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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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Reverse Stock Split

What is Reverse Stock Split?

A reverse stock split, also known as a "reverse split," is a corporate action in which a company reduces the number of outstanding shares by canceling a portion of its shares and increasing the par value of its remaining shares. This means that for every N shares that a shareholder owns, they will end up owning 1 share, where N is the reverse split ratio. For example, if a company performs a 1-for-2 reverse stock split, a shareholder who previously owned 100 shares would now own 50 shares. 

Is it better to buy before or after a reverse stock split?
It is not necessarily better to buy before or after a reverse stock split, as it depends on the specific circumstances of the company and the stock. A reverse stock split does not change the underlying value of the company, it only changes the number of shares outstanding and the stock price. However, it is important to understand that in general, companies that perform reverse stock splits tend to be struggling and have a low stock price. Buying before a reverse stock split may allow you to buy shares at a lower price, but it also means you're probably buying into a struggling company.

Is a reverse stock split good?
As with all things in the market, the answer is that it depends. The main reason for a company to perform a reverse stock split is to increase the per-share price of the stock, which can make the stock appear more attractive to investors and also bring it above a certain listing requirement in stock exchanges. Additionally, a reverse split can also help to reduce the number of shareholders and increase the liquidity of the stock, making it easier to trade. However, a reverse stock split can also be a sign of a struggling company, and it can also dilute the value of shares for the existing shareholders.


 

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.

Stock Trading

What is stock Trading?

Stock trading is the practice of buying and selling stocks, or shares of ownership in a publicly-traded company, with the goal of making a profit through price appreciation or by receiving income in the form of dividends. Stock traders buy and sell shares in the stock market using a brokerage account, and they use a variety of strategies and techniques to determine when to enter and exit trades. Stock trading is a popular form of investment, but it also comes with risks and profits are in no way guaranteed. You should acquire a good understanding of the market and individual stocks before making trading decisions.

How are Stocks Different from Other Securities?
Stocks, also known as equities, represent ownership in a corporation, while other securities represent claims on an underlying asset. Other types of securities include bonds (debt securities), options, and derivatives.

How Do I Start Trading Stocks?
You can trade stocks using a stock exchange. Platforms like markets.com offer CFDs on stocks and other securities so you can start assembling and get trading outcomes of your own!

Short Selling

What is Short Selling and how does it work?

Short selling is a trading strategy where an investor borrows shares of a stock or security they believe will decrease in value, and then sells it on the market. If the price of the stock or security falls as expected, the investor can then buy the shares back at the lower price, return the borrowed shares, and keep the difference as profit. Short selling is considered a high-risk strategy because theoretically there is no limit to how high the price of a stock can go, so the potential loss is theoretically infinite.

What is the benefit of short selling?
The benefit of short selling is that it allows investors to benefit from a decline in the value of a security. While traditional investors can only benefit when the prices of the assets they hold increase, short sellers can do well when the prices decrease as well. This allows investors to potentially profit in both rising and falling markets. Additionally, short selling can also be used as a hedging tool, to offset the risk of long positions in a portfolio.

Is Short Selling a good idea?
Short selling can be a good idea for some investors, but it is considered a high-risk strategy and is not suitable for all investors. It requires a great deal of knowledge and experience to correctly identify the securities that are likely to decrease in value and to correctly time the trade. Additionally,because the potential losses from short selling can be theoretically infinite as explained above it is important for investors to fully understand the risks and potential rewards associated with short selling before engaging in this strategy.

Spot Price

What is a Spot Price?

A spot price is the current market value of an asset or security. It's the amount you would pay to buy or sell it at that exact moment in time. Spot prices are constantly changing, as they depend on supply and demand forces in the marketplace. Spot prices provide important insights into market trends and can be used by traders to make investment decisions.

Why is it called a spot price?
It is called a "spot" price because it refers to the price at which an asset can be bought or sold "on the spot" or immediately.

How is spot price calculated?
The spot price of a commodity, security, or currency is typically determined by supply and demand factors in the market. The price is influenced by a variety of factors such as production costs, political and economic conditions, and speculation.

Stop Loss Order

What is a Stop Loss Order?

