Trading Glossary

A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I |J |K |L |M |N |O |P |Q |R |S |T |U |V |W |X |Y |Z

A

Ask Price: The price at which a seller is willing to sell a security.

Arbitrage: Simultaneous buying and selling of assets to profit from price differences.

Asset Allocation: Dividing investments among different asset categories to reduce risk.

 

B

Bear Market: A market condition where prices are falling, encouraging selling.

Bid Price: The price at which a buyer is willing to purchase a security.

Breakout: A price movement outside a defined support or resistance level.

 

C

Candlestick Chart: A chart type used to display price movement over time.

Capital Gain: The profit from the sale of an asset.

Contract Size: The amount of the underlying asset represented by one futures contract.

 

D

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

Derivative: A financial contract deriving its value from an underlying asset.

Drawdown: The peak-to-trough decline during a specific period for an investment.

 

E

Equity: Ownership interest in a company, represented by shares.

ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund): A fund traded on an exchange, like a stock.

Execution: The process of completing an order to buy or sell a security.

 

F

Futures Contract: An agreement to buy or sell an asset at a future date and price.

Fill Price: The price at which an order is executed.

Fundamental Analysis: Evaluating a security’s intrinsic value by analyzing economic and financial factors.

 

G

Gamma: A measure of how much the delta of an option changes with price changes in the underlying asset.

Gap: A price level where no trading has taken place.

Growth Stock: A stock expected to grow at an above-average rate compared to its peers.

 

H

Hedge: An investment made to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset.

High-Frequency Trading (HFT): Algorithmic trading strategies executing numerous orders rapidly.

Horizontal Support: A price level where buying pressure typically prevents further price decreases.

 

I

Index Fund: A mutual fund designed to replicate the performance of a market index.

Initial Margin: The minimum amount required to open a position in a futures contract.

Intrinsic Value: The real, tangible worth of an asset, calculated independently of market price.

 

J

Junk Bond: A high-risk, high-yield bond with a lower credit rating.

Jobber: A trader who seeks to profit from short-term price movements.

 

K

Keltner Channel: A volatility-based technical indicator comprising moving averages and average true range.

Knock-In Option: A type of option activated only when the underlying asset reaches a certain price.

 

L

Leverage: Using borrowed funds to amplify potential returns or losses.

Limit Order: An order to buy or sell a security at a specific price or better.

Liquidity: The ease with which an asset can be bought or sold without affecting its price.

 

M

Margin Call: A demand from a broker for additional funds to maintain a trading position.

Market Order: An order to buy or sell a security immediately at the best available price.

Momentum: The rate of acceleration of a security’s price or volume.

 

N

NASDAQ: A global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities.

Net Asset Value (NAV): The total value of a fund’s assets minus liabilities.

 

O

Options Contract: A financial instrument giving the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a specific price.

Overbought: A condition where an asset’s price is considered too high based on technical indicators.

Oversold: A condition where an asset’s price is considered too low based on technical indicators.

 

P

Pip: The smallest price movement in the exchange rate of a currency pair.

Portfolio: A collection of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, and cash equivalents.

Position Sizing: Determining the number of units to trade based on risk tolerance and account size.

 

R

Resistance Level: A price point where selling pressure prevents further price increases.

Risk Management: Strategies to minimize potential losses in trading.

 

S

Short Selling: Selling an asset you don’t own, aiming to profit from a price decline.

Spread: The difference between the bid and ask price of a security.

 

T

Trailing Stop: A stop-loss order that adjusts as the price moves in the trader’s favor.

Total Trailing Profit: A profit which has been trailed.

Total Trailing Profit: A profit which has been trailed.