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Trading Glossary

Take a look at our list of the financial terms associated with trading and the markets. From beginners starting their trading journey to experts with decades of experience, all traders need to clearly understand a huge number of terms.

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Crude Oil - ProShares Ultra Bloomberg

ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (UCO) is a leveraged asset that seeks to deliver twice the daily investment results of the Bloomberg WTI Crude Oil Subindex. This is a single-day bet and is not suitable for buy-and-hold investors. Results can vary significantly if held for periods longer than one day. This is a leveraged ETF so traders take on more risk than with an unleveraged product.

Crude Oil - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg

ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO), aims to deliver results that are twice the inverse daily performance of the Bloomberg WTI Crude Oil Subindex. It is an ETF product for traders looking to short crude oil in a single day bet. Trades that last for more than a day are not expected to see the same returns.

 The subindex reflects WTI Crude Oil prices and only consists of futures contracts on WTI Crude Oil. This is a leveraged product, all leveraged products carry more risk than unleveraged products.

Brent Crude

What is Brent Crude?

Brent Crude is a physically and financially traded oil market based around the North Sea of Northwest Europe. In finance and trading the term refers to the price of the ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) or Brent Crude Oil futures contracts. The original Brent Crude referred only to a trading classification of sweet light crude oil extracted from the Brent oilfield in the North Sea. Additional oil blends from other oil fields have been added to the trade classification as time went by. The current Brent Crude blend consists of crude oil produced from the Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk, and Troll oil fields.

Why is Brent crude so important?
Brent Crude is important to the financial and trading domains as it is a leading global price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils. It is used to set the price of two-thirds of the world's internationally traded crude oil supplies. It is one of the two main benchmark prices for purchases of oil worldwide, the other being West Texas Intermediate (WTI).

The Brent Crude oil marker is also known as Brent Blend, London Brent, and Brent petroleum.

Trade Execution

What is a Trade Execution?

A trade execution is the process of executing a trading order in the financial markets. This typically involves verifying all of the parameters for the order, sending the request to the market or exchange, monitoring execution, and ensuring all transaction requirements have been met.

Brokers execute Trade Execution Order in the following ways:
• By sending orders to a Stock Exchange
• Sending them to market makers
• Via their own inventory of securities

Why is execution of trade important?
Trade execution is important due to the fact that even digital orders are not fully instantaneous. Trade orders can be split into several batches to sell since price quotes are only for a specific number of shares. The trade execution price may differ from the price seen on the order screen.

What is trade execution time?
Trade execution time is the period of time between a trade being placed and the completion of the trade. This includes market access, pricing, liquidity sourcing, risk management and settlement of funds. Trade execution time can vary depending on asset class, liquidity levels and other factors.

Account Balance

What is an account balance in trading?

A trader's "account balance" is the total value of the account including all and any settled profit & loss, deposits, and withdrawals. 

How do I check my trading account balance?
As mentioned, your account balance is the total sum of settled positions, P&L, deposits, and withdrawals. Yet this balance does not include profit or loss resulting from any open positions. If positions are indeed open, the balance might change depending on pending losses or profits until such positions are closed. As such, it is recommended to check your trading account balance regularly as new positions open and close on a regular basis.

Heating Oil

Heating Oil is a low-viscosity petroleum product derived from crude oil. Around 25% of the yield of crude oil is devoted to heating oil, the second most after gasoline products. As a result, prices often closely follow those of WTI crude.

It is priced in USD per gallon, and has a historic high of $3.32 in April 2011. The record low was $0.87 in January 2016.

Heating oil is used as a fuel for furnaces and boilers to heat homes and businesses. It is especially popular in the British Isles and the North-eastern US. As a result, demand fluctuates seasonally, peaking in the colder months between October and March.

Price is, as a result, also affected by cold weather. Other factors affecting price include the price of alternative heating options, energy efficiency and insulation, refining costs and government regulations.

Heating Oil futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Heating Oil. Futures rollover on the third Friday of every month.

Stock Dilution

What is Stock Dilution?

Stock dilution is the decrease in existing shareholders' ownership of a company as a result of the issuance of new shares. It typically occurs when companies raise capital by issuing additional shares, thereby reducing the stake of existing shareholders.

