
Accounts Receivable
Money owed to a business for merchandise or services sold on an open account. It is found on the Balance Sheet under Current Assets. It is used in analyzing a company’s liquidity.
ACE
See Analysts' Consensus EPS.
Acid-Test Ratio
See Quick Ratio.
Adjusted Basis
The value attributed to an asset or security that reflects any deductions taken on, or capital improvements to the asset or security. Adjusted basis is used to compute the gain or loss on the sale or other disposition of the asset or security.
Adjusted Gross Income
Abbreviated AGI. Sum of Earned Income, net Passive Income, portfolio income, and capital gains. The IRS uses AGI to determine most limitations on credits or deductions in taxes.
ADR
See American Depository Receipt.
Advance/Decline Line
A technical analysis tool representing the total of differences between advances and de-clines of security prices. The advance/decline line is considered the best indicator of market movement as a whole.
Agent
See Broker-Dealer.
AGI
See Adjusted Gross Income.
All Or None
Abbreviated AON. Used on a buy or sell order to instruct the broker to fill the order en-tirely or fill none at all.
Alternative Minimum Tax
Abbreviated AMT. An alternative tax computation that adds certain tax preference items back into Adjusted Gross Income. If the AMT is higher than the regular tax liability for the year, then the regular tax and the amount by which the AMT exceeds the regular tax are paid.
American Depositary Receipt
Abbreviated ADR. A negotiable certificate representing a given number of shares of stock in a foreign corporation; it is bought and sold in the American securities markets, just as stock is traded. ADRs are issued by a U.S. bank, consisting of a bundle of shares of a foreign corporation that are being held in custody overseas. ADRs can be “sponsored,” which means the corporation provides financial and other information to the bank, or “unsponsored.” While ADRs have the same currency and economic risks as the underly-ing foreign shares, they are much more convenient for U.S. shareholders to own since there are no problems in transferring securities from a foreign country or currency con-version.
American Stock Exchange
Abbreviated AMEX. A market located in New York City that handles approximately one-fifth of all securities trades within the United States.
AMEX
See American Stock Exchange.
Amortization
(1) The paying off of debt in regular installments over a period of time. (2) The deduc-tion of certain capital expenses over a specific period of time.
AMT
See Alternative Minimum Tax.
Analyst
Also known as a Financial Analyst or Security Analyst. Analysts have expertise in evaluating investments, and typically are employed by brokerage firms, investment advisors, or mutual funds. They make buy, sell, and hold recommendations on securities, and many specialize in industries or sectors.
Analysists’ Consensus EPS
Abbreviated ACE. An estimate of EPS derived by tabulating the projections of Wall Street analysts who follow a particular company.
Annual Report
A corporations’s annual statement of financial operations, typically a glossy, colorful publication. Annual reports include a balance sheet, income statement, auditor’s report and description of a company’s operations. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires that publicly-traded companies file an annual report, called a Form 10-K, with the Commission. The 10-K contains more detailed financial information than many annual reports.
AON
See All Or None.
Appreciation
The increase in value of an asset.
Ask
Also known as an Ask Price or Offer Price. The price a seller is currently willing to ac-cept for a particular security. On NASDAQ, this is the price at which a Market Maker is willing to sell a stock. See also: Bid; Quotation.
Ask Price
See Ask.
Asset
(1) Anything that an individual or a corporation owns that has economic value to its owner. Examples of an asset are cash, accounts receivable, inventory, real estate, and securities. (2) A Balance Sheet item expressing what a corporation owns.
Asset Allocation
The division of an investment portfolio into major asset categories, such as bonds, common stocks, or cash, usually to balance risk and reward appropriate for an investor’s age.
Asset Allocation Fund
A Mutual Fund that splits its investment assets among stocks, bonds, and other vehicles in an attempt to provide a consistent return for the investor.
Assets-to-Equity
The ratio of assets to equity in the company; a measure of leverage, which has a bearing on the Profitability of the firm.
At-The-Opening Order
An order that is to be executed at the opening of the market or of trading in that security, or else it is to be canceled. The order does not have to be executed at the opening price.
Auction Market
A market in which buyers enter competitive bids, and sellers enter competitive offers simultaneously. The NYSE is an auction market.
Authorized Stock
The number of shares of stock that a corporation is permitted to issue. This number of shares is stipulated in the corporation’s state-approved charter, and may be changed only by a vote of the corporation’s stock-holders.
Average Price
In bond trading, a step in determining a bond’s Yield to Maturity. A bond’s average price is calculated by adding its face value to the price paid for it, and dividing the result by two.
Average Dividend Yield
Combined with price appreciation, the average dividend yield (if any) can show a poten-tial total return from a security investment. The formula for the average dividend yield is:
(EPS *Average Payout) / current price
where EPS = Estimated Future High EPS / (1 + EPS Growth) 2.5
Companies that pay a dividend will generally increase the dividend as EPS grow. Share price growth will usually follow the dividend increases, and thus keep dividend yield at a constant percentage.
Average High PE
The average high Price-Earnings Ratio (PE) for the past five years. Used to calculate a predicted high price.
Average Low PE
The average low Price-Earnings Ratio (PE) for the past five years. Used to calculate a predicted low price.
Average Low Price
The average of low prices for the last five years. This represents a possible low price for a cyclical company (e.g. General Motors) whose stock price tends to fluctuate in cycles over approximately a five year period.
Average Percent Payout
The average of the percentage of a company’s profits paid out in dividends to share-holders, typically calculated over the last five years. A high percent payout can be a dan-ger sign. Recent payout figures higher than 50%, and higher than the average payout, may forewarn of a dividend cut. A dividend cut would likely cause the stock price to fall. Generally, the higher the payout ratio, the lower the expected growth rate for the com-pany’s EPS in the future.
Sometimes, although the dividend payout is more than earnings, the company has strong cash flow and can cover the dividend in the short term. However, a company paying out dividends in excess of earnings on a recurring basis is a risky investment.
Average Pre-tax Profit Margin
Pre-tax Income divided by Sales. This measures how well management converts sales dollars into profits after deducting all the operating expenses for making and selling its products. Compare the last two years’ pre-tax profit margins with the 5-year average to show the trend of growth.
Average Price-Earning Ratio
The average of the annual high and low Price-Earning Ratios for a particular time pe-riod, typically calculated over the last five years.
Average Profit Margin
See Average Pre-tax Profit Margin.

B
Back-End Load
A commission or sales fee that is charged upon the redemption of Mutual Fund shares or Variable Annuity contracts. It declines annually, and reaches zero over an extended holding period -- up to eight years -- as described in the prospectus. See also: Front-End Load; Contingent-Deferred Sales Load.
Balance Sheet
A company’s financial statement that reports its Assets, Liabilities, and Sharehold-ers’ Equity on a given date. Liabilities always equal assets, hence the name “balance sheet.” It is issued annually and quarterly.
Balanced Fund
A Mutual Fund whose stated investment policy is to have at all times some portion of its investment assets in bonds and preferred stock, as well as in common stock. This is an attempt to provide both growth and income.
Balanced Investment Strategy
A method of portfolio allocation and management aimed at balancing risk and return; a balanced portfolio may combine stocks, bonds, packaged products, and cash equiva-lents.
Basic Earnings Per Share
There are two kinds of Earning per Share (EPS): basic and diluted. Basic shares are fewer in number than diluted. For Basic EPS, net income is divided by the number of common shares outstanding. This usually produces a larger EPS number than when using a diluted number of shares. Be consistent in the kind of EPS you use. See also: Diluted Earnings Per Share.
Basis
Also known as Cost Basis or Tax Basis. A security’s basis is the purchase price after commissions or other expenses, and is used to calculate capital gains or losses when the security is eventually sold.
Basis Point
A measure of a bond’s Yield, equal to 1/100th of 1% of yield. A bond whose yield in-creases from 5.0% to 5.5% is said to increase by 50 basis points.
Bear
An investor who acts on the belief that a security or the market is falling or is expected to fall. See also: Bull.
Bear Market
A market in which prices of a certain group of securities are falling or are expected to fall. See also: Bull Market.
Beta
A mathematical measure of a stock’s risk in relation to the overall market (usually as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500 index). The Standard and Poor’s 500 Stock Index has a beta coefficient of 1.0. A beta higher than 1.0 indicates that, on average, when the market rises, the stock will rise to a greater extent and when the market falls, the stock will fall to a greater extent. A beta lower than 1.0 indicates that, on average, the stock will move to a lesser extent than the market. The higher the beta, the greater the risk. High-beta stocks are great to own in a Bull Market, but not so fun to hold in a Bear Market.
Beta Coefficient
See beta.
Bid
An indication by an investor, a trader or a dealer of a willingness to buy a security or commodity. The price at which an investor can sell to a broker-dealer. The quoted bid is the price at which a Market Maker is willing to buy a stock. See also: Best Bid; Quota-tion.
Bid Price
The price a buyer is willing to pay for a security.
Block Trade
A trade so large that the normal auction market cannot absorb it in a reasonable time at a reasonable price. In general, 10,000 shares of stock or $200,000 worth of bonds would be considered a block trade.
Blue Chip Stock
Stock in a well-established, financially-sound and stable company that has demonstrated its ability to pay dividends in both good and bad times, and has as a reputation for quality management, products, and services.
Blue-Sky Laws
In the early 1900’s, a Kansas Supreme Court Justice wanted to protect investors from speculative ventures, i.e. those with no more basis than “so many feet of blue sky.” To-day the term refers to state regulations regarding the securities industry.
Board of Directors
Individuals elected by stockholders to establish corporate management policies. A board of directors decides, among other issues, if and when dividends will be paid to stockholders.
Bond
A legal obligation of an issuing company or government to repay the principal of a loan to bond investors at a specified future date. Bonds are usually issued with a Par or face value of $1,000, representing the amount of money borrowed. The issuer promises to pay a percentage of the par value as interest on the borrowed funds. The Interest pay-ment is stated on the face of the bond at issue.
Bond Fund
A mutual fund whose investment objective is to provide stable income with a minimal capital risk. It invests in income-producing instruments, which may include corporate, government or municipal bonds. See also: Mutual Fund.
Bond Quote
One of a number of quotations listed in the financial press and most daily newspapers that provide representative bid prices from the previous day’s bond market. Quotes for corporate and government bonds are percentages of the bond’s face value (usually $1,000). Corporate bonds are quoted in increments of 1/8th, where a quote of 99 1/8 represents 99.125% of par ($1,000), or $991.25. Government bonds are quoted in 1/32nds. Municipal Bonds may be quoted on a dollar basis or on a yield-to-maturity basis. See also: Quotation; Stock Quote.
Bond Rating
An evaluation of the possibility of default by a bond issuer, based on an analysis of the issuer’s financial condition and profit potential. Bond rating services are provided by, among others, Standard & Poor’s 500, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Investors Service.
Book Value
Usually Book Value per Share. Calculated by dividing the net worth of a company (common stock plus retained earnings) by the number of shares outstanding. This is the accounting value of a share of stock, the value of the company’s assets that a shareholder would theoretically receive if a company were liquidated.
The book value may have no similarity to the actual cost per share on the stock market (called market value), or even to the sum of money that the shareholder would receive if the company dissolved. Companies that are running their businesses very successfully may sell at many times their book value, while those doing poorly may sell at a discount to their book value.
Increasing book value generally indicates that the company is accumulating assets faster than debt - a good sign. Decreasing book value may be due to research and development expenses, writing down assets, losing money from operations, or issuing more shares.
Book Value per Share
See Book Value.
Bottom-Up Approach to Investing
The search for individual stocks which have outstanding performances, even within an industry which is not performing well. See also: Top-Down Approach to Investing.
Breakeven Point
(1) The point at which gains equal losses. (2) The market price that a stock must reach for an option buyer to avoid a loss if the Option is exercised. For a Call, it is the strike price plus the premium paid. For a Put, it is the strike price minus the premium paid.
Breakout
A Technical Analysis term, used to indicate a rise in a stock’s price above its resistance level (such as its previous high price) or drop below its support level (commonly the last lowest price.) The assumption is that the stock will continue to move in the same direction following the breakout, which generates a buy or sell signal.
Broad-Based Index
An index that is designed to reflect the movement of the market as a whole. Examples include the S&P 100, the S&P 500, the AMEX Major Market Index and the Value Line Composite Index.
Broker
(1) An individual or firm that charges a fee or commission for executing buy and sell orders submitted by another individual or firm. (2) The role of a firm when it acts as an agent for a customer and charges the customer a commission for its services. See also: Broker-Dealer.
Broker-Dealer
A person or firm in the business of buying and selling securities. Also known as an Agent when buying securities and a Principal when selling them; one person may act as either, but not in the same transaction. Broker-dealers normally must register with the SEC, the appropriate SROs and any state in which they do business. See also: Broker.
Bull
An investor who thinks the market or a specific security or industry will rise. See also: Bear.
Bull Market
A market or a certain group of securities in which prices are rising or are expected to rise. See also: Bear Market.
Business and Industry Risk
Uncertainty of an investment’s return due to a fall-off in business that is firm-related or industry-wide.
Business Cycle
A predictable long-term pattern of alternating periods of economic growth and decline. The cycle passes through four stages: expansion, peak, contraction, and trough.
Business Model EPS Projection
Estimates EPS by applying profit and tax margins to the projected sales rate five years into the future. This centers attention on profitability rather than sales expansion. This formula may be used to estimate earnings per share five years ahead. It starts with the sales growth projection. (This is used because sales growth is historically more consis-tent and stable than earnings growth.) Expenses, taxes, and preferred dividends are then subtracted from sales. Finally, the result is divided by the shares outstanding to show the 5-year forecast for EPS. It is worthwhile to compare this sales-based EPS projection with other methods. This should help to confirm the reasonableness of your future 5-year EPS projection.
Buy-and-Hold
A long-term investing strategy in which an investor’s stock portfolio is fully invested in the market all the time.
Buy Stop Order
An order to buy a security that is entered at a price above the current offering price and that is triggered when the market price touches or goes through the buy stop price.
Buyout
The purchase of a company or a controlling interest of a corporation’s shares. A “leve-raged buyout” is accomplished with borrowed money.


