Letter S Dictionary

S Corporation: A form of corporation, allowed by the IRS for most companies with 75 or fewer...
S&L: Savings and Loan. A federally or state chartered financial institution that...
S&P 500: Standard & Poor's 500. A basket of 500 stocks that are considered to be widely...
S&P phenomenon: Tendency of stocks to increase in price upon being added to the S&P 500, as index funds buy for their portfolios.
safe: The state of being free from risk.
safe harbor: The capability of a firm's management personnel to discuss a particular firm's...
SAIF: AbbreviationforSavings Association Insurance Fund, which refers to an entity...
salable: Having the characteristic of being able to be sold.
salary: A wages received at regular intervals, either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
salary freeze: A situation in which a particular firm temporarily stops offering salary raises to employees due to budge constraints.
salary reduction: The tax-deferred contributions withheld from an employee's salary in order to financially maintain a retirement plan.
Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plan: Abbreviated as SARSEP Plan. An alternative to a 401k plan, available solely...
sale: A transaction that involves the exchange of goods and/or services for money.
sale and leaseback: An arrangement in which one party sells a property to a buyer, only for the...
sales: The aggregate dollar amount gained through the distribution of goods and services.
sales charge: A fee charged by an intermediary for his service in facilitating a transaction...
sales fee: A fee charged by an intermediary for his service in facilitating a transaction...
sales force: The group of persons employed in order to facilitate the selling process.
sales ledger: A record of sales, calculated daily.
sales tax: A tax levied by a given state or city government on the retail price of an item, and collected by the retailer.
Sallie Mae: See Student Loan Marketing Association.
salvage value: The estimated value of an asset after it is unable to perform its initial functional use.
Same Day Funds Settlement: A type of settlement that is made on the same day as the transaction. This replaced...
same-store sales: In the context of retail, same-store sales refer to stores which have been open...
Samoa (American) Dollar: The currency of Samoa. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
Samoa (West) Tala: The currency of Western Samoa. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
sample: A small portion of a product offered, free of charge, to potential customers.
San Marino Lira: The currency of San Marino. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
sandbag: A type of leasing arrangement in which an entity leases property from one party...
sandwich lease: A leasing arrangement in which an entity leases property from one party and...
Santa Claus rally: The rise in stock prices that frequently occurs in the week following Christmas, in anticipation for the January effect.
Sao Tome Dobra: The currency of Sao Tome. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
SAR: The ISO currency code for the Saudi Riyal. Learn more about Saudia Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Riyal at GoCurrency.com
SARSEP: Acronym for Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plan. An alternative...
satellite operation: A branch of a larger firm that is physically separated from its corporate headquarters.
satisfaction of debt: A document issued by the lender after the full repayment of a debt.
saturation: Saturation is a term used to describe a good or commodity with a larger market...
saucer: In the context of technical analysis, used to describe a chart on which the...
Saudi Riyal: The currency of Saudi Arabia. Learn more about Saudia Arabia and the Saudi Arabian Riyal at GoCurrency.com
saving: Calculated by the following formula: Income – Consumption = Savings.
savings account: A type of deposit account offered at a bank or savings and loan, which pays...
Savings and Loan: A federally or state established financial institution that takes deposits directly...
Savings Association Insurance Fund: An entity created in 1989, and provides deposit insurance to thrifts. Also known as SAIF.
savings bank: A banking organization that accepts customer deposits and funds mortgages.
Savings Bond: Treasury securities for individual investors. US Savings Bonds are a registered,...
savings deposits: Accounts that offer interest and can be withdrawn upon demand. Savings deposits...
savings element: The accumulated cash value of a life insurance policy.
Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees: Abbreviated as SIMPLE. A retirement plan sponsored by firms with fewer than...
savings rate: The percentage of savings of a population, calculated by dividing the overall savings by disposable income.
SBA: Acronym for Small Business Administration.
SBD: The ISO code for the Soloman Islands. Learn more about Soloman Islands and the Soloman Dollar at GoCurrency.com
SBIC: Acronym for Small Business Investment Firm. A private investment firm licensed...
scalability: The quality of being able to function effectively as its size increases.
scale: The standard wage levels for a given type of job, measured by firms, unions, and the government.
scale order: The execution of a sale or purchase in parts, at specified price levels.
scalp: The practice of trading quickly for small gains, often holding a position for less than a day.
scarcity: Having the characteristic of being short in supply
SCC: Acronym for Stock Clearing Corporation. The clearinghouse for the NYSE.
scenario: The set of future events.
schedule: See tax schedule.
Schedule 13d: The form that must be filed, corresponding to Rule 13d.
Schedule C: The section in the NASD bylaws that outlines membership requirements and procedures.
scienter: The practice of knowingly transacting a fraudulent securities deal.
SCOR: Acronym for Small Corporate Offering Registration. An over the counter sale...
scorched-earth policy: A reaction to a seizure attempt that involves liquidating valuable assets and...
SCR: The ISO currency code for the Seychelles Rupee. Learn more about Seychelles and the Seychelles Rupee at GoCurrency.com
screening: The initial assessment of job candidates or investment opportunities based on a given set of criteria.
scrip: A certificate representing a fraction of a share of stock
scripophily: The collection of old stock and bond certificates.
SDD: The ISO currency code for the Sudanese Dinar. Learn more about Sudan and the Sudanese Dinar at GoCurrency.com
SDR: Special Drawing Right. An artificial currency unit based upon several national...
seasonality: The cyclicality in the business sector from one season to the next.
seat: The holding of membership on an exchange, which is a requirement for transacting...
SEC: A United States government agency, created in 1934, with the responsibility...
SEC EDGAR: The SEC's system in order to transmit required filings, such as quarterly reports...
SEC fee: The SEC-fee is a small charge (one cent per several hundred dollars) issued...
