A (credit rating)

An A credit rating is given to borrowers that are considered to have a strong ability to meet their financial commitments. However, they might be more affected by changes in circumstances or economic conditions than borrowers with higher ratings.

AA (credit rating)

An AA credit rating signals a very strong capacity to meet financial commitments. It's one notch below the highest AAA rating, showing high creditworthiness. While highly reliable, borrowers with an AA rating face slightly more risk than those rated AAA, especially in challenging economic conditions.Learn more

AAA (credit rating)

An AAA credit rating represents the highest level of creditworthiness. It indicates an exceptional ability to meet financial commitments, making it the safest investment grade. Borrowers with AAA ratings are considered to have the strongest capacity to withstand economic challenges and maintain their obligations.

Abnormal return

An abnormal return is the difference between an investment's expected return and the actual return. It indicates how much better or worse the investment did compared to what was anticipated, revealing its performance relative to market expectations.

Absolute return funds

Absolute return funds are investment funds designed to make money in all market conditions. They focus on returns rather than trying to outperform the market, and employ a range of strategies - like short selling - in an aim to profit regardless of market direction.

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Accelerated monitoring fees

Accelerated monitoring fees are charges a company pays in advance to private equity advisors for ongoing services, typically triggered when the company is sold or goes public. This upfront payment covers future services that were supposed to be provided over several years.

Accelerated Return Note

An accelerated return note is a financial product that offers potentially higher returns than a specific asset's performance. If the asset does well, investors get increased gains quickly. However, there's a risk of losing money if the asset performs poorly, making it a high-reward but risky investment.

Accounting Currency

Accounting currency is the currency that a company uses in its bookkeeping. While accounting currency may differ from operational currency - i.e. the currency in which a company transacts day-to-day business - it is the main currency for recording transactions and reporting results.

Accounting Insolvency

Accounting insolvency occurs when a company's liabilities exceed its assets on the balance sheet, indicating it owes more than it owns. It's a financial condition in which the company can't cover its debts with its current assets, suggesting potential financial trouble.

Accounting liquidity

Accounting liquidity measures how quickly a company can pay off its short-term debts using available assets. High liquidity means that a company can easily meet its financial obligations, indicating good financial health. Accounting liquidity is crucial for managing cash flow and ensuring operational stability.

Accounting Rate of Return

The accounting rate of return calculates the potential profitability of investments based on their expected net income relative to the initial investment cost and serves to evaluate the financial viability of new projects.

Accounting Ratio

An accounting ratio is a financial metric derived from two or more numerical values found in a company's financial statements. It's used to assess a firm's financial health, operational efficiency, and profitability.

Accretive

Accretive refers to any process or transaction, such as a merger or acquisition, that positively influences the value or earnings of a company or financial asset.

Accretive acquisition

An accretive acquisition is when a company purchases another company, and the resulting merger increases the acquiring company's earnings per share, enhancing shareholder value.

Accrual accounting

Accrual accounting is an accounting method where revenue and expenses are recorded when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when the cash transactions occur. This approach can help provide a more accurate picture of a company’s financial position.

Accrue

In finance, to accrue means to accumulate or receive payments or benefits over time, especially with reference to accruing interest or expenses that are recognised in the accounts before being paid.

Acid-test ratio

The acid test ratio, also known as the quick ratio, measures a company's ability to cover its short-term liabilities with its most liquid assets, excluding inventory, and is recognised as a stringent indicator of financial stability.

Acquisition structure

Acquisition structure refers to the financial and legal framework of a deal when a company acquisition happens. This includes the arrangement of payments, asset transfers, and integration strategies.

Active Investing

Active investing involves the frequent buying and selling of assets to exploit short-term market movements in an attempt to profit.

Active Order

An active order is a trading order that has been placed but not yet been executed, and remains active until either being filled or cancelled. An active order could be a limit order, stop order or conditional order, and can help traders manage positions by specifying the price they are willing to pay or accept for an asset.Learn more

Active trading

Active trading refers to frequent buying and selling of assets in an attempt to profit from short-term market movements, rather than long-term 'buy and hold' type investments.

Activist shareholder

An activist shareholder is someone who purchases a large quantity of a company's shares in an attempt to effect significant change within the company, often seeking to improve financial returns and shareholder value.

Adams Express Company

The Adams Express Company definition is of a diversified equity fund that operates as a closed-end fund, investing primarily in US shares. The company was originally established as a freight and cargo business.

