This is the price of the last trade of a stock when the market closes for the day. This price is of primary importance in our trading as where a stock closes in its range tells us much about the direction and momentum of the stock.
Archives
At-The-Open
This is a stock’s trading price when a stock begins trading for the day. It may gap up, gap down, or open where it closed the previous session. Where a stock opens can be deceptive, especially if the stock gaps up or down significantly from the closing price.
Average Daily Volume
Average number of shares traded per day over a specified period.
Average P/E Ratio
Average price/earnings ratio of stocks owned by a mutual fund.
Averages and Indices
Statistical tools that measure the state of the stock market or the economy, based on the performance of stocks, bonds or other components. Examples are the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index, the S&P/TSX Composite Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Consumer Price Index.
Averaging Down
Buying more of a security at a price that is lower than the price paid for the initial investment. The aim of averaging down is to reduce the average cost per unit of the investment.
Back-End Load
Sales charge paid when selling a mutual fund (a.k.a. deferred load).
Backtesting
Determining the results of using particular screening criteria, as if the screen had been run at some point back in time, and the selected stocks or funds were held for a predetermined time period and then sold.
Balance Sheet
A financial statement listing a company’s assets (what it owns) and liabilities (what it owes) as of a specific date, usually the last day of a company’s fiscal quarter. The difference between a company’s assets and liabilities is termed its net worth or shareholder’s equity.
Basing
This occurs when a stock trades sideways in various signature patterns (e.g., cup with handle, saucer base, flat base) while it is under accumulation prior to its next move up. We look for these stocks as they can lead to explosive moves out of the bases.