Options carry a high level of risk and are not suitable for all investors. Certain requirements must be met to trade options through Schwab. Multiple leg options strategies will involve multiple commissions. Please read the options disclosure document titled "Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options." Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.
Please contact a tax advisor for the tax implications involved in the options strategies referenced.
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A limit order to buy or sell a security for a specified price that is higher than the current market price. A sell order may be placed above the market in an attempt to sell at higher prices. However, if the market does not reach these prices, the order will go unfilled.
Above the Money
For straddles and collars, strike prices of the call and the put are above the current price of the underlying security.
Advance-Decline (AD) Line
The Advance-Decline (AD) line is the cumulative total for the difference between the number of advancing stocks and the number of declining stocks in a given market. The AD line for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the most widely used measure of market breadth. If there are more advances than declines, the AD is a positive number; if there are more declines, the AD number is negative. That daily number is added to the cumulative AD line. The AD line gives us information on whether the majority of stocks are following the trend of the commonly followed stock indices.
All Money
In reference to Advanced Options, all pairings for the specified strike range, excluding leaps.
All or None (AON)
An All or None (AON) order directs the broker to attempt to fill the entire amount of an order or none of it during the time limit specified. AON orders do not require immediate execution, and are only applicable to limit orders.
American Depository Receipt
ADRs are securities issued by commercial banks that represent the shares of a foreign company. Generally speaking, a foreign company will deposit a certain amount of shares with a US commercial bank. The bank will then issue a security based on a specific number of shares. ADRs trade just like domestic stocks on various US stock exchanges, however investors are subject to additional risks, including but not limited to currency fluctuation. Their performance usually parallels that of the parent company on its domestic exchange. ADRs offer international companies greater exposure and investors the chance to invest in well-known foreign companies.
Arbitrage
The simultaneous buying and selling of the same or closely related securities, in different markets to take advantage of price disparities. Arbitrage attempts to realize a profit with minimal to no risk, but generally transaction fees and market inefficiencies will substantially minimize profitability for the retail investor.
Around the Money
For strangles and collars, strike prices of the call and put lie on opposite sides of the current price of the underlying security.
Ask
The ask price is the displayed price at which a market maker or specialist offers to sell a stock.
At the Money
An option is at-the-money if the strike price of the option equals the market price of the underlying security.
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In a bar chart, each time period is represented by a vertical bar that represents the range between the high and low prices. A bar chart displays more information than a line chart, which only shows the closing price for each period. Some variations on the standard bar chart are the following: HL (only the high and low price for each time period), HLC (the high, low, and close), and OHLC (open, high, low, and close).
Bear Trap
A bear trap occurs when prices break below a significant level and generate a sell signal (q.v.), but then reverse course and negate the sell signal, thus trapping the bears that acted on the signal with losses.
Below the Market
A limit order to buy or sell a security for a specific price that is lower than the current market price. Buy orders may be placed below the bid in an attempt to purchase at lower prices. However, if the market does not reach these prices, the order will go unfilled.
Below the Money
For straddles and collars, strike prices of the call and the put are below the current price of the underlying security.
Beta
Beta is a measure of the security's systematic or market risk. The level of the beta indicates the degree of correlation between a security and a market benchmark, usually the S&P 500. The market is the benchmark and has a beta of 1. A beta greater than 1 is more volatile than the overall market, while a beta less than 1 indicates that the security's price is more stable than the market (in general and over a long time period).
Bid
The bid price is the displayed price at which a market maker or specialist offers to buy a stock.
Black Scholes Option Pricing Model
A model used to forecast the price of an option.
Blue Chip
A common stock of an established company that has a long record of earnings, dividends, stability and high credit quality.
Bollinger Bands®
Developed by John Bollinger, Bollinger Bands are indicators that allow for a comparison of volatility and relative price levels over a period time. This indicator consists of three bands designed to encompass the majority of a security's price action:
1. An upper band
2. A lower band
3. A moving average
The time period used for the moving average can vary, but John Bollinger recommends 10 days for short term trading, 20 days for intermediate trading, and 50 days for long term trading. The upper and lower bands are plotted as standard deviation levels -- typically two standard deviations-- above and below the moving average. Since standard deviation is a measure of volatility, the bands are self-adjusting. They typically widen during volatile markets and contract during calmer markets.
The basic interpretation of Bollinger Bands suggests that prices tend to stay within the upper- and lower-bands. The distinctive characteristic of Bollinger Bands is that the spacing between the bands varies based on the volatility of the prices. During periods of extreme price changes (or high volatility), the bands tend to widen to become more forgiving. During periods of stagnant pricing (or low volatility), the bands tend to narrow to contain prices. When prices break through a band, this may indicate that the move is strong enough to continue further.
Boxed Position
Where the security is held in the account both as a long and a short position. These positions can be of equal or unequal quantities (i.e. full or partial box).
Bull Trap
A bull trap occurs when prices break above a significant level and generate a buy signal, but suddenly reverse course and negate the buy signal, thus trapping the bulls that acted on the signal with losses.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a four-legged options strategy, which combines either two call spreads or two put spreads. All four call (or put) legs have the same expiration date, and generally also maintain consistent distances between the three strike prices involved. The strategy gets its name from its 3-part structure, involving the two outer strikes (or "wings") and the middle strike (representing the "body"). Click here to read more about butterfly spreads.