Adjusted Present Value (APV)

Adjusted present value (APV) is a valuation method that separates the value of an investment project from the value of its financing side effects, like tax shields, calculating net present value using the unlevered cost of capital.

Advanced Computerized Execution System

The Advanced Computerised Execution System refers to an electronic platform used in trading that uses advanced algorithms and automation to execute large volumes of securities transactions.

AEX index

The AEX Index is a major stock market index tracking the performance of the top stocks traded on the Amsterdam Exchange. It is often seen as a proxy for the general health of the Dutch stock market and overall economy.

After-Hours Trading (AHT)

After hours trading refers to the buying and selling of assets outside the standard trading hours of major exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange. It might be used in an attempt to capitalise on price movements following key news events, to hedge, or to avoid price gapping. After hours trading can potentially be more volatile, and therefore risky.

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Agency security

An agency security is a form of debt security issued or guaranteed by US government-sponsored enterprises or federal agencies, excluding US Treasury securities, often used for funding specific governmental activities.

Agricultural Bank of China

The Agricultural Bank of China is a major Chinese bank that provides financial services to agricultural, rural, and farmer communities, with the aim of enhancing China's agricultural economy and rural development.

Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend

The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend is an annual payment made to Alaska residents that meets eligibility criteria, funded by the profits from the state's oil revenue to distribute wealth from natural resources.

Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund

The Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund is a sovereign wealth fund established by the Alberta government to manage and invest the surplus revenues from the province's oil and gas resources for future generations.

Alerts

In finance, alerts are notifications sent to traders or investors about significant events or changes in their portfolio or market conditions, helping them make timely decisions based on the latest information.

Algorithmic trading

Algorithmic trading is a method of executing trades using computer algorithms based on predefined criteria, without human intervention. It capitalises on speed and precision, handling vast amounts of data and executing orders quickly in an attempt to exploit market opportunities across asset classes like shares and forex.Learn more

All in method

The all-in method in finance considers all possible costs and revenues in the analysis or evaluation of a project to ensure all factors are accounted for in decision-making.

Alpha generation platform

An alpha generation platform in finance refers to tools or systems used by traders and investment managers to identify potential investment opportunities that are expected to yield market-beating returns.

Altcoins

Altcoins are cryptocurrencies that propose improvements or differing features and technologies to bitcoin, aiming to address perceived limitations of the most prominent coin.

Alternative asset

An alternative asset is an investment in non-traditional categories such as real estate, commodities, and hedge funds, and can be used to diversify investment portfolios beyond conventional shares.

Alternative display facility

The Alternative Display Facility is an electronic system used in trading to provide exchange services like quote dissemination and trade reporting without providing a full trading venue.

Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive 2011

AIFM stands for Alternative Investment Fund Managers, referring to managers who handle funds investing in assets including real estate, hedge funds, and private equity.

Alternative public offering

An alternative public offering (APO) is a method for private companies to become publicly traded by merging with an existing public shell company, an alternative to traditional initial public offerings.

Alternative trading system

Alternative Trading Systems (ATS) are trading venues that match buyers and sellers to find counterparties for transactions, alternative to traditional exchanges, often used for trading stocks or bonds.

Alternext

Alternext is a subsidiary market by the stock exchange Euronext designed for small and mid-sized companies that do not meet the regulatory listing requirements of the main stock exchange, providing a potentially easier access point to capital markets.

Altman Z-score

The Altman Z Score is a formula used to predict the likelihood of a company entering bankruptcy within two years, based on various corporate income and balance sheet values.

American depositary receipts (ADRs)

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are certificates issued by US banks representing shares in foreign companies, allowing these shares to be traded on US stock exchanges.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is an organisation that oversees the development of standards for products, services, processes, and systems in the US.

Amex Composite Index

The Amex Index refers to a series of stock market indices on the NYSE American, which lists small to medium-sized US and international companies, providing a benchmark for their performance.

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Amex Gold Miners Index

The Amex Gold Miners Index is a stock market index that tracks the performance of major companies involved in the gold mining industry, traded on the NYSE American exchange.

AMX index (Midcap)

The AMX Index is a Dutch stock market index that tracks the performance of mid-cap stocks on the Euronext Amsterdam, providing a benchmark for their economic health.

Ancillary Revenue

Ancillary revenue refers to the income derived from goods and services that complement primary business operations, such as baggage fees for airlines or maintenance services for equipment manufacturers.

Angel Investor

An angel investor is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity, typically focusing on early-stage ventures.

Animal spirits

In finance, animal spirits refer to the emotional and psychological factors that drive traders’ decisions, leading to fluctuations in financial markets beyond what would be expected from rational behaviour.