C
CAGR
See Compound Annual Growth Rate.
Call
(1) An option contract giving the owner the right to buy a specified amount of an under-lying security at a specified price within a specified time. (2) The act of exercising a call option. See also: Put.
Call Option
The right to purchase stock at a specified (exercise) price within a specified time period.
Callable Bond
A bond that can be redeemed by the issuer prior to its Maturity. Usually a premium is paid to the bond owner when the bond is called.
Capital
Cash or goods accumulated and available for use in producing more cash or goods.
Capital Appreciation
A rise in the market price of an asset.
Capital Asset
All tangible property -- including securities, real estate, and other property -- held for the long term.
Capital Expenditures
Funds used by a company to acquire or upgrade physical assets such as property, plants, or equipment.
Capital Gain
An increase in the value of a capital asset such as common stock. If the asset is sold, the gain is a “realized” capital gain. A capital gain may be short-term (if the security is held one year or less) or long-term (if the security is held more than one year).
Capital Loss
The loss incurred when a capital asset, such as a security, is sold for a lower price than the purchase price. See also: Capital Gain.
Capitalization
Also known as Invested Capital or Capital Structure. The sum of a corporation’s stock, long-term debt, and retained earnings.
Capitalization Rate
See Discount Rate.
Capital Stock
Ownership shares of a company, consisting of all common and preferred stock.
Capital Structure
See Capitalization.
Cash Account
An account in which the customer is required by the SEC’s Regulation T to pay in full for securities purchased not later than two days after the standard payment period set by the NASD’s Uniform Practice Code. See also: Margin Account; Regulation T.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
A section of a company’s Balance Sheet reports the value of Cash and Cash Equivalents. These are assets that are cash or can be converted into cash immediately, such as bank accounts, marketable securities, and Treasury Bills.
Cash Dividend
Money paid to a corporation’s stockholders, normally out of the corporation’s current earnings or accumulated profits. All dividends must be declared by the board of direc-tors. Dividends are taxable as income to the shareholders.
Cash Flow
Also known as Cash Flow Per Share. The amount of cash a company generates during a period, calculated by adding noncash charges -- such as depreciation -- to net income after taxes. Cash Flow per Share is calculated by dividing the Cash Flow by the number of outstanding shares, and is sometimes used in lieu of Earnings per Share in analyzing a company. Cash Flow can be used as an indication of a company’s financial strength. A company pays dividends from this cash amount. Some analysts consider this figure more meaningful than net income because it is the actual amount of money generated by the company.
Cash Flow Per Share
See Cash Flow.
CBOT
See Chicago Board of Trade.
Change
(1) For an option or futures contract, the difference between the current price and the previous day’s settlement price. (2) For an index or average, the difference between the current value and the previous day’s market close. (3) For a stock or bond quote, the difference between the current price and the last trade of the previous day.
Chicago Board of Trade
Abbreviated CBOT. The oldest commodity exchange in the United States; established in 1886. The exchange lists agricultural commodity futures such as corn, oats, and soy-beans, in addition to more recent innovations such as GNMA mortgages and the NASDAQ 100 Index.
Chinese Wall
A descriptive name for the division within a brokerage firm that prevents insider infor-mation from passing from corporate advisers to investment traders, who could use the information to reap illicit profits.
Churning
An unethical practice employed by some brokers to increase their commissions by ex-cessively trading in a client’s account. This practice violates the NASD Rules of Fair Practice.
Close
(1) The price of the last transaction for a particular security on a particular day. (2) The midprice of a closing trading range.
Closed-End Fund
See Investment Trust.
Closed-End Investment Company
An investment company that issues a fixed number of shares in an actively managed portfolio of securities. The shares may be of several classes; they are traded in the sec-ondary marketplace, either on an exchange or over the counter. The market price of the shares is determined by supply and demand, and not by net asset value. See also: Mutual Fund.
Closely Held Shares
Shares held by individuals closely related to a company.
Coefficient of Correlation
See R2 (R-squared).
Commission
The fee paid to a broker to buy or sell securities. A commission increases the tax basis of the purchased security, thereby reducing the event capital loss or gain. Commissions vary widely from broker to broker.
Commodity
Any bulk good traded on an exchange or in the cash market. Examples include metals, grains, and meats.
Common Dividends
Newer companies growing rapidly may pay no or only a modest dividend, preferring to reinvest their profits in order to grow the business. More established companies often pay a dividend quarterly. See also: Dividends.
Common Equity
The ownership of the company may be held by two classes of shareholders, preferred and common. The stock held by the second group is called the common equity of the company. Common equity is useful in measuring the performance of a company’s man-agement. See also: Preferred Equity.
Common Stock
A class of stock in a company, normally with voting rights. Corporations may have sev-eral classes of common stock, as well as Preferred Stock, or they may have a single class of common stock. Common stockholders are on the bottom of the ladder in a cor-poration’s ownership structure, and have rights to a company’s assets only after bond holders, preferred shareholders and other debt holders have been satisfied.
Compound Annual Growth Rate
Measures the rate of change of a value over a one year period.
Compounding
The ability of an asset to generate earnings that are then reinvested and generate their own earnings; making earnings off earnings.
Conference Call
A publicly-traded company’s communication with Analysts, Shareholders, and inves-tors by telephone and/or via the Internet.
Confirmation
The written acknowledgement provided by a Broker that a trade has been completed. It includes details such as the date, price, commission, fees, settlement terms, and so on.
Consolidated Financial Statements
A presentation of the financial position of a parent company and its subsidiaries as one entity in a financial statement. See also: Annual Report.
Consumer Price Index
Abbreviated CPI. A measure of price changes in consumer goods and services used to identify periods of inflation or deflation.
Contraction
A period of general economic decline; one of the four stages of the business cycle. See also: Business Cycle.
Continuing Operations
A term used in an Income Statement to label income of a recurring nature, rather than that caused by sales of assets or discontinued operations.
Corporate Bond
A Debt Security issued by a corporation. A corporate bond typically has a par value of $1,000, is taxable, has a term maturity, and is traded on a major exchange.
Corporation
The most common form of business organization, in which the total worth of the organi-zation is divided into shares of stock, each share representing a unit of ownership. A corporation is ongoing and the owners face only limited liability.
Correction
A temporary decrease in stock price -- usually of at least 10%, but no greater than 20% -- in a Bull Market. This might signify a good time to buy.
Cost Basis
See Basis.
Coupon Bond
A debt obligation with coupons representing semiannual interest payments attached; the coupons are submitted to the trustee by the holder to receive the interest payments. No record of the purchaser is kept by the issuer, and the purchaser’s name is not printed on the certificate. See also: Bearer Bond.
Coupon Rate
See Nominal Yield.
CPI
See Corporate Price Index.
Crash
A sudden, severe, and widespread decline in stock prices, usually resulting from both economic influences and panic.
Current Assets
Appears on a company’s Balance Sheet, representing cash, accounts receivable, inven-tory, marketable securities, prepaid expenses, and other assets that can be converted to cash within one year.
Current Liabilities
Appears on a company’s Balance Sheet, representing amounts owed for interest, ac-counts payable, short-term loans, expenses incurred but unpaid, and other debts due within one year.
Current PE Ratio
The PE Ratio calculated using the last 4 reported quarters of Earnings Per Share. See also: Price-Earnings Ratio.
Current Price / Current EPS.
Comparing it to the average PE ratio shows over or under valuation of the company. Di-vide the current PE by the five-year average PE. If the result is 1 or less, the stock is un-dervalued.
Current Ratio
Indicator of company’s ability to pay short-term obligations, calculated by dividing cur-rent assets by current liabilities. Used to compare companies within a single industry. The higher the ratio, the more Liquid the company.
Current Yield
Annual income (interest or dividends) divided by the current price of the security. For stocks, this is the same as the Dividend Yield.
Cyclical Stock
A stock in an industry particularly sensitive to swings in economic conditions. Examples are housing and autos.
Cyclical Industry
A fundamental analysis term for an industry that is sensitive to the business cycle and price changes. Most cyclical industries produce durable goods such as raw materials and heavy equipment.