Buy
Purchase of a security.
Buy Signal
A buy signal is a condition that suggests a time to buy a stock. The signal will vary depending on the type of technical indicator used, or it may be based on a non-technical event, such as a change in an analyst recommendations or the release of positive news. Note: It's unwise to base buy or sell decisions on just one indicator.
Buy Stop
A buy stop is a buy order usually placed above the current price, requiring that a security would have to trade at or above a set level before the buy order would be activated. For example, an order could be entered at 35.5 for a security trading just below resistance at 35. By placing a buy stop order just above resistance, the trader prefers to wait for that security to break resistance before going long. This type of order can also be used as a stop loss for a short position. Please note that there is no guarantee that execution will be at or near your stop price.
Buy to Close
You "close" a short option position when you buy it back.
Buy to Open
You "open" a long position when you buy a new option.
Buying Power
This is the maximum dollar value of marginable securities that you can buy in your margin account without depositing additional equity. Buying power is calculated at the close of business each day and may fluctuate throughout the day.
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An option contract that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy 100 shares of the underlying security at a fixed price before a specified expiration date. Call buyers hope the price of the underlying security will rise. Call sellers hope the price will stay the same or go down.
Candlestick Chart
A candlestick chart is similar to a bar chart. The major difference is the graphical depiction of each period in a "candlestick." Each candlestick is formed using the open, high, low, and close of a specific time period. The period can be anything from a minute to a month. The color of the candlestick is determined by the relationship between the open and close. If the close is higher than the open, a white (or green) real body is formed. If the close is lower than the open, a black (or red) real body is formed. If the close and open are the same, it will be a cross. The thin lines above and below the real bodies represent the high and the low for the period and are referred to as shadows. The high for the period is the upper shadow and the low is the lower shadow. It is these shadows, which look like wicks on a candle, that give rise to the term "candlestick."
Capital Gain
The difference in value between what you originally paid for an investment and the price at which you sold, assuming the investment gained in value.
Cash Account
This type of brokerage account requires that you pay for trades in full by the settlement date.
Cash Secured Equity Put (CSEP)
A CSEP consists of any number of short uncovered put options written at a strike price lower than the stock's price, and where the investor must maintain cash or cash equivalents in his account equal to the total amount of the potential assignment in the event the put expires in the money, or is exercised by the owner of the put.
Channel
A channel refers to the area on a price chart between two parallel trend lines that connect the highs and the lows of a prevailing trend.
Charting
The set of techniques used in technical analysis in which charts are used to plot price movements, volume, and other indicators.
Close
The price at which a security closed for trading on a given day.
Common Stock
Common stock is "ownership" of a corporation. An owner of a company's common stock is considered to have an equity position in the corporate structure of that company.
Condor
A condor is a four-legged options strategy, which combines two call spreads or two put spreads. All four call legs (or put legs) have the same expiration date, and generally maintain consistent distances between strike prices. The strategy gets its name from its 4-part structure, involving the two outer strikes (or "wings") and two inner strikes (representing the "body"). The two inner strikes are typically positioned around the current price of the underlying stock. Click here to read more about condors.
Confirmation
Confirmation is a subsequent signal that validates a position stance. Traders and investors sometimes look for more than one signal or require validation before acting. For example: confirmation of a trend change may entail an advance past the previous reaction high. For an indicator such as MACD, confirmation of a divergence may be a subsequent moving average crossover. (Not to be confused with a trade confirmation, which verifies that a trade order has been executed.)
Congestion Area
At a minimum, a series of trading days in which there is no or little progress in price.
Correction
After an advance, a decline that does not penetrate the low from which the advance began is known as a correction. A correction, also referred to as a retracement, usually retraces 1/3 to 2/3 of the previous advance.
Crossed Market
When the bid is higher than the lowest current offer or vice versa.
Crossover
A crossover is a place on a graph where two lines intersect. Depending on what each line represents, a crossover may indicate a buy or sell signal. One common method of interpreting a moving average is to compare its relationship to the price itself. Changes in a market's price trend are not necessarily identified by a reversal in the direction of the moving average line, but by the price line crossing through the moving average line. It may be considered bearish when price crosses below a moving average, and bullish when price crosses above it. Multiple moving average crossovers (or "double crossovers") can also be employed through the use of two moving average lines -- one of a shorter time span and the other of a longer time span. It may be considered bearish when the shorter moving average crosses below the longer moving average, and bullish when the shorter crosses above the longer. This technique of using two moving averages together typically lags the market a bit more than a single moving average.
Cup and Handle
A pattern on a bar chart. The pattern can be as short as several weeks and as long as a year. The cup is in the shape of a 'U', and the handle has a slight downward drift.
Cyclical Stocks
Cyclical stocks are shares of companies with businesses that are highly sensitive to economic performance. Cyclical stocks tend to perform well under certain economic conditions and suffer during others.
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The difference between the high and low during one trading day.
Day Order
An order condition that causes your order to be canceled at the end of the current day's trading if the order has not been executed. All Market Orders are automatically Day orders. Orders are generally considered to be day orders unless otherwise specified.
