What is the Lock-up Period? A lock-up period, also called a locked-up, lock-in, or lock-out period, refers to the predetermined time frame in which corporate insiders, investors, and employees are not allowed to sell or redeem their shares after an initial public offering (IPO). It normally happens in instances where a private entity offers its…
What are Financial Markets? Financial markets, from the name itself, are a type of marketplace that provides an avenue for the sale and purchase of assets such as bonds, stocks, foreign exchange, and derivatives. Often, they are called by different names, including “Wall Street” and “capital market,” but all of them still mean one and…
What is Parabolic SAR? The Parabolic SAR is a technical indicator developed by J. Welles Wilder to determine the direction that an asset is moving. The indicator is also referred to as a stop and reverse system, which is abbreviated as SAR. It aims to identify potential reversals in the price movement of traded assets….
What is the Preferred Habitat Theory? The preferred habitat theory states that the market for bonds is ‘segmented’ by term structure and that bond market investors have preferences for these segments. According to the theory, bond market investors prefer to invest in a specific part or ‘habitat’ of the term structure. The preferred habitat theory…
What is the Segmented Markets Theory? The segmented markets theory states that the market for bonds is ‘segmented’ on the basis of the bonds’ term structure, and that ‘segmented’ markets operate more or less independently. Under the segmented markets theory, the return offered by a bond with a specific term structure is determined solely by…
What is the Russell 2000? The Russell 2000 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 2,000 US small-cap stocks from the Russell 3000 index. The Russell 2000 index is widely quoted as a benchmark for mutual funds that consist primarily of small-cap stocks. It is also a benchmark for the performance of small-cap…
What is Open Outcry? Open outcry is a trading method used in futures pits and stock exchanges where traders use verbal and nonverbal signals to communicate. Before the advent of electronic trading, nearly all financial trading was conducted via open outcry. This is the picture people see of stockbrokers on TV shouting and using hand…
What is the Required Rate of Return? The required rate of return (hurdle rate) is the minimum return that an investor is expecting to receive for their investment. Essentially, the required rate is the minimum acceptable compensation for the investment’s level of risk. The required rate of return is a key concept in corporate finance…
What is Fundamental Analysis? In accounting and finance, fundamental analysis is a method of assessing the intrinsic value of a security by analyzing various macroeconomic and microeconomic factors. The ultimate goal of fundamental analysis is to quantify the intrinsic value of a security. The security’s intrinsic value can then be compared to its current market…
What are Commodities? Commodities are another class of assets, just like stocks and bonds. Most commodities are products that come from the earth that possess uniform quality, are produced in large quantities, and are produced by many different producers. Major commodities include cotton, oil, gas, corn, wheat, oranges, gold, and uranium. Basically, they are the…