SEC filing: A document, often containing financial data, that a firm delivers to the SEC and, thereby, to the public.
second mortgage: A mortgage on real estate that has already been pledged as collateral for a...
second preferred stock: A preferred stock with rights subordinate to those of other preferred stock.
second-to-die insurance: A type of insurance that pays a death benefit only upon the death of the last...
secondary distribution: The offering of a large unit of a security by a current shareholder. Also known as secondary offering.
secondary listing: Any listing of a security on an exchange other than its primary exchange. Secondary...
secondary market: A market in which an investor purchases a security from another investor rather...
secondary mortgage market: A type of market, where existing mortgages and mortgage-backed securities are traded.
secondary offering: The offering of a large unit of a security by a current shareholder. Also known as secondary offering.
secondary research: The examination or study of someone else's research (either primary or secondary).
secondary stock: A firm’s stock that is inferior in quality, yields a higher risk, or having smaller market capitalization.
Section 529 plan: A state-sponsored program designed to help parents finance education expenses....
sector: A particular subset of a market, society, industry, or economy.
sector fund: A mutual fund, which invests fully or predominantly in a single economic sector, and thus, are generally riskier.
sector rotation: The movement of investment between distinct economic sectors. Also known as rotation.
secular: In the long term, in contrast to temporary or cyclical.
secured: The state of being backed by a pledge of collateral. Opposite of unsecured.
secured bond: A Secured Bond is a type of bond backed by an asset from the issuer, which...
secured credit card: A credit card linked to a savings account. The funds contained in the account...
secured loan: A loan which is backed by assets belonging to the borrower in order to decrease...
securities: More than one security
Securities Act of 1933: The first Congressional law regulating the securities industry, and requiring registration to discourage fraud and deception.
Securities Acts Amendments of 1975: A Congressional law, calling for the establishment of a National Market System,...
securities analyst: An employee of a bank, brokerage, advisor, or mutual fund who utilizes technical...
Securities and Exchange Commission: A United States government agency, created in 1934, with the responsibility...
securities exchange: See exchange.
Securities Exchange Act of 1934: The act which established the SEC.
securities fraud: A crime in which investing or trading laws are violated.
Securities Industry Association: Acronym for SIA. The main trade organization and lobbying group for broker and...
Securities Investor Protection Corporation: Acronym for SIPC. A non-profit membership corporation established by Congress,...
securities lending: A loan of a security from one broker/dealer to another, who must eventually...
securities loan: The loan of securities by one broker to another.
securitization: The process of integrating similar instruments, such as loans or mortgages, into a single negotiable security.
securitize: See securitization.
security: Any form of a tradable contract that carries a specified value. A security represents...
security analysis: An examination and technical evaluation of the various factors affecting the value of a security.
security deposit: A quantity of money paid prior to a transaction to protect a seller or renter against damage or non-payment.
security interest: The right of the creditor to take all or part of a property offered as security.
security loan: A loan backed by the pledge of collateral.
security market line: The relationship between an investment's hurdle rate and its market risk.
SEDOL: Acronym for The Stock Exchange Daily Official List number, which refers to a...
seed capital: A quantity of money used for the initial investment in a project or startup firm. Also known as seed financing or seed money.
seek a market: The action of a buyer searching for a seller, or vice-versa.
segment: A part of a market.
segregation of securities: A series of SEC regulations stipulating that accounts holding customer funds be kept separate from brokerage firm accounts.
seigniorage: The profit that results from the gap in the cost of printing money and the face value of that money.
SEK: The ISO currency code for the Swedish Krona. Learn more about Sweden and the Swedish Krona at GoCurrency.com
selective disclosure: The revelation by a public firm of material information to a selected group...
self insurance: The establishment of reserves for future losses instead of purchasing insurance.
self-amortizing mortgage: A type of mortgage in which all principal is paid off in a specified period...
self-directed retirement account: A type of retirement account in which an investor designates an account custodian,...
self-employed: A classification of employment in which an individual who operates a business...
self-employed pension: A tax-deferred qualified retirement plan designated for self-employed individuals...
self-employment tax: A social Security tax paid by the self-employed.
Self-Regulatory Organization: Acronym for SRO, which refers to a non-governmental organization with the responsibility...
self-supporting bond: A type of bond sold to finance a project whose revenues will be used to pay off the interest and principal on that bond.
sell: Sell: The process of liquidating an asset held in the market. The purpose of...
sell limit order: A mandate to a broker to sell a specified quantity of a security at or above a specified price (called the limit price).
sell order: Specific instructions made by an individual to a broker, bank, market maker,...
sell plus: An order to sell a specified amount of stock as long as the price of the trade...
sell short: A trader is in a SHORT POSITION when she sells a currency pair.Longing is the...
sell the book: A mandate by an investor to a broker to sell as much of its current position...
sell-side analyst: An analyst employed by a brokerage firm in order to manage clients’ accounts....
seller financing: A home-financing technique, where the buyer borrows from the seller rather than...
seller liability: The requirement of a seller to disclose a product's faults to the buyer.
seller's market: A market that is dominated by the sellers, rather than the buyers.
seller's points: A lump sum paid by the seller to the buyer's creditor to reduce the cost of the loan to the buyer.
selling flat: The action of selling a security when the price is neither rising or falling; Also known as sideways.
selling group: A group of investment bankers who aid a union or an underwriter in the sale of a new securities issue
selling hedge: The sale of a futures or options contract to prevent the possibility of a decline in the price of that security.
selling short: A trader is in a SHORT POSITION when she sells a currency pair.Longing is the...
selling short against the box: A short sale of a given security, where the seller does own but does not want...
selling the spread: The action of selling when an option sold has a higher premium than the option bought.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses: SG&A. Income statement item which combines salaries, commissions, and travel...
selloff: A sudden drop in price as a result of widespread selling.