Why do companies dilute stock?
Companies dilute stock to raise capital for future growth and investments, often through the sale of additional shares. This allows companies to raise money without having to take out loans or issue bonds. Diluting stock can help reduce overall debt and create a healthier financial situation for the company.

Is stock dilution a good thing?
It depends. If done properly, diluting stock can help raise funds for business operations and growth. It also encourages investors to purchase shares due to the lower price per share. However, too much dilution can weaken shareholder equity and damage investor confidence.

What does dilution do to stock price?
Dilution decreases a stock's price by decreasing its earnings per share (EPS). This happens when a company issues new shares to the public, increasing the total number of shares outstanding and resulting in lower EPS for existing shareholders. Dilution can also occur through corporate acquisitions, mergers or issuing debt that is converted into equity.

Volume of Trade

What is Volume of Trade?

In trading, “Volume of Trade” (Volume) refers to the total quantity of shares or contracts traded for a specific security, share or even to the market as a whole. Volume of trade can be measured through any type of asset traded during a specific duration, usually a trading day.

How is trade volume calculated?
Trade volume is calculated by adding together the number of shares or contracts traded during a specified time period.

What is a good volume to trade?
A good trade volume for a security varies and can depend on factors such as the type of security, market conditions, and overall liquidity. Generally, higher trade volume indicates greater liquidity, which can make it easier to buy and sell the security.

What does it mean when trade volume is high?
High trade volume means there is a high number of shares or contracts being bought and sold in a security or market, indicating high levels of interest and liquidity.

Arbitrage in trading

What is Arbitrage in Trading?

Arbitrage is trading that makes use of small differences in price between identical assets in two or more markets. An asset will most likely be sold in different markets, forms or via a different financial products. 

Arbitrage is one alternative trading strategy that can prove exceptionally profitable when leveraged by sophisticated traders. It also carries risks which need to be considered prior and during an arbitrage. 

Arbitrage as a trading strategy is when an asset is simultaneously bought and sold in different markets, thus taking advantage of a price difference, and generating a potential profit. Arbitrage is commonly leveraged by hedge funds and other sophisticated investors.


What is an example of arbitrage?
Without going into actual trading advice, here are several examples of Arbitrage in Trading:
• Exchange rates
• Offshore operations
Cryptocurrency 
And perhaps the most obvious and common form of arbitrage which is acting as a go between or affiliate, earning commission on price differences between the seller and the buyer.

Types of arbitrage traders use:
• Pure arbitrage - Traders simultaneously buying and selling assets in different markets to take advantage of a price differences. 
• Merger arbitrage – When two publicly traded companies merge. If the target is a publicly traded company, the acquiring company must purchase its outstanding shares Convertible arbitrage. 
• Convertible Arbitrage. It is related to convertible bonds, also called convertible notes or convertible debt.

Sprott Silver Investment Trust

The Sprott Silver Investment Trust (PSLV) seeks to provide a secure, convenient, and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors interested in holding physical silver bullion without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical silver bullion. The Trust intends to achieve this by investing primarily in long-term holdings of unencumbered, fully allocated, physical silver bullion and does not speculate with regard to short-term changes in silver prices.

Ultra Silver - ProShares

ProShares Ultra Silver, also known as AGQ, is a single-day bet, not a buy-and-hold ETF. AGQ is a leveraged ETF that aims to deliver daily investment results that equate to twice the daily price performance of silver bullion, measured by US Dollar for delivery in London.

Exposure in finance & trading (Financial Exposure)

What is Exposure in Finance & Trading?

Exposure in finance and trading refers to the potential financial loss or gain that an individual or entity may incur as a result of changes in market conditions or prices. It can refer to the overall risk of a portfolio, or to the specific risk associated with a particular security or market.

What is Leverage? How does leverage effect exposure?
Leverage refers to the use of debt or other financial instruments to increase the potential return on an investment. In trading, leverage allows an investor to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital. Leverage can increase exposure to potential losses as well as gains, as a small change in the value of the underlying asset can have a larger impact on the value of a leveraged position.

How do you calculate exposure in trading?
Exposure in trading can be calculated by multiplying the size of a position by the current market price of the underlying asset. The VaR method also can be used by taking into account the volatility of the market and any potential correlation with other assets in the portfolio.

