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A price gap describes the situation where a stock opens at a price either higher or lower than the closing price the day before. This usually happens when some news affecting the value of the stock is announced after the market closes, e.g., positive or negative earnings, a buy-out, etc. Stocks that gap at the open often move back toward the previous close before moving again, but not always. Strong news such as projected higher earnings from the company tend to drive the stock without the pull back.

This is a market order where the investor gives the floor trader the discretion to execute the order when he feels it is best. If the floor trader feels that the market will decline, he may hold the order to try to get a better fill. This order may not get filled.

The holder of shares purchased ex rights is not entitled to already-declared rights, but is entitled to future rights issues.

This is where a company reduces the number of outstanding shares by decreasing the number of available shares and combining their value into the fewer shares. This has the effect of increasing the stock’s par value. This is often used by companies whose stock is about to be delisted from an exchange because of its low price.

Latest share price divided by book value stated in latest report.

The Registered Trader assigned by the Selection Committee to act as market maker in a security. Their duties include providing a minimum guaranteed fill, maintaining minimum spread and ensuring orderly trading.

This is an order to be executed at the market price when the market closes. Institutions frequently use this method to buy or sell large numbers of shares, e.g., when a stock is to be added or deleted from an index and the institution must buy or sell the stock for an index fund. These orders are also used on day trades in order to close a position at the end of the session regardless of the price. It can also be used when you want to exit a position that day, but do not want to cut off a stock that is running during the day-place a market on close order and your trade will be executed at the closing price. As with all market orders, there is risk in that the stock that was rising and hit a target you would be happy at selling at, but then falls right before the close.

Ex-dividend/distribution date. The date that the buyer of a stock is not entitled to the upcoming declared dividend/distribution, because the buyer will not be a holder of record. The ex-d date is two clearing days before the record date. The exchange that the issue is listed on sets the ex-d date.

A transaction or series of transactions that includes a securities issuance made by a listed issuer to parties vending securities or other assets into the listed issuer (the new security’s holders), such that after completion of the transaction(s), the new security’s holders will own more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the listed issuer, with an accompanying change of control of the listed issuer. A reverse takeover (RTO)/backdoor listing can be completed through various transactions, including a business or asset acquisition, an amalgamation, a plan of arrangement, or other form of reorganization. The listing of securities of an issuer formed in accordance with an RTO/backdoor listing is treated as a new listing.

Latest share price divided by 12-month earnings per share (eps). Also a measure of the market’s enthusiasm for a company.