D
Day Order
An order to buy or sell a security that automatically expires if not executed on the day the order is placed.
Debt Due
The sum of bank and other notes payable in 12 months or less, and the portion of long term debt payable within a year.
Debt Financing
Raising money for working capital or for capital expenditures by selling bonds, bills, or notes to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money lent, the individuals or institutions become creditors and receive a promise to repay principal and interest on the debt. The other major way of raising capital is to issue shares of stock in a public offering. See also: Equity Financing.
Debt Security
A security representing a loan by an investor to an issuer such as a corporation, munici-pality, the federal government, or a federal agency. In return for the loan, the issuer promises to repay the debt on a specified date and to pay interest.
Debt Service
The repayment of Interest and Principal of debt.
Debt-to-Capital Ratio
The ratio of total debt to total capital ([short + long term debt] / capital). For long-term investors, a suggested acceptable percentage is up to 33%. Debt must be funded in good times and bad, so a company going through a bad slump has a better chance of recover-ing if its debt load is not too high. Keep in mind that debt serves the useful function of helping the company grow. It is up to management to use it wisely and increase the sales and earnings.
Debt-To-Equity Ratio
The ratio identifies the relationship of debt to ownership interest in the firm’s financial structure. A measure of a company’s financial leverage, calculated by dividing Long Term Debt by Shareholders’ Equity. A higher debt/equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt, which can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
Declaration Date
The date on which a company’s Board of Directors meet to announce the date and amount of the next dividend payment. Once the payment has been authorized, it is known as a Declared Dividend, and becomes a legal liability that must be paid.
Deduction
An item or expenditure subtracted from Adjusted Gross Income to reduce the amount of income subject to tax.
Deep Discount Bond
A bond that has a Coupon Rate far below rates currently available on investments and whose value is at a significant discount from Par Value.
Default
(1) The failure to pay interest or Principal promptly when due. (2) The failure to per-form on a Futures Contract as required by an exchange. See also: Default Risk.
Default Risk
The risk that a company will be unable to pay the contractual interest or Principal on its debt obligations.
Deferred Annuity
An annuity contract that delays payments of income, installments, or a lump sum until the investor elects to receive them.
Deferred Income Taxes
On the Balance Sheet, deferred taxes are a liability that result from income already earned and recognized for accounting purposes, but not for tax purposes.
Deleted
Describes a security that is no longer included in The NASDAQ Stock Market.
Demand
A consumer’s desire and willingness to pay for a good or service. See also: Supply.
Depletion
An equivalent of Depreciation for oil and gas reserves; an allowance that reduces taxa-ble income.
Depreciation
(1) An expense recorded regularly on a company’s books to reduce the value of a long-term tangible asset. Since it is a non-cash expense, it increases Free Cash Flow while decreasing the amount of a company’s reported earnings. (2) A decrease in the value of a particular currency relative to other currencies.
Derivative
A security, like an Option or Future, whose value is derived from another underlying security. Futures contracts, forward contracts, and options are among the most common types of derivatives. Derivatives are generally used by institutional investors to increase overall portfolio return or to hedge portfolio risk.
Diluted Common Shares
The number of shares calculated when all Options, Warrants, Rights, or convertible securities are converted to common shares.
Diluted Earnings per Share
Since 1997 U.S. companies have been required to report diluted EPS as well as basic. Diluted EPS account for potential additional shares being distributed from Options, Warrants, or Rights that may be converted or exercised. If there is a choice, choose diluted EPS. See also: Basic Earnings Per Share.
Dilution
A reduction in Earnings Per Share of common stock. Dilution occurs through the is-suance of additional shares of common stock or the conversion of convertible securities. Dilution reduces earnings per share by increasing the number of shares potentially out-standing.
Direct Purchase Stock
Over one hundred companies have registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell shares of their stock directly to investors. Investors typically partic-ipate in that company’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Discount
The difference between the lower price paid for a security and the security’s face amount at issue. See also: Premium.
Discount Bond
A bond that is valued at less than its face amount.
Discount Broker
A stockbroker who charges a reduced commission and provides no investment advice.
Discount Rate
Also known as the Capitalization Rate. The interest rate charged by the twelve Federal Reserve Banks for short-term loans made to member banks. This is the rate used in dis-counting future cash flows.
Disposable Income
Total amount of personal income after direct taxes. See also: Personal Income.
Diversification
In order to reduce risk, it is wise to own the best company in at least 10 industries, de-pending upon the size of your portfolio. Choose industries that are likely to have better growth than the economy as a whole.
Another way to diversify is to buy companies of various sizes in different industries. Size can be measured by the dollar figure for sales, (up to $400M = small company; above $4Billion = large company; middle-sized companies are in between.)
Diversified Common Stock Fund
A mutual fund that invests its assets in a wide range of Common Stocks. The fund’s ob-jectives may be growth, income, or a combination of both. See also: Growth Fund; Mu-tual Fund.
Dividend
Dividends may be paid in the form of cash or stock. Generally a growth company pays out no more than 50% of its earnings in dividends to shareholders. When a company has been growing rapidly over several years, it is likely to pay a modest dividend so that it can reinvest earnings in the business. In this way it will build value over the long term.
Dividends are paid to two kinds of shareholders. Preferred dividends are paid at a speci-fied rate to shareholders who have purchased preferred shares. Should the company be in financial difficulty, the preferred shareholders would receive their due before the common shareholders.
Common shareholders may or may not receive a dividend. It depends upon the wishes of the Board of Directors. If a company has a history of paying dividends, it will likely continue to do so. If the dividend is cut, the stock price is likely to fall. See also: Common Dividends.
Dividend Payout Ratio
A measurement of the percentage amount of net income paid out in dividends rather than retained by the business to help it grow. Recent payout figures higher than 50% (and higher than the average payout) may forewarn of a dividend cut. This cut may re-sult in the stock price falling. Sometimes, although the dividend payout is more than earnings, the company has strong cash flow and can cover the dividend. However, a company paying out dividends in excess of earnings on a recurring basis is a risky in-vestment.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
Abbreviated DRIP or DRP. Plan offered by many corporations for the reinvestment of cash dividends by purchasing additional shares or fractional shares on the dividend payment date, occasionally at a discount from market price. Many DRIPs also allow the investment of additional cash from the shareholder, known as an Optional Cash Pay-ment or Optional Cash Purchase (OCP). The DRIP is usually administered by the compa-ny without charges or only nominal fees to the participants, and many allow additional purchases of as little as $10.
Dividend Yield
The dividends per share paid to shareholders, expressed as a percentage of the share price. Total return on your stock investment is usually measured by adding the dividend yield percentage to the percentage return from price growth of the stock.
DJIA
See Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Do Not Reduce
Abbreviated DNR. Used on a Buy or Sell Order to tell the broker not to decrease the limit price on buy-limit and sell-stop orders on the record date of a cash dividend. See also: Buy Stop Orders.
DNR
See Do Not Reduce.
Dollar Cost Averaging
A technique of buying a fixed dollar amount of a particular investment on a regular schedule, regardless of the share price; thus purchasing more shares when prices are low, and fewer shares when prices are high. Over time, the average cost per share of the security will become smaller. This method attempts to lessen the risk of investing a large amount in a single investment at the wrong time. Used with Mutual Funds and Dividend Reinvestment Plans.
Dow Jones Averages
The most widely quoted and oldest measures of change in stock prices, tracking the prices of a group of stocks that represent Industrial, Transportation, and Utility compa-nies.
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Abbreviated DJIA. Price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue-chip stocks, tradi-tionally of industrial companies.
DRIP
See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
DRP
See Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
Due Diligence
The careful investigation by the underwriters that is necessary to ensure that all material information pertinent to an issue has been disclosed to prospective investors.

E
Earned Income
Income derived from active participation in a trade or business. Includes wages, salary, tips, commissions and bonuses. See also: Unearned Income.
Earned on Equity
See Return on Equity (ROE).
Earnings
Net income for a company during a specific period, generally (but not always) referring to after-tax income.
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization
Although it is not defined by GAAP, EBITDA can be used to analyze a company’s profita-bility. Differs from a Cash Flow statement by excluding changes in working capital and payments for taxes and interest. Calculated by adding Net Income, income taxes, Inter-est, Depreciation, and Amortization.
Earnings per Share
Abbreviated EPS. The net income or profits (after taxes) divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding. There are several kinds of EPS reported. Two of the most common are basic or diluted. Basic shares are fewer in number than diluted. For Basic EPS, net income is divided by the number of common shares outstanding. This produces a larger EPS number than when using a diluted number of shares. It is wise to consistently use either basic or diluted EPS in your stock analyses.
Another kind of EPS reported may be non-recurring EPS. This is used when a company has had an unusual, non-repeating occurrence that affected its earnings. Generally you would exclude this non-recurring event. However, you would want to understand any possible long-term consequences of the occurrence. Beware of companies whose earn-ings are erratic over time, negative, or declining in value. See also: Diluted EPS.
Earnings Report
See Income Statement.
Earnings Yield
Earnings per share for the most recent 12 months divided by market price per share. Relates the generation of earnings to share price. It is the inverse of the Price-Earnings Ratio.
EBITDA
See Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization.
EDGAR
Acronym for Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s electronic system used by all publicly-traded companies to transmit required filings to the SEC. The SEC provides a free EDGAR; other companies provide their own EDGAR services that include additional information and search capa-bilities.
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval
See EDGAR.
EPS
See Earnings Per Share.
ETF
See Exchange Traded Fund.
Equity
See Shareholders’ Equity
Equity Financing
Raising money for working capital or for capital expenditures by selling common or pre-ferred stock to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money paid, the individuals or institutions receive ownership interests in the corporation. See also: Debt Financing.
Excess Returns
Returns in excess of the risk-free rate or in excess of a market measure such as the S&P 500 index.
Exchange
A market where stocks are bought and sold. For example: New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), American Stock Exchange (AMEX), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Stock Market (NASDAQ), Over the Counter (OTC).
Exchange Traded Fund
Abbreviated ETS. An open-ended Mutual Fund that can be continuously traded throughout the day. ETFs attempt to replicate the changes of an index of a specific fi-nancial market, so active management is unnecessary. See also: Index Fund.
Ex-Date
See Ex-Dividend Date.
Ex-Dividend Date
Also known as the Ex-Date. The first date on which a security is traded without entitling the buyer to receive distributions previously declared. This is the date after which the seller, and not the buyer, of a stock will be entitled to a recently announced dividend. It is usually several business days before the record date, and is indicated in newspaper list-ings with an “x.”
Execution
The completion of a buy or sell order.
Expected Return
The average of a probability distribution of possible returns.


F
Face Value
See Par.
Federal Funds Rate
The interest rate charged by one institution lending federal funds to another.
Federal Open Market Committee
Abbreviated FOMC. A committee that makes decisions concerning the Fed’s operations to control the money supply.
Federal Reserve Board
Abbreviated FRB. A seven-member group that directs the operations of the Federal Re-serve System. Board members are appointed by the president, subject to approval by Congress.
FFO
See Funds From Operations.
Fiduciary
A person legally appointed and authorized to hold assets in trust for another person and manage those assets for the benefit of that person.
Final Prospectus
The legal document that states the price of a new issue security, the delivery date, the underwriting spread, and other material information. It must be given to every investor who purchases a new issue of registered securities. See also: Prospectus.
Financial Analyst
See Analyst.
Financial Planner
An investment professional generalist who helps individuals delineate financial plans with specific objectives and helps coordinate various financial concerns.
Fiscal Policy
The federal tax and spending policies set by Congress or the president. These policies affect tax rates, interest rates and government spending in an effort to control the econ-omy. See also: Monetary Policy.
Fiscal Year
Abbreviated FY. A corporation’s accounting year that may differ from the calendar year. Fiscal year is defined in various ways, according to the source of the data.
Value Line: If FY ends prior to May 15/09, the label will be FY 2008. May 15/09 or later will be FY 2009.
Standard & Poor’s: Regardless of date, FY is the calendar year in which FY ends.
Fixed Annuity
An insurance contract in which the insurance company makes fixed dollar payments to the annuitant for the term of the contract, usually until the annuitant dies. The insurance company guarantees both Earnings and Principal. See also: Variable Annuity; Fixed Dollar Annuity; Guaranteed Dollar Annuity.
Fixed Asset
A tangible, long term asset such as land or building, held for use rather than sale.
Flat Yield Curve
A chart showing the yields of bonds with short maturities as equal to the yields of bonds with long maturities. See also: Inverted Yield Curve; Normal Yield Curve; Yield Curve.
Float
The total number of outstanding shares available on the market.
Floor Trader
An exchange member who executes transactions from the floor of the exchange only for his own account.
FOMC
See Federal Open Market Committee.
Foreign
A non U.S. company with securities trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market.
Foreign Currency Effects
Returns on foreign investments will increase (in terms of dollars) to the extent a foreign currency appreciates relative to the dollar. The opposite would be true for declining foreign currencies.
Form 10-K
The annual report required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the U.S. for every company with 500 or more shareholders or with $1 million or more in gross assets. This form becomes public information when filed with the SEC. It is availa-ble on the Internet or from the company. See also: 10-Q.
Form 10-Q
The quarterly report of a company with listed securities, required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is less comprehensive than the 10-K annual report and does not require that figures be audited. It may cover the specific quarter or it may be cumulative. It should include comparative figures for the same pe-riod of the previous year. It is available on the Internet or from the company. See also: 10-K.
Fundamental Analysis
A method of security analysis based on fundamental facts found in a company’s balance sheet and income statement e.g. sales, earnings, dividends. These past records are ex-amined to attempt to predict the company’s future growth of sales and earnings as well as stock price growth, for example.
FRB
See Federal Reserve Board.
Free Cash Flow per Share
Net income plus all non-cash expenses, minus dividends and capital expenditures, on a per share basis. A measure of a firm’s financial flexibility.
Front-End Load
(1) A mutual fund commission or sales fee that is charged at the time shares are pur-chased. The load is added to the net asset value of the shares when calculating the public offering price. See also back-end load. (2) A system of sales charge for contractual plans that permits up to 50% of the first year’s payments to be deducted as a sales charge. Investors have a right to withdraw from the plan, but there are some restrictions if this occurs. See also: Back-End Load.
Fund Manager
See Portfolio Manager.
Fundamental Analysis
A method of evaluating securities by attempting to measure the intrinsic value of a par-ticular stock. The method is based on fundamental factors, such as revenues, earnings, future growth, return on equity, profit margins, and so on, to determine a company’s underlying value and potential for future growth. Fundamental analysts study the over-all economy, industry conditions and the financial condition and management of partic-ular companies. See also: Technical Analysis.
Funds From Operations
Abbreviated FFO. Used by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) to define the cash flow from their operations. It is calculated by adding Depreciation and Amortization expenses to earnings, and can be represented as Funds From Operations Per Share (FFO/S). FFO/S should be used in lieu of EPS when evaluating REITs and other similar investment trusts.
Futures Contract
A standardized, exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a particular type and grade of commodity for delivery at an agreed-upon place and time in the future. Futures con-tracts are transferable between parties.
Futures Market
A continuous auction market in which participants buy and sell commodities contracts for delivery on a specified future date. Trading is traditionally carried on through open outcry and hand signals in a trading pit or ring.
FY
See Fiscal Year.