Day Trading
Day trading is a style of trading where positions are both initiated and closed before the end of the trading day. Compare this to position trading, where stocks or securities may be held for longer periods.
Derivative Instrument
A financial instrument or security whose value is based in part upon another security. For example, a stock option is a derivative instrument because its market value is based in part upon the market value of the underlying stock.
Dilution
Effect on earnings per share and book value per share from any increase in shares outstanding.
Direct Access
Schwab's integrated set of trading tools designed to support direct access trading. StreetSmart Edge Direct Access provides Market Depth information into a trading interface that gives you control over the routing, targeting, and timing of your order. This platform is for experienced traders who are comfortable learning to use advanced trading technology to trade NASDAQ securities.
Direct Access Trading
A trading method in which traders have control over the routing and targeting of their orders. Direct access enables eligible clients to route orders for execution to the market centers of their choice. Depending on the brokerage firm, clients may be allowed to direct orders to a variety of ECNs, market makers, and exchanges. In direct access trading, there are no intermediaries who can safeguard against poor trading decisions or serve as buffers between traders and sudden changes in market conditions.
Discretion
Allows you to have a displayed price and a discretionary price. You can place the order at the price you’d like to receive with a discretion amount for the maximum/minimum amount you’re willing to pay. Available for limit orders only.
EXAMPLE A limit
order to buy with a displayed price of 50 and a discretionary price of
50.25 is presented as:
Price = 50
Discretion = 0.25
Divergence
Divergence means that different technical indicators or indices are failing to confirm each other. This can be viewed as a warning signal that the prevailing trend may be about to reverse.
Dividend Amount
Value of last quarterly cash dividend or the number of shares an investor receives for each share owned in a stock dividend.
Dividend Reinvestment
The application of cash dividends from an equity security to purchase more shares of the security.
Do Not Reduce (DNR)
Instructs the broker not to reduce the limit price by the amount of the cash dividend when a stock goes ex-dividend and the market price is reduced by the amount of the dividend. You can specify DNR on Buy limit GTC orders or Sell Stop GTC orders .
Double Tops and Bottoms
Generally considered to be reversal patterns, double tops or bottoms show as two prominent peaks or troughs on the price chart. The first peak or valley is typically formed on relatively high trade volume, and the second on relatively low volume. The reversal is considered complete when the middle peak (in the case of a double bottom) or trough (in the case of a double peak) is broken.
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
Published by Dow Jones & Co, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted average of 30 blue-chip stocks. Because it is price weighted, stocks with the highest prices will have the most influence and those with the lowest, the least influence. The DJIA is calculated by adding the closing prices of the 30 stocks, and then dividing by a number that takes into account splits, large dividends, substitutions and mergers. The component stocks of the DJIA have changed over the years to reflect the composition of the U.S. economy.
Dual Listed Stocks
Stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange that are eligible for trading via NASDAQ, in addition to the NYSE and some ECNs.
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Official public announcement of a company's earnings statement for a particular period of time, such as annual or quarterly.
Earnings Per Share Date
Date of the last earnings announcement.
Earnings Restatement
If a material inaccuracy is found in a company's previously released earnings statement, a restatement is issued.
Electronic Communication Network (ECN)
An Electronic Communication Network (ECN) is a computerized trading system that facilitates trading between two parties without a market maker or specialist as an intermediary. If an ECN cannot match an order, it usually either sends the order to another ECN or market maker or posts the order to the order book until a matching order is found. ECNs are identified in the software as follows: [ARCA] ARCA [NSDQ] NASDAQ single book
Electronic Funds Transfer
Transferring funds between accounts and firms electronically.
Elliot Wave Theory
Originally published by Ralph Nelson Elliot in 1939, Elliot Wave Theory is a pattern recognition theory that is based on repetitive wave patterns and the Fibonacci number sequence. An ideal Elliott wave pattern holds that a five wave advance is followed by a three wave decline to form a complete cycle.
Ex-Dividend Date
Date a stock or cash dividend is reflected in the price of the security (if you buy a stock on the ex-dividend date, you are not entitled to the dividend); for stock dividends, this is the trading day after the distribution is made.
Exercise Price (or Strike Price)
See Strike Price.
Expiration
The date an option contract becomes void. All holders of options must indicate their desire to exercise by this date.
Also known as Regulation T or Reg T Call. This type of call occurs when establishing a margin position. Investors must deposit initial margin (typically 50%) of the cost of the trade per current Federal Reserve requirements.
Fibonacci Fan Lines
Fibonacci Fan lines are based on the Fibonacci number series and combine two additional analytical concepts--trend line and percentage retracement. Fibonacci Fan lines are typically drawn at 38%, 50%, and 62% angles from prominent price peak and troughs. Theoretically, these fan lines may then provide support during subsequent downward corrections, and resistance during subsequent upward advances.
Fibonacci Retracements
Fibonacci Retracements are based on the Fibonacci number series and represent price movements in the opposite direction of the previous trend. Retracements can be calculated by drawing a trend line between a prominent price peak and trough, then forming horizontal lines at the 38%, 50%, and 62% levels of retracement from the prior price move. Theoretically, as prices retrace, the retracement levels may act as support or resistance.
