Glossary of Investment Terms Flashcards
(191 cards)
Alpha
The amount of return expected from an investment from its inherent value.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
Federal tax, revamped by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, aimed at ensuring that wealthy individuals, trusts, estates and corporations pay at least some tax.
Annual report
The yearly audited record of a corporation or a mutual fund’s condition and performance that is distributed to shareholders.
Annualized
A procedure where figures covering a period of less than one year are extended to cover a 12-month period.
Annualized rate of return
The average annual return over a period of years, taking into account the effect of compounding. Annualized rate of return also can be called compound growth rate.
Appreciation
The increase in value of a financial asset.
Asset allocation
The process of dividing investments among cash, income and growth buckets to optimize the balance between risk and reward based on investment needs.
Asset class
Securities with similar features. The most common asset classes are stocks, bonds and cash equivalents.
Average maturity
For a bond fund, the average of the stated maturity dates of the debt securities in the portfolio. Also called average weighted maturity. In general, the longer the average maturity, the greater the fund’s sensitivity to interest-rate changes, which means greater price fluctuation. A shorter average maturity usually means a less sensitive - and consequently, less volatile - portfolio.
Balanced fund
Mutual funds that seek both growth and income in a portfolio with a mix of common stock, preferred stock or bonds. The companies selected typically are in different industries and different geographic regions.
Bear market
A bear market is a prolonged period of falling stock prices, usually marked by a decline of 20% or more. A market in which prices decline sharply against a background of widespread pessimism, growing unemployment or business recession. The opposite of a bull market.
Benchmark
A standard, usually an unmanaged index, used for comparative purposes in assessing performance of a portfolio or mutual fund.
Best-in-class
A top performing product, service or person within a category or peer group.
A sustainable investment style that involves investing in companies that lead their peer groups with respect to sustainability performance.
Beta
A measurement of volatility where 1 is neutral; above 1 is more volatile; and less than 1 is less volatile.
Blue chip
A high-quality, relatively low-risk investment; the term usually refers to stocks of large, well-established companies that have performed well over a long period. The term Blue Chip is borrowed from poker, where the blue chips are the most valuable.
Board of Trustees
A governing board elected or appointed to direct the policies of an institution.
Bond
A bond acts like a loan or an IOU that is issued by a corporation, municipality or the U.S. government. The issuer promises to repay the full amount of the loan on a specific date and pay a specified rate of return for the use of the money to the investor at specific time intervals.
Bond fund
A mutual fund that invests exclusively in bonds.
Breakpoint
The level of dollar investment in a mutual fund at which an investor becomes eligible for a discounted sales fee. This level may be achieved through a single purchase or a series of smaller purchases.
Bull market
Any market in which prices are advancing in an upward trend. In general, someone is bullish if they believe the value of a security or market will rise. The opposite of a bear market.
Capital
The funds invested in a company on a long-term basis and obtained by issuing preferred or common stock, by retaining a portion of the company’s earnings from date of incorporation and by long-term borrowing.
Capital gain
The difference between a security’s purchase price and its selling price, when the difference is positive.
Capital gains ex-date
The date that a shareholder is no longer eligible for a capital gain distribution that has been declared by a security or mutual fund.
Capital gains long term
The difference between an asset’s purchase price and selling price (when the difference is positive) that was earned in more than one year.