G
GAAP
See Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
GDP
See Gross Domestic Product.
General Obligation Bond
Abbreviated GO. A municipal bond backed by the full faith, credit, and “taxing power” of the issuing unit rather than the revenue from a given project.
General Securities Registered Representative License
See Series 7.
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Abbreviated GAAP. The standard guidelines for financial accounting, including rules and standards for summarizing and recording transactions, and for the preparation of finan-cial statements. GAAP accepts various accounting methods, and simply serves as a set of guidelines to help standardize procedures.
GIC
See Guaranteed Investment (Interest) Contract.
GNMA Pass-Through Certificate
Fixed-income securities that represent an undivided interest in a pool of federally in-sured mortgages put together by GNMA, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).
GO
See General Obligation Bond.
Going Public
The process of selling shares -- that were formerly privately-held -- to new investors for the first time.
Good ‘Til Canceled
Abbreviated GTC. This is an order to buy or sell a security that is good until the investor cancels it. Most brokerage firms let GTC orders automatically expire after 30 - 60 days.
Government Security
A debt obligation of the U.S. government, backed by its full faith, credit and taxing power, and regarded as having no risk of default. The government issues short-term Treasury Bills, medium-term Treasury notes, and long-term Treasury bonds.
Gross Domestic Product
Abbreviated GDP. A measure of output from United States factories and related con-sumption in the United States. It includes consumption, government purchases, invest-ments, and exports minus imports. It does not include products made by U.S. companies in foreign markets.
Growth Fund
A diversified common stock fund that has capital appreciation as its primary goal. It in-vests in companies that reinvest most of their earnings for expansion, research, or de-velopment. See also: Diversified Common Stock Fund; Mutual Fund.
Growth Rates
The compounded annualized rate of growth of a company’s Revenues, Earnings, Divi-dends, or another figure.
Growth Stock
A company with excellent prospects for above-average future increases (or growth) for sales, earnings, and price. Look for a company that is a leader in its industry.
GTC
See Good ‘Til Canceled.
Guaranteed Investment (Interest) Contract
Abbreviated GIC. Debt instrument sold in large denominations often bought for retire-ment plans. The word guaranteed refers to the interest rate paid on the GIC; the principal is at risk.

H
Hedge
An investment made in order to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in a securi-ty. Normally, a hedge consists of a protecting position in a related security.
Held
A situation where a security is temporarily not available for trading (e.g. Market Mak-ers are not allowed to display quotes).
High PE
The highest Price-Earnings Ratio at which the stock sold during a year.
High Yield
The highest Dividend Yield for a particular year. It is useful to measure the current divi-dend yield against the historical high yield. If the current yield is lower, then there may be room for an increase in dividend to bring the yield closer to the former high.
Holding Period Return/Yield
Income plus price appreciation during a specified time period divided by the cost of the investment.
HR-10 Plan
See Keogh Plan.

I
Implied Growth
The future growth rate for earnings, implied by the company’s average Return On Eq-uity and Return On Earnings retention rates.
Implied Return
The sum of implied internal growth plus the projected average Dividend Yield.
Income Before Taxes
See Pre-tax Income.
Income Fund
A mutual fund that seeks to provide stable current income by investing in securities that pay interest or dividends. See also: Mutual Fund.
Income Statement
Also Known as the Earnings Report. The portion of a financial report showing income and expenses, and comparing them the same period last year.
Index
A statistical measure of the changes in a portfolio representing a market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 is the most well-known index, which measures the overall change in the value of the 500 stocks of the largest firms in the U.S.
Index Fund
A collective fund that attempts to replicate the movements and characteristics of the Index of a certain financial market. There are many methods of replication, like holding securities in the same proportion as the index.
Indicated Dividend
The total dividends that would be paid on a share of stock in the next twelve months, provided that each dividend is the same amount as the latest payment.
Indicated Yield
The yield that a share of stock would return based on its current Indicated Dividend, calculated by dividing the indicated dividend by the current share price.
Individual Retirement Account
Abbreviated IRA. A retirement investing tool for employed individuals that allows for an annual contribution of 100% of earned income up to a maximum of $2,000. Some or all of the contribution may be deductible from current taxes, depending on the individual’s adjusted gross income and coverage by employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans. Withdrawals of tax deferred contributions are taxed as income, including the capital gains. See also: Keogh Plan; Roth IRA.
Industry
Category groupings for companies according to their business. These may vary some-what according to the authority doing the grouping (e.g. Value Line, Standard & Poor’s, etc.). When looking for good investments, it is wise to compare several compa-nies in the same industry and to pick the best of the group for purchase.
Industry Fund
See Sector Fund.
Industry Sector
A grouping of industries into a broader economic definition (e.g., transportation, cyclical companies, consumer goods).
Inflation
A widespread rise in prices that exceeds that rate of increased purchasing power.
Inflation Risk
Uncertainty about the future real (after-inflation) value of your investment.
Initial Public Offering
Abbreviated IPO. The first sale of stock by a company to the public. IPOs are often smaller, newer companies seeking equity capital to expand their businesses.
Inside Market
The highest bid and the lowest offer prices among all competing Market Makers in a NASDAQ security, i.e., the best bid and offer prices.
Insider
Any person who has or has access to material nonpublic information about a corpora-tion. Insiders include directors, officers, and stockholders who own more than 10% of any class of equity security of a corporation.
Insider Information
Information about a company’s activities that has not been disclosed to the general pub-lic. It is illegal for anyone with access to such information to make trades based on it.
Insider Ownership
Employees, executives and directors who have their own money invested in the compa-ny are Insiders. By holding shares, they show that they have confidence in the security and future of their investment. They have extra incentive to make the company profita-ble. The percentage of insider ownership desirable is a judgment call. At 51% or more, the insiders definitely have the controlling interest.
Insider Trading
Illegal trading by anyone considered an insider who has access to non-public informa-tion, and who attempts to profit from that knowledge. If the information is used to ille-gally make a profit, there may be large fines and possible jail sentences.
Institutional Investor
A person or organization that trades securities in large enough share quantities or dollar amounts that it qualifies for preferential treatment and lower commissions. An insti-tutional order can be of any size. Institutional investors are covered by fewer protective regulations because it is assumed that they are more knowledgeable and better able to protect themselves.
Institutional Ownership
The percentage of shares held by mutual funds, trust funds, and other professional managers who hold large blocks of shares for their clients. Fund managers tend to make changes in their portfolio of stocks more frequently and for different reasons than indi-vidual long-term investors do. These large sales can create larger than normal price changes. This is why a substantial percentage of institutional ownership may be consi-dered a disadvantage.
Intangibles
Assets such as goodwill, patents, unamortized debt discounts, and deferred charges.
Interest
The charge for the privilege of borrowing money, usually expressed as an annual per-centage rate.
Interest Coverage
The number of times all interest charges are earned by pre-tax, pre-interest earnings, typically at least 3 times. The formula is the Interest expense plus pre-tax income , and divide this sum by the interest expense.
Inventories
Includes raw materials, works in process, and finished goods.
Inventory Turnover
This ratio shows how many times the units of inventory of a company are sold and re-placed during an accounting period. The ‘convention’ is to divide sales by the inventory. However, it is more realistic to divide the cost of goods sold by inventory.
Inverted Yield Curve
A chart showing long-term debt instruments having lower yields than short-term debt instruments. Also known as a Negative Yield Curve. See also: Flat Yield Curve; Normal Yield Curve.
Invested Capital
See Capitalization.
Investment Adviser
(1) Any person who makes investment recommendations in return for a flat fee or per-centage of assets managed. (2) For investment companies, the individual who has the day-to-day responsibility of investing the cash and securities held in the fund’s portfolio in accordance with the objectives stated in the fund’s prospectus.
Investment Banker
An institution in the business of raising capital for corporations and municipalities. An investment banker may not accept deposits or make commercial loans. See also: Com-mercial Bank; Investment Bank.
Investment Club
A group of people who meet periodically to discuss and implement investment strate-gies.
Investment Trust
Commonly known as a Closed-End Fund. Closed-end funds invest in other securities (like a Mutual Fund) but have a fixed number of shares and are traded similarly to stocks. The market price may exceed the Net Asset Value (NAV) per share, in which case the fund is selling at a Premium. When the market price falls below the NAV, the fund is selling at a Discount.
Investor
A person who seeks to minimize risk in the purchase of securities. Companies with good track records are preferred and purchase at fair value is important. Companies are held for the long-term (at least 3 to 5 years) rather than trying to time the market.
Investor Sentiment
Investors’ expectations of how a market will perform. It is described as bullish (with expectation of higher prices) or bearish (lower prices). See also: Bull; Bear.
IPO
See Initial Public Offering.
IRA
See Individual Retirement Account.
Issuer
(1) The entity, such as a corporation or municipality, that offers or proposes to offer its securities for sale. (2) The creator of an option: the issuer of an over-the-counter option is the option writer, and the issuer of a listed option is the Options Clearing Corporation. There are two exceptions to the definition of issuer. In the case of voting-trust certifi-cates or collateral-trust certificates, the issuer is the person who assumes the duties of depositor or manager. Also, there is considered to be no issuer for certificates of interest or participation in oil, gas, or mining titles or leases where payments are made out of production.

J
Judgment
The human element which is necessary for successful investing. Computers can crunch numbers, follow formulas, and provide some artificial intelligence, but judgment is cru-cial for making the careful decisions. The investor must be informed about the compa-ny’s past and future plans, and be prepared to make some educated estimates about fu-ture trends. In all cases, judgment must be applied when doing any stock analysis.
Junk Bond
Bond purchased for speculative purposes. They are usually rated BB and lower, and they have a higher default risk.

K
Keogh Plan
Also known as a HR-10 plan. A qualified tax-deferred retirement plan for persons who are self-employed and unincorporated or who earn extra income through personal ser-vices aside from their regular employment. See also: Individual Retirement Account.
Keynesian Economics
The theory that active government intervention in the marketplace is the best method of ensuring economic growth and stability.
Kill
Cancel a trade or order that has been placed but not filled.

L
Lagging PE Ratio
See Trailing PE Ratio.
Last*Sale Reporting
The electronic entry by NASD members to The NASDAQ Stock Market of the price and the number of shares involved in a transaction in a NASDAQ security. The trade reported must be submitted to NASDAQ within 90 seconds of the execution of the trade.
Leading Indicator
A measurable economic factor that changes just before a particular pattern or trend emerges. Leading indicators are believed to predict changes in the economy. Examples include new orders for durable goods, slowdowns in deliveries by vendors, and numbers of building permits issued. See also: Coincident Indicator; Lagging Indicator.
Leading PE Ratio
See Projected PE Ratio.
Least Squares
A method used to calculate the slope of a trend line. This growth calculation uses the logarithm of the values. As the log of numbers less than 1.0 is mathematically undefined, the computer tests for this condition and alters the data values so that a calculation can be made. Least squares produce a more conservative result than the mid-point method.
Leverage
The extent to which a company uses debt to finance expansion and growth. It is meas-ured by the Debt to Equity and Debt to Capital Ratios. When comparing companies’ leverage ratios, do so within the same industry, to be fair.
Liabilities
Debts of a corporation, usually divided into current (those due within one year) and Long-Term Debt (those payable after one year).
Limit Order
An order placed with a broker to buy or sell at a price as good or better than the specified limit price. Sometimes known as an Or Better Order.
Liquidity
The ability of a company to convert assets into cash or equivalents without significant loss. Good liquidity enables a company to earn discounts, maintain a good credit rating, meet obligations promptly, and take advantage of market opportunities.
Long
Or Long Position. Describes the owning of a Security. An owner of shares of McDo-nald’s Corp. is said to be “long McDonald’s” or “has a long position in McDonald’s.”
Long Position
See Long.
Long-Term Assets
On the balance sheet, the value of a company’s property, equipment and other capital assets, minus depreciation. These are usually recorded “at cost” and so do not necessari-ly reflect the market value of the assets.
Long-Term Debt
Often companies need more funds to support their activities than their profits can pro-vide. Therefore they will borrow money and make interest payments regularly. Long-term debt describes the debt amount due after one year or more.
Long Term Debt-to-Capitalization
A ratio that indicates a company’s financial leverage. It is calculated by dividing long term debt by the capital available to the company. The available capital is the sum of long term debt, preferred stock and stocholders’ equity.
Long Term Liabilities
A company’s liabilities for leases, bond repayments, and other items due in more than one year.
Low PE
The lowest PE ratio at which the stock sold during the year.