Fill or Kill (FOK)
A Fill or Kill (FOK) order instructs the broker to immediately fill an order in its entirety or to cancel it. FOK instructions are only applicable to limit orders.
Freeriding
This trading violation is the result of buying a security in your Cash Account and then selling the same security without making separate payment on the full purchase price by Settlement Date. This situation is called freeriding because basically it is unauthorized borrowing to pay for a trade.
Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis is the study of economic, industry, and company conditions in an effort to determine the value of a company's stock. Fundamental analysis typically focuses on key statistics in a company's financial statements to determine if the stock price is correctly valued.
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Gaps form when opening price movements create a blank spot on the chart. Gaps may be especially significant when accompanied by an increase in volume. An up gap forms when a security opens above the previous period's high, remains above the previous high for the entire period and closes above it. Up gaps can form on daily, weekly or monthly charts and are generally considered bullish. A down gap forms when a security opens below the previous period's low, remains below the previous low for the entire period and closes below it. Down gaps can form on daily, weekly or monthly charts and are generally considered bearish.
Good Til Canceled (GTC)
Instructs the broker to keep an order open until it is either executed or expires. At Schwab, GTC orders remain open for 60 calendar days unless filled or you request that it be canceled before that time.
Occasionally, trading on a given security may be suspended due to a variety of conditions, including news and corporate actions. If the security you are attempting to trade has been halted, you can place an order but it will not be eligible for execution or in force until the trading halt is lifted. If you have an open order for a security that subsequently is halted, your order will be eligible for execution after the halt is has been lifted. Please be aware that when the security resumes trading it may be at a price significantly above or below the most recent trade price.
Head and Shoulders
The Head and Shoulders pattern is one of the best known of the reversal patterns. At a market top, three prominent peaks are formed with the middle peak (or head) slightly higher than the two other peaks (shoulders). When the trend line (neckline) connecting the two intervening troughs is broken, the pattern is complete. A bottom pattern is a mirror image of a top and is called an Inverse Head and Shoulders.
Historical Volatility
Reflects how far an equity's price has deviated from its average price over a period of time.
Requires the broker to immediately fill as much of the order as possible and then cancel any remaining portion. (It may not be available in all market conditions.) Unlike All or None (AON) or Fill or Kill (FOK) instructions, IOC orders may result in a partial execution. Immediate or Cancel can be entered with either market or limit orders.
Implied Volatility
The theoretical value (in %) designed to represent the forecasted volatility of the security or index as determined by the prices of multiple call and put options using the Black-Scholes pricing model. Other variables usually include security price, strike price, risk-free rate of return, and days to expiration. If all other variables are equal, the security with the highest volatility will generally have the highest option prices.
In the Money
For a call option to be in-the-money, an option's strike price must be below the market price of the underlying security. For a put option, in-the-money is when the strike price is above the market price of the underlying security.
Indicator
An indicator is a value, usually derived from a stock's price or volume, that an investor can use to try to anticipate future price movements. Indicators are divided into two groups: trend following (or lagging) and momentum (or leading). Lagging indicators tell you what prices are doing now, or in the recent past, so are useful when stocks are trending. A moving average is an example of a lagging indicator. Leading indicators are designed to anticipate future price action and many come in the form of oscillators. RSI is an example of a momentum indicator.
Iron Butterfly
An iron butterfly is an options strategy, which combines a call spread and a put spread; it involves two call legs and two put legs, all with the same expiration date, and generally with consistent distances between the three strike prices involved. The strategy gets its name from its 3-part structure, involving the two outer strikes (or "wings") and the middle strike (representing the "body"). Click here to read more about iron butterflies.
Iron Condor
An iron condor is an options strategy, which combines a call spread and a put spread; it involves two call legs and two put legs, all with the same expiration date, and generally with consistent distances between the four strike prices involved. The strategy gets its name from its 4-part structure, involving the two outer strikes (or "wings") and two inner strikes (representing the "body"). The two inner strikes are typically positioned around the current price of the underlying stock. Click here to read more about iron condors.
Inside Day
An Inside Day represents a day in which the total range of price is within the previous day's price range.
Inside Market
The highest bid and lowest ask prices among all competing market makers in a NASDAQ security.
Invisible (INV)
An order that is deemed "Invisible" or "Subscriber only" will not display on the NSDQ order book. These orders will be matched, if possible, but an invisible order has less priority than other orders. If an order with a restriction is entered before an unrestricted order at the same price; the unrestricted order will execute first. Invisible and Subscriber Only orders do not comply with the Display Alternative as described in the SEC Order Handling Rules. They are bad for price discovery.
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The last date on which the shares of a security were increased or decreased by splitting.
Last Trade
The price at which the last trade was executed; after market close, this is the closing price.
Last Trade Date and Time
The date and time the security was last traded.
Level I
A quote for a security that displays the current best Bid and Ask prices, volume, close price from the previous trading day, open price, high and low price for the day, and perhaps the ratio of shares or market participants at the inside Bid and Ask.
Level II/Market Depth
Market Depth is a display of both Level I quotes and bid and ask quotes from all quoting market participants (market makers and ECNs) at lower and higher prices than the best bid and ask.
Level III
Consists of Market Depth Service plus the ability to enter quotations, direct/execute orders, and send information; this service is restricted to FINRA member firms that function as registered Market Makers in either NASDAQ, exchange-listed, or OTC Bulletin Board securities.