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Annual equivalent rate (AER)

The annual equivalent rate (AER) is a re-calculation of the rate of interest on a loan or other debt product to give the figure as it would be if it were calculated annually. This is valuable for consumers with debts where interest is worked out monthly or quarterly.

Annual general meeting (AGM)

An annual general meeting (AGM) is a yearly gathering of a company's interested shareholders that allows stakeholders to receive updates on the company's health and ask questions to the board of directors.

Annual percentage rate (APR)

The annual percentage rate (APR) is a detailed measure of the cost of borrowing on an annual basis. It includes interest and any additional fees or charges, making it a key indicator for comparing different loans and credit terms.

Annual Percentage Yield

The annual percentage yield (APY) measures the total amount of interest paid on an account, based on the interest rate and the frequency of compounding. It shows how much a deposit will earn in a year.

Annual total return

Annual total return represents a percentage that shows the total gain or loss of an investment over a one-year period, incorporating all sources of investment income including dividends, interest, and capital gains.

Annualized loss expectancy

Annualised loss expectancy, or ALE, is a risk-management metric used to estimate the monetary loss that an organisation can expect within a year due to risks identified in its operations.

Annuities

Annuities are financial products structured to provide a steady income stream, and are typically used as part of retirement strategies. Payments from annuities can be scheduled over a fixed period or for the recipient's lifetime.

Arab Monetary Fund (AMF)

The Arab Monetary Fund is an Abu-Dhabi based regional financial organisation focused on fostering monetary cooperation and financial stability among its member countries in the Arab world.

Arbitrage

Arbitrage refers to when an asset is simultaneously purchased and sold in different markets in an attempt to profit from price discrepancies, exploiting these differences to earn potentially risk-free returns.

Arbitrage betting

Arbitrage betting is a strategy where bets are placed on all possible outcomes of an event at odds that guarantee a profit regardless of the result, often exploiting differences in bookmaker odds.

Arbitrage pricing theory

Arbitrage pricing theory (APT) describes an asset pricing model that predicts the returns of a financial asset based on its exposure to multiple risk factors, and serves as an alternative to the capital asset pricing model, or CAPM.

Articles of incorporation

Articles of incorporation are legal documents filed with a governmental body to legally document the creation of a corporation. They outline the primary purposes, structure, and other essential details of the company.

AScX index (Small Cap)

The ASCX Index tracks the performance of small market cap companies listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, offering a benchmark for the smaller company segment of the Netherlands stock market.

Ask Price

The ask price is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for an asset. In trading, it's the lowest price you can buy a security, such as a stock or currency.

Asset

An asset refers to any resource with economic value that an individual, company, or institution owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide future financial benefit. Assets can include shares, commodities, real estate, and currencies, many of which can be traded with derivative products such as CFDs.

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Asset allocation

Asset allocation refers to an investment strategy that aims to balance risk and reward by segmenting a portfolio's assets according to an individual's goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon.

Asset Classes

An asset class is a group of securities that behave similarly in the marketplace, are subject to the same laws and regulations, and are typically used together as part of an investment strategy, such as shares, commodities, or indices.

Asset purchase

An asset purchase involves acquiring specific assets of a company rather than its stock. This method allows the buyer to obtain only the parts of the business they want, avoiding unwanted liabilities.

Asset stripping

Asset stripping describes the practice of buying a company and then selling its individual assets separately for a profit, often disregarding the long-term health or viability of the original company.

Asset Valuation

Asset valuation is the process of determining the current worth of a financial asset or company. It might involve methods such as discounted cash flow analysis, comparable company analysis, or using market values for assets like stocks and bonds to establish their fair market value.

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Asset-backed commercial paper program

An asset-backed commercial paper program involves issuing short-term securities, backed by a pool of assets, typically used by companies to meet immediate cash flow needs.

Asset-based approach

An asset-based approach is a method of business valuation that focuses on the value of a company's tangible and intangible assets, rather than its earnings or market position.

Assets under management (AUM)

Assets under management refers to the total market value of the investments that a financial institution or asset manager manages on behalf of clients. AUM can include money, real estate, and other assets that are being actively managed.

Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry

The Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) is a professional organisation that represents the interests of the Luxembourg investment fund community, promoting its development while ensuring its members operate within the legal and regulatory framework of the market.

Assurance contract

An assurance contract is a financial arrangement, typically related to insurance, where coverage is provided against certain events in exchange for premiums paid by the policyholder. The term is also used in economics to describe a scenario where a project is funded after a set amount of pledges are secured to ensure its viability.

