C2C
C2C is the abbreviation for consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce. C2C is an electronic Internet-facilitated medium that involves transactions between consumers more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/c2c.htm
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calendar year
Calendar year defines the year as designated by the Gregorian calendar in common use as beginning on January 1st and more...
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call
A call is a type of option contract. A call option gives the call owner the right (but not more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/call.htm
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call option
A call option is an option contract that gives the owner (also called the buyer or holder) the right to more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/call-option.htm
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call price
The call price is the price at which an issuer of a security can redeem that security. The call more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/call-price.htm
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cancelled check
A cancelled check is a check that has been approved by a bank or another financial institution. Once a check more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cancelled-check.htm
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candlestick charts
Candlestick charts plot stock price data. Originated by Japanese rice merchants, candlestick charts are used both to identify price patterns more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/candlestick-charts.htm
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capacity utilization rate
The capacity utilization rate is the value of production capacity which is actually being utilized over a specific period of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capacity-utilization-rate.htm
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capex
Capex, an abbreviated word that signifies “capital expenditures,” capex is the amount of money spent by a company to upgrade, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capex.htm
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capital appreciation
Capital appreciation is defined as any increase in the market price of a stock. Investors who are long the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-appreciation.htm
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capital appreciation fund
A capital appreciation fund is a mutual fund that is structured to gain the maximum amount of growth possible. To more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-appreciation-fund.htm
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Capital Asset Pricing Model
Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a sophisticated mathematical method of formulating a relationship between expected risk and expected return. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-asset-pricing-model.htm
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capital gain
A capital gain is an increase in the value of an asset above its purchase price. Capital gains have special more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-gain.htm
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capital gains distribution
A capital gains distribution is a distribution of income from a mutual fund to its shareholders. It occurs when the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-gains-distribution.htm
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capital gains tax
Capital gains are subject to capital gains tax. A capital gain is the profit earned by selling capital assets (stocks, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-gains-tax.htm
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capital goods
In a basic sense, capital goods are goods used for the purpose of producing other goods. Capital goods would include more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-goods.htm
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capital stock
Capital stock is stock authorized for issue by the charter of any company. Capital stock includes both common and more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capital-stock.htm
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capitalism
Capitalism is a market-driven economy, characterized by private ownership and use of resources owned for profit without restrictions. Individuals and more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capitalism.htm
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capitalization
The market capitalization (market cap) of a company is the stock price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding. Capitalization more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/capitalization.htm
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cash
Cash consists of paper currency and coins. In the U.S. cash existed as coins until 1862, when the first more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash.htm
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cash asset ratio
The cash asset ratio – also known as the cash ratio – is a stringent test of a company's liquidity. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-asset-ratio.htm
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cash basis
Cash basis is an accounting method that recognizes revenue and expense only when cash is paid or received. The cash more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-basis.htm
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cash cow
A cash cow represents the division of a company that provides a steady and significant cash flow. A cash more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-cow.htm
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cash dividend
A cash dividend is the distribution of a company’s profits to it’s shareholders.
Although every company is unique, dividends are typically more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-dividend.htm
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cash equivalents
Cash equivalents are investments that are so liquid and so safe that they are nearly the same as cash. Statement more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-equivalents.htm
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cash flow
Cash flow is a company's net inflow or outflow of cash. A cash flow statement (formally known as the statement more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-flow.htm
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cash out
The term cash out applies to a type of mortgage refinancing where the property owner receives cash by taking on more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-out.htm
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cash reserves
A company’s cash reserves are the funds available to meet its needs for cash, especially unanticipated needs. What level more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cash-reserves.htm
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cashier's check
A cashier's check is issued and certified by a bank on its own account. A purchaser acquires a cashier's more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cashier's-check.htm
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casualty insurance
Generally, casualty insurance is a type of indemnity that provides coverage against loss from injury or property loss. Specifically, casualty more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/casualty-insurance.htm
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CBOE
The CBOE, or Chicago Board Options Exchange, was founded in 1973 as an exchange devoted entirely to trading options contracts. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cboe.htm
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CBOT
The CBOT, or Chicago Board of Trade, is the world’s oldest exchange for trading commodity futures and options. The more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cbot.htm
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CD
A CD, or Certificate of Deposit, is a savings instrument issued by a bank or thrift. The CD pays more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cd.htm
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Central Bank
A central bank is fundamentally a chief bank of a given nation. The essential responsibilities of the central bank include more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/central-bank.htm
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CEO
CEO or chief executive officer is a bureaucratic position that carries the ultimate management responsibility for an organization. Commonly, CEO more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/ceo.htm
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Certified Financial Planner
Certified Financial Planner, or CFP, is a financial professional who is approved by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/certified-financial-planner.htm
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Certified Public Accountant