Senegal Franc: The currency of Senegal. Learn more about currencies at GoCurrency.com
senior: The reception of priority in a debt claim in the event of liquidation. opposite of junior.
senior debt: A type of debt that has priority for repayment in a liquidation.
senior refunding: The exchange of bonds for other bonds with longer maturity durations. Opposite of junior refunding.
senior security: A security that has priority over other securities, with respect to claims or bankruptcy liquidation.
sensitivity: The degree of exposure of a security to market risk.
sensitivity analysis: The investigation into how projected performance varies along with changes in...
sentiment: A gauge of the mood from investors, consumers or businesses. Analysts will often...
SEP Plan: A type of retirement program for self-employed people or owners of companies...
separate account: A pooled fund created by an insurance firm which is segregated from the general...
separate tax returns: See married filing separately.
sequential: Having the characteristic of a regular sequence of parts.
Sequential Analysis: An indicator designed to identify market exhaustion using price patterns. It...
Serbian Dinar: The currency of Serbia. ISO international currency code: CSD. Learn more about Serbia and the Serbian Dinar at GoCurrency.com
serial bond: A set of bonds issued at the same time but having different maturity dates. Also known as installment bond.
serial correlation: The correlation of a variable with itself over successive time intervals. Technical...
series: Options of the same class, strike price, and maturity. Also known as option series or series of options.
Series 3: The license required to sell commodity futures.
Series 6: A test that registers an individual to transact a limited set of securities.
Series 63: The Uniform Securities Agent State Law License required by some states to be a stockbroker.
Series 7: The General Securities Registered Representative License, which is required...
series bond: A single bond issue offered to the public on multiple dates.
Series EE bond: A Savings Bond issued at a discount from par with a fixed rate of interest, established at the time of purchase.
series fund: A mutual fund whose prospectus allows for the creation of multiple portfolios.
Series HH bond: A type of bond that is sold in amounts from $500 to $10,000. They may be redeemed...
Series I Bond: An inflation-indexed savings bond offered by the U.S. government. Series I bonds...
service contract: A contract offered by a retailer in exchange for maintaining and repairing a product beyond its manufacturer's warranty coverage.
service fee: A part of a mutual fund's 12b-1 fee, not to exceed 0.25%, which compensates financial planners for shareholder services.
service mark: A design, symbol, logo, or other mark used to establish the identity and image of a service.
servicer: An organization that collects principal and interest payments from borrowers.
Services PMI - Euro-zone: The Euro-zone Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) assesses business conditions...
Services PMI - UK: A monthly guage of the UK service sector that takes into account business outlook....
session: A period of trading activity from the time a market opens until the time that it closes. Also known as the trading session.
settle: To pay a bill; make a financial arrangement
settlement: The finalizing of the sale of a property, as its title is transferred from the seller to the buyer. Also known as closing.
settlement costs: The fees and expenses associated with the sale of a property, or the transfer of a title.
settlement date: The date by which an executed securities transaction must be settled, by paying for a purchase or by delivering a sold asset.
settlement options: The different ways in which a benefit may be paid when an individual covered...
settlement price: The closing range of prices after a trading session, which are then in turn,...
settlement sheet: A document prepared by a closing agent, explicating a real estate transaction,...
settlor: An individual who creates an inter vivos trust.
severability: A clause in a contract that permits that any portion of the contract deemed...
severally but not jointly: A type of agreement that establishes the responsibility for selling the securities in an underwriting.
severalty: The ownership of real estate by a single individual.
severance pay: A payment made to a employee who is recently terminated.
Seychelles Rupee: The currency of Seychelles. Learn more about Seychelles and the Seychelles Rupee at GoCurrency.com
SG&A: Acronym for Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Income statement item...
SGD: The ISO currency code for the Singapore Dollar. Learn more about Singapore and the Singapore Dollar at GoCurrency.com
shakeout: The consolidation of an industry or sector, where the smaller and weaker competitors are acquired or driven out of business.
share: A certificate representing one unit of ownership in a corporation, mutual fund, or limited partnership.
share appreciation mortgage: A type of mortgage in which a borrower receives an interest rate below the market...
share price: The price of one share of stock.
share repurchase plan: A program through which a corporation purchases back its own shares in the open...
shareholder: Somebody who owns shares of stock in a corporation or mutual fund.
shareholder of record: The name of an individual or entity that an issuer carries in its records as...
shareholder value: The value that a shareholder is able to obtain from his/her investment in a...
shareholders' equity: The total assets minus total liabilities of an individual or firm. Also known as owner's equity or net worth or net assets.
shareholders' letter: A part of a firm's annual report in which the management discusses the firm's...
shares authorized: The maximum number of shares of stock that a particular firm is permitted to issue, specified in the firm's charter.
shares outstanding: The shares of a firm's stock that have been issued and are in the hands of the public. Also known as outstanding stock.
shark repellent: Any corporate activity that is utilized to discourage a hostile takeover.
Sharpe ratio: A risk-adjusted measure, calculated by using the standard deviation and excess...
shelf life: The maximum amount of time that a given item can remain in a salable condition on a retailer's shelf.
shelf offering: The registration of a new issue, which can be prepared up to two years in advance. Also known as called shelf registration.
shelf registration: The registration of a new issue, which can be prepared up to two years in advance.
shelf velocity: The speed at which a good moves from a manufacturer's inventory to a distributor to a customer.
shell: A firm with no real assets or operations.
shelve: To put off or aside from consideration; to postpone
Shipments - Japan: The total value of products shipped by the mining and manufacturing industries....
shock absorber: Any of a number of procedures implemented by a major stock or commodity exchange when a certain index falls.
shop: A small store that sells retail goods.
short: A trader is in a SHORT POSITION when she sells a currency pair.Longing is the...
short bond: A type of bond with a maturity of less than one year.
short coupon: A bond interest payment covering less than the usual six-month period, often the bond's first coupon.
short cover: The repurchasing of a previously sold contract. Also known as cover.
short hedge: The sale of an options contract to protect against the possibility a decline...
