Portfolio

Holdings of securities by an individual or institution. A portfolio may include various types of securities representing different companies and industry sectors.

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.

Preferred Stock

Debt instruments. Preferred shareholders are paid ahead of common stock holders in the event the corporation is liquidated. Convertible preferred shares can be converted into common stock according to predetermined conditions.

Price Gap

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.