Limit Order
An order to buy or sell a security at a specific price or better. As opposed to a market order, limit orders might not be filled quickly or at all if the market moves away from the specified price. A limit order guarantees price, but not execution.
Line Chart
The line chart is a price chart that simply connects the closing prices for a given market over a specified period of time, resulting in a curving line on the chart.
Liquidity
The ability of a stock to be readily bought or sold without causing significant price fluctuations. Generally, the greater the number of buyers and sellers of a particular stock, the more liquid the stock.
Locking the Market
Market condition in which there are identical bid and ask prices for a stock.
Look-back Period
The look-back period is the number of periods (minutes, days, weeks, months) used to calculate an indicator. For example, a 14-day RSI would have a look-back period of 14 days.
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A "call" for additional funds or acceptable collateral to be immediately deposited into your margin account. This type of margin call is generated when the equity in a margin account does not meet an established minimum requirement. This can be caused by fluctuations in market prices or your additional use of margin.
Margin Account
This type of brokerage account allows you to borrow funds, using your own marginable securities as collateral. The borrowed funds may be used for the purchase of more securities.
Margin Balance
The net open balance in your margin account. If negative, this is the amount owed to the brokerage firm. If positive, the balance is available to earn interest.
Margin Call
This term refers to both maintenance calls and "Regulation T" calls (also called Reg T or Fed calls). An investor who receives a margin call is required to deposit additional funds or securities in a margin account either because the equity in the account does not meet an established minimum equity requirement (maintenance call) or because additional securities have been purchased or sold short.
Margin Interest
Margin interest is charged daily based on your margin balance.
Marginable
A security that may be used as collateral in a margin account. Most listed securities trading at over $5 per share are marginable, as are most fixed income securities, OTC stocks, and open ended mutual funds (30-days after they have been fully paid for). To find out if a specific stock is marginable, please contact a Schwab representative.
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization, or market cap, is the total market value of a company (number of shares outstanding multiplied by the price of the stock). For example, a company with 1 million shares outstanding and a stock price of $10 would have a market capitalization of $10 million.
Market Depth/Level II
Market Depth is a display of both Level I quotes and bid and ask quotes from all quoting market participants (market makers and ECNs) at lower and higher prices than the best bid and ask.
Market Indicators
A variety of indices and other data that indicates the overall direction and strength of the market.
Market Maker
Market makers are the dealers in the NASDAQ market. They provide liquidity to the market by trading for their customers or for their own accounts, and are committed to buy and sell shares in the stock in which they make a market. Market makers display their buying and selling interest in the Market Depth quotes.
Market Order
An order to buy or sell a security at the prevailing market price. Sometimes referred to as "at the market." A market order guarantees execution, but not price.
Market Peg
Pegs the order price to the ask if buying or to the bid if selling, meaning the order price will automatically adjust as the bid or ask moves until the order executes or the stock trades beyond your limit price. Orders may be adjusted a penny up or down to avoid locking the market.
EXAMPLE
XYZ is currently quoted at 20 bid x 20.05 ask.
A Market Peg order to buy XYZ with a limit of 20.10, will be submitted at 20.05.
If the quote changes to 20.05 bid x 20.10 ask, the order price would change to 20.10.
If the order is not executed, it will not update beyond the limit price and will remain posted at 20.10.
Max Floor
Specifies
the reserve size for the order. Must be a round lot equal to or less than
the order quantity. Reserve size has no time priority in Market Depth. Only
the displayed portion of the order will have time priority.
EXAMPLE You
enter a bid with 5,000 as the total quantity, but 1,000 as the Max Floor
value. Your order will display as 1,000 shares, but if yours is the only
bid when an offer arrives for 10,000 shares at your price, your entire
5,000 shares will execute.
However, if 3 other bids for 3,000 shares each were behind you at the same price, only your displayed 1,000 would execute, along with 9,000 shares from the other three bids.
Minimum Acceptable Quantity (MAQ)
Instructs the broker to fill a minimum share amount of an order.
Minimum Quantity
Instructions to buy or sell a specified number of shares at a limit price, with the condition that the first fill must be for a minimum number of shares.
Momentum
Momentum is an overbought/oversold indicator that measures the velocity of price changes for a set period of time. Momentum is measured by continually calculating price differences between the most recent price and the price n-periods ago, then plotting these differences around a centerline. If the latest price is greater than the first price, a positive value is plotted above the centerline. If the latest price is below the first price, a negative value is plotted below the centerline. The greater the change in prices, the greater the change in Momentum.
If prices are rising and the momentum line is above the centerline and rising, an up trend may be accelerating. When the Momentum line drops below the centerline, a near-term downtrend may be in effect. One popular time period used for Momentum is the 10-day, however any time period can be employed. A shorter time period produces a more sensitive line with more pronounced oscillations (extremes), while a longer period results in a smoother line with less volatile swings.
Money Flow & Money Flow Percentage
Developed by Marc Chaikin, Money Flow is one of several indicators available to measure the flow of money in and out of a particular security. The Money Flow indicator is derived from the daily read of the Accumulation/Distribution Line. The basic premise behind the Accumulation Distribution Line is that the degree of buying or selling pressure can be determined by the location of the close relative to the high and low for the corresponding period ("closing location value").