short interest: The total number of shares of a security that have been sold short and not yet repurchased.
short interest ratio: The proportion calculated by taking the short interest divided by average daily...
short leg: The part of an option spread indicating a commitment to sell the underlying security.
short market value: The total value of all securities that have been shorted in a given account....
short position: A trader is in a SHORT POSITION when she sells a currency pair.Longing is the...
short purchase: The repurchasing of a formerly sold contract. Also known as short cover or cover.
short sale: A trader is in a SHORT POSITION when she sells a currency pair.Longing is the...
short sale rule: The SEC regulation that stipulates short sales to be made only on an uptick...
short sell: See short sale.
short squeeze: A situation in which the price of a stock rises quickly, and investors who sold...
short straddle: A straddle in which a short position is taken in both a put and a call option....
short swing profits: The profits earned within six months of a trade.
short swing rules: A regulation that restricts firm insiders from making short swing profits. The...
short-term: Often referring to one year or less, often used to refer to bonds or loans. Opposite of long-term.
short-term gain or loss: A capital gain or loss on an investment which was held for less than a period of time, usually one year or less.
short-term reserves: Investments in interest-bearing bank deposits, money market instruments, and...
shortfall: An amount, which is lower than (i.e. worse than) expected or required.
shorting: The process of undertaking a short sale.
shorting against the box: A short sale of a given security, where the seller does own but does not want...
SHP: The ISO currency code for the St. Helena Pound.
shrinkage: The discrepancy of inventory recorded on a firm's records, and the inventory on hand, due to theft, loss or accounting error.
shutdown: The stoppage of production by a firm.
SIA: Acronym for Securities Industry Association. The main trade organization and...
SIC: Acronym for Standard Industrial Classification. 4-digit codes used to categorize and uniquely identify business activities.
sideways: A price that is neither rising or falling; Also known as flat
Sierra Leone Leone: The currency of Sierra Leone. Learn more about Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone's Leone at GoCurrency.com
sight draft: A draft that is payable on demand.
sight letter of credit: A letter of credit that is payable as soon as the required documents have been presented.
signal: A term used in technical analysis to connote a trigger to initiate a trade....
signature guarantee: An authentication of a signature in the form of a stamp or seal by a bank, a...
signature loan: A type of loan that is not backed by collateral, but rather the faith of the borrower. Also known as an unsecured loan.
significant order: An order to purchase or sell securities that is large enough to affect the market price.
silent partner: A business partner who provides capital but does not actively participate in the management of operations.
SIMPLE: Acronym for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. A retirement plan sponsored...
SIMPLE 401(k) Plan: A type of retirement plan sponsored by firms with less than 100 employees, which...
simple interest: The interest calculated on a principal sum, as opposed to compounded on earned interest.
SIMPLE IRA: See Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees.
simple moving average: The mean value, as calculated over a continuing previous period of fixed length.
Simplified Employee Pension IRA: Acronym for SEP IRA. A type of retirement program for self-employed people or...
simulation: The use of a theoretical mathematical model to recreate a situation, often repeatedly,...
sin tax: An excise tax levied on products considered vices (i.e. tobacco and alcohol).
Singapore Dollar: The currency of Singapore. Learn more about Singapore and the Singapore Dollar at GoCurrency.com
single: The filing status of an individual who is not married on December 31 of the year for which the return is filed.
single option: A put or call option held by itself, rather than multiple options as used in a spread or straddle.
single stock futures: A single transaction equivalent to the simultaneous sale of a put and purchase...
single-employer plan: A retirement plan under the control of one firm.
single-entry bookkeeping: An accounting method in which transactions are recorded as a single entry, rather...
single-life annuity: An annuity that provides income benefits for one, individual person.
single-payment loan: A loan whose principal is due in total with a single payment at maturity.
Single-Premium Deferred Annuity: Acronym for SPDA. A tax-deferred investment plan in which an individual makes...
single-premium life insurance: A type of whole life insurance, requiring one initial lump sum payment.
sinker: A bond whose interest and principal payments are made via a sinking fund.
sinking fund: A type of fund, where a firm sets aside money over time, in order to retire...
SIPC: Acronym for Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which refers to a non-profit...
SIT: The ISO currency code for Slovenia. Learn more about currencies at GoCurrency.com
site: The position or location
SKK: The ISO currency code for the Slovakia Koruna.Learn more about currencies at GoCurrency.com
skyrocket: A sudden, sharp rise in price, value, or rate.
slander: A malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report
sleeper: A stock that is trading at an unusually low valuation based on traditional measures such as price/earnings ratio.
slippage: The difference between the price a trader expects to be filled at, and the price...
SLL: The ISO code for the Sierra Leone's Leone. Learn more about Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leone Leone at GoCurrency.com
SLMA: Acronym for Student Loan Marketing Association.
Slovakia Koruna: The currency of Slovakia.Learn more about currencies at GoCurrency.com
Slovenian Tolar: The currency code of Slovenia. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
slump: A short period of economic or financial weakness.
Small Business Administration: A Federal agency which makes loans to small businesses.
Small Business Confidence - Japan: A measure of small businesses optimism. As small businesses tend to be more...
Small Business Investment Company: SBIC. A private investment company licensed by the Small Business Administration...
small cap: A maximum amount ranging from $250 million to $1 billion capitalization.
small cap stock: See small cap.
small corporate offering registration: Acronym for SCOR. An over the counter sale of securities that allows for up...
small investor: An individual who purchases small amounts of securities for himself, as opposed...
Small Order Execution System: Also known as SOES, an automated system that bypasses brokers when processing small order agency executions of Nasdaq securities.
smart money: A reference to experienced investors and traders, who tend to spot trends and...
smokestack industry: A basic manufacturing industry (i.e. the automobile, steel, rubber, paper, and chemical industry).
SNB Chief Economist Speaks - Switzerland: The speeches of the Chief Economist for the Swiss National Bank have heavy influence...