Athex 20

The ATHEX 20 is a stock market index of the twenty largest companies by market capitalisation listed on the Athens Stock Exchange in Greece. It serves as a benchmark for the performance of the Greek equities market.

Attitude to Risk

Attitude to risk refers to the willingness of a trader to take positions that represent a higher chance of losing their capital. More risk-averse traders prefer lower risk assets that may have less upside but also less downside, while risk-seeking traders accept the higher chance of losing money for more potential upside.

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Auction process

The auction process definition explains a method of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder. It’s conducted in a public setting where multiple potential buyers place competitive bids.

Audited account

An audited account is a financial statement that has been examined and verified by an independent auditor. The audit process ensures that the accounts accurately represent the entity’s financial position and comply with relevant accounting standards and regulations. This provides assurance to stakeholders about the accuracy of financial reporting.

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Auditor

An auditor is someone qualified to produce a set of audited company accounts, and is usually an accountant by profession. They have the duty to scrutinise the numbers presented by management and raise questions where there are concerns.

Australian Securities Exchange

The Australia Securities Exchange is the primary securities exchange in Australia, located in Sydney. It hosts the trading of shares and other securities. The related index market, which lists the leading blue-chip Australian companies, can be traded on Capital.com as the Australia 200.

Automated Market-Making (AMM)

Automated market making (AMM) is a type of trading system that uses algorithms to set buy and sell prices, providing continuous liquidity to markets. AMMs determine prices based on trading volume and demand, functioning without traditional human market makers.

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Automated Trading

Automated trading involves the use of computer programs and algorithms to enter and exit trades based on pre-defined criteria and without human intervention, often used to execute orders rapidly and at optimal prices.Learn more

Automated Valuation Model (AVM)

An automated valuation model, or AVM, describes a service that uses mathematical modelling to value properties by analysing various data points, commonly used by real estate industries and lenders for quick property appraisals.

Average accounting return

The average accounting return is a financial ratio that reflects the average profits earned by an investment relative to its initial cost or average book value.

Average accounts receivable

Used by businesses, average accounts receivable is a measure used to determine the average amount of money being owed by customers over a period, typically calculated by averaging the opening and closing balances of receivables over a fiscal period.

Average Daily Trading Volume

Average daily trading volume refers to the average number of shares or contracts traded for a specific security or in a market during a specific period, typically calculated over a day. This figure helps investors gauge the liquidity and activity level of the trading asset, influencing decisions regarding the ease of entering or exiting positions.Learn more

Average Price

Average price is the mean price of a good or service over a specific time period, often used to smooth out price data to see underlying price trends more clearly.Learn more

Average propensity to consume

The average propensity to consume is an economic measure that shows the proportion of total income or total expenditure spent on consumption. It indicates how spending levels change with income levels.

Average propensity to save

The average propensity to save represents the fraction of total income that a person saves rather than uses for consumption. It is calculated as savings divided by total net income.

Averaging Down

Averaging down is an investment strategy that involves buying additional shares of a stock that one already owns after the price has dropped, decreasing the average price per share.

What is a commodity?

Commodity

Looking for a commodity definition? A commodity is a basic good or primary good that one can group under standard headings before they are then traded. Commodities are mostly used as part of the production of finished goods and services and fall into categories such as oils, minerals and agricultural produce. Each commodity is interchangeable, which is why any attempts to set up a gemstone commodity market have failed since each gemstone is different from the other.

Where have you heard about commodities?

As commodities form part of a finished good or service, they can quickly impact everything else along the supply chain. For example, if there is a shortage of a commodity, production is affected and thus the end price of the product or service is too. For this reason, the media often reports on when supply of commodities has risen or fallen as it usually means everyday products rise or fall in price. For example, a bad crop or flooding may cause the price of potatoes to rise, or political developments causing oil to become more expensive would generally cause a hike in petrol prices.

What you need to know about commodities…

There are many different types of commodities, but the basic idea is that each type of the commodity is the same regardless of its producer. For example, a portion of grain from one producer will likely not differ from another portion of grain from another producer.

Types of commodities

Commodities can be soft or hard, with energy forming a subcategory under hard commodities. All types of commodities are found in the futures market and are regularly traded by investors looking to make a profit.