M
M1
A category of the money supply that includes all coins, currency, and demand deposits -- that is, checking accounts and NOW accounts. See also: M2; M3; Money Supply.
M2
A category of the money supply that includes M1 in addition to all time deposits, savings deposits, and noninstitutional Money-Market Funds. See also: M1; M3; Money Supply.
M3
A category of the money supply that includes M2 in addition to all large time deposits, institutional Money-Market Funds, short-term repurchase agreements and certain other large liquid assets. See also: M1; M2; Money Supply.
Make a Market
To stand ready to buy or sell a particular security as a dealer for its own account. A market maker accepts the risk of holding the security. See also: Market Maker.
Margin
The use of borrowed money to purchase securities. This action is expressed by the phrase “buying on margin.”
Margin Account
A brokerage account in which the broker lends the customer cash to purchase securities. The loan in the account is collateralized by the securities, and if the value of the stock drops sufficiently, the account holder will be required to deposit more cash or sell a portion of the stock. See also: Cash Account; Regulation T.
Margin Call
The Federal Reserve Board’s demand that a customer deposit a specified amount of money or securities when a purchase is made in a Margin Account. The amount is ex-pressed as a percentage of the market value of the securities at the time of purchase. The deposit must be made within one payment period. See also: Margin; Fed Call.
Margin Of Profit Ratio
Also known as the Operating Profit Ratio. A measure of a corporation’s relative profit-ability. It is calculated by dividing the operating profit by the net sales. See also: Profit Margin.
Markdown
The difference between the highest current bid price among dealers and the lower price that a dealer pays to a customer.
Market Arbitrage
The simultaneous purchase and sale of the same security in different markets to take advantage of a price disparity between the two markets.
Market Capitalization
The dollar valuation of the total number of shares times the current price. This value is sometimes used by investors to classify stocks by size. It is not as reliable as classifying by sales dollar value because the price of a stock can be inflated by the market and not accurately representative of its size.
Market Maker
On the NASDAQ system, a broker-dealer willing to accept the risk of holding a particular number of shares of a particular security in order to facilitate trading in that security. There are over 500 member firms that act as NASDAQ Market Makers. One of the major differences between The NASDAQ Stock Market and other major markets in the U.S. is NASDAQ’s structure of competing Market Makers. Each Market Maker competes for cus-tomer order flow by displaying buy and sell quotations for a guaranteed number of shares. Once an order is received, the Market Maker will immediately purchase for or sell from its own inventory, or seek the other side of the trade until it is executed, often in a matter of seconds.
Market Maker Spread
The difference between the price at which a Market Maker is willing to buy a security and the price at which the firm is willing to sell it. Simply put, the Market Maker Spread is the difference between the bid and ask for a given security. Since each Market Maker can either buy or sell a stock at any given time, the spread is representative of the profit Market Maker makes on each trade.
Market Order
Also known as an Unrestricted Order. An order to buy or sell a stock immediately at the best available current price. A market order is the only order that guarantees execu-tion.
Market Risk
The potential for an investor to experience losses owing to day-to-day fluctuations in the prices at which securities can be bought or sold. The Market Risk expresses the volatility of a stock price relative to the overall market as indicated by beta.
Market Surveillance
The department responsible for investigating and preventing abusive, manipulative, or illegal trading practices on The NASDAQ Stock Market. Considerable resources are devoted to surveilling The NASDAQ Stock Market. A vast array of sophisticated automated systems reviews each trade and price quotation on an on-line, real-time basis. Off-line computer-based analyses are conducted to evaluate trading patterns on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis.
Market Timing
An attempt to sell a stock or portfolio when a market is at a high and buying at a low, or an attempt to leave the market entirely during downturns and reinvesting when it heads back up. Requires a crystal ball to be effective, and is generally an exercise in futility.
Market-to-Book Ratio
See Price-to-Book Ratio.
Market Value
The price at which investors buy or sell a share of common stock or a bond at a given time. Market value is determined by the interaction between buyers and sellers.
Markup
The difference between the lowest current offering price among dealers and the higher price a dealer charges a customer.
Matching Orders
Simultaneously entering identical (or nearly identical) buy and sell orders for a security to create the appearance of active trading in that security. This violates the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Material News
News released by a NASDAQ company that might reasonably be expected to affect the value of a company’s securities or influence investors’ decisions. Material news includes information regarding corporate events of an unusual and non*recurring nature, news of tender offers, unusually good or bad earnings reports, and a stock split or stock dividend. See also: Trading Halt.
Maturity
The length of time until the Principal amount of a bond must be repaid.
Maturity Date
The date on which a bond’s Principal is repaid to the investor and interest payments cease. See also: Par.
Member
(1) Of the New York Stock Exchange: one of the 1,366 individuals owning a seat on the Exchange. (2) Of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD): any broker or dealer admitted to membership in the Association.
Member Firm
A broker-dealer in which at least one of the principal officers is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, another exchange, a self-regulatory organization, or a clearing corporation.
Merger
The combination of two or more companies, generally by offering the stockholders of one company securities in the acquiring company in exchange for the surrender of their stock.
Mid-Point
A method of calculating sales and EPS growth on a graph. It bases growth on averaged values. For 10 years of data, averages are calculated for the first and last 5 years. Each average determines a point between which an imaginary line is drawn to calculate the growth of the slope. For an odd number of years, the data is split so that the middle year is accounted in both averaged sums.
Monetary Policy
The actions of the Federal Reserve Board that determine the size and rate of growth of the Money Supply, which in turn affect Interest Rates. See also: Fiscal Policy.
Money Market
The securities market that deals in short-term debt. Money-market instruments are forms of debt that Mature in less than one year and are very Liquid. Treasury bills make up the bulk of the money-market instruments.
Money-Market Fund
A Mutual Fund that invests in short-term debt instruments. The fund’s objective is to earn interest while maintaining a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. Generally sold with no load, the fund may also offer draft-writing privileges and low opening in-vestments.
Money Supply
The total stock of bills, coins, loans, credit and other liquid instruments in the economy. It is divided into four categories -- M1, M2, and M3 -- according to the type of account in which the instrument is kept.
Most Active
Most active NASDAQ National Market stocks.
Moving Average
A technical analysis term. Expresses the charting of the average prices of a security for a particular period using average daily settlement prices over a defined period of time. For example, charting for thirty days produces a thirty-day moving average.
Municipal Bond
Also known as Municipal Security. A debt security issued by a state, a municipality, or other subdivision -- such as a school, park, sanitary, or other local taxing district -- to finance its capital expenditures. Such expenditures might include the construction of highways, public works or school buildings.
Municipal Bond Fund
A Mutual Fund that invests in Municipal Bonds and operates either as a unit invest-ment trust or as an open-end fund. The fund’s objective is to maximize federally tax-exempt income.
Municipal Security
See Municipal Bond.
Mutual Fund
Also known as Open-End Investment Company or an Open-End Management Company. An investment company that continuously offers new equity shares in an actively ma-naged portfolio of securities. All shareholders participate in the gains or losses of the fund. Shares are issued and redeemed as per demand, and the fund’s Net Asset Value per share (NAV) is determined each day. The shares are redeemable on any business day at the Net Asset Value. Each mutual fund’s portfolio is invested to match the objective stated in the prospectus. See also: Asset Allocation Fund; Balanced Fund.

N
NASD
Abbreviation for The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. NASD is the self*regulatory organization of the securities industry responsible for the operation and regulation of the NASDAQ Stock Market and over*the*counter markets.
NASDAQ
Abbreviation for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quota-tion System. NASDAQ is a nationwide computerized quotation system that produces current bid and asked quotations on over 5,500 Over-The-Counter stocks.
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
See NASD.
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System
See NASDAQ.
NAV
See Net Asset Value.
NAV per share
The value of a mutual fund share. The NAV per share is calculated by dividing the total Net Asset Value of the fund by the number of shares outstanding.
Negative Yield Curve
See Inverted Yield Curve.
Net Asset Value
Abbreviated NAV. The value of a Mutual Fund share calculated once a day, based on the closing market price for each security in the fund’s portfolio. It is computed by deduct-ing the fund’s liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio and dividing this amount by the number of shares outstanding.
Net Change
The difference between the closing price of a security on the trading day reported and the previous day’s closing price. In over-the-counter transactions, the term refers to the difference between the closing bids.
Net Domestic Product
A measure of the annual economic output of a nation adjusted to account for deprecia-tion. It is calculated by subtracting the amount of depreciation from the Gross Domes-tic Product.
Net Earnings
See Net Profit.
Net Income
See Net Profit.
Net Income Before Taxes
See Pre-tax Income.
Net Interest Margin
A ratio used for evaluating management for bank stocks. Measures the difference be-tween interest paid and interest collected.
Net Profit
Also known as Net Earnings or Net Income. Profits remaining after all expenses and taxes are applied and out of which dividends are payable.
Net Profit Margin
A measurement defined as the net income before non-recurring gains and losses, as a percentage of sales or revenues.
Net Worth
See Shareholders’ Equity.
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
The largest stock exchange in the United States. It is a corporation, operated by a board of directors, and it is responsible for setting policy, supervising Exchange and member activities, listing securities, overseeing the transfer of members’ seats on the Exchange, and judging whether an applicant is qualified to be a specialist.
NMF
See No Meaningful Figure.
No Meaningful Figure
Definition needed
No Quote
Designation that indicates that no market makers are making an inside market at this time.
No-Load Fund
A mutual fund whose shares are sold without a commission or sales charge. The shares are distributed directly by the investment company. See also mutual fund; net asset val-ue.
Nominal Yield
Also known as Coupon Rate and Stated Yield. The interest rate stated on the face of a bond that represents the percentage of interest to be paid by the issuer on the face value of the bond.
Normal Yield Curve
Also known as Positive Yield Curve. A chart showing long-term debt instruments hav-ing higher yields than short-term debt instruments. See also: Flat Yield Curve; Inverted Yield Curve; Yield Curve.
Normalized Earnings
Earnings adjusted for either cyclical changes in the economy, and/or for one-time influ-ences
Note
A short-term debt security, usually maturing in five years or less. See also: Treasury Note.


O
Odd Lot
An amount of a Security that is less than the normal unit of trading for that security. Generally, an odd lot is fewer than 100 shares of stock or five bonds.
Odd Lot Theory
A technical analysis theory based on the assumption that the small investor is always wrong. Therefore, when odd lot sales are up – which means small investors are selling stock -- it is probably a good time to buy.
Offer Price
See Ask.
Offset
To liquidate a futures position by entering an equivalent but opposite transaction. To offset an initial purchase, a sale is made; to offset an initial sale, a purchase is made. See also: Futures Market.
Open Order
An order to buy or sell a security that remains in effect until it is either canceled by the customer or executed.
Open-Ended Investment Company
See Mutual Fund.
Open-Ended Management Company
See Mutual Fund.
Opening Range
See Range.
Operating Expenses
The day-to-day costs incurred in running a business.
Operating Income
The income from normal company operations, after deducting all expenses except taxes.
Operating Margin
A Value Line measurement defined as operating earnings (before deduction of Depreci-ation, Depletion, Amortization, Interest, and income tax) as a percentage of sales or revenues. See also: Value Line Financial Strength.
Operating Profit Ratio
See Margin Of Profit Ratio.
OPS
See Online Premium Services.
Option
A security that represents the right to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying stock, bond, futures contract, etc. at a specified price within a specified time. The pur-chaser acquires a right, and the seller assumes an obligation.
Or Better Order
See Limit Order.
OTC
See Over The Counter.
OTC Market
See Over The Counter Market.
Other Current Assets
A balance sheet item. The value of non-cash assets -- such as prepaid expenses and ac-counts receivable -- due within one year.
Other Long Term Liabilities
A balance sheet item. Value of leases, future employee benefits, deferred taxes, and other obligations not requiring interest payments that must be paid over a period of more than one year.
Outlier
A data figure that differs from the normal trend. It is generally caused by extraordinary or non-recurring financial events.
Over The Counter
Abbreviated OTC. The term used to describe a security that is traded through the tele-phone- and computer-connected OTC Market rather than through an exchange.
Over The Counter Market
Abbreviated OTC Market. The security exchange system in which broker-dealers nego-tiate directly with one another rather than through an auction on an exchange floor. The trading takes place over computer and telephone networks that link brokers and dealers around the world. Both listed and OTC securities, as well as municipal and U.S. gov-ernment securities, are traded in the OTC market.
Overbought
A technical analysis term for a market in which more and stronger buying has occurred than the fundamentals justify. See also: Oversold.
Oversold
A technical analysis term for a market in which more and stronger selling has occurred than the fundamentals justify. See also: Overbought.


