Letter W Dictionary
- W formation
- A term used in technical analysis, W formation refers to a chart on which the...
- W-2 Form
- A tax form used in the United States income tax system as an information return...
- W-4 Form
- A tax form used by employers to determine the correct amount of withholding...
- W-9 Form for 2007
- Taxform which certifies an individual's tax identification number. This form...
- WACC
- Weighted Average Cost of Capital. A calculation of a firm's cost of capital...
- wage assignment
- A protective provision in a loan, stating that in the event of a default, payments will be deducted from the borrower’s wages.
- wage price spiral
- A feedback loop in which inflation leads to an increase in wages, which in turn...
- wages
- The amount of compensation in exchange for labor.
- waiting period
- The period following the filing of a firmâ??s prospectus with the SEC and before...
- waiver
- An intentional relinquishment of some right, interest, or the like.
- waiver of premium
- An insurance policy clause that permits a policyholder to discontinue payment...
- wall
- See brought over the wall, Chinese Wall.
- Wall Street
- The name denoted for a narrow street in lower Manhattan , New York City, and...
- Wall Street analyst
- An analyst employed by a brokerage firm or another firm that manages client accounts. Also called sell-side analyst.
- wallflower
- A stock that has been highly disregarded by research analysts. Also called orphan stock.
- wallpaper
- A term denoting a worthless security. The term originates from the idea that...
- war chest
- The accruement of cash by a firm in anticipation of a capital-intensive event (i.e. an acquisition or a market consolidation).
- warehouse receipt
- A document guaranteeing the existence and availability of a given quantity and quality of a commodity in storage.
- wares
- Products for sale.
- warrant
- A security that gives the holder the right to purchase securities from the issuer...
- warranty
- A statement of fact or opinion regarding a firm's financial condition.
- warranty deed
- A Warranty Deed is a type of dead used in real estate. It guarantees that the...
- Warren Buffett
- Buffett is Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and arguably the greatest investor...
- wash
- The case in which two actions balance each other out. An example is a gain and a loss of equal magnitude.
- wash sale
- An illegal transaction an investor makes by simultaneously buying and selling...
- wash sale rule
- An IRS regulation preventing wash sales; the wash sale rule prohibits a taxpayer...
- wasting asset
- An asset that has a limited life, and therefore decreases in value over time (i.e. an option which is out of the money).
- watch list
- A list of securities being monitored closely by a brokerage in order to discover irregularities, where IRS rules are violated.
- watered stock
- A stock representing ownership of a firm whose total worth is less than its capital investment.
- weak dollar
- A dollar with a weak foreign exchange rate when paired with other foreign currencies.
- weak market
- A market with more sellers than buyers.
- wear and tear
- The gradual deterioration of an asset, resulting naturally from sustained, regular use.
- weather derivative
- A financial instrument used by firms to reduce the risk associated with adverse or unexpected weather.
- wedge
- Technical anlaysis term used to describe the chart formation in which price...
- weighted
- The quality of being modified in order to reflect proportional relevance.
- weighted average
- An average that takes into account the proportional relevance of each component, rather than treating each component equally.
- weighted average cost of capital
- WACC. A calculation of a firm's cost of capital in which each category of capital...
- weighting
- The allocation of the relative importance of items when combined.
- Westpac Consumer Confidence - Australia
- Officially called the Consumer Sentiment Index, this figure measures the level...
- when issued
- A transaction conditional on a security that has been authorized but not issued.
- when, as, and if issued
- Transaction conditional on a security which has been authorized but not yet issued. also called when issued.
- whipsaw
- To lose money in a volatile market as a result of buying securities before rapid drops and selling before rapid rises.
- whisper number
- The rumored quantity of earnings about to be reported, especially when they differ from the consensus forecast.
- whistle blower
- An employee who publicly reports illicit activities going on inside his or her company.
- white knight
- A potential acquirer who is sought out by a target company's management to take...
- white paper
- An educational report made available to the public that expounds on a particular industry issue.
- white-collar
- Refers to employees who perform knowledge work, such as those in professional, managerial or administrative positions.
- whole life
- A type of life insurance contract that provides for insurance coverage of the...
- whole life insurance
- See whole life.