A-D

Crude Oil - ProShares Ultra Bloomberg

ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (UCO) is a leveraged asset that seeks to deliver twice the daily investment results of the Bloomberg WTI Crude Oil Subindex. This is a single-day bet and is not suitable for buy-and-hold investors. Results can vary significantly if held for periods longer than one day. This is a leveraged ETF so traders take on more risk than with an unleveraged product.

Crude Oil - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg

ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Crude Oil (SCO), aims to deliver results that are twice the inverse daily performance of the Bloomberg WTI Crude Oil Subindex. It is an ETF product for traders looking to short crude oil in a single day bet. Trades that last for more than a day are not expected to see the same returns.

 The subindex reflects WTI Crude Oil prices and only consists of futures contracts on WTI Crude Oil. This is a leveraged product, all leveraged products carry more risk than unleveraged products.

Brent Crude

What is Brent Crude?

Brent Crude is a physically and financially traded oil market based around the North Sea of Northwest Europe. In finance and trading the term refers to the price of the ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) or Brent Crude Oil futures contracts. The original Brent Crude referred only to a trading classification of sweet light crude oil extracted from the Brent oilfield in the North Sea. Additional oil blends from other oil fields have been added to the trade classification as time went by. The current Brent Crude blend consists of crude oil produced from the Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk, and Troll oil fields.

Why is Brent crude so important?
Brent Crude is important to the financial and trading domains as it is a leading global price benchmark for Atlantic basin crude oils. It is used to set the price of two-thirds of the world's internationally traded crude oil supplies. It is one of the two main benchmark prices for purchases of oil worldwide, the other being West Texas Intermediate (WTI).

The Brent Crude oil marker is also known as Brent Blend, London Brent, and Brent petroleum.

Account Balance

What is an account balance in trading?

A trader's "account balance" is the total value of the account including all and any settled profit & loss, deposits, and withdrawals. 

How do I check my trading account balance?
As mentioned, your account balance is the total sum of settled positions, P&L, deposits, and withdrawals. Yet this balance does not include profit or loss resulting from any open positions. If positions are indeed open, the balance might change depending on pending losses or profits until such positions are closed. As such, it is recommended to check your trading account balance regularly as new positions open and close on a regular basis.

Arbitrage in trading

What is Arbitrage in Trading?

Arbitrage is trading that makes use of small differences in price between identical assets in two or more markets. An asset will most likely be sold in different markets, forms or via a different financial products. 

Arbitrage is one alternative trading strategy that can prove exceptionally profitable when leveraged by sophisticated traders. It also carries risks which need to be considered prior and during an arbitrage. 

Arbitrage as a trading strategy is when an asset is simultaneously bought and sold in different markets, thus taking advantage of a price difference, and generating a potential profit. Arbitrage is commonly leveraged by hedge funds and other sophisticated investors.


What is an example of arbitrage?
Without going into actual trading advice, here are several examples of Arbitrage in Trading:
• Exchange rates
• Offshore operations
Cryptocurrency 
And perhaps the most obvious and common form of arbitrage which is acting as a go between or affiliate, earning commission on price differences between the seller and the buyer.

Types of arbitrage traders use:
• Pure arbitrage - Traders simultaneously buying and selling assets in different markets to take advantage of a price differences. 
• Merger arbitrage – When two publicly traded companies merge. If the target is a publicly traded company, the acquiring company must purchase its outstanding shares Convertible arbitrage. 
• Convertible Arbitrage. It is related to convertible bonds, also called convertible notes or convertible debt.

E-H

Heating Oil

Heating Oil is a low-viscosity petroleum product derived from crude oil. Around 25% of the yield of crude oil is devoted to heating oil, the second most after gasoline products. As a result, prices often closely follow those of WTI crude.

It is priced in USD per gallon, and has a historic high of $3.32 in April 2011. The record low was $0.87 in January 2016.

Heating oil is used as a fuel for furnaces and boilers to heat homes and businesses. It is especially popular in the British Isles and the North-eastern US. As a result, demand fluctuates seasonally, peaking in the colder months between October and March.

Price is, as a result, also affected by cold weather. Other factors affecting price include the price of alternative heating options, energy efficiency and insulation, refining costs and government regulations.

Heating Oil futures allow you to speculate on, or hedge against, changes in the price of Heating Oil. Futures rollover on the third Friday of every month.