SNB Quarterly Monetary Policy Assessment - Switzerland: States the central bank's views on developments in the Swiss economy, current...
SNB Three-Month Target Libor Rate - Switzerland: The target interest rate set by the Swiss National Bank (SNB). Adjusting the...
snowballing: A situation in which the exercise of stop orders in a declining (or advancing)...
social responsibility: The belief that businesses should contribute to the overall welfare of their communities.
Social Security: The comprehensive US federal program of benefits providing workers and their...
Social Security Tax: A federal tax levied in order to fund the Social Security programs.
socialism: A type of economic system, where cooperation rather than competition is valued,...
socially conscious investing: The practice of investing in firms that operate ethically, provide social benefits, and are sensitive to the environment.
socially responsible fund: A type of mutual fund that only invests in firms that meet certain ethical and moral standards.
SOES: Acronym for Small Order Execution System. An automated system that bypasses...
soft commodity: A label for a set of commodities, generally including cocoa, sugar, and coffee....
soft currency: A nation's currency unacceptable in the exchange for currency of other countries, due to unrealistic exchange rates.
soft dollars: The payments to a full-service brokerage in exchange for its services in terms...
soft landing: The avoidance of inflation and high interest rates during the period of a recession.
soft loan: A loan with accommodating repayment terms.
soft market: A market with more sellers than buyers. Low prices result from this excess of...
softs: The label given to a set of commodities, usually including cocoa, sugar, and coffee.
sole proprietor: See sole proprietorship.
sole proprietorship: A type of business structure in which an individual and his/her firm are considered...
Solomon Island Dollar: The official currency of the Soloman Islands. Learn more about Soloman Islands and the Soloman Dollar at GoCurrency.com
solvency ratio: Any of several formulas used to gauge a firm's ability to meet its long-term...
solvent: Having the characteristic of being able to pay all debt obligations as they become due. Opposite of insolvent.
Somali Schilling: The official currency of Somalia. Learn more about Somolia and the Somolian Shilling at GoCurrency.com
sophisticated investor: An investor who has sufficient knowledge and experience with investing.
Sortino ratio: A variation of the Sharpe ratio which differentiates harmful volatility from...
SOS: The ISO code for the Somalian Shilling. Learn more about Somalia and the Somali Shilling at GoCurrency.com
source: The origin of revenues, products and services, or financing.
South African Rand: The ISO currency code for the South African Rand. Find more on South Africa, the Rand at GoCurrency.com
South Korean Won: The official currency of South Korea. Learn more about South Korea and the Korean Won at GoCurrency.com
sovereign debt: A debt instrument guaranteed by a governing body.
Spanish Peseta: The currency of Spain until 1 January 1999, when it was superseded by the euro....
SPD: Acronym for Summary Plan Description. A document containing a comprehensive...
SPDA: Acronym for Single-Premium Deferred Annuity. A tax-deferred investment plan...
SPDR: Acronym for Standard and Poor’s Depository Receipt. The shares of a security...
SPE: Acronym for special purpose entity.
special dividend: A nonrecurring dividend that is exceptional in terms of either size or date issued.
Special Drawing Right: Abbreviated as SDR. An artificial currency unit based upon several national...
Special Drawing Rights: SDR. An artificial currency unit based on multiple national currencies, and...
special endorsement: An endorsement of a check authorizing payment to an entity other than the entity...
special purpose entity: A business interest formed solely in order to accomplish a particular task or tasks, and used for accounting purposes.
special situation: A stock that one believes is about to rise for some particular reason.
special use property: An income-producing property, which is designed for a specific use.
special-purpose bond: A municipal bond which is repaid from taxes collected from those who benefit...
specialist: A stock exchange member who makes a market for certain exchange-traded securities,...
specialist market: A market which arises when limit orders cannot be filled using available market...
specialist unit: A specialist authorized by an exchange to act as both the principal and agent for other brokers in maintaining a stable market.
specialist's book: A chronological record of a specialist's inventory of securities and orders. Also known as book.
specialized fund: A type of mutual fund investing in the securities of a particular industry, sector, type of security or geographic region.
specialty fund: A type of mutual fund investing primarily in the securities of a particular...
specie: A kind of money with intrinsic value (i.e. gold and silver coins).
speculation: Speculation is the practice of selecting investments (exposing one's self to...
speculative: Speculation is the practice of selecting investments (exposing one's self to...
speculator: One who engages in speculation.Speculation is the practice of selecting investments...
Speed Resistance Line: Speed Resistance, or Speedlines, are a combination of percentage retracements...
Spider: The shares of a security designed to track the value of the S&P 500. Spiders...
spike: A sudden, temporary rise or fall in price of large magnitude.
spinoff: An independent firm created from an existing part of another firm through a...
split: An increase in the number of outstanding shares of a firm's stock, such that...
split commission: A commission received by the broker who executed the transaction and the investment professional.
split coupon bond: A type of bond, which pays no coupons, is sold at a deep discount to its face value, and matures at its face value.
split offering: A type of municipal bond, which is part serial bond and part term maturity bond.
split order: A large order which is broken into smaller pieces to be executed one at a time to avoid affecting the market price.
split rating: A security that is rated differently by two or more major rating agencies.
split-adjusted price: The price per share of a stock following the splits.
sponsor: The general partner who organizes and sells the limited partnership.
Sponsored ADR: An ADR, which is issued with the cooperation of the firm whose stock will underlie the ADR.
sponsorship: Advertising, often for a specific event, program, or project.
spoofing: Stock market manipulation in which a trader with a position in a stock places...
spot: Literally means for immediate delivery. In the FX market transactions in...
spot commodity: A commodity traded on the spot market, with the expectation that the buyer will take delivery
spot market: A market in which commodities, such as grain, gold, crude oil, or RAM chips,...
spot month: The closest delivery month on a futures contract.
spot price: The present delivery price of a given commodity being traded on the spot market. Also known as cash price.
spot rate: The theoretical yield on a zero-coupon Treasury.
spot trading: A type of trading that involves cash sales for immediate delivery.
spousal IRA: A traditional IRA or Roth IRA set up by a married person in the name of his...
spousal remainder trust: A trust in which income-producing property is placed in the trust by the grantor...
spread: The Spread refers to the difference between the sell and buy price for a security....
spread option: The purchase of one option and the simultaneous sale of a related option, such...