The closing location value multiplied by volume forms the Accumulation/Distribution Value for each period. Money Flow Percent is calculated by dividing the sum of the daily Accumulation/Distribution values over a specified time period by the sum of the Volume over the corresponding period.
Generally, accumulation or buying pressure is present when prices close in the upper half of the day's range, and distribution or selling pressure is evident when prices close in the lower half of the day's range. If prices consistently close in the upper half of their daily high/low range on increased volume, then the indicator will be positive and display above the zero line; this indicates that the market may be strong.
Conversely, if prices consistently close in the lower half of their daily high/low range on increased volume, the indicator will be negative and display below the zero line; this indicates that the market may be weak.
It should be noted that because the change from close to close is not considered in the calculation, a security can close lower and still exhibit signs of accumulation, or close higher and still exhibit signs of distribution.
Moving Averages
Moving averages are one of the more versatile and widely used of all technical indicators. A moving average shows the average value of a security's price over a specified period of time.
To get the average to "move," a new item of price data is added while at the same time the oldest item is removed. By using an average of prices, moving averages are able to smooth a data series and make it easier to identify any underlying trend.
Essentially a trend-following indicator, the moving average works best in markets that are trending -- as opposed to markets in trading ranges. They are used to identify and confirm trends, as well as identify support and resistance areas.
It's also important to note that shorter-term averages are typically more sensitive to individual price fluctuations, while longer-term averages are less sensitive.
Moving Averages include: Simple Moving Average (SMA) - The simple moving average is the most widely used moving average and is constructed by simply totaling a set of price data and dividing the sum by the number of observations. SMAs give equal weight to each price data input. Exponential Moving Average (EMA) - The exponential moving average is similar to the SMA, only it uses a "smoothing factor" to give more weight to recent prices while at the same time allowing all price data to influence the average. By putting more weight on recent price data, the EMA reduces the time lag and reacts more quickly to recent price changes.
Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD)
The Moving Average Convergence/Divergence is a trend following momentum indicator that shows the relationship between two moving averages. The MACD line is calculated by taking the difference between a longer-period and shorter-period moving average (typically 26-day and 12-day respectively). It is the interaction of these two moving averages that gives the indicator its name, as over time the two are constantly converging and diverging. A signal line is also used, which is typically the 9-period moving average of the MACD line. Exponential moving averages are typically used for both the MACD and Signal calculations because they tend to respond more quickly to changes in price.
Moving Average Convergence/Divergence Histogram (MACD Histogram)
A variation of the MACD that plots the difference between the signal line and MACD line. Changes in the spread between these two lines may be spotted faster using the histogram display, potentially leading to earlier trading signals.
Multiplier
The premium is multiplied by the multiplier multiplied by the number of contracts to determine the actual cost of an option purchase. The multiplier is 100 in the case of standardized options for both equity and index options; however, stock splits can change the multiplier. The multiplier is the number of shares that an equity option will convert to if exercised.
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Formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system, designed to facilitate over-the-counter stock trading. The NASDAQ is now an exchange and is no longer an acronym.
NASDAQ Composite Index
The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of over 5000 stocks. Because it is weighted by market capitalization, large companies such as Microsoft, Intel, WorldCom, Sun Microsystems, Dell Computer and Oracle dominate the index. With such large portion of the index dominated by technology stocks, the NASDAQ Composite is more a barometer for the technology sector than the broader market.
NASDAQ Exchange
Consists of More than 3,900 companies that are the larger and generally more actively-traded NASDAQ securities.
National Best Bid or Offer (NBBO)
NBBO represents the bid and ask price that will display in Level I.
Negative Divergence
When two or more indicators, indexes, or averages, fail to show confirming trends.
Net Change
The amount and direction of a security's price change since its previous close.
NSDQ
In the context of bid or offer quotes in Level I or Market Depth, NSDQ represents the NASDAQ Single Book liquidity.
NSDQ is also an order routing venue available in StreetSmart Edge which routes orders to the NASDAQ Single Book.
An amount of stock consisting of less than 100 shares.
Offer
See 'Ask'
On Balance Volume (OBV)
Introduced by Joe Granville in 1963, On Balance Volume (OBV) is a momentum indicator that relates volume to price change. On Balance Volume shows if volume is flowing into or out of a security. When the security closes higher than the previous close, all of the day's volume is considered "up" volume. When the security closes lower than the previous close, all of the day's volume is considered "down" volume.
Open
The price at which a security opened for trading on a given day.
Option
A contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a particular asset (the underlying security) at a fixed price for a specific period of time. This contract also obligates the seller to meet the delivery terms if the buyer exercises the contract right. The owner of call option has the right to purchase the underlying asset at a specific price, and this right lasts until a specific date. The owner of a put option has the right to sell the underlying asset at a specific price, and this right lasts until a specific date. Clients may also take specialized positions, such as spreads, straddles, and/or combinations, depending on the level of trading for which they are approved.
Out of the Money
A call is out of the money when an option’s strike price is higher than the market price of the underlying security. A put is out of the money when the strike price is below the market price of the underlying security.
Outed
A term used by traders to confirm that an order was canceled by the Market Maker or Exchange.