- wholesale
- The sale of goods in high quantities to non-consumers, with the purpose of reselling these goods.
- wholesale banking
- Banking services for financial institutions.
- Wholesale Inventories - United States
- The stock of unsold goods held by wholesalers. Wholesalers act as intermediaries...
- Wholesale Sales - Canada
- The value of sales made by Canadian wholesalers. Wholesalers sell to industries...
- wholesaler
- A distributor who sells mainly to retailers and institutions, rather than consumers.
- wholly-owned subsidiary
- A subsidiary owned by its holding company.
- wide market
- A market with a large spread; the opposite of a close market.
- widget
- Widget: A hypothetical product used to explain a more complex business concept....
- widow-and-orphan stock
- A secure, stable stock in a non-cyclical industry, usually yielding large dividends.
- wildcat strike
- An unsanctioned stoppage of work while a labor contract is still in effect.
- will
- A legally enforceable declaration directing the disposal of a decedent's property. Also known as testament.
- William's %R
- Williams %R has proven very useful for anticipating market reversals.Overview •...
- William's Accumulation-Distribution
- Williams' Accumulation-Distribution tracks the buying pressure and selling pressure.OverviewWilliams'...
- Williams Act
- Federal legislation enacted in 1966 imposing requirements on public tender offers,...
- Wilshire 5000 Equity Index
- A market-value weighted index which includes all NYSE and AMEX stocks and the most active over-the-counter stocks.
- win-win
- A market-value weighted index that includes all NYSE and AMEX stocks in addition to most active, over-the-counter stocks.
- windfall
- The unexpected receipt of money by a passive recipient.
- window
- The unexpected receipt of money by a passive recipient.
- window of opportunity
- The period of time during which an opportunity can be taken advantage of.
- window-dressing
- The period of time during which an opportunity can be taken advantage of.
- winner's curse
- The concept in bidding that states that 1) some buyers underestimate and others...
- wire house
- A firm who links its branch offices by a communication system, allowing for...
- wire transfer
- An electronic transfer of funds. Wire transfers can be done by a simple bank...
- witching hour
- See double witching hour, triple witching hour.
- with interest
- A type of bond in which the buyer must pay the seller the cumulative interest...
- withdraw
- To take money of an account for expenditure.
- withdrawal
- The removal of funds from an account.
- withdrawal plan
- A plan in which a mutual fund investor arranges to receive periodic, fixed payments...
- withholding
- A portion of an employee's income that an employer sends directly to the federal,...
- withholding tax
- A portion of an employee's income that an employer sends directly to the federal,...
- Word of the Week
- Confirmed -You'll start receiving our words starting next week! The best way...
- work force
- The summation of employed and unemployed labor in a country or region.
- work order
- A document permitting the completion of a specific task.
- Workers Compensation
- A system providing compensation for employees who suffer injuries in the course of employment.
- working capital
- A measurement of a company’s available liquid assets, calculated by finding...
- working capital loan
- A short-term loan, which allows for the purchase of earning assets.
- workout
- An attempt to resolve a financially unfavorable situation, such as a bad loan
- World Bank
- a group of five international organizations responsible for providing finance...
- world fund
- A mutual fund investing in international stocks or bonds, including those of...
- World Trade Organization
- WTO. An international agency which encourages trade between member nations,...
- worth
- Value.
- worthless
- Having no value.
- wrap account
- Account in which a brokerage helps an investor find a money manager in exchange...
- wrap fee
- A charge for an investment program that bundles together a suite of services,...
- wraparound loan
- Account in which a brokerage helps an investor find a money manager in exchange...
- write
- Sell an option.
- write down
- Make a downward adjustment in the accounting value of an asset. opposite of write up.
- write up
- Make an upward adjustment in the accounting value of an asset. A write up sometimes...
- write-off
- To charge an asset amount to expense or loss, in order to reduce the value of that asset and one's earnings.
- writer
- The seller of an option contract. also called grantor or option writer.
- written-down value
- The net value of an asset, i.e. its original cost (its book value) minus depreciation...
- WST
- The ISO currency code for the Samoa (West) Tala. Learn more about currencies at GoCurrency.com
- WTO
- Abbr. World Trade Organization. An international agency that facilitates trade...