Spread Trading - Futures vs FX: Futures - In Futures Spread Trading the trader simultaneously buys (longs)...
sprinkling trust: A living trust or will in which the trustee has discretion over how the trust's...
squeeze: A period characterized by tight monetary policy, when interest rates are high and borrowing is difficult.
SRD: The ISO code of the Suriname Dollar. Learn more about Surinam and the Suriname Dollar at GoCurrency.com
SRG: The ISO currency code for the Surinam Guilder.
Sri Lankan Rupee: The official currency of Sri Lanka. Learn more about Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Rupee at GoCurrency.com
SRO: Acronym for Self-Regulatory Organization. A non-governmental organization which...
St. Helena Pound: The currency of St. Helena.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
St. Kitts Dollar: The currency of St. Kitts.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
St. Lucia Dollar: The currency of St. Lucia.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
St. Pierre Franc: The currency of St. Pierre.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
St. Vincent Dollar: The currency of St. Vincent.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
stability: resistance to change; continuance without change
stabilization: The situation in which an underwriter\ tries to prevent a recent offering from...
stable: A price or rate that does not fluctuate rapidly.
Stafford loan: A need-based government loan made to university-bound students rather than their parents.
stagflation: The unfavorable situation characterized by high inflation and high unemployment.
staggered board of directors: A board of directors only a part of which is elected each year, often to discourage takeover attempts.
staggered maturities: The act of holding a portfolio of bonds which includes some short-term, some...
stagging: The practice of buying initial public offerings at the offering price and then...
stagnation: A state of economic inactivity
stake: The amount of a security either owned (a long position) or owed (a short position)...
stakeholder: Any party that has an interest or stake in a firm.
stamped security: A security which has been stamped to show that some feature of it has changed since its issuance, such as the maturity date.
standard: A technologies or product that has achieved a level of market saturation such...
Standard & Poor's 100: S&P 100. Of the firms in the S&P 500, the 100 which have the largest market capitalization.
Standard & Poor's 500: S&P 500. S&P 500.
Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt: The shares of a security designed to track the value of the S&P 500. Spiders...
standard costing: A management tool used to estimate the overall cost of production, assuming normal operations.
standard deduction: A fixed deduction allowed to taxpayers who do not itemize.
Standard Deviation: A statistical term used in a wide range of price indicators, a standard deviation...
Standard Industrial Classification: SIC. 4-digit codes used to categorize and uniquely identify business activities.
standard mileage rate: A fixed rate allowed by the IRS for business transportation expenses in place of deducting actual expenses.
standard of living: The financial health of a population, as measured by the quantity of consumption by the members of that population.
standard payment calculation: The monthly payment required to repay the remaining balance of a mortgage in...
standby commitment: The commitment by an underwriter to purchase for resale any part of a new issue...
standby loan commitment: A formal offer by a lender, explicating the terms under which it agrees to lend...
standing order: The consent to make regular periodic shipments of a specified product.
start rate: The initial interest rate on an adjustable rate mortgage, most often referring to the first year.
startup: A new business venture that is in its earliest stage of development.
state bank: A bank organized under a state, rather than a federal, charter.
stated value: The value assigned to a firm's no-par stock by its board of directors, for accounting purposes.
statement: A written declaration, such as of financial data.
statement of additional information: In the context of mutual funds, a document which contains detailed information...
Statement of Cash Flows: See cash flow statement.
statement of condition: A quantitative summary of a firm's financial condition at a specific point in...
statistical arbitrage: An attempt to profit from pricing inefficiencies that are identified through the use of theoretical mathematical models.
statistically significant: The condition in which a sample size is large enough to be considered representative of the overall population being studied.
status quo: The existing condition or state of affairs.
statute: A legislative act or law.
Statute of Limitations: A state law limiting the amount of time within which legal action may be taken.
statutory: Having been enacted by legislation.
statutory consolidation: A merger, where a new corporate entity is created from the two merging companies, which cease to exist.
statutory investment: An investment in which a fiduciary is authorized to make, according to state laws.
statutory merger: A merger in which one of the merging companies continues to exist as a legal...
statutory stock option: A type of employee stock option that provides tax advantages for the employer that a non-qualified stock option does not.
statutory voting: A system in which shareholders voting for the board of directors may not give...
STD: The ISO currency code for the Sao Tome Dobra.
step down: To resign from a position
step up in basis: The change in the value of an asset inherited upon the owner's death. The taxable...
step variable costs: The variable costs which change dramatically at certain points because they...
step-down lease: A lease providing for specified rent decreases at certain future dates. Opposite of step-up lease.
step-up bond: A type of bond that pays one coupon rate for an initial period followed by a higher coupon rate.
step-up lease: A type of lease providing for specified rent increases at certain future dates. Opposite of step-down lease.
step-up warrant: A call warrant which includes one or more increases in the strike price, occurring on specified dates.
sterilization: The practice of using open market operations to counteract the effects of exchange...
stickiness: The degree to which the existing use of a product or service encourages its...
stipulate: To specify or require something, as in a written contract or formal agreement.
stochastic: The stochastic oscillator is based on the assumption that as prices increase,...
Stochastic Oscillator: The stochastic oscillator is based on the assumption that as prices increase,...
stock: The capital raised by a corporation through the issuance and distribution of shares.
stock association: A savings association organized as a capital stock corporation.
stock bonus plan: A profit-sharing plan that delivers benefits to employees in the form of stock rather than cash.
stock buyback: See buyback.
stock certificate: A document reflecting legal ownership of a specific number of stock shares in...
