Stock Market Terminologies : Everyone Should Know Before Starting Investing or Trading

These are just some of the key terms you might encounter in the stock market. Understanding these terms can help you navigate the world of investing more confidently and make informed decisions.

Stock: Ownership in a company, entitling the holder to a portion of its profits and potential losses.

• Example: Owning Apple stock means you’re a shareholder in Apple Inc.

Dividend: A portion of a company’s profits distributed to shareholders.

• Example: If a company pays a $1 dividend per share, owning 100 shares would earn you $100.

Market Capitalization: Total value of a company’s outstanding shares, indicating its size.

• Example: If a company has 1 million shares at $50 each, its market cap is $50 million.

IPO (Initial Public Offering): A private company going public by offering shares to the public.

• Example: Facebook’s IPO in 2012 allowed the public to buy shares in the company.

Bull Market: A period of rising stock prices and market optimism.

• Example: During a bull market, stock indices like the S&P 500 tend to climb.

Bear Market: A period of falling stock prices and market pessimism.

• Example: The bear market of 2008 saw a significant decline in stock prices.

Portfolio Diversification: Spreading investments across different assets to reduce risk.

• Example: Diversifying between stocks, bonds, and real estate can lower overall risk.

Blue Chip Stocks: Shares of large, stable, well-established companies.

• Example: Companies like Coca-Cola and Microsoft are often considered blue chip stocks.

Volatility: Measure of how much a stock’s price fluctuates over time.

• Example: A highly volatile stock may see significant price changes in a short period.

Yield: Income generated by an investment, often from dividends or interest.

• Example: A stock with a 3% yield pays $3 in dividends for every $100 invested.

Stock Exchange: Marketplace where stocks are bought and sold.

• Example: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ are major exchanges.

Day Trading: Buying and selling stocks within the same trading day.

• Example: Day traders aim to profit from short-term price fluctuations.

Bullish: Positive outlook on a stock or the market.

• Example: An analyst’s bullish recommendation suggests potential for price growth.

Bearish: Negative outlook on a stock or the market.

• Example: A bearish sentiment might predict a market downturn.

Index: Measurement of a market’s performance using a representative group of stocks.

• Example: The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) tracks 30 major US companies.

S&P 500: Widely followed index comprising 500 large-cap US companies.

• Example: The S&P 500 is often used as a benchmark for the overall market.

NASDAQ: Electronic stock exchange known for technology and growth stocks.

• Example: Many tech giants, including Apple and Amazon, are listed on NASDAQ.

Portfolio: Collection of investments owned by an individual or entity.

• Example: An investor’s portfolio may include stocks, bonds, real estate, and more.

Sector: Group of related industries within the economy.

• Example: Technology, healthcare, and energy are distinct sectors.

Blue-Sky Investing: Buying stocks of speculative, high-potential companies.

• Example: Investors who buy early-stage biotech stocks are engaging in blue-sky investing.

Market Order: Buying or selling a stock at the current market price.

• Example: A market order for 50 shares of ABC Corp. buys them at the current price.

Limit Order: Setting a specific price to buy or sell a stock.

• Example: A limit order to buy XYZ stock at $50 means it’s executed only at or below $50.

P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings): Measures stock’s valuation relative to earnings per share.

• Example: A stock with a P/E ratio of 20 means investors pay $20 for every $1 of earnings.

Earnings Per Share (EPS): Company’s profit divided by its number of shares.

• Example: If a company earns $10 million with 5 million shares, EPS is $2.

Dividend Yield: Dividend payment divided by stock price, indicating return on investment.

• Example: A $2 dividend on a $50 stock offers a yield of 4%.

Beta: Measure of a stock’s volatility in relation to the market.

• Example: A stock with a beta of 1 moves in line with the market, while 1.5 is 50% more volatile.

Bonds: Debt securities issued by companies or governments to raise capital.

• Example: Buying a government bond means lending money to the government in return for interest.

ROE (Return on Equity): Measure of a company’s profitability relative to shareholders’ equity.

• Example: If a company earns $10 million on $50 million equity, ROE is 20%.

Hedge Fund: Investment fund managed aggressively to achieve high returns.

• Example: Hedge funds may use complex strategies to seek gains even in volatile markets.

Mutual Fund: Pool of funds from multiple investors used to buy a diversified portfolio.

• Example: A technology mutual fund invests in various tech companies.

401(k): Employer-sponsored retirement savings plan in the US.

• Example: Employees contribute a portion of their salary, often with employer matching.

Capital Gain: Profit from selling an asset at a higher price than its purchase cost.

• Example: Selling a stock at $70 when bought for $50 results in a $20 capital gain.

Blue-Sky Law: State regulations governing the sale of securities to protect investors.

• Example: Each state has its own blue-sky laws to ensure proper investor protections.

Ticker Symbol: Abbreviation representing a publicly-traded company’s stock.

• Example: “AAPL” is the ticker symbol for Apple Inc.

Volume: Number of shares traded in a given period.

• Example: High volume often accompanies significant price movements.

Market Cap: Short for market capitalization, it’s the total value of a company’s shares.

• Example: Amazon’s market cap exceeds $1 trillion.

Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA): Index tracking 30 large US companies’ stock prices.

• Example: The DJIA reflects changes in the overall stock market.

Sectors: Categorized segments of the economy based on common characteristics.

• Example: Technology, finance, healthcare, and consumer goods are sectors.

Liquidity: Ease of buying or selling an asset without significantly affecting its price.

• Example: Stocks with high trading volumes are considered more liquid.

Penny Stocks: Low-priced, highly speculative stocks often traded over-the-counter.

• Example: A stock trading at $0.10 per share might be considered a penny stock.

