200 Financial Terms You Should Know
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- Accounting: The process of recording and reporting financial transactions.
- Accounts payable: Money owed by a business to its suppliers or creditors.
- Accounts receivable: Money owed to a business by its customers for goods or services provided.
- Accrual accounting: A method of accounting in which revenue and expenses are recorded when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when payment is received or made.
- Amortization: The process of spreading the cost of an asset over its useful life.
- Annual percentage rate (APR): The annual cost of borrowing, expressed as a percentage of the total amount borrowed.
- Asset: Anything of value that a company or individual owns, such as cash, property, or equipment.
- Balance sheet: A financial statement that shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a particular time.
- Bankruptcy: A legal process that allows individuals or businesses to declare their inability to pay their debts.
- Bond: A debt security issued by a company or government that promises to pay the holder a fixed amount of interest over a set period.
- Broker: A person or company that buys and sells securities on behalf of clients.
- Budget: A financial plan that outlines projected income and expenses over a set time.
- Capital: The funds that a business uses to finance its operations.
- Cash flow: The amount of cash generated or used by a business over a set period.
- Collateral: An asset that is pledged as security for a loan.
- Commission: A fee paid to a salesperson for making a sale or completing a transaction.
- Cost of goods sold (COGS): The direct costs associated with producing or selling a product.
- Credit: An agreement in which a borrower receives something of value in exchange for a promise to repay the lender.
- Credit rating: A measure of a borrower’s creditworthiness, used by lenders to determine the interest rate and terms of a loan.
- Credit report: A record of a person’s credit history, used by lenders to evaluate creditworthiness.
- Credit score: A numerical representation of a person’s creditworthiness, based on their credit history.
- Debt: Money owed by a borrower to a lender.
- Default: A failure to repay a debt as agreed.
- Depreciation: The process of spreading the cost of a long-term asset over its useful life.
- Dividend: A distribution of a portion of a company’s profits to its shareholders.
- Earned income: Income received from work or services performed.
- Earnings per share (EPS): The amount of a company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock.
- Equity: The value of a company’s assets minus its liabilities.
- Exchange rate: The value of one currency in relation to another.
- Expense: A cost incurred in the course of doing business.
- Financial statements: Reports that provide information about a company’s financial position and performance.
- Fixed assets: Long-term assets that are used in the operations of a business, such as property, plant, and equipment.
- Gross profit: The difference between a company’s revenue and the cost of goods sold.
- Income statement: A financial statement that shows a company’s revenues, expenses, and net income over a set period of time.
- Inflation: The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising.
- Interest: The cost of borrowing money.
- Inventory: The goods that a business has on hand for sale or use in the production of goods or services.
- Invoice: A document that itemizes a sale
- Journal entry: A record of a financial transaction in an accounting system.
- Leverage: The use of borrowed funds to increase the potential return on an investment.
- Liabilities: Debts owed by a business or individual.
- Liquidity: The ability of an asset to be easily converted to cash.
- Loan: A sum of money borrowed and repaid with interest.
- Long-term debt: Debt that is due for repayment more than one year in the future.
- Margin: The amount of money that a trader must deposit to enter into a position in the financial markets.
- Marketable securities: Financial instruments that can be easily bought or sold in the markets, such as stocks or bonds.
- Maturity: The date on which a debt or investment becomes due for repayment.
- Mutual fund: A pool of money from multiple investors that is managed by a professional investment manager.
- Net income: The amount of profit or loss a company earns after all expenses are deducted from its revenue.
- Operating expenses: The costs of running a business, such as rent, utilities, and salaries.
- Operating income: A company’s income from its core operations, before interest and taxes.
- Option: A financial contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a set price before a specified date.
- Overhead: The indirect costs of running a business, such as administrative expenses and office supplies.
- Payroll: The total amount of wages and salaries paid by a business to its employees.
- Profit and loss statement: A financial statement that shows a company’s revenues, expenses, and net profit or loss over a set period of time.
- Profit margin: The percentage of a company’s revenue that is left over after all expenses are paid.
- Proxy: A person or entity authorized to act on behalf of another person or entity.
- Public company: A company that has issued shares of stock to the public and is required to file financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
- Quick ratio: A measure of a company’s ability to meet its short-term obligations using its most liquid assets.
- Ratio analysis: The use of financial ratios to analyze a company’s financial performance..
- Real estate: Property consisting of land and the buildings on it.
- Recession: A period of economic decline, typically marked by a decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- Return on investment (ROI): The amount of profit or loss earned on an investment relative to the amount invested.
- Revenue: The income earned by a company from its operations.
- Securities: Financial instruments that represent ownership or debt in a company, such as stocks or bonds.
- Shareholder: An individual or entity that owns shares of stock in a company.
- Sole proprietorship: A type of business in which one person owns and operates the company.
- Stock: A share in the ownership of a company.
- Stock exchange: A marketplace where stocks and other securities are bought and sold.
- Stock option: A financial contract that gives the holder the right to buy or sell a share of stock at a set price before a specified date.
- Stock split: A corporate action in which a company increases the number of its outstanding shares, while decreasing the price per share.