Stock Clearing Corporation: SCC. The clearinghouse for the NYSE.
stock consolidation: A reverse stock split.
stock dividend: A type of dividend paid as additional shares of stock rather than as cash. If...
stock exchange: An exchange on which shares of stock and common stock equivalents are bought...
stock fund: A mutual fund that invests primarily in stocks.
stock index: An index of market prices of a particular group of stocks, such as the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Index.
stock ledger: A record of each shareholder's ownership in a corporation.
stock life insurance company: A life insurance firm owned by shareholders who share in its earnings, in contrast to a mutual firm, which is owned by policyholders.
stock list: A department of a stock exchange which monitors listed firms to make sure they...
stock loan: The loan of securities by one broker to another, such as to cover a customer short sale. Also known as securities loan.
stock market: General term for the organized trading of stocks through exchanges and over-the-counter.
stock market crash: A steep drop in market prices or economic conditions. Also known as crash.
stock market index: See stock index.
stock option: An option in which the underlier is the common stock of a corporation, giving...
stock option plan: A program within a firm whereby employees are allowed to buy a specific number...
stock power: A power of attorney enabling a person other than the owner to transfer stock ownership to another party. S
stock purchase plan: A trust established by a firm, which acts as a tax-qualified, defined-contribution...
stock rating: An evaluation of a stock's expected performance and/or its risk level as judged by a rating agency such as Standard and Poor's.
stock screening: See screening
stock split: An increase in the number of outstanding shares of a firm's stock, such that...
stock swap: An acquisition in which the acquiring firm uses its own stock to pay for the acquired firm.
stock symbol: A ticker symbol denoting a particular stock.
stock ticker: See ticker.
stockbroker: An intermediary who deals primarily with transactions involving stocks.
stockholder: An investor who owns shares of common stock in a corporation or mutual fund....
stockholder of record: The name an issuer uses in its records for an investor who is the registered...
stockholders' equity: The balance sheet quantity of a company's common stock equity. This quantity...
stockpile: The storage of materials or assets for later use.
stop and reverse: A signal to buy the opposite position upon the closing of a position due to a stop.
stop entry: An Entry Order is an order to enter the market at a specified price.Entry orders...
stop order: A market order to close a position if a specified stop price is reached.
stop payment: An instruction for a bank not to honor the payment of a check before it has been cashed.
stop price: In a stop order, this is the indicated price.
stop-limit order: An order to buy or sell a certain quantity of a certain security at a specified...
stop-loss: A Stop Loss is an order to close a trade when the market moves a specified amount...
stopped out: This is when a position is closed due to the execution of a stop order.
storage: This is the expense that is incurred when storing commodities from one delivery...
store: The location where final retail sales are made.
story stock: A stock whose price is volatile at a given time because of expected company news.
straddle: This is when an investor purchases or sells an equal number of puts and calls,...
straight bond: A type of bond that will pay back the principal upon its maturity date and certain...
straight line depreciation: A method for adjusting asset value which assumes the asset loses an equal amount...
straight paper: Uninsured notes, bills of exchange, and banker's acceptances.
straight value: This is the approximate open market price for a security lacking convertibility....
stranded asset: An asset whose market value is less than its book value because it has become...
strangle: This is when an investor purchases or sells an equal number of puts and calls,...
strap: This is an option contract where an investor is long in one put option and two...
strategic alliance: This is an agreement between two or more individuals or entities to cooperate...
strategic buyout: An acquisition that is made because of operational benefits from two companies...
strategic planning: The preparation of a strategy that aids a company in achieving its long term goals.
strategy: A methodology used to achieve goals.
street broker: A broker who is not a member of the exchange.
street name: This term applies to securities held in the name of a brokerage instead of the...
strike: This is a work stoppage undertaken by the labor force of a firm in opposition...
strike index: The price of an underlying stock index pertaining to a buyer’s index option.
strike price: The purchase or sale price of underlying stock that an option holder sees upon the exercising an option contract.
strip: A bond that is issued by the U.S. Treasury for which interest and repayment...
strong basis: An insignificant difference between cash prices and futures. An investor who...
strong dollar: This term is used to describe the dollar when it can be exchanged for increasing...
structural inflation: Planned inflation that is caused by a government's monetary policy.
structure: This term refers to the proportions of debt and equity that are used to finance a company.
structured finance: Non-standard lending arrangements offered by institutions to companies who have unique financing needs.
structured note: This is a debt security with multiple special features, such as making payments...
structured portfolio strategy: A strategy that shapes a portfolio in a way that allows it to generate profits...
structured settlement: A lawsuit settlement where payments are made in intervals, rather than in one lump sum.
Student Loan Marketing Association: This is commonly known as Sallie Mae. It is a federally established and publicly...
style: The investment strategy a mutual fund relies upon in order to realize its goals.
Subchapter M: This IRS law regulates conduit theory.
Subchapter S Corporation: This is a form of corporation that the IRS allows for most firms with less than...
subcontractor: An individual or company hired by a general or prime contractor to perform a specific task as part of the overall project.
subindex: A group of stocks that are included in a larger index, but are also tracked as if they were a separate index.
sublimit: A limit for a subset of items that are also subject to an overarching group...
submortgage: This is when a mortgage lender promises a mortgage as collateral for his own loan.
subordinated: This is when somebody’s position is reduced to that of a junior in priority of claim.
subordinated debt: This type of debt is not secured or is subordinated in priority to that of another...
subordination clause: This is a clause found in some mortgages. It allows previous mortgages on the...
subpoena: This is an order for an individual to testify in a court of law.
subrogate: To accept a claim or right against one party from another party that previously...
subscribe: This is when an investor agrees to purchase stock in a new issue.
subscription price: This is the set price for a new securities offering to the public.
subscription privilege: This is the opportunity current shareholders have to maintain their fractional...
subscription right: This is the current shareholders’ right to maintain their proportional ownership...
subscription warrant: This is a document entitling the holder to buy a specific amount of bond or...
subsequent offering: An offering of shares that follows a company's initial public offering. Such an offering is also called a follow-on.
subsidiary: A firm for which a holding company owns the majority of the voting stock.
subsidy: Financial assistance that the government provides to individuals or groups.
succession: A documented transfer of a decedent's assets and rights to his heirs.
