Book to Bill Ratio

The ratio of a company’s new orders to shipments in the same period. A book to bill ratio greater than 1.0 indicates sales growth. Ratios less than 1.0 reflect shrinking sales. Used mostly in the semiconductor industry.

Symbol Change

A change in a listed issuer’s stock symbol, which may be required by the Exchange in the context of an issuer’s reorganization or may be made at the request of the issuer. A requested symbol is available for use if it is appropriate for the type of security and the issuer’s voting structure.

Normalized Earnings

Profits a company can be expected to achieve taking out cyclical effects and unusual events such as one-time write-offs caused by late product releases, customer bankruptcies and the like. 

Booked Orders

Orders that do not trade immediately upon entry. These orders are also known as outstanding orders.

Odd Lot

A block of stock consisting of less than 100 shares. When odd lots trade, a premium is usually tacked on by the specialist or market maker. These receive the least favorable price and trade last.

Bottom Line

After-tax earnings. Literally, the bottom line on an income statement (a.k.a. net income or profit). 

Technical Analysis

The study and use of price and volume charts and other technical indicators to make trading decisions. Technical analysis attempts to use past stock price and volume information to predict future price movements. Fundamentally, technical analysis shows in graphic form investor sentiment, both greed and fear. Understanding that concept is key to understanding technical analysis and being able to use it effectively to trade securities. With proper technical analysis, you can be ready for certain moves, and when your analysis is confirmed by the actual start of the move, trading positions can be taken. Technical analysis can be used for short-term trading or long-term position buying. We use if for both, and the two are closely related.

On-Stop (O/S) Order

A special-term order placed with the intention of trading at a later date when the price of the stock reaches the specified stop price. An on-stop order becomes a limit order once a trade at the trigger price has occurred.

Split Shares

Capital and preferred shares issued by a split-share corporation. A split-share corporation holds common shares of one or more companies. The corporation then issues two classes of shares – capital shares and preferred shares. The objective is to generate fixed, cumulative, preferential dividends for the holders of preferred shares and to enable the holders of the capital shares to participate in any capital appreciation (or depreciation) in the underlying common shares.