P
Par
Also known as Face Value, Principal, and Stated Value. (1)The face value of a bond-- generally $1,000 for corporate issues and higher denominations for many government issues. (2) A dollar amount assigned to a security when first issued. For stocks, par is usually a small dollar amount that bears no relationship to the security’s market price. See also: Maturity Date.
Passive Income
Earnings derived from a rental property, limited partnership, or other enterprise in which the individual is not actively involved. Passive income therefore does not include earnings from wages or active business participation, nor does it include income from dividends, interest, and capital gains. See also: Passive Loss; Unearned Income.
Passive Loss
A loss incurred through a rental property, limited partnership, or other enterprise in which the individual is not actively involved. Passive losses can be used to offset passive income only, not wage or portfolio income. See also: Passive Income.
Payable Date
Announced on the Declaration Date. The date on which the Dividend will be paid to its entitled stockholders.

The date a dividend will be paid to entitled shareholders. This date is set by the company on the declaration date.
Payback Period
The length of time it takes for the company’s accumulated earnings to equal the price of the stock, assuming that they grow at the forecasted rate.
Payment Date
The date on which a declared stock dividend is scheduled to be paid.
Payout
The percentage of the company’s profits (EPS) paid out in cash dividends to sharehold-ers calculated by dividing the dividends per share the EPS, and multiplying your result by 100: Dividends per Share / EPS * 100.
The remaining EPS not paid in dividends are reinvested in the company. Young, fast-growing companies often have a low payout percentage because they can better use the funds to grow the company. An increasing payout ratio may show that the company is maturing and growing more slowly, so has less need for cash for expansion. If the payout ratio is unusually and overly large (60% or more) the company may be paying out too much dividend. There may be a risk that the dividend will be cut, with a resulting fall in the stock price. Remember that some kinds of companies -- such as utilities -- normally have a high payout ratio. See also: Payout Ratio.
Payout Ratio
The percentage of earnings paid out in dividends, calculated by dividing dividends per share by Earnings Per Share. See also: Payout.
PE ratio
See Price-Earnings Ratio.
PE ratio to EPS growth
Calculated by dividing a stock’s Price-Earnings Ratio by its Earnings Per Share growth rate. Provides a comparison between the value that the market has put on a company’s expected earnings and what the company has actually earned in the past.
Percent Payout
The percentage of the company’s profits that are paid out in dividends to shareholders. Calculated by dividing 100 times the dividends per share by the EPS: Dividends per Share * 100 / EPS.
Percent Retained to Common Equity
Also known as Plowback Ratio. A Value Line measurement defined as net profit minus Common and Preferred Dividends, divided by Common Equity, expressed as a per-centage.
Personal Income
An individual’s total earnings derived from wages, passive business enterprises and in-vestments. See also: Disposable Income; Passive Income; Passive Loss.
Pink Sheets
A daily publication compiled by the National Quotation Bureau and containing inter-dealer wholesale Quotations for over-the-counter stocks.
Plowback Ratio
See Percent Retained to Common Equity.
Portfolio Manager
Also known as Fund Manager. The entity responsible for investing a mutual fund’s as-sets, implementing its investment strategy and managing day-to-day portfolio trading.
Position
The amount of a security either owned (a Long position) or owed (a Short position) by an individual or by a dealer. Dealers take long positions in specific securities to maintain inventories and thereby facilitate trading.
Positive Yield Curve
See Nominal Yield Curve.
Potential Dilution
Any outstanding options, warrants, or convertible debentures that are converted to common shares will dilute the value of those shares.
Potential Average Dividend Yield
Suggests the potential percentage dividend payments, compounded yearly over the next 5 years. Combined with price appreciation, Yield makes up the possible total return percentage.
Potential Total Return
Suggests the potential compounded return on your investment over 5 years, based on expected growth of EPS. It supposes that you bought the stock at the current price, earned the average dividend yield, and sold at the forecast high price to achieve the po-tential annual price appreciation.
Preferred Dividends
These dividends are paid at a specified rate to shareholders who have purchased pre-ferred shares. Should the company be in financial difficulty, the preferred shareholders would receive their due before the Common Shareholders. Preferred dividends are used as part of the business model method of predicting EPS 5 years into the future.
Preferred Stock
A class of ownership in a corporation with a stated dividend that must be paid before dividends to common stock holders. Preferred shareholders have a claim, prior to com-mon stockholders, on earnings and assets in the event of liquidation. Preferred stock does not usually have voting rights.
Premium
(1) The amount of cash that an option buyer pays to an option seller. (2) The difference between the higher price paid for a security and the security’s face amount at issue. See also: Discount.
Premium Bond
A bond that is valued at more than its face amount.
Present Value
The value today of a future payment or stream of payments, discounted at some appro-priate interest rate.
Pre-tax Income
Also may be called Net Income Before Taxes, Income Before Profit, or Income Be-fore Taxes. This is the profit made by the company before paying taxes. It is calculated by dividing the net income by one minus the tax rate: Net Income / (1 - tax rate as a de-cimal)
Pre-tax Profit on Sales
Also known as Profit Margin; Profitability. Calculated by dividing the Pre-tax In-come by Net Sales: (Net Income / (1 - Tax Rate)) /Revenues.
This measures the effectiveness of management in controlling expenses and is a useful measure of overall operational efficiency when compared with prior periods or other companies in the same business. This “return on sales” varies widely between industries (e.g. 2% return for supermarkets is reasonable, but manufacturing industries should return 4-5%). A declining profit margin can be caused by declining sales, declining efficiency, aging plant and equipment, or inappropriate management decisions.
If quarterly pre-tax income is not available, you can estimate the tax rate from the yearly tax rate.
Previous Day’s Close
The previous trading day’s last reported trade. The Previous Day’s Close on the NASDAQ web site is updated at 3:30 A.M.
Price-Earnings Ratio
Abbreviated PE Ratio. Also known as the Stock’s Multiple. Calculated by dividing price by EPS.
PE represents the amount that investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings. The PE value will fluctuate. The higher the PE ratio, the riskier and more volatile the stock. Investors are willing to pay a higher PE for faster growth and potential return.
There are various EPS formulas for PE. A Trailing PE uses reported earnings from the last fiscal year. A Current PE uses earnings from the current quarter back four quarters. A Projected or Leading PE uses earnings forecasted up to a year ahead.
Price Appreciation
Growth from the current price to the forecast high price.
Price-Buy Zone Ratio
A ratio that indicates whether the current price meets the target buy zone set in your analysis. If the Price-Buy Zone Ratio is above 1, the stock is more costly than your target price.
Price Dividend Will Support
A company with a large dividend yield will have substantial price support. A large divi-dend yield is anything larger than ½ the bank interest rate.
Price-To-Book Ratio
Also known as Market-to-Book Ratio. Compares a stock’s market value to its book value, calculated by dividing the current price by Common Stockholders’ Equity Per Share (book value). A lower Price-To-Book Ratio might imply a stock is undervalued.
Price-To-Cash-Flow Ratio
Price per share divided by Cash Flow Per Share. A measure of the market’s expecta-tions regarding a firm’s future financial health. Provides an indication of relative value, similar to the Price-Earnings Ratio.
Price-To-Sales Ratio
Calculated by dividing a stock’s current price by its revenues per share. This equation is another technique for finding a stock’s valuation relative to its own past performance, other companies, or the market itself.
Primary Market
The first opportunity that investors have to buy a newly-issued security occurs in the Primary Market. After the first purchases, subsequent trading is said to occur in the Secondary Market.
Prime Rate
The interest rate that commercial banks charge their prime or most creditworthy cus-tomers, generally large corporations.
Principal
See Par.
Principal Orders
Refers to activity by a broker/dealer when buying or selling for his or her own account and risk.
Profit Margin
See Pre-tax Profit on Sales.
Profit-Sharing Plan
An employee benefit plan established and maintained by an employer whereby the em-ployees receive a share of the profits of the business. The money may be paid directly to the employee, deferred until retirement, or a combination of both approaches.
Profitability
See Pre-tax Profit on Sales.
Program Trading
Computerized trading used primarily by institutional investors, typically for large vo-lume trades, where orders from the trader’s computer are entered directly into the market’s computer system and executed automatically.
Projected PE Ratio
Also known as Leading PE Ratio. This ratio uses 4 consecutive quarters of EPS, at least one quarter of which is forecasted. The market drives stock prices up or down in antici-pation of company results. Using forecasted EPS with the current price gives a PE which is more balanced with the current market value of the stock. See also Price-Earnings Ratio.
Prospectus
A formal written statement that discloses the terms of a public offering of a Security or a Mutual Fund. The prospectus is required to divulge particular essential information to investors about the proposed offering.
Proxy
A formal document signed by a shareholder to authorize another shareholder, or com-monly the company’s management, to vote the holder’s shares at the annual meeting. The Proxy Statement discloses important information about issues to be discussed at an annual meeting, as well as information about closely-held shares.
Put
(1) An option contract giving the owner the right to sell a specified amount of an under-lying security at a specified price within a specified time. (2) The act of exercising a put option. See also: Call.
Put Option
The right to sell stock at a specified (exercise) price within a specified period of time.


Q
Quantitative Analysis
The method of using mathematical models and quantitative values to analyze stocks and financial markets.
Quarterly Sales
Sales for the most recent quarter. Found in the Quarterly Data window.
Quick Ratio
Also known as the Acid-Test Ratio. A liquidity measure calculated by subtracting in-ventories from current assets, then dividing by current liabilities. The Quick Ratio is an indicator of a company’s financial strength. A ratio of 1 to 1 or higher is usually satisfac-tory.
Quotation
Also known as Quote. The current price being offered for a particular stock. See also: Ask; Bid; Bond Quote; Stock Quote.
Quote
See Quotation.