A Stop Loss Order is a type of order that investors can use to limit losses when trading securities. This order instructs a broker to automatically sell a security when it reaches a certain price, known as the stop loss price. By using this order, investors can reduce their risk exposure by locking in gains and preventing larger losses.

How does a stop-loss order work?
A stop-loss order is an investment strategy that helps you limit losses by automatically selling your securities when they drop to a predetermined price. By setting up this order, you can avoid having to monitor the stock's performance every day and ensure that any potential losses are minimized.

What is the difference between a stop-loss and a stop limit order?
A stop-loss order is used to limit losses on a security position by automatically selling when the price drops below a specified level. Whereas a stop-limit order combines the features of a stop-loss with those of a limit order, enabling traders to specify both the price at which they are willing to sell and the maximum loss they are willing to take.

What is a good stop-loss order?
A good stop-loss order is one that is placed at a level that effectively limits potential losses on a trade. The specific level at which to place a stop-loss order will depend on the trader's risk tolerance and the price action of the security being traded. Generally, traders will place stop-loss orders at levels that are below the current price for long positions, or above the current price for short positions, in order to limit potential losses if the price moves in the opposite direction. It's important to note that stop loss orders act as a protective measure, but they don't guarantee that a trade will be executed at the exact stop loss level.

Blue-Chip Stocks

What are Blue-chip stocks?

Blue-chip stocks are shares of very large, successful, and reputable and financially companies. Blue-chip companies are mostly common household names. 

What is the difference between a regular stock and a blue-chip stock?
A blue-chip stock refers to a stock of a well-established, financially stable and reliable company with a long history of steady growth and stability. Regular stocks are any other stocks. Blue-chip stocks are generally considered a lower risk investment, while regular stocks can have varying degrees of risk.

How do you know if a stock is blue-chip?
Blue chip stocks are usually large, well-established and financially stable companies with a long history of steady growth, consistent profits and strong brand recognition.

What are some examples of bluechip stocks? 
Some examples of blue chip stocks are: 
Apple Inc. 
Microsoft Corporation 
Amazon.com Inc. 
Berkshire Hathaway 

Litecoin

Just like many of the other cryptocurrencies, Litecoin was created to improve on some of the perceived failings of Bitcoin - primarily a higher number of tokens and a much faster processing speeds.

Litecoin (LTC) is priced in USD per coin and reached a peak of $341 in December 2017. It was launched in April 2013 by Charlie Lee, a former Google software engineer.

Lee was central to a change in attitude about Bitcoin, helping it gain approval from big names. He wanted to position Litecoin as silver to Bitcoin's gold, and knew that the success of all cryptocurrencies would be tied to stalwart Bitcoin.

Litecoin uses blockchain in a similar way to Bitcoin, but has very low transaction fees and has adopted ‘Segregated Witess (SegWit) - a process by which the size of blocks in a blockchain is reduced by removing data.

Treasury Stock

What is a Treasury Stock?

Treasury stock, also known as reacquired stock, is stock which a company has repurchased from shareholders. This stock is issued and bought back by the company for various reasons including to improve financial statements and reward shareholders through dividend payments. Companies must keep records of their treasury stock in order to report them on financial statements.

How is treasury stock different from common stock?
Treasury stock, also known as "buyback," is a corporation's own stock that has been purchased back by the issuing company from shareholders. Treasury stock does not give voting rights or dividend payments. In contrast, common stock gives owners voting rights and entitles them to dividends, when declared. Treasury stocks are used to offset dilution and strengthen balance sheets while still giving shareholders an opportunity to sell shares without market risk.

What is the benefit of treasury stock?
By purchasing their own stock, companies can benefit from reducing risk, enhancing corporate governance and even increasing profits. In addition, the stock may be held in reserve for future issuance or to protect against takeover attempts.

Is treasury stock debt or equity?
Treasury stock is a form of equity, rather than debt. It is a company's own shares which have been bought back and held by the company, resulting in the number of outstanding shares being reduced. The buyback is often used to increase shareholder value, reduce the supply of outstanding stock, or as part of employee compensation programs.