Over-the-Counter (OTC)
Over-the-Counter refers to stocks not traded on registered exchanges. Many OTC stocks are traded through NASDAQ, OTCBB (Bulletin Board), or the Pink Sheets.
Overbought
Overbought is a technical condition described as such by various technical indicators that occurs when prices are considered too high and may be susceptible to a decline. Overbought conditions can be classified by analyzing the chart pattern or with indicators such as the Stochastic Oscillator and Relative Strength Index (RSI). A security is sometimes considered overbought when the Stochastic Oscillator exceeds 80 and when the Relative Strength Index (RSI) exceeds 70. It is important to keep in mind that overbought is not necessarily the same as being bearish. It merely infers that the stock may have risen too far too fast and might be due for a pullback.
Oversold
Oversold is a technical condition described as such by various indicators when prices are considered too low and may be ripe for a rally. Oversold conditions can be classified by analyzing the chart pattern or with indicators such as the Stochastic Oscillator and Relative Strength Index (RSI). A security is sometimes considered oversold when the Stochastic dips below 20 and when the Relative Strength Index (RSI) declines below 30. It is important to keep in mind that oversold is not necessarily the same as being bullish. It merely infers that the security may have fallen too far too fast and may be due for a reaction rally.
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The date the shares from a split or dividend are paid to the shareholders.
Percent Retracement
The amount that price retreats following a high can be measured using a technique referred to as Percent Retracement. This measures the percentage that prices "retrace" from the high to the low. For example, if a stock moves from a low of 50 to a high of 100 and then retraces to 75, the move from 100 to 75 (25 points) retraced 50% of the original move from 50 to 100. Measuring the percent retracement can be helpful when determining the price levels at which prices will reverse and continue upward.
Position
Holdings in an account or portfolio.
Position Trading
Position trading means holding open positions for an extended period of time. Contrast this with day trading, where a trader buys, then sells before the market closes that day.
Preferred Stocks
A class of stock that pays dividends at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of assets. Preferred stockholders may have different or no voting rights.
Premium
The total price of an option’s intrinsic value plus time value. Often (erroneously), this word is used to mean the same as time value.
Price
See ask price, bid price, and last trade.
Price/Earnings Ratio
The price/earnings ratio (P/E ratio) is figured by dividing the price of a stock by the company's earnings per share.
Primary Peg
Pegs the order price to the bid if buying or the ask if selling OTC securities, or the best exchange bid/ask for Listed securities. The order price will automatically adjust as the bid or ask moves until the order executes or the stock trades beyond your limit price.
EXAMPLE
XYZ is currently quoting at 20 bid x 20.05 ask.
A Primary Peg order to buy XYZ with a limit of 20.05, will be submitted at 20.
If the quote changes to 20.05 bid x 20.10 ask, the order price would change to 20.05.
If the order is not executed, it will not update beyond the limit price and will remain posted at 20.05.
Proxy
A proxy is a security or index whose correlation with another security or index is so strong that it is used as a substitute for the other.
Put Option
An option contract that gives the holder the right but not the obligation to sell a number of shares of the underlying security at a specified price until the option's expiration date. Put buyers hope the price of the underlying security will fall. Puts may also be purchased to protect an investment in case the price of the underlying security goes down. Put sellers hope the price will stay the same or go up.
Put/Call Ratio
Based on CBOE (Chicago Board Options Exchange) statistics, the Put/Call Ratio equals the total number of puts divided by the total number of calls. All stock and index options traded on the CBOE are included in the calculation. Typically, there are more calls traded than puts, so the ratio is usually below 1. When more puts are traded than calls, the ratio will exceed 1. As an indicator, the Put/Call Ratio may be used to measure market sentiment.
The number of shares you want to buy, sell, or sell short.
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The Rate of Change (percent) is a momentum oscillator that measures the percent change in price from one period to the next. The Rate of Change is plotted as an oscillator that fluctuates above and below a zero line.
Ratio Spread
A strategy consisting of simultaneously buying and selling an unequal number of option contracts with different Strike prices but with the same underlying security, type (long and short call options, or long and short put options), and expiration date. When a ratio spread has more short options than long options, simply called a “ratio spread”, it has substantial or unlimited risk of losses. In a “ratio back spread”, the long side has the higher number of contracts and the risk is limited. Ratio spreads may be opened at a credit or debit, and may have a bullish, bearish, neutral, or dual nature.
RCB (Regulatory Circuit Breaker Indicator)
Stocks that have triggered the regulatory circuit breaker will be annotated with a “RCB” indicator in the Title Bar of a window.
National securities exchanges and FINRA have implemented a new "limit up/limit down" mechanism (FINRA Rule 6190) to combat extraordinary market volatility. The new regulation mandates that firms prevent trades in listed equity securities from occurring outside of a specified price band, which will be set at a percentage level above and below the average price of the security over the immediately preceding five-minute period.
More information on what triggers a Regulatory Circuit Breaker can be found at NYSE or NASDAQ.
Reaction
A temporary price reversal within the prevailing trend.
Regulation T Call
Also called a Fed Call, this is the amount an investor must deposit if buying on margin or selling short, as required by the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation T. Current Federal Reserve requirements are 50% of the cost of the trade.