R
R2 (R-squared)
Also known as Coefficient of Correlation. The result from calculating growth using the Least Squares Method, which indicates variability of data to an ideal growth curve. A value of one would indicate a perfect fit and therefore no variability from the ideal. Values vary between zero and one.
Random Walk Theory
A market analysis theory that argues that the past movement or direction of the price of a stock or market cannot be used to predict its future movement or direction.
Range
Also known as the Opening Range. A security’s low price and high price for a particular trading period, such as the close of a day’s trading; the opening of a day’s trading; or a day, month, or year.
Rating
An evaluation of a corporate or municipal bond’s relative safety, according to the issuer’s ability to repay principal and make interest payments. Bonds are rated by various organizations such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. Ratings range from AAA or Aaa (the highest) to C or D, which represents a company in default.
Rating Service
A company, such as Moody’s or Standard & Poor’s, that rates various debt and pre-ferred stock issues for safety of payment of principal, interest, or dividends. The issuing company or municipality pays a fee for the rating. See also: Bond Rating; Rating.
Real Estate Investment Trust
Abbreviated REIT. REITs sell like stocks on the major exchanges, and invest in real es-tate either directly through properties or mortgages. REITs receive special tax consider-ations, and typically offer investors high yields as well as a highly liquid method of in-vesting in real estate.
Real Estate Limited Partnership
A direct participation program formed to build new structures, generate income from existing property, or profit from the capital appreciation of undeveloped land. Growth potential, income distributions, and tax shelter are the most important benefits of such a program.
Real Rate of Return
The annual percentage return realized on an investment, adjusted for changes in the price level due to inflation or deflation.
Receivables
Sales that have been booked by the company but not collected.
Recession
A period of general economic decline that is part of the usual business cycle and gener-ally lasts from six to eighteen months.
Record Date
The date established by a corporation’s board of directors that determines which of its stockholders are entitled to receive dividends or rights distributions.
Redemption
The return of an investor’s Principal in a security, such as a bond, preferred stock or mutual fund shares. By law, redemption of mutual fund shares must occur within seven days of receiving a request for redemption from the investor.
Refunding
Using money from the sale of a new offering to retire an outstanding bond issue at ma-turity.
Regressive Tax
A tax that takes a larger percentage of the income of low-income people than of high-income people; examples include gasoline tax and cigarette tax. See also: Progressive Tax.
Reinvestment
Using dividends, interest, and capital gains earned in a mutual fund investment to pur-chase additional shares, rather than receiving the distributions in cash. In the case of stocks: using dividends to purchase additional shares instead of receiving payments in cash.
REIT
See Real Estate Investment Trust
Relative Strength
The price performance of a stock compared to the price performance of an appropriate index over the same time period. Calculated by dividing the performance of a stock’s price over a period by a market index. Relative strength is a measure of price trend that indicates how a stock is performing relative to other stocks.
Relative Value
The ratio of the current PE to the five-year Average PE. It measures whether the cur-rent value of the stock is less or more than the average value that investors were willing to pay during the last five years.
The current PE is affected by current price and earnings. The average PE depends upon any changes made to average high and low PEs. Attractively valued stocks have a rela-tive value of one or less. A range of about 0.75 to 1.10 may be acceptable. Lower relative values may indicate a risky situation.
Retained Earnings
The earnings retained by a company after payment of all expenses and dividends. Re-tained earnings grow as they accumulate year after year. They are shown on the com-pany’s books as a cumulative amount in the Balance Sheet section under Shareholder Equity.
Retention Ratio
The percent of earnings retained in the firm for investment purposes. See also: Re-tained Earnings.
Return
The percentage gain or loss for a security in a particular period, consisting of income plus capital gains relative to investment. The Real Rate of Return is the annual return realized on that investment, adjusted for changes in the price due to inflation.
Return On Assets
Abbreviated ROA. Calculated by dividing a company’s annual earnings by its total assets, displayed as a percentage. Useful to indicate how profitable a company is relative to its total assets.
Return on Equity
Abbreviated ROE. Also known as Earned on Equity. ROE tells how effectively com-pany management is using the shareholders’ money to make a profit. This is useful for comparisons among companies.
A simple formula is Net Income divided by Shareholders’ Equity. Generally, the higher the ROE, the more efficient the management and the better the return to shareholders.
It is expected that there will be some variation in the ROE numbers over time. For ex-ample, issuing more shares increases shareholders’ equity. This causes the return on equity to decline until management can invest the new funds and generate new earnings.
Another decline in the ROE trend can occur when a company relies heavily on debt. If interest expenses rise significantly, net income will likely be reduced. Therefore ROE will be less. Return on equity is a balancing act between careful use of debt and good use of assets.
Return On Investment
Abbreviated ROI. The profit or loss resulting from a security transaction, often ex-pressed as an annual percentage rate.
Revenue Bond
A municipal bond supported by the revenue from a specific project, such as a toll road, bridge, or municipal coliseum.
Revenues
Also known as Sales. The amount collected for all goods or services sold during the pe-riod. Sales are crucial to the success of the company because sales provide the income for operations (although the company may also borrow money). There must be enough sales to support company activities and debt repayment.
Reverse Split
A reduction in the number of a corporation’s shares outstanding that increases the par value of its stock or its earnings per share. The market value of the total number of shares remains the same. See also: Stock Split.
Right
Also known as Subscription Right; Subscription Right Certificate. A security representing a stockholder’s entitlement to the first opportunity to purchase new shares issued by the corporation at a predetermined price (normally less than the current market price). The stockholder’s entitlement is in proportion to the number of shares already owned. Rights are issued only for a short period of time, after which they expire.
Risk
Possibility that an investment’s actual return will be different than expected; includes the possibility of losing some or all of the original investment. Measured by variability of historical returns, or dispersion of historical returns around their average return.
Risk/Return Trade-Off
The balance an investor must decide on between the desire for low risk and high returns; low levels of uncertainty (low risk) are associated with low potential returns, and high levels of uncertainty (high risk) are associated with high potential returns.
ROA
See Return On Assets.
ROE
See Return On Equity.
ROI
See Return On Investment.
Round Lot
The normal unit of trading of a security, which is generally 100 shares of stock or five bonds. See also: Odd Lot.
Rule of 72
A formula for approximating the time it will take for a given amount of money to double at a given compound interest rate. Calculated by dividing 72 by the interest rate. To double your money at 6% interest takes 12 years (72 divided by 6% interest = 12).
Rule of 5
Experience in long-term stock investing suggests that of five stocks purchased, one will do better than you expect, three will do as you expect, and one will do worse than you expect.


S
S&P
See Standard & Poor’s Corporation.
S&P 500
See Standard & Poor’s 500.
S&P Financial Strength
See Standard & Poor’s Financial Strength.
Sale
See Sell.
Sales
See Revenues.
Schedule 13D
The form that must be filed by an individual (or individuals acting in concert) after ac-quiring beneficial ownership of 5% or more of any nonexempt equity security. It must be sent within ten business days to the issuing company, the Exchange where the stock is trading, and the SEC.
Screening
The process of searching for stocks or funds that fit particular needs in your portfolio.
SEC
See Securities and Exchange Commission.
Secondary Market
A market in which an investor purchases an asset from another investor rather than the issuing corporation. An example is the New York Stock Exchange. All stock exchanges are part of the Secondary Market, where investors buy securities from other investors (as opposed to an issuing company). See also: Primary Market.
Secondary Offering
A sale of securities in which one or more major stockholders in a company sell all or a large portion of their holdings; the underwriting proceeds are paid to the stockholders rather than to the corporation. Typically such an offering occurs when the founder of a business (and perhaps some of the original financial backers) determine that there is more to be gained by going public than by staying private. The offering does not increase the number of shares of stock outstanding.
Sector Fund
Also known as Industry Fund; Specialized Fund. A Mutual Fund whose investment objective is to capitalize on the return potential provided by investing primarily in a particular industry or sector of the economy.
Securities and Exchange Commission
Abbreviated SEC. Commission created by Congress to regulate the securities markets and protect investors. It is composed of five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and approved by the Senate. The SEC enforces, among other acts, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The statutes administered by the SEC are designed to promote full public disclosure and protect the investing public against fraudulent and manipulative practices in the securi-ties markets. Generally, most issues of securities offered in interstate commerce or through the mails must be registered with the SEC.
Securities Investor Protection Corporation
Abbreviated SIPC. A nonprofit membership corporation created by an act of Congress to protect clients of brokerage firms that are forced into bankruptcy. Membership is com-posed of all brokers and dealers registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, all members of national securities exchanges and most NASD members. SIPC provides customers of these firms up to $500,000 coverage for cash and securities held by the firms (although coverage of cash is limited to $100,000).
Security
According to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a security is “any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement or in any oil, gas, or other mineral royalty or lease, any collateral-trust certif-icate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment con-tract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit, for a security, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or in general, any instrument commonly known as a ‘security’; or any certifi-cate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing; but shall not include currency or any note, draft, bill of exchange, or banker’s acceptance which has a maturi-ty at the time of issuance of not exceeding nine months, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal thereof the maturity of which is likewise limited.”
A simpler definition is that a security is a piece of paper that can be assigned a value and sold, or any investment made with the expectation of a profit.
Security Analyst
See Analyst.
Sell
Also known as Sale. To convey ownership of a security or other asset for money or val-ue. This includes giving or delivering a security with or as a bonus for a purchase of se-curities, a gift of assessable stock, and selling or offering a warrant or right to purchase or subscribe to another security. Not included in the definition is a bona fide pledge or loan, or a stock dividend if nothing of value is given by the stockholders for the dividend.
Selling Short
A bet by an investor that a stock will go down in price. The investor borrows the stock from a broker, sells it, and eventually buys it back on the market and returns the new shares to the broker. If the stock declines in price between the time the investor sells the shares and buys them back, a profit is realized.
Series 7 License
Also known as The General Securities Registered Representative License, which entitles the holder to sell all types of securities products with the exception of commodi-ties futures (which requires a Series 3 license). The Series 7 is the most comprehensive of the NASD representative licenses, and serves as a prerequisite for most of the NASD’s Principals examinations.
Series EE Bond
A nonmarketable, interest-bearing U.S. government savings bond issued at a discount from Par. Interest on Series EE bonds is exempt from state and local taxes. See also: Se-ries HH Bond.
Series HH Bond
A nonmarketable, interest-bearing U.S. government savings bond issued at Par and pur-chased only by trading in Series EE bonds at maturity. Interest on Series HH bonds is exempt from state and local taxes. See also: Series EE Bond.
Settlement Date
For stocks, payment must be made by the third business day after the purchase. This is the Settlement Date.
Share
A certificate representing a single unit of ownership in a corporation.
Share Repurchase
A company’s own plan to buy back its own shares from the marketplace, reducing the number of outstanding shares, and typically an indication that the company’s manage-ment thinks the shares are Undervalued.
Shareholders’ Equity
Also known as Equity and Net Worth. The term identifies shareholders’ ownership in-terest in a company. Equity is useful in measuring the performance of a company’s man-agement (called Return on Equity, abbreviated ROE).
The equity ownership of the company is usually held by two classes of shareholders – Preferred and Common. It may include preferred and common shares, paid-in capital (capital surplus), Retained Earnings (earned surplus), and Treasury Stock.
The accounting definition is: all assets on a balance sheet (including intangibles) minus all liabilities (current, non-current liabilities, and long-term debt.
Shares Authorized
The number of shares of stock provided for in the Articles of Incorporation of a compa-ny. This figure is usually found in the capital accounts section of the Balance Sheet and is usually well in excess of the shares Issued and Outstanding. It can be increased by a vote of the shareholders.
Shelf Offering
An SEC provision allowing an issuer to register a new issue security without selling the entire issue at once. The issuer can sell limited portions of the issue over a two-year pe-riod without reregistering the security or incurring penalties.
Short
The term used to describe the selling of a security, contract, or commodity not owned by the seller. For example, an investor who borrows shares of stock from a broker-dealer and sells them on the open market is said to have a short position in the stock. See also: Long.
Short Interest
The total number of shares of a security that have been sold short by customers and se-curities firms. See also: Short Selling.
Short Selling
Short selling is the selling of a security that the seller does not own, or any sale that is completed by the delivery of a security borrowed by the seller. Short selling is a legiti-mate trading strategy. Short sellers assume the risk that they will be able to buy the stock at a more favorable price than the price at which they sold short.
Short-Term Debt
All debt due in the next 12 months. This figure is found on the Balance Sheet under cur-rent liabilities. See also: Long-Term Debt.
SIC code
See Standard Industrial Classification Code.
SIPC
See Securities Investor Protection Corporation.
Solvency
The ability of a corporation both to meet its long-term fixed expenses and to have ade-quate money for long-term expansion and growth.
Specialist
A stock exchange member who stands ready to quote and trade certain securities either for his own account or for customer accounts. The specialist’s role is to maintain a fair and orderly market in the stocks for which he is responsible.
Specialized Fund
See Sector Fund.
Speculator
One who trades a commodity or security with a higher than average risk in return for a higher than average profit potential.
Spot Price
The actual price at which a particular commodity can be bought or sold at a specified time and place.
Spread
In a quote, the difference between the Bid and the Ask prices of a security. The spread for a company’s stock is influenced by a number of factors, including supply or “float” (the total number of shares outstanding available to trade); demand or interest in a stock; or total trading activity in the stock. (2) An options position established by pur-chasing one option and selling another option of the same class, but of a different series.
Standard Industrial Classification Code
Abbreviated SIC Code. A series of 4-digit codes that are used to categorize business ac-tivities. A company may operate within several SIC codes.
Standard & Poor’s 500 Index
Abbreviated S&P 500. An Index of 500 major U.S. corporations. There are 400 industri-al firms, 20 transportation firms, 40 utilities, and 40 financial firms. This index is value-weighted.
Standard & Poor’s Corporation
Abbreviated S&P. A company that rates stocks and corporate and municipal bonds ac-cording to Risk profiles, and that produces and tracks the S&P indexes. The company also publishes a variety of financial and investment reports.
Standard & Poor’s Financial Strength
Abbreviated S&P Financial Strength. The ranking S&P uses to rate the company’s growth, quality, and stability of earnings and dividends using 8 levels, from A+ (highest) to B+ (average) to C (lowest) to D (in reorganization).
Stock Dividend
A payment of additional stock to shareholders, rather than a cash dividend. Such pay-ment increases the number of shares held but does not alter a shareholder’s proportional investment in the company.
Stock Quote
A list of representative prices that are bid and asked during a particular trading day for a certain stock. Stocks are quoted in points (where one point equals $1), and 1/8ths of a point, (where 1/8th equals 12.5 cents). Stock quotes are listed in the financial press and most daily newspapers. See also: Bond Quote.
Stock Split
Directors of a company may order a stock split to make the shares more affordable for small investors. If a shareholder holds 100 shares at the current share price of $40, and the stock splits 2 for 1 (2 new for 1 old share), the new share price would be $20, and the shareholder would then hold 200 shares. In both cases, the total value of all shares would remain at $4000. All historical per-share items (such as price per share and earnings per share) are adjusted by data providers to account for the stock split. Total sales and net income figures do not change. Stock splits by themselves do not add any value to an investor’s portfolio. However, only companies that have experienced growth in their share prices will typically split their shares. See also: Reverse Split.
Stock Symbol
Also known as Ticker Symbol. A unique symbol assigned to a security. NYSE and AMEX listed stocks have symbols of three characters or less. NASDAQ-listed securities have four or five characters
Stockbroker
An individual or firm that charges a fee or commission for executing buy and sell orders submitted by another individual or firm. (2) The role of a firm when it acts as an agent for a customer and charges the customer a commission for its services.
Stockholders’ Equity
See Shareholders’ Equity.
Stock’s Multiple
See Price-Earnings Ratio.
Stop-Limit Order
An order placed with a broker to buy or sell at a specified price or better after a given stop price has been reached or passed.
Stop-Loss Order
An order placed with a broker to buy or sell when a certain price is reached; designed to limit an investor’s loss on a security position.
Stop Order
An order to sell a stock when its price falls to a particular point to limit an investor’s losses. See also: Stop-Loss; Stop-Limit Order.
Stated Yield
See Nominal Yield.
Stated Value
See Par.
Subscription Right
See Right.
Subscription Right Certificate
See Right.