- Tax: A compulsory payment made to the government to support public services and programs.
- Time value of money: The idea that money received today is worth more than money received in the future, due to the potential for investment and earning interest.
- Trade deficit: The amount by which a country’s imports exceed its exports.Trade surplus
- Trading: The buying and selling of financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, or options.
- Treasury stock: Shares of a company’s own stock that have been repurchased by the company and are held in its treasury.
- Underwriter: A person or company that guarantees the sale of securities to the public.
- Unsecured debt: Debt that is not backed by collateral, such as a mortgage or car loan.
- Venture capital: Funding provided to startup companies by investors who are willing to take on higher risk in exchange for a potential high return on investment.
- Volatility: A measure of how much a financial instrument’s price fluctuates over time.
- Yield: The return on an investment, expressed as a percentage of the original investment.
- Yield curve: A graphical representation of the relationship between interest rates and the maturity of bonds.
- Zero-coupon bond: A bond that does not pay interest but is sold at a discount to its face value, with the difference representing the return to the investor.
- Accounting period: The period of time over which a company’s financial transactions are recorded.
- Accounts payable: The amounts owed by a company to its creditors for goods or services purchased on credit.
- Accounts receivable: The amounts owed to a company by its customers for goods or services sold on credit.
- Accrual accounting: A method of accounting in which income and expenses are recorded when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when cash is received or paid.
- Amortization: The process of spreading the cost of an asset over its useful life.
- Annual report: A comprehensive report issued by a public company to its shareholders, containing financial and other information about the company’s operations and performance.
- Asset: Something of value owned by a business or individual, such as cash, property, or investments.
- Balance sheet: A financial statement that shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.
- Bankruptcy: A legal process in which a person or business declares its inability to pay its debts.
- Basis point: One hundredth of one percent (0.01%).
- Bear market: A market in which prices of securities are falling.
- Bid-ask spread: The difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a security and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept.
- Blue chip stock: Stock in a large, well-established company with a reputation for stability and reliability.
- Book value: The value of a company’s assets minus its liabilities, as recorded on its balance sheet.
- Broker: A person or firm that acts as an intermediary between buyers and sellers in financial markets.
- Bull market: A market in which prices of securities are rising.
- Business cycle: The natural fluctuation of economic activity over time, typically characterized by periods of expansion and contraction.
- Call option: A financial contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy an asset at a set price before a specified date.
- Capital: Money or other assets that are invested in a business to generate income or growth.
- Capital gain: The profit earned from the sale of a capital asset, such as a stock or real estate.
- Capital loss: The loss incurred from the sale of a capital asset, such as a stock or real estate.
- Cash flow: The amount of cash a company generates from its operations, investing activities, and financing activities.
- Certificate of deposit (CD): A savings product offered by banks and other financial institutions, in which the depositor agrees to leave the funds on deposit for a specified period of time in exchange for a higher.
- Collateral: An asset pledged by a borrower to secure a loan, such as a house or car.
- Commercial paper: Short-term debt issued by corporations to finance their operations.
- Commodities: Raw materials or primary products that can be bought and sold, such as oil, gold, or wheat.
- Compound interest: Interest that is calculated not only on the principal amount of a loan or investment, but also on any accumulated interest.
- Corporate bond: A debt security issued by a corporation.
- Cost of capital: The rate of return a company must earn on its investments in order to meet its cost of financing.
- Credit rating: An assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower, based on their credit history and other factors.
- Credit risk: The risk that a borrower will default on a loan or other debt obligation.
- Currency: The medium of exchange used in a particular country or region, such as dollars or euros.
- Debt: Money owed by one party to another.
- Default: Failure to meet the terms of a loan or other debt obligation.
- Deflation: A decrease in the general price level of goods and services in an economy.
- Derivative: A financial contract whose value is based on the value of an underlying asset or group of assets.
- Dividend: A payment made by a corporation to its shareholders, usually in the form of cash or additional shares of stock.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA): An index of 30 large, publicly traded companies in the United States.
- Earnings per share (EPS): The portion of a company’s profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock.
- Economic indicators: Data that provide insight into the overall health of an economy, such as unemployment rates, inflation, and GDP.Equity: The value of an asset after deducting the amount of any liabilities.
- Exchange-traded fund (ETF): A type of investment fund that trades like a stock on an exchange.
- Face value: The nominal value of a security, such as a bond or stock, as stated on the document.
- Federal funds rate: The interest rate at which banks lend to each other overnight.
- Financial leverage: The use of debt to increase the potential return on an investment.
- Financial statement: A document that summarizes a company’s financial transactions, such as its income statement and balance sheet.
- Fixed income: Investments that provide a fixed return, such as bonds.
- Foreign exchange (Forex or FX): The market in which one currency is traded for another.
- Futures contract: A financial contract that obligates the buyer to purchase an underlying asset at a specific price on a future date.
- Goodwill: The intangible value of a business, such as its reputation or brand recognition.
- Gross domestic product (GDP): The total value of goods and services produced in a country over a specified period of time.
