Investments - Stock Market

Bid	The price a buyer is willing to offer for shares in a company.
Blue Chip Stocks	Stocks of leading companies with a reputation for stable growth and earnings.
Bond	Certificate issued by companies and governments to their lenders.
Capital	Money and other property of companies used in transacting the business.
Capital stock	All shares representing ownership of a company.
Commodities	Products such as agricultural products and natural resources (wood, oil and metals) that are traded on a separate, authorized commodities exchange.
Dividend	A portion of a  company's earnings which is paid to the shareholders/stockholders on a quarterly or annual basis.
Equity	The value of stocks and shares;  the net value of mortgaged property.
Equities	Stocks and shares which represent a portion of the capital of a company.
Futures	Contracts to buy or sell securities at a future date.
Insider	All those who have access to inside information concerning the company.
Insider dealing / trading	Buying or selling with the help of information known only to those connected with the business.
IPO	Initial Public Offering - selling part of a company on the stock market.
Issue	Put into circulation a number of a company's shares for sale.
Liabilities	The debts and obligations of a company or an individual.
Mortgage	Agreement by which a bank or building society lends money for the purchase of property, such as a  house or apartment.  The property is the security for the loan.
Mutual fund	Savings fund that uses cash from a pool of savers to buy securities such as stock, bonds or real estate.
Option	The right to buy and sell certain securities at a specified price and period of time.
Par value	Nominal face value.
Penny stock	Shares selling at less than $1 a share.
Portfolio	Various types of securities held by an individual or institution.
Securities	Transferable certificates showing ownership of stocks, bonds, shares, options, etc.
Share	The capital of a company is divided into shares which entitle the owner, or shareholder, to a proportion of the profits.
Share certificate	Certificate representing the number of shares owned by an investor.
Shareholder	Owner of shares.
Speculator	Someone who buys and sells stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit through changes in their value.
Stock	Shares (portion of the capital of a business company) held by an investor.
Stockbroker	A licensed professional who buys and sells stocks and shares for clients in exchange for a fee called a 'commission'.
Stockholder	Person who owns stocks and shares.
Trader	Investor who holds stocks and securities for a short time (minutes, hours or days) with the objective of making profit from short-term gains in the market.  Investment is generally based on stock price rather than on an evaluation of the company.
Trading session	Period during which the Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Venture capital	Money raised by companies to finance new ventures in exchange for percentage ownership.
Yield	Return on investment shown as a percentage.