T
T Bill
See Treasury Bill.
T Bond
See Treasury Bond.
T Note
See Treasury Note.
Tax Basis
See Basis.
Taxable Gain
The portion of a sale of a security or distribution of Mutual Fund shares that is subject to taxation.
Technical Analysis
A method of evaluating securities by analyzing statistics generated by market activity, such as past prices and volume. Technical analysts do not attempt to measure a securi-ty’s intrinsic value. Technical analysts study the price movement and trading volume for stocks by plotting graphs or charts. Using this method, technicians seek to make invest-ment decisions by understanding and predicting investor sentiment and psychology. See also: Fundamental Analysis.
Tick
A minimum upward or downward movement in the price of a security.
Ticker Symbol
See Stock Symbol.
Today’s High
The intra-day high trading price.
Today’s Low
The intra-day low trading price.
Top-Down Approach to Investing
A method of investing in which an investor first looks at trends in the general economy, and next selects industries and then companies that should benefit from these trends. See also: Bottom-Up Approach to Investing.
Total Assets
This denotes the financial framework (capital structure) of a company, including Long-Term Debt and all forms of Equity. If you are working from a company’s Balance Sheet, add current assets, property, plant equipment, and “other” assets. The accounting formula is:
Total Assets = Total Liabilities + Shareholders’ Equity
This formula demonstrates the “balance” in the Balance Sheet.
Total Capital
Gives information about how the company is financed or “capitalized.” This can be a combination of stock -- preferred and common shares -- and debt.
Total Debt
Companies may have debt due within one year, as well as long-term debt payable over a longer period of time. The total debt figure includes both kinds of debt. Debt can consist of bonds, debentures, or shorter term bank debt. Bondholders differ from stockholders in that they are lenders. They must receive their interest payments and when their bond comes due, and they will get their principal back.
Total Debt to Total Assets
Calculated by adding Short-Term and Long-Term Debt, then dividing by a company’s Total Assets. Used to measure a company’s financial risk, determining how much of the company’s assets have been financed by debt.
Total Return
The compounded annual return on an investment, including price appreciation and div-idends or interest.
Total Revenue
Total sales and other revenue for a particular period.
Trade
A transaction involving the sale and purchase of a security.
Trade Date
The date on which a security trade occurs.
Trading Halt
A pause in the trading of a particular security on one or more exchanges, usually in an-ticipation of a news announcement or to correct an order imbalance. During a trading halt, open orders may be canceled, and options may be exercised. A trading halt gives all investors equal opportunity to evaluate news and make buy, sell, or hold decisions on that basis. A trading halt may also be imposed for purely regulatory reasons.
Trading Range
The Spread between the high and low prices traded during a period of time.
Trailing PE Ratio
Also called Lagging PE Ratio. The Price-Earnings Ratio based on actual EPS over the last 4 quarters.
Transaction Costs
Costs incurred buying or selling securities. These include brokers’ commissions and dealers’ Spreads (the difference between the price the dealer paid for a security and for which he can sell it).
Treasury Bill
A marketable U.S. government debt security with a maturity of less than one year. Trea-sury bills are issued through a competitive bidding process at a discount from par; there is no fixed interest rate. Also known as T bill.
Treasury Bond
Also known as T Bond. A marketable, fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of more than ten years.
Treasury Note
Also known as T Note. A marketable, fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of between one and ten years.
Treasury Stock
Shares which have been repurchased from shareholders. The stock is held in the trea-sury and is listed on the company’s Balance Sheet. It is available for retirement or re-sale. It is issued but not outstanding.
Trend Line
A line through the historical plot of data for a company’s EPS or Revenues, in order to estimate the historical percentage of growth.
Turnover
The number of times a given Asset (such as Inventory) is replaced during an account-ing period, usually a year.

U
Undervalued
A stock selling below the liquidation value or the market value that analysts believe it deserves. Fundamental Analysts try to spot such companies to buy them before they become fully valued. For example, a stock may be undervalued because the industry is out of favor, or because the company is not well known or has an erratic history of earn-ings.
Underwriting
The procedure by which investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and municipalities that are issuing securities.
Unit Value
(1) In terms of Mutual Funds, members buy shares of the fund that are worth a speci-fied amount – the unit value – and that amount changes proportionally with the success or failure of the stocks in the mutual fund. This ensures that each member’s share in the success or failure of the stocks is proportionate to their investment. (2) In terms of In-vesment Clubs, a method of distributing earnings or sharing in losses, proportional to members investment, is to designate a unit value that allows members to choose how much they wish to invest. Each unit value is proportionally affected by the success or failure of the club’s chosen stocks. This way, members can invest different amounts in the club without having to share equally in the earnings or losses.
Unrestricted Order
See Market Order.
Unearned Income
Income derived from investments and other sources not related to employment servic-es. Examples of unearned income include interest from a savings account, bond interest, and dividends from stock. See also: Earned Income; Passive Income.
Upside/Downside Ratio
The ratio of the potential gain to the risk of loss. This is based on the potential gain from the current price rising to the forecasted high price compared to the potential loss from the current price dropping to the estimated low price. An upside/downside minimum ratio of 3 to 1 is recommended for long-term investments.

V
Valuation
The process of determining the current worth of an Asset or Security.
Value Line Financial Strength
A ranking assigned by the Value Line Investment Survey which rates companies in ten categories according to their financial strength, from A+ (excellent) to C (poorest).
Value Line Safety
A ranking assigned by the Value Line Investment Survey which assesses a company’s financial strength and measures the total risk of investing in the stock. The ranking ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 the highest, 3 is average, and 5 is lowest.
Variable Annuity
An insurance contract in which the insurance company guarantees a minimum total payment to the annuitant at the end of the accumulation stage. The performance of a separate account, generally invested in equity securities, determines the amount of this total payment. See also: Fixed Annuity.
Volume
The number of shares of a single security or an entire market that are trading in a period (commonly reported for a single trading day).
Voting Right
The right of a stockholder to vote for members of the board of directors and on matters of corporate policy - particularly the issuance of senior securities, Stock Splits, and sub-stantial changes in the corporation’s business. A variation of this right is extended to variable annuity contract holders and mutual fund shareholders, who may vote on ma-terial policy issues.
W
Warrant
A security that gives the holder the right to purchase securities from the issuer of the warrant at a stipulated subscription price. Warrants are usually long-term instruments, with expiration dates years in the future.
Weighted Average
An average in which each number to be averaged is assigned a weight that determines the relative importance of each figure on the overall average. Weighted averages are often used to assign greater weight to more recent data, on the assumption that older data may be less applicable to current conditions.
Working Capital
Also known as net working capital. It is calculated by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. If a company's current assets do not exceed its current liabilities, then it may be unable to meet its short-term liabilities with its current assets (such as cash, ac-counts receivable, and inventory).

X – Y – Z
Yield
(1) The amount of interest paid on a bond or stock divided by the price; a measure of the income generated by the security. (2) The rate of return on an investment, usually expressed as an annual percentage rate. A yield is not a total return measure because it does not include capital gains or losses. See also: Current Yield; Dividend Yield; No-minal Yield.
Yield Curve
A graphic representation of a curve that shows Interest Rates at a specific point for all securities having equal risk but different maturity dates. Usually, government securities are used to construct such curves. See also: Flat Yield Curve; Inverted Yield Curve; Normal Yield Curve.
Yield to Maturity
The rate of return anticipated on a bond if it is held until the Maturity Date.
Zero-Coupon Bond
A corporate or municipal debt security traded at a deep discount from face value. The bond pays no interest; rather, it may be redeemed at maturity for its full face value. It may be issued at a discount, or it may be stripped of its coupons and repackaged.

About Douglas Gerlach
ICLUBcentral’s President, Douglas Gerlach, is a nationally recognized expert on online investing and investment clubs. He is the author of five books, including The Armchair Millionaire, The Idiot’s Guide to Online Investing, and Investment Clubs for Dummies. He was a contributing editor for Mutual Funds Magazine, and wrote articles for Individual Investor, PC World, and has been featured in numerous programs and publications, including BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Worth, CNNfn, and Yahoo! FinanceVision. His website efforts (including stockcentral.com, investorama.com, and others) have garnered accolades from Forbes, Barron’s, Money Magazine, The Economist, U.S. News & World Report, and Fortune. Doug is a popular speaker at investor fairs and workshops held across the country and around the world, from Honolulu to Berlin.
About StockCentral
StockCentral.com was launched in the winter of 2006 by ICLUBcentral as a destination for investors to research, analyze, and discuss both individual stocks and investing methodology as a whole. Members have access to the StockCentral Data Service (provided by Hemscott Americas), which allows members to investigate over 10 years of historical financial data for over 7,700 U.S. companies. The data feed can also be directly connected to ICLUBcentral’s Investor’s Toolkit desktop analysis program for Windows.
The Data Service also powers StockCentral’s online analysis tools, which include an online version of the Take Stock Instant Stock AnalysisTM program, and the StockCentral Screener program. These tools allow members to quickly and easily find and evaluate prospective winners for their portfolio. But the interactive centerpiece to StockCentral is the community message board, featuring discussion forums for hundreds of popular stocks, and classroom forums for educational workshops and investment club support. Members can post, download, and comment on stock studies, creating an insightful dialogue that benefits the entire community. To sign up for a free full-featured 90-day trial of StockCentral, visit StockCentral :: Community, Data, and Insight for Investors
About ICLUBcentral Inc.
StockCentral is owned and operated by ICLUBcentral Inc (ICLUBcentral - Software and Tools for Investors and Investment Clubs). From its world headquarters in Harvard Square’s historic College House in Cambridge, MA, ICLUBcentral has developed high-quality tools for individual investors and investment clubs since 1989, including software solutions, web services, and the market-beating Investor Advisory Service newsletter.
In addition to StockCentral, ICLUBcentral’s products include:
• Accounting and tax preparation software for investment clubs, including Club Accounting 3 for Windows and the myICLUB.com (the most popular club accounting and management website in the U.S.), plus federal and state Tax Printer preparation software
• Stock analysis software, including Investor’s Toolkit, Stock Analyst, Classic Plus, and the Take Stock Instant Stock AnalysisTM program
• The Investor Advisory Service monthly newsletter, published since 1973 and regularly recognized by Hulbert Financial Digest as one of the best-performing equities newsletters in the U.S.
:SugarwareZ-237:
 

praveenk

New member
i hear there are so many platforms for online trading like ICICI direct,sharekhan,Indiabulls,
Motilal Oswal and Reliance Money Super Trade.can you guys give comparison points between them?thanks!
 
Top