 

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Blue-Chip Stocks

What are Blue-chip stocks?

Blue-chip stocks are shares of very large, successful, and reputable and financially companies. Blue-chip companies are mostly common household names. 

What is the difference between a regular stock and a blue-chip stock?
A blue-chip stock refers to a stock of a well-established, financially stable and reliable company with a long history of steady growth and stability. Regular stocks are any other stocks. Blue-chip stocks are generally considered a lower risk investment, while regular stocks can have varying degrees of risk.

How do you know if a stock is blue-chip?
Blue chip stocks are usually large, well-established and financially stable companies with a long history of steady growth, consistent profits and strong brand recognition.

What are some examples of bluechip stocks? 
Some examples of blue chip stocks are: 
Apple Inc. 
Microsoft Corporation 
Amazon.com Inc. 
Berkshire Hathaway 

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I-L

Litecoin

Just like many of the other cryptocurrencies, Litecoin was created to improve on some of the perceived failings of Bitcoin - primarily a higher number of tokens and a much faster processing speeds.

Litecoin (LTC) is priced in USD per coin and reached a peak of $341 in December 2017. It was launched in April 2013 by Charlie Lee, a former Google software engineer.

Lee was central to a change in attitude about Bitcoin, helping it gain approval from big names. He wanted to position Litecoin as silver to Bitcoin's gold, and knew that the success of all cryptocurrencies would be tied to stalwart Bitcoin.

Litecoin uses blockchain in a similar way to Bitcoin, but has very low transaction fees and has adopted ‘Segregated Witess (SegWit) - a process by which the size of blocks in a blockchain is reduced by removing data.

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Reverse Stock Split

What is Reverse Stock Split?

A reverse stock split, also known as a "reverse split," is a corporate action in which a company reduces the number of outstanding shares by canceling a portion of its shares and increasing the par value of its remaining shares. This means that for every N shares that a shareholder owns, they will end up owning 1 share, where N is the reverse split ratio. For example, if a company performs a 1-for-2 reverse stock split, a shareholder who previously owned 100 shares would now own 50 shares. 

Is it better to buy before or after a reverse stock split?
It is not necessarily better to buy before or after a reverse stock split, as it depends on the specific circumstances of the company and the stock. A reverse stock split does not change the underlying value of the company, it only changes the number of shares outstanding and the stock price. However, it is important to understand that in general, companies that perform reverse stock splits tend to be struggling and have a low stock price. Buying before a reverse stock split may allow you to buy shares at a lower price, but it also means you're probably buying into a struggling company.

Is a reverse stock split good?
As with all things in the market, the answer is that it depends. The main reason for a company to perform a reverse stock split is to increase the per-share price of the stock, which can make the stock appear more attractive to investors and also bring it above a certain listing requirement in stock exchanges. Additionally, a reverse split can also help to reduce the number of shareholders and increase the liquidity of the stock, making it easier to trade. However, a reverse stock split can also be a sign of a struggling company, and it can also dilute the value of shares for the existing shareholders.


 

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.

Stock Trading

What is stock Trading?

Stock trading is the practice of buying and selling stocks, or shares of ownership in a publicly-traded company, with the goal of making a profit through price appreciation or by receiving income in the form of dividends. Stock traders buy and sell shares in the stock market using a brokerage account, and they use a variety of strategies and techniques to determine when to enter and exit trades. Stock trading is a popular form of investment, but it also comes with risks and profits are in no way guaranteed. You should acquire a good understanding of the market and individual stocks before making trading decisions.

How are Stocks Different from Other Securities?
Stocks, also known as equities, represent ownership in a corporation, while other securities represent claims on an underlying asset. Other types of securities include bonds (debt securities), options, and derivatives.

How Do I Start Trading Stocks?
You can trade stocks using a stock exchange. Platforms like markets.com offer CFDs on stocks and other securities so you can start assembling and get trading outcomes of your own!

Short Selling

What is Short Selling and how does it work?

