A type of underwriting where the brokerage firm acts as principal. The brokerage firm risks its own capital to purchase all of the securities to be issued. If the price of the securities decreases before the brokerage firm has had a chance to resell the securities to its clients, the firm absorbs the loss.
Archives
American-Style Options
Options that can be exercised any time during their lifetime. These are also known as open options.
Analyst
Someone typically working for a brokerage house, who publishes buy/hold/sell recommendations and earnings forecasts for a stock. Buy side analysts work for institutional buyers, and sell side analysts work for brokerages.
Annual Report
A publication, including financial statements and a report on operations, issued by a company to its shareholders at the company’s fiscal year-end.
Anonymous Trading
Permits Participating Organizations to voluntarily withhold their true broker identities when entering orders and trades on TSX trading systems.
Ask or Offer
The lowest price at which someone is willing to sell the security. When combined with the bid price information, it forms the basis of a stock quote.
Ask Price
The price you are asked to pay when you buy a stock (see ‘Bid Price’).
Ask Size
The aggregate size in board lots of the most recent ask to sell a particular security.
Asset Allocation
The process of dividing your funds among different classes of investments such as stock, bond, or real estate. You could further allocate your stock funds into value, growth, foreign, etc.
Assets
Everything a company or person owns, including money, securities, equipment and real estate. Assets include everything that is owed to the company or person. Assets are listed on a company’s balance sheet or an individual’s net worth statement.