Wall Street Words

Publisher Description

Explanations of the whys and wherefores of investing are provided in nearly 50 tips contributed by experts in the areas of finance and investment.

Most Important Wall Street Terms You Should Know If you have ever gotten lost in the jargon of Wall Street, you aren't alone. Professional money managers and traders often sound like they're speaking a foreign language, which can leave small investors at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, jargon is likely to be here to stay, just as it is in sectors outside the financial world. Whether you're just flirting with investing or head-over-heels for the stock market, you'll eventually hear some phrases that give you pause. Wall Street Jargon Has Been Designed to Confuse You The language used by Wall Street professionals can make reading financial news difficult to understand for those outside the business, and can certainly be intimidating for an irregular observer, that is unfamiliar with the ways of Wall Street. Understanding what they're actually saying will help you make smarter investing decisions. With that in mind, here's a primer on the A to Z of the Wall Street universe. This practical glossary of Wall Street terms covers everything from investment fundamentals to the sophisticated terminology of contemporary finance. Over 140 of the most important and common terms are explained in detail, with clear and concise article style description and practical examples. Make Wall Street Lingo Less of a Mystery Wall Street stock market jargon has the potential to be confusing, which leads to apathy, which leads to you not paying enough attention to the markets and your money. Taking time to understand the Wall Street vocabulary can help you with your financial planning, eliminating confusion, and get you better prepared for any swift and smooth financial transaction.

The leading indicator of the language of The Street-is a clear, precise, comprehensive guide that will benefit all investors-novices and industry professionals alike.

The exchanges : at home and abroad -- Exchange operations : bringing order to the markets -- Playing fair : rules and regulations -- The big wheels : Wall Street professionals -- The money machines : bankers, economists and world trade -- The money makers : corporations at home and abroad -- Investors, big and small -- The industry guard dogs : regulators, enforcers and safety nets -- Economics for investors : the ups and downs of business the business cycle -- Economic indicators : taking the business cycle temperature -- The long and short of trends, cycles and crashes : market movement and the indexes that track them -- Stocks : owning a piece of something big -- Funds : letting a professional make the decisions -- Bonds : loaning corporations and governments money -- Options and futures : taking bigger chances -- Initial public offerings : the darling of the 90s -- Fundamental analysis : cheap or undervalued? -- Decoding financial statements : seeing beyond the numbers -- Equity valuations : it's all relative -- Bond valuations : all debt is not created equal -- Technical analysis : using the past to predict the future -- Charting : more than pretty pictures -- Tools that match your style : starting with the right broker -- Orders, quotes and fills : getting the price you want -- Recordkeeping and taxes : paying the piper -- Investor resources : getting help when you need it -- Acronyms : alphabet soup.

"Words on the Street" is an experienced insider's analysis of Wall Street language. This informative and entertaining exploration of marketplace rhetoric focuses on metaphors derived from the fascinating arenas of games, love, war, politics, religion, the fine arts, and natural physical science. This expose reviews that wordplay in the context of the American Dream. Armies of books describe marketplace structure and instruments, recount economic history, or unveil personalities and strategies of heroic (or scandalous) individuals and institutions. "Words on the Street" is different. It enlightens Wall Street professionals, Main Street audiences, policy makers, and academics regarding Wall Street talk and its implications. Wall Street and American Dream rhetoric reflect and shape marketplace perspectives and thereby influence quests to make, keep, and manage money. Therefore Wall Street propaganda has major financial consequences for both Wall Street insiders and Main Street. "Words" may change marketplace viewpoints, including dogmas related to investment. This cultural investigation shows how investors and other players are persuaded to venture into and stay within stock, interest rate, currency, and commodity arenas. The opportunity to make money is a very incomplete explanation. The book is extensively documented from financial sources and via references to literature, film, and music. This study of Wall Street's language and rhetorical methods benefits Wall Street professionals, Main Street residents, businesses, politicians, and regulators seeking insight on how and why Wall Street sermons attract and convince them. Enticed by the oratory of Wall Street and its allies, many millions of Main Street dwellers around the globe have marched into and remained within Wall Street, often to "invest." The recent worldwide economic crisis underlines the importance of Wall Street marketplaces, even for those who have not carried their own money directly to Wall Street tables. "Words on the Street" demolishes the scientific ambitions and claims, not only of Wall Street, but also of economics and other social "sciences." "Words" investigates and discredits the counterfeit science (alleged objectivity) of the influential armies of would-be Newtons, Einsteins, Darwins, and Fords roaming throughout Wall Street and economics. Its analysis of Wall Street language in the context of the American Dream will fascinate American history scholars and students. Finally, "Words" provides an innovative yet persuasive explanation of cultural reasoning and how it differs from scientific rationality. Leo Haviland has three decades of experience in the Wall Street trading environment. Leo has worked for Goldman Sachs, Sempra Energy Trading, and other institutions. In his research and sales career in stock, interest rate, foreign exchange, and commodity battlefields, he has dealt with numerous and diverse financial institutions and individuals. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa) and the Cornell Law School.

Richard Maturi provides a concise explanation of the investment markets and defines and explains hundreds of words and terms--completely updated and including dozens of new entries.