Short selling is a trading strategy where an investor borrows shares of a stock or security they believe will decrease in value, and then sells it on the market. If the price of the stock or security falls as expected, the investor can then buy the shares back at the lower price, return the borrowed shares, and keep the difference as profit. Short selling is considered a high-risk strategy because theoretically there is no limit to how high the price of a stock can go, so the potential loss is theoretically infinite.

What is the benefit of short selling?
The benefit of short selling is that it allows investors to benefit from a decline in the value of a security. While traditional investors can only benefit when the prices of the assets they hold increase, short sellers can do well when the prices decrease as well. This allows investors to potentially profit in both rising and falling markets. Additionally, short selling can also be used as a hedging tool, to offset the risk of long positions in a portfolio.

Is Short Selling a good idea?
Short selling can be a good idea for some investors, but it is considered a high-risk strategy and is not suitable for all investors. It requires a great deal of knowledge and experience to correctly identify the securities that are likely to decrease in value and to correctly time the trade. Additionally,because the potential losses from short selling can be theoretically infinite as explained above it is important for investors to fully understand the risks and potential rewards associated with short selling before engaging in this strategy.

Spot Price

What is a Spot Price?

A spot price is the current market value of an asset or security. It's the amount you would pay to buy or sell it at that exact moment in time. Spot prices are constantly changing, as they depend on supply and demand forces in the marketplace. Spot prices provide important insights into market trends and can be used by traders to make investment decisions.

Why is it called a spot price?
It is called a "spot" price because it refers to the price at which an asset can be bought or sold "on the spot" or immediately.

How is spot price calculated?
The spot price of a commodity, security, or currency is typically determined by supply and demand factors in the market. The price is influenced by a variety of factors such as production costs, political and economic conditions, and speculation.

Stop Loss Order

What is a Stop Loss Order?

A Stop Loss Order is a type of order that investors can use to limit losses when trading securities. This order instructs a broker to automatically sell a security when it reaches a certain price, known as the stop loss price. By using this order, investors can reduce their risk exposure by locking in gains and preventing larger losses.

How does a stop-loss order work?
A stop-loss order is an investment strategy that helps you limit losses by automatically selling your securities when they drop to a predetermined price. By setting up this order, you can avoid having to monitor the stock's performance every day and ensure that any potential losses are minimized.

What is the difference between a stop-loss and a stop limit order?
A stop-loss order is used to limit losses on a security position by automatically selling when the price drops below a specified level. Whereas a stop-limit order combines the features of a stop-loss with those of a limit order, enabling traders to specify both the price at which they are willing to sell and the maximum loss they are willing to take.

What is a good stop-loss order?
A good stop-loss order is one that is placed at a level that effectively limits potential losses on a trade. The specific level at which to place a stop-loss order will depend on the trader's risk tolerance and the price action of the security being traded. Generally, traders will place stop-loss orders at levels that are below the current price for long positions, or above the current price for short positions, in order to limit potential losses if the price moves in the opposite direction. It's important to note that stop loss orders act as a protective measure, but they don't guarantee that a trade will be executed at the exact stop loss level.

Treasury Stock

What is a Treasury Stock?

Treasury stock, also known as reacquired stock, is stock which a company has repurchased from shareholders. This stock is issued and bought back by the company for various reasons including to improve financial statements and reward shareholders through dividend payments. Companies must keep records of their treasury stock in order to report them on financial statements.

How is treasury stock different from common stock?
Treasury stock, also known as "buyback," is a corporation's own stock that has been purchased back by the issuing company from shareholders. Treasury stock does not give voting rights or dividend payments. In contrast, common stock gives owners voting rights and entitles them to dividends, when declared. Treasury stocks are used to offset dilution and strengthen balance sheets while still giving shareholders an opportunity to sell shares without market risk.

What is the benefit of treasury stock?
By purchasing their own stock, companies can benefit from reducing risk, enhancing corporate governance and even increasing profits. In addition, the stock may be held in reserve for future issuance or to protect against takeover attempts.

Is treasury stock debt or equity?
Treasury stock is a form of equity, rather than debt. It is a company's own shares which have been bought back and held by the company, resulting in the number of outstanding shares being reduced. The buyback is often used to increase shareholder value, reduce the supply of outstanding stock, or as part of employee compensation programs.

 

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