Same Store Sales

Sales at retail stores or restaurants open at least one year. A chain’s same store sales growth excludes gains due to increases in the number of stores. Same store sales growth in the 5 percent to 10 percent range is considered good.

Screening

Searching the entire universe of mutual funds or stocks meeting user-specified criteria.

Put/Call Ratio

The ratio of put trading volume divided by the call trading volume. For example, a put/call ratio of 0.74 means that for every 100 calls bought, 74 puts were bought. It is a contrary indicator. A reading of 1.0 or more is very bullish as most people think the market is going down. When the majority thinks the market is going to move a certain direction, it usually does the opposite.

Quiet Period

Time after IPO, typically 25 days, when all parties involved in IPO are prohibited from commenting on the company’s future prospects. Analysts employed by underwriters are free to make buy/hold/sell recommendations after the Quiet Period expiration.

Quote

Information on the last trade, and current bid and asked prices. Most quotes are intentionally delayed about 20 minutes.

Rally

A brisk rise in the general price level of the market or price of a stock.

Record Date

This is the date that a stock must be in your account for you to receive a dividend. The record date has nothing to do with how we trade stock splits.

Redeemable Security

A security that carries a condition giving the issuer a right to call in and retire that security at a certain price and for a certain period of time.