Soft commodities: this generally refers to commodities that are grown – for example, coffee, corn, sugar, cocoa, wheat, livestock and agricultural goods are all classed as soft commodities. The production of these commodities relies a lot on the weather so any unseasonable weather or a strong storm season can have a huge affect on the production of these commodities. As a result, the prices of soft commodities are often unpredictable making soft commodities a volatile type of commodity. This is particularly true for crops as they can be only produced in specific regions around the world where temperature, soil quality and humidity are deemed ideal. If these conditions differ in any way, it can have a detrimental affect on crop production.

Hard commodities: this generally means mined commodities, referring to assets including energy goods (such as oil and natural goods) and metals (such as copper, silver, gold, aluminium and steel). When commodities make the headlines, it’s usually centred on hard commodities as their production and supply often relate to economic health, whether that be on a local, regional or global basis. Countries where a large amount of hard commoditiesare produced (Peru, for example, which produces high quantities of gold) rely a lot on exports and as a result currency is often tied to its value.

Energy commodities: these are a subcategory within hard commodities, referring to assets such as oil, coil and natural gas. Since the world has a strong appetite (and arguably a growing appetite) for energy, energy commodities are a popular choice of investment for traders looking to make large profits. The most commonly traded type of energy commodity is crude oil, with over 87 million barrels traded every single day. Other major types of energy commodities include natural gas, which is used for everything from heating houses to cooking meals, and coal, which makes up 20% of the world’s total energy consumption. Uranium, electricity, solar power, ethanol and wind power are other types of energy commodities.

How you can invest in commodities

Those looking to invest in commodities should be aware that commodities are usually traded in large volumes electronically. As a result, it is not always a wise idea for beginner traders to invest in commodities directly. Instead, beginner traders looking to invest in commodities are sometimes recommended to invest indirectly via companies working in the production of commodities – a silver mining company, for example. This less-risky approach would be considered a better starting point as it does not present the problem/dilemmas of minimum buy quantities and physical storage of the commodity.

Another indirect way to invest in commoditiesis via a fund or investment trust, which offers diversification within your portfolio, with funds investing in different types of commodities and thus spreading the risk. Commodity funds can be true commodity funds (where they have direct holdings in commodities); commodity funds that hold futures (similar to a mutual fund strategy); natural resource funds (which invest in companies that engage in business relating to commodities); and combination funds (which invest in both actual commodities and commodity futures).

Trading commodities with CFDs (contracts for difference) is a popular way to speculate on the financial markets. CFD brokers quote prices on many global commodity markets including gold, copper, oil and wheat. If you choose to trade commodities using CFDs, you’ll have both the advantages and the disadvantages of trading on margin. But you’ll always get a cash settlement rather than a physical delivery – and that’s an important issue to consider.

Those choosing toinvest in commodities physically will encounter the issue of storage. Although there are several firms that now offer safe asset storage, direct investors in commodities will incur the additional costs of storage and insurance, as well as the costs associated with buying and selling. In order for the investor to ensure they buy commodities at a good price, they will also have to invest in large quantities of the commodity.

Summing up, when starting out in commodity investing, it is best to either invest in an investment fund or trust or buy shares in associated companies. It is also recommended that traders keep in mind that commodities are volatile and that they look at the rest of their portfolio as many oil and gas companies make up a large portion of the FTSE 100.

Commodities buyers and producers

The trading of commodities is usually carried out via futures contracts on exchanges, with a minimum commodity quantity of quality usually specified. Buyers and producers of commodities are one of the two types traders of commodity futures, usually trading for hedging purposes and making or taking delivery of the physical commodity once the contract expires.

Commodities speculators

The other main type of trader trading in commodity futures is the commodity speculator, who trades in commodities with the intention to make a profit from extreme market volatility. Being a speculator often involves a large quantity of research and the constant analysis of technical and fundamental factors affecting the market. Speculators do not intend to ever make or take delivery of the actual commodity when the contract expires, but instead takes a long or short financial position with the aim to make money. So long as they play by the rules and regulations within the market, commodity speculators bring liquidity to the market, helping the market to operate efficiently for everyone involved.

Exchanges

As mentioned above, commodities are traded on exchanges with each exchange specialising in a certain type of commodity – for example, the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) trades in corn, silver, wheat, oats, rice, soybeans, ethanol and gold and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) trades in natural gas, electricity and crude oil. The largest physical commodity exchange is the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), which trades in a wide range of different products, with the Commodity Exchange Inc operating as a division within the NYMEX.

Find out more about commodities…

Our online glossary contains a wide range of different definitions relating to financial terms, and in particular commodities and commodity trading. Further explore commodities by reading our definitions of fossil fuel, exchange and trade.