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a person licensed by a state board of accountancy to practice public accounting. The more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/certified-public-accountant.htm
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CFA
CFA stands for Chartered Financial Analyst, a professional designation given by the CFA Institute to investment professionals. The CFA more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cfa.htm
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CFO
CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, is senior corporate officer with full financial authority. In general terms, the main responsibility of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cfo.htm
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CFP
CFP is short for certified financial planner, which is a professional designation in the financial planning industry. The CFP more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cfp.htm
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Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a senior corporate figure who presides over the board of directors. Much like more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chairman-of-the-board.htm
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Chapter 11
Chapter 11 is a section of the US Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. Chapter 11 allows partnerships, corporations, and individuals more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chapter-11.htm
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charge card
A charge card is the physical card that records an account number of a buyer in a retail payment system. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/charge-card.htm
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Chartered Financial Analyst
A Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) is an investment professional who meets standards of competence and integrity necessary to pass the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chartered-financial-analyst.htm
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chartist
A chartist is an investor who attempts to predict market movements through the use of chart patterns. A chartist believes more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chartist.htm
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chasing the market
An investor who is chasing the market purchases securities after a market has already risen or sells securities after a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chasing-the-market.htm
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checking account
A checking account is an account at a depository institution against which checks may be written to make payments. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/checking-account.htm
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Chief Operating Officer
A chief operating officer is an executive who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a company. The chief operating more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/chief-operating-officer.htm
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child and dependent care credit
The child and dependent care credit is a federal income tax credit. The child and dependent care credit is available more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/child-and-dependent-care-credit.htm
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churn rate
Churn rate is a measure of customer attrition. The churn rate is defined as the percentage of customers who more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/churn-rate.htm
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churning
Churning means excessive buying and selling in a client’s account by a broker for the primary purpose of generating commissions more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/churning.htm
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circuit breaker
The stock market circuit breaker has the same purpose as the electric switch in most homes: to shut the system more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/circuit-breaker.htm
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Class A Shares
Class A shares of stock are generally thought of as a preferred tier of classified stock. In many companies, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/class-a-shares.htm
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class action suit
A class action suit is a lawsuit filed by one or more individuals belonging to a large group on a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/class-action-suit.htm
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Class B Shares
Class B shares are a classification of common stock that may or may not have more voting rights than Class more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/class-b-shares.htm
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class C shares
Class C shares are a common class of mutual funds. Class C shares of this type are often referred more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/class-c-shares.htm
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closed-end fund
A closed-end fund is legally known as a closed-end management company. A closed-end fund issues a fixed number of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/closed-end-fund.htm
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closing bell
The closing bell is a signal which marks the end of an exchange's daily trading session. Not all exchanges use more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/closing-bell.htm
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closing costs
Most generally, closing costs is associated with a cost of a transaction. However, more commonly closing costs pertain to real more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/closing-costs.htm
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closing price
The closing price of a stock is the price of the final trade of the trading day. Unfortunately the final more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/closing-price.htm
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coincident indicator
A coincident indicator is an economic indicator that measures the current state of the economy of a nation. The coincident more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/coincident-indicator.htm
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COLA
COLA, or cost-of-living adjustment, is an act of adjusting wages to create economic balance for the changes in the cost more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cola.htm
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COMEX
Commodity Exchange Inc. (COMEX) was established in 1933 through the merger of four smaller exchanges based in New York: the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/comex.htm
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command economy
A command economy, also called planned economy, is directly controlled by the government. The state owns all property and more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/command-economy.htm
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commercial bank
A commercial bank is a financial intermediary which collects credit from lenders in the form of deposits and lends in more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commercial-bank.htm
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commercial hedger
A commercial hedger is a corporation that attempts to stabilize the price of a commodity by taking a position or more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commercial-hedger.htm
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commercial loan
A commercial loan is a loan borrowed by a company to pay for any of several financial needs. A commercial more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commercial-loan.htm
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commercial mortgage
A commercial mortgage is a mortgage which is secured by real estate which is used by a business. Also, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commercial-mortgage.htm
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commercial paper
Commercial paper is a debt instrument issued by well-established companies to meet short-term financing needs. Commercial paper calls for the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commercial-paper.htm
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commission
A commission is a fee paid to a third party in exchange for assistance in completing a financial transaction. A more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commission.htm
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commodity
Generally speaking, any tangible good can be categorized as a commodity. A commodity is typically a bulk good such as more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commodity.htm
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Commodity Exchange