- Growth stock: Stock in a company that is expected to experience higher than average growth in earnings and revenue.
- Hedge: An investment made to offset the potential losses of another investment.
- Initial public offering (IPO): The first sale of stock by a private company to the public.
- Inflation: An increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy.
- Interest: The cost of borrowing money, usually expressed as a percentage of the principal amount.
- Interest rate: The rate at which interest is charged on a loan or investment.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF): An international organization that provides loans to countries experiencing financial difficulties.
- Investment: The purchase of an asset
- Junk bond: A high-yield, high-risk bond issued by a company with a low credit rating.Leverage: The use of borrowed funds to increase the potential return on an investment.
- Liabilities: A company’s debts and other financial obligations.
- Limit order: An order to buy or sell a security at a specified price or better.
- Liquidity: The ease with which an asset can be converted into cash without affecting its market value.
- Listed company: A company whose shares are traded on a stock exchange.
- Loan: A sum of money borrowed by one party from another, typically with the understanding that it will be paid back with interest.
- Margin: The amount of collateral that must be deposited with a broker to trade on margin.
- Market capitalization: The total value of a company’s outstanding shares of stock.
- Market order: An order to buy or sell a security at the current market price.
- Money market: A market for short-term, low-risk debt securities.
- Mutual fund: An investment vehicle that pools money from multiple investors to buy a portfolio of securities.
- NASDAQ: An American stock exchange that specializes in technology and other growth-oriented companies.
- Net income: The amount of money a company has earned after deducting all of its expenses.
- Options contract: A financial contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specific price on or before a specific date.
- Over-the-counter (OTC) market: A decentralized market for securities that are not listed on a stock exchange.
- P/E ratio: The ratio of a company’s stock price to its earnings per share.
- Portfolio: A collection of investments held by an individual or organization.
- Preferred stock: Stock in a company that typically pays a fixed dividend and has priority over common stock in the event of liquidation.
- Price-to-book ratio (P/B ratio): The ratio of a company’s stock price to its book value per share.
- Price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio: The ratio of a company’s P/E ratio to its earnings growth rate.
- Primary market: The market for new securities, such as an initial public offering.
- Principal: The amount of money borrowed or invested.
- Profit margin: The percentage of a company’s revenue that is left over after deducting all of its expenses.
- Prospectus: A document that provides information about a security being offered for sale.
- Real estate investment trust (REIT): A type of investment company that owns and manages income-producing real estate.
- Reserve requirement: The amount of funds that a bank is required to hold in reserve against deposits.
- Return on equity (ROE): A measure of a company’s profitability, calculated by dividing its net income by its shareholder equity.
- Revenue: The total amount of money a company generates from its sales or other activities.
- Risk: The possibility of loss or failure.
- Risk management: The process of identifying and minimizing risks.
- Savings account: A deposit account at a bank or other financial institution that typically pays interest on the balance.
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): A U.S. government agency that regulates securities markets.
- Short selling: The sale of a security that the seller does not own, in the hope of buying it back at a lower price.
- Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500): An index of 500 large, publicly traded companies in the United States.
- Stock: A security representing ownership in a company.
- Stock split: A corporate action in which
- Stop-loss order: An order to sell a security at a specified price or worse, to limit losses.
- Swap: A financial contract that involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties.
- Systematic risk: The risk of loss that is inherent in the entire market or a specific sector of the market.
- T-bill: A short-term debt security issued by the U.S. government.
- Technical analysis: The analysis of securities based on price and volume data.
- Ticker symbol: A unique set of letters assigned to a publicly traded company.
- Time horizon: The length of time an investor plans to hold an investment.
- Total return: The total amount of return generated by an investment, including both capital gains and income.
- Treasury bond: A long-term debt security issued by the U.S. government.
- Treasury note: A medium-term debt security issued by the U.S. government.
- Trust: A legal arrangement in which a trustee manages assets on behalf of a beneficiary.
- Underlying asset: The asset on which a derivative contract is based.
- Underwriting: The process by which an investment bank agrees to purchase all of the shares of a new issue of securities and then sells those shares to the public.
- Uptick rule: A rule that requires short sales to be executed at a price higher than the previous trade.
- Value investing: An investment strategy involves buying stocks undervalued by the market.
- Venture capital: Capital invested in a startup company in exchange for an ownership stake.
- Volatility: The degree to which the price of a security or market index fluctuates over time.
- Yield: The income an investment generates, expressed as a percentage of its value.
- Yield curve: A graph showing the relationship between debt securities’ yield and their time to maturity.
- Zero-coupon bond: A bond that does not pay interest but is sold at a discount and pays a fixed amount at maturity.
- Alpha: A measure of an investment’s performance relative to a benchmark.
- Arbitrage: The practice of profiting from price discrepancies in different markets.
- Asset allocation: The process of diversifying investments across different asset classes.
Bonus:
Asset-backed security: A security backed by a pool of underlying assets, such as mortgages or car loans.
Beta: A measure of a stock’s volatility relative to the overall market.
Blue chip stock: Stock in a well-established, financially stable company with a strong track record of earnings and dividend payments.
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