Sudanese Dinar: The currency of Sudan. Learn more about Sudan and the Sudanese Dinar at GoCurrency.com
sue: To bring legal action against a person or entity.
suicide pill: This is an extreme version of the poison pill defense; a target company takes...
Suitability Rules: A stated or implied regulatory guideline that many security bodies apply to...
Sum-of-the-Years'-Digits Method: A method for calculating the depreciation of an asset that has greater depreciation...
summary annual report: A document that reveals the annual results of a retirement plan and is distributed...
summary plan description: This is a document containing a comprehensive description of a retirement plan....
sunk cost: A cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered regardless of...
sunrise industry: A quickly growing industry that is expected to become prominent in the future.
sunset industry: A slowly growing, declining, industry. Such an industry is considered to be irrelevant to the future.
sunshine laws: State and federal laws that require the majority of regulatory meetings and decisions to be publicized.
super sinker bond: A bond with long-term coupons coupled with a short-term maturity. Such a bond...
supercede: To rise in power, authority, validity, or importance, replacing a previously superior entity.
supervisory analyst: A New York Stock Exchange member firm research analyst who has passed a special...
supplemental agreement: An agreement whose main purpose is to modify a previous agreement, usually by adding additional conditions.
supplier: A company that supplies products to another company. Such a company is often called a vendor.
supply: The total amounts of a good or service available in a market at different price...
supply chain: The members of a chain of suppliers that is responsible for the delivery and production of a particular good.
supply curve: A graph that depicts the hypothetical supply of a product or service at different...
supply elasticity: The percentage amount by which supply changes in response to a one percent change...
supply-side economics: An economic theory which holds that reducing tax rates, especially for businesses...
support: A price level in which a currency pair has difficulty falling below. At support,...
surcharge: A fee that is charged in addition to another charge.
surety: This is a pledge, guarantee, or bond regarding the performance of an individual or a company.
surety bond: A bond issued by an entity on behalf of another party. This bond guarantees...
Surinam Guilder: The official currency of Surinam. Learn more about Surinam and the Suriname Dollar at GoCurrency.com
Suriname Dollar: The currency of Suriname.See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
surplus: This is an excess of any sort. It is also called an overage.
surrender charge: A fee that is charged when one terminates an annuity contract prior to its maturity.
surrender value: The amount of cash one receives upon cancelling his insurance policy. Surrender...
surtax: A tax that is only applicable to certain individuals and is charged in addition...
surveillance department: A department that monitors the activity of a trading exchange, confirming that it meets exchange and SEC regulations.
Survey of Manufacturing - Canada: Monthly report on Canada's manufacturing sector. The data shows the current...
survivor benefit: The payment a beneficiary receives from an annuity or insurance policy when...
survivorship: This is when a survivor automatically gains ownership of a decedent.s property...
survivorship bias: Not including failed companies in performance studies because they no longer...
survivorship insurance: A type of insurance that is applied to more than one person at a time. It pays...
suspended trading: A temporary trading stoppage in a particular security for a specific reason,...
SVC: The ISO currency code for the El Salvador Colon. Learn more about the El Salvador Colon and El Salvador at GoCurrency.com
SVME Manufacturing PMI - Switzerland: Tracks trends in the Swiss Manufacturing sector. The Purchasing Manager's Index...
SVME Manufacturing PMI - Switzerland: Tracks trends in the Swiss Manufacturing sector. The Purchasing Manager's Index...
swap: An exchange of different streams of payments over a given period of time, in...
swap rate: The difference between the forward exchange rate and the spot rate of a currency....
swaption: An option on a swap. Such an option is most often given with interest rate swaps.
Swaziland Lilangeni: The currency of Swaziland Lilangeni. See GoCurrency World Currencies Page & Currency Converter
sweat equity: Equity that is acquired by a company and attributed to the hard work of its executives.
Swedish Krona: The currency of Sweden. Learn more about Sweden and the Swedish Krona at GoCurrency.com
sweep account: A brokerage account whose cash balance is automatically transferred into a high...
sweetener: A feature of a debt obligation or preferred stock which is included in order...
Swing Index: This momentum indicator is used primarily as a component of the Accumulative...
swing loan: This loan is short-term financing. Borrowers often take out a subsequent long...
swing trade: A trading strategy that attempts to create profits by holding positions for...
Swiss Franc: The currency of Switzerland. ISO international currency code: CHF. The...
switching: To move money between mutual funds that may be within a fund family or in different fund families.
switching costs: The costs a customer incurs when moving from one supplier or marketplace to...
symbol: A combination of letters used to uniquely identify a stock or mutual fund listed...
Symmetrical Triangle Chart Pattern: With symmetrical Triangles, trend lines converge with the support line is ascending...
syndicate: A group of investment banks that jointly underwrite and distribute a new security...
syndicate bid: A bid that a syndicate makes in order to stabilize the price of a Nasdaq security prior to a secondary offering occurs.
syndicate manager: The commercial or investment bank which is primarily responsible for organizing...
syndicate member: An investment bank, brokerage, or bank that participates in a syndicate.
syndication: Information provided for simultaneous publication in several periodicals or web sites.
synergy: This is when multiple parties coordinate mutually beneficial arrangements.
synthetic lease: A transaction that appears to be a lease from an accounting standpoint, but...
synthetic put: This occurs when somebody short sells a security and buys it long upon its call....
synthetic stock: Multiple assets are combined to form a synthetic stock. For example, a synthetic...