A commodity exchange is a market organized to allow for the selling and buying of commodities. Commodities, which are more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commodity-exchange.htm
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commodity futures
Commodity futures are futures contracts for delivery of commodities. The oldest commodity futures market is the Chicago Board of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commodity-futures.htm
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Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is an independent federal regulatory agency. The Commodity Futures Trading Act of 1974 established more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/commodity-futures-trading-commission.htm
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common stock
Common stock is a security representing a legal claim to a percentage of a company's earnings and assets. Holders of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/common-stock.htm
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composite
A composite, or composite index, is an aggregation of components to produce a broad statistical measure. A stock index, for more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/composite.htm
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Compound Annual Growth Rate
The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) measures the annual change in earnings, an investment, or some other financial amount. The more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/compound-annual-growth-rate.htm
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compound annual return
The compound annual return shows the investment return, assuming the investment grew at the same rate every year. For example, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/compound-annual-return.htm
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compound growth rate
The compound growth rate measures average growth of an amount over time. In other words, the compound growth rate assumes more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/compound-growth-rate.htm
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compound interest
Compound interest is the payment of interest on both principal as well past accrued interest. The opposite of compound interest more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/compound-interest.htm
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conference call
A conference call refers to investors, media and interested parties who call a phone number, usually toll-free, to hear the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/conference-call.htm
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confidence indicator
A confidence indicator gauges the optimism of a group of participants in an economy or a securities market. Perhaps the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/confidence-indicator.htm
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confidentiality agreement
Confidentiality agreement, also called nondisclosure agreement, is a contract entered into by two or more individuals, in which all parties more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/confidentiality-agreement.htm
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conforming loan
A conforming loan is a residential mortgage that is eligible for purchase by the Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/conforming-loan.htm
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consensus forecast
A consensus forecast aggregates the estimates of security analysts of key market-moving data, particularly a company's quarterly earnings per share more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consensus-forecast.htm
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consensus recommendation
The consensus recommendation is an average of analyst ratings on a stock. Suppose five security analysts follow Acme stock; two more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consensus-recommendation.htm
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consolidate loans
When a person seeks to consolidate loans, he/she is essentially taking out one loan to pay off many others. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consolidate-loans.htm
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consolidated financial statement
A consolidated financial statement presents the financial position or results of a parent company and its subsidiaries as if it more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consolidated-financial-statement.htm
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consolidation loan
Consolidation loan is a type of loan that encompasses a number of other liabilities into one loan. The greatest advantage more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consolidation-loan.htm
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constant dollar GDP
Constant dollar GDP is gross domestic product adjusted for price changes. Gross domestic product is the total market value of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/constant-dollar-gdp.htm
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constant dollars
Constant dollars are dollars that have been adjusted for the impact of inflation, as opposed to current dollars, which are more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/constant-dollars.htm
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consultant
A consultant is an individual or firm that offers expert advice or provides a professional service in exchange for a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consultant.htm
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consumer confidence
Consumer confidence is an attempt to measure the public's perception of the state of the economy. Consumer confidence readings more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consumer-confidence.htm
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consumer confidence index
The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) gauges the level of optimism of Americans toward the U.S. economy. The Consumer Confidence Index more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consumer-confidence-index.htm
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consumer durables
In US macroeconomic statistics, consumer durables are those durable goods produced for purchase by consumers. All durable goods, including more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consumer-durables.htm
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consumer goods
In economics, consumer goods are new items intended for sale to consumers. Consumer goods are thus distinguished from capital more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consumer-goods.htm
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Consumer Price Index
The Consumer Price Index, also known as the CPI, is released monthly by the US Department of Labor. It measures more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/consumer-price-index.htm
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contract size
Contract size is the deliverable amount on a contract. The quantity of goods or commodities deliverable on any future, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/contract-size.htm
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contrarian
Simply put, a contrarian is an investor who makes investments that are contrary to current market sentiment. For example, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/contrarian.htm
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controlling interest
Controlling interest is simply an ownership status where a corporation or an individual owns fifty percent or more of a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/controlling-interest.htm
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conventional mortgage
A conventional mortgage is a fully amortizing mortgage. The conventional mortgage can have either a fixed or a variable more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/conventional-mortgage.htm
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convertible bond
A convertible bond is a debt instrument that holders can convert into a fixed number of shares at a specified more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/convertible-bond.htm
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COO
COO, or Chief Operating Officer, is a member of upper level management who is responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/coo.htm
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cooking the books
Cooking the books is an unethical practice of misrepresenting company’s financial standing. When cooking the books, corporations typically manipulate their more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cooking-the-books.htm
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copyright
Copyright is a protection offered by the United States to creators of original works of authorship. The Copyright Law more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/copyright.htm
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cornering the market
