Pro Forma Earnings

Earnings without considering certain expenses such as inventory write downs, severance pay, depreciation and amortization charges, or just about anything else the company feels like excluding to make its earnings look better. Also known as core earnings, ongoing earnings, earnings excluding special items, or operating earnings. 

Profit

What is left over for the owners of a business after all expenses have been deducted from revenues. Gross profit is the profit before corporate income taxes. Net profit is the final profit of the business after taxes have been paid.

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.

Preferred Shares

These are a type of stock issued by a company. Preferred shares give such shareholders a fixed dividend from the company’s earnings. Preferred shareholders also get paid before common shareholders.

Open Order

An order that remains in the system for more than a day. See Good-Till-Cancelled or Good-Till-Date.

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.