Short Selling: Borrowing and selling a stock with the aim to buy it back at a lower price.

• Example: An investor borrows and sells XYZ stock at $50, hoping to buy it back at $40.

Preferred Stock: Shares with higher claim on company assets and dividends than common stock.

• Example: Preferred shareholders are paid dividends before common shareholders.

Asset Allocation: Dividing investments among different asset classes to manage risk.

• Example: A conservative asset allocation might include stocks, bonds, and cash.

Golden Cross: Technical analysis pattern where a short-term moving average crosses above a long-term one.

• Example: A golden cross might signal a bullish trend reversal.

Pump and Dump: Fraudulent scheme where stock prices are artificially inflated and then sold.

• Example: Fraudsters spread false positive news to attract buyers and then sell their shares.

Market Sentiment: General attitude and feelings of investors toward the market or a stock.

• Example: Positive earnings reports can boost market sentiment.

Rally: Rapid price increase in the market after a period of decline.

• Example: A market rally might follow positive economic news.

Resistance: Price level where a stock often stops rising due to selling pressure.

• Example: If a stock repeatedly reaches $60 but doesn’t go higher, $60 is a resistance level.

Support: Price level where a stock often stops falling due to buying interest.

• Example: A stock consistently bounces off $40, indicating strong support at that level.

MACD (Moving Average Convergence Divergence): Technical indicator showing momentum changes in a stock.

• Example: A rising MACD might suggest upward price momentum.

Relative Strength Index (RSI): Measures stock’s speed and change of price movements.

• Example: RSI values above 70 could indicate an overbought condition.

Stop Loss: Order to sell a stock if it reaches a specified price to limit losses.

• Example: Placing a stop loss at $45 for a stock bought at $50 ensures losses are capped.

Options: Derivative contracts that give the holder the right (but not obligation) to buy or sell an asset.

• Example: A call option allows buying a stock at a predetermined price.

Futures: Contracts obligating the buyer to purchase, and the seller to sell, an asset at a future date.

• Example: An oil futures contract specifies buying oil at a set price in three months.

Commodities: Raw materials or primary agricultural products traded on exchanges.

• Example: Crude oil, gold, and corn are common commodities.

Public Float: Portion of a company’s outstanding shares available for trading.

• Example: A company with 10 million shares and 6 million in public float has a float of 60%.

Inflation: Increase in the general price level of goods and services.

• Example: Inflation erodes purchasing power over time.

Deflation: Decrease in the general price level of goods and services.

• Example: Deflation can lead to reduced consumer spending.

Mutual Fund Load: Sales charge or commission when buying or selling shares.

• Example: A front-end load charges a percentage of the investment amount.

Intrinsic Value: Calculated value of a stock based on its underlying fundamentals.

• Example: Warren Buffett focuses on intrinsic value when investing.

Algorithmic Trading: Use of computer programs to execute trades based on pre-defined criteria.

• Example: High-frequency traders use algorithms to make rapid trades.

Margin Trading: Borrowing funds to trade larger positions than one’s account balance.

• Example: With a $10,000 account balance, margin trading might allow trading with $20,000.

Short Squeeze: Rapid price increase due to short sellers covering their positions.

• Example: A stock rises when short sellers rush to buy shares to close their bets.

Circuit Breaker: Temporary halt in trading to prevent excessive volatility.

• Example: Circuit breakers activate during sharp market declines to provide a cooling-off period.

Convertible Bond: Bond that can be converted into a specified number of company shares.

• Example: A convertible bond might allow converting $1,000 of debt into 20 shares.

Depository Receipt: Stock traded on an exchange outside its home country.

• Example: An American Depositary Receipt (ADR) allows trading foreign stocks in the US.

Enterprise Value: Total value of a company, including debt and market capitalization.

• Example: A company with a market cap of $500 million and $200 million in debt has an enterprise value of $700 million.

Basis Point: One hundredth of a percentage point, commonly used for expressing interest rates.

• Example: A 25 basis point increase in the federal funds rate means a 0.25% hike.

Basis Point: One hundredth of a percentage point, commonly used for expressing interest rates.

• Example: A 25 basis point increase in the federal funds rate means a 0.25% hike.

Volatility Index (VIX): Measures market’s expectation of future volatility.

• Example: A high VIX might indicate expected market turbulence.

Dark Pool: Private trading platform where large institutional investors buy or sell shares.

• Example: Dark pools offer anonymity and can minimize market impact.

Earnings Report: Company’s quarterly or annual financial results, including revenue and earnings.

• Example: Investors closely follow earnings reports for insights into a company’s performance.

Sector Rotation: Shifting investments between sectors based on market trends.

• Example: During economic recovery, investors might rotate from defensive to cyclical sectors.

Initial Margin: Minimum amount of funds required to open a margin trading position.

• Example: An initial margin requirement of 30% for a $10,000 position requires $3,000.

Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP): Average price of a stock weighted by trading volume.

• Example: Traders use VWAP to assess the average price they paid for a stock throughout the day.

Market Cap to GDP Ratio: Compares the stock market’s size to the country’s GDP.

• Example: A high ratio might indicate overvaluation, while a low ratio could suggest undervaluation.

PEG Ratio (Price/Earnings-to-Growth): P/E ratio divided by the expected earnings growth rate.

• Example: A stock with a P/E ratio of 20 and 10% expected growth has a PEG ratio of 2.

Proxy Statement: Document provided to shareholders before a company’s annual meeting, including voting information.

• Example: Proxy statements enable shareholders to make informed decisions on company matters.

Market Order: Buy or sell a stock at the current market price.

• Example: A market order for 50 shares of XYZ stock buys them at the prevailing price.