Cornering the market occurs when an investor or group of investors purchases enough stock or a sufficient quantity of a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cornering-the-market.htm
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corporate stock
Corporate stock is the capital or monetary fund that a company raises through the sale of shares. Shares of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/corporate-stock.htm
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correction
A market correction is a decline in price following an extended rise in price. Unlike a market crash, a correction more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/correction.htm
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correlation
In statistics, correlation is an assessment of the extent of linear relationship between two variables. A correlation coefficient is more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/correlation.htm
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correlation coefficient
A correlation coefficient is a numerical, descriptive measure of the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. Values more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/correlation-coefficient.htm
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cost basis
Cost basis reflects the true cost of purchasing a financial asset held over an extended period of time. The longer more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cost-basis.htm
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cost of equity
The cost of equity is the minimum rate of return that a business or organization must offer investors or owners more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cost-of-equity.htm
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cost-of-living index
A cost-of-living index measures the changes of prices consumers pay for a fixed basket of goods and services over time. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cost-of-living-index.htm
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cost/benefit analysis
Cost/benefit analysis is a process of quantifying the most economically feasible outcome by weighing potential costs against potential benefits. Cost/benefit more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cost-benefit-analysis.htm
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cottage industry
A cottage industry is a system of production which takes place in private homes rather than in a factory, with more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cottage-industry.htm
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countercyclical
A trend is countercyclical if it moves in the opposite direction of the business cycle. For instance, the US more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/countercyclical.htm
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Coverdell Education Savings Account
Formerly called the education IRA, the Coverdell education savings account is an investment plan used for funding a child’s college more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/coverdell-education-savings-account.htm
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covered call
A covered call is a short call option which is backed -- or covered -- by sufficient pre-purchased shares of more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/covered-call.htm
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covered option
A covered option is either a put or a call option which is covered (backed) by sufficient shares of the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/covered-option.htm
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covered put
A covered put is a put option which is sold by an investor and which is covered (backed) by a more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/covered-put.htm
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CPA
A CPA, the common acronym for Certified Public Accountant, is an accountant licensed by a state board to engage in more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cpa.htm
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CPI
CPI is the common abbreviation for the Consumer Price Index, which measures the change in prices urban Americans pay for more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cpi.htm
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Crash of 1929
The Crash of 1929 took place from September through November 1929, when the Dow shed over one-third of its value more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/crash-of-1929.htm
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Crash of 1987
The Crash of 1987, Black Monday, took place on October 19, 1987. During the Crash of 1987, the Dow more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/crash-of-1987.htm
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credit card
A credit card is the small plastic card issued to the borrower. the credit card issuer agrees to lend the more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-card.htm
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credit history
Credit history is generally a temporal record of repaying debt. Additionally, credit history is an indication of one’s credit worthiness, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-history.htm
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credit limit
A credit limit is the explicit borrowing ceiling set by a lender for a particular customer. The credit facility more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-limit.htm
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credit report
A credit report is a detailed synopsis of information collected about an individual by one of the major credit bureaus. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-report.htm
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credit score
A credit score is a value computed by a credit reporting agency, or credit bureau, and based upon information about more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-score.htm
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credit union
A credit union is a member-owned and controlled, financial cooperative that is entirely operated by and for its members. more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/credit-union.htm
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CSO
CSO is an abbreviation for Chief Security Officer. A CSO is the top executive of a corporation responsible for more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cso.htm
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cumulative dividend
A cumulative dividend is a dividend that, if the company doesn't pay it when it is due, must be paid more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cumulative-dividend.htm
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cumulative total return
The cumulative total return on an investment is the total profit -- including dividends, interest and capital gains -- received more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cumulative-total-return.htm
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current dollars
Current dollars (also known as "nominal dollars") are dollars in the year they were actually received or paid, unadjusted for more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/current-dollars.htm
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current market value
The current market value of a stock is its most recent trade. Since the current market value of a stock more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/current-market-value.htm
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current ratio
Current ratio is balance-sheet financial performance measure of company liquidity. Current ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/current-ratio.htm
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current yield
Current yield is equal to a bond’s annual interest payment divided by its current market price. A bond with more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/current-yield.htm
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CUSIP
CUSIP is an abbreviation for Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures of the American Bankers Association. CUSIP numbers are more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cusip.htm
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cycle
A cycle is a recurring pattern, usually wavelike. In business there are a few common patterns like this, such more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cycle.htm
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cyclical
When entire industries and the companies within them are characterized as cyclical or non-cyclical it is typically, but not always, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cyclical.htm
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cyclical stock
A cyclical stock is one whose profits are highly correlated with the business cycle. When the economy is in expansion, more...
http://www.investorglossary.com/cyclical-stock.htm
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