Are you learning about investing? Then it is important that you learn and understand some basic investment terminology. Here is a list of some basic investing terms you should know, along with their definition:
The lowest price a seller is willing to accept when selling a security (stock).
An investor who believes the market as a whole or a particular stock will decline. A bear is the opposite of a Bull.
An investor who believes the market as a whole or a particular stock will rise. A bull is the opposite of a Bear.
When most stock prices are rising over several months.
When most stock prices are falling our several months.
The highest price a buyer is willing to accept when purchasing a security (stock).
A company that has a history of solid earnings, regular and increasing dividends, and an impeccable balance sheet.
The value of a company if all liabilities were subtracted from total assets.
A person that buys or sells an investment for you in exchange for a fee called commission.
A portion of a company’s profits that is paid out to shareholders on a quarterly or annual basis. The Board of Directors of the company declares dividends. It is not mandatory to declare dividends on common stock even though the company is making good profits.
DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE (DJIA)
It is the most popular and widely used measure of the U.S. Stock Market. It consists of a price-weighted list of 30 highly-traded Blue Chip companies. The Dow is watched by investors as an indicator of the health and direction of the stock market.
EARNINGS / PROFIT
That portion of income left over after meeting all costs, overhead and taxes during a reporting period. This is called the Bottom Line. When a company is making money, it is said to be “in the black”. When a company is losing money, it is “in the red”.
INCOME / REVENUE / SALES
What a company earns for the goods they produce, or the services they provide. It is not the same as profit.
Also known as “market cap”. It is calculated by multiplying the current price per share with the number of shares outstanding.
An investment company that combines the money from a large group of investors to buy stocks and other investments.
How much money you are paying for $1 of the company’s earnings. In other words, if a company reports a profit of $3 per share, and the stock is selling for $30 per share, the P/E ratio is 10 because you are paying ten-times earnings ($30 per share divided by $3 per share earnings = 10 P/E).
Includes stocks, bonds, and bank deposits.
The difference between Ask and Bid.
If you own a stock, you own part of the company. A stock is evidenced by a paper certificate.
The number of shares of stock traded in a day.
When a company pays a dividend the yield is the percentage of dividend over the stock price. In other words, if a stock is trading for $10 and pays a dividend of $0.50, the yield is 5%, because for every $10 you invest, you would receive 5% back annually being $ 0.50