Exposure in finance & trading (Financial Exposure)

What is Exposure in Finance & Trading?

Exposure in finance and trading refers to the potential financial loss or gain that an individual or entity may incur as a result of changes in market conditions or prices. It can refer to the overall risk of a portfolio, or to the specific risk associated with a particular security or market.

What is Leverage? How does leverage effect exposure?
Leverage refers to the use of debt or other financial instruments to increase the potential return on an investment. In trading, leverage allows an investor to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital. Leverage can increase exposure to potential losses as well as gains, as a small change in the value of the underlying asset can have a larger impact on the value of a leveraged position.

How do you calculate exposure in trading?
Exposure in trading can be calculated by multiplying the size of a position by the current market price of the underlying asset. The VaR method also can be used by taking into account the volatility of the market and any potential correlation with other assets in the portfolio.

I-L

M-P

Q-T

Trade Execution

What is a Trade Execution?

A trade execution is the process of executing a trading order in the financial markets. This typically involves verifying all of the parameters for the order, sending the request to the market or exchange, monitoring execution, and ensuring all transaction requirements have been met.

Brokers execute Trade Execution Order in the following ways:
• By sending orders to a Stock Exchange
• Sending them to market makers
• Via their own inventory of securities

Why is execution of trade important?
Trade execution is important due to the fact that even digital orders are not fully instantaneous. Trade orders can be split into several batches to sell since price quotes are only for a specific number of shares. The trade execution price may differ from the price seen on the order screen.

What is trade execution time?
Trade execution time is the period of time between a trade being placed and the completion of the trade. This includes market access, pricing, liquidity sourcing, risk management and settlement of funds. Trade execution time can vary depending on asset class, liquidity levels and other factors.

Stock Dilution

What is Stock Dilution?

Stock dilution is the decrease in existing shareholders' ownership of a company as a result of the issuance of new shares. It typically occurs when companies raise capital by issuing additional shares, thereby reducing the stake of existing shareholders.

Why do companies dilute stock?
Companies dilute stock to raise capital for future growth and investments, often through the sale of additional shares. This allows companies to raise money without having to take out loans or issue bonds. Diluting stock can help reduce overall debt and create a healthier financial situation for the company.

Is stock dilution a good thing?
It depends. If done properly, diluting stock can help raise funds for business operations and growth. It also encourages investors to purchase shares due to the lower price per share. However, too much dilution can weaken shareholder equity and damage investor confidence.

What does dilution do to stock price?
Dilution decreases a stock's price by decreasing its earnings per share (EPS). This happens when a company issues new shares to the public, increasing the total number of shares outstanding and resulting in lower EPS for existing shareholders. Dilution can also occur through corporate acquisitions, mergers or issuing debt that is converted into equity.

Sprott Silver Investment Trust

The Sprott Silver Investment Trust (PSLV) seeks to provide a secure, convenient, and exchange-traded investment alternative for investors interested in holding physical silver bullion without the inconvenience that is typical of a direct investment in physical silver bullion. The Trust intends to achieve this by investing primarily in long-term holdings of unencumbered, fully allocated, physical silver bullion and does not speculate with regard to short-term changes in silver prices.

U-Z

Volume of Trade

What is Volume of Trade?

In trading, “Volume of Trade” (Volume) refers to the total quantity of shares or contracts traded for a specific security, share or even to the market as a whole. Volume of trade can be measured through any type of asset traded during a specific duration, usually a trading day.

How is trade volume calculated?
Trade volume is calculated by adding together the number of shares or contracts traded during a specified time period.

What is a good volume to trade?
A good trade volume for a security varies and can depend on factors such as the type of security, market conditions, and overall liquidity. Generally, higher trade volume indicates greater liquidity, which can make it easier to buy and sell the security.

What does it mean when trade volume is high?
High trade volume means there is a high number of shares or contracts being bought and sold in a security or market, indicating high levels of interest and liquidity.

Ultra Silver - ProShares

ProShares Ultra Silver, also known as AGQ, is a single-day bet, not a buy-and-hold ETF. AGQ is a leveraged ETF that aims to deliver daily investment results that equate to twice the daily price performance of silver bullion, measured by US Dollar for delivery in London.

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