Relative Strength
A comparison of an individual stock's performance to that of a market index. Most times the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average are used for comparison purposes. A rising line indicates that the stock is doing better than the market. A declining line indicates that the stock is not doing as well as the market.
Relative Strength Index (RSI)
Developed by J. Welles Wilder in 1978, the Relative Strength Index is one of the more popular momentum indicators. Its name, Relative Strength Index, is slightly misleading, as it does not compare the relative strength of two securities, but rather the internal strength of a single security.
The RSI is a price-following oscillator that ranges between 0 and 100. Wilder argues that the RSI usually tops above 70 and bottoms below 30, and that these tops and bottoms usually form before the underlying price changes direction. When Wilder introduced the RSI, he recommended using a 14-day RSI.
Since then, the 9-day and 25-day RSIs have also gained popularity. The fewer days used to calculate the RSI, the more volatile the indicator. One popular method of analyzing the RSI is to look for a divergence in which the security's price is making a new high, but the RSI is failing to surpass its previous high. This divergence may be interpreted as an impending reversal. If the RSI then turns down and falls below its most recent trough, it is said to have completed a "failure swing." The failure swing is considered a confirmation of an impending reversal.
Resistance and Support
Support is defined as an area on the price chart below the market where buying interest appears sufficiently strong to overcome selling pressure.
Resistance is the opposite of support and represents an area on the price chart above the market where selling pressure appears sufficiently strong to overcome buying pressure. Generally, support levels are suggested by previous lows, while resistance levels are suggested by previous highs.
Support and resistance areas may be viewed as areas in price movements where buying and selling interest is equal. The longer the time span that prices trade in these areas, the more significant these areas may become.
Two other possible indications of significance include:
-Heavy volume within a support or resistance area.
-Recent trade activity within a support or resistance area.
Whenever a support or resistance level is penetrated by a significant amount, the two can reverse roles and become the opposite. In other words, if price trades significantly through a prior resistance level, this level can become a future support level. If price trades significantly through a prior support level, this level can become future a resistance level.
Reversal Pattern
A reversal pattern implies that the previous trend will be reversed when the pattern is complete. For example, after an advance, a reversal pattern marks a change in trend from up trend to down trend.
Rights
Rights allow existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before that stock is offered to the public. A right usually has a life of 2 to 4 weeks, is transferable, and entitles the holder to buy the new common stock below the Public Offering Price. Rights are often granted to protect existing shareholders from the effects of dilution.
Rounding Tops and Bottoms
Generally considered to be reversal patterns, rounding tops and bottoms are areas on the price chart that indicate smooth curvature of prices, rather than distinct peaks or troughs. A rounding top displays as a convex shape, sometimes called an "inverted bowl," that can precede a new down trend. A rounding bottom displays as a concave shape, often called a "bowl" or "saucer," that can precede a new up trend. There are currently no measuring formulas associated with these patterns.
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A sector is a group of companies that generate revenue in similar ways, and tend to rise and fall at the same time of the economic cycle. Sector investors watch for strength or weakness in the various sectors, before making investment decisions. The relationship between sector strength or weakness, and the business cycle, is called Sector Rotation.
Security Type
The type of security such as stock, bond or mutual fund.
Sell
Indicates you already own a security and wish to transfer ownership in exchange for cash.
Sell Signal
A sell signal is a condition that indicates a good time to sell a stock. The exact circumstances of the signal will be determined by the indicator that an analyst is using. Note: It's unwise to base buy or sell decisions on just one indicator.
Sell to Close
A long option position is closed when it is sold. See Option.
Sell to Open
A short position opened when a new option is sold. See Option.
Settlement Date
The business day by which you must pay for securities purchased or deliver securities sold.
Short Interest
The number of shares that have been sold short and not yet repurchased.
Short Sell
Selling a stock not owned in the hope that the price will go down. The seller must indicate that the sale is a short sale when the order is entered. This can only be done in a margin account. If available, the stock may be borrowed from a brokerage firm for delivery to the buyer and must be bought back at a future date. The firm reserves the right to call the security back at any time. Short sales require the equity be deposited in a margin account. Short selling is an advanced trading strategy involving potentially unlimited risks, and must be done in a margin account. Margin trading increases your level of market risk. For more information please refer to your account agreement and the Margin Risk Disclosure Statement.
Short Sell-Exempt
A customer service representative may enter Short Sell-Exempt orders on your behalf in certain limited circumstances. The most common instance when this may occur is when liquidating the underlying security where the position is held as either an equity right, warrant, convertible or restricted stock. In these circumstances, the securities are not in an acceptable form for delivery on settlement date. Note that you must file an exercise for the right, warrant, convertible or restricted stock before your order to liquidate the underlying security can be marked as Short Sell-Exempt.
Size
Size represents the number of shares immediately available to buy (bid) or sell (ask). For example, a bid of 54 with a size of 500 would indicate an order to buy 500 shares at 54. By the same token, an ask of 55 with a size of 1000 would indicate an order to sell 1000 shares at 55.
Smart
Smart is a trade execution technology that combines the best of intelligent order routing (IOR) with market maker liquidity enhancements. Smart is designed to deliver trade executions that are as good as, if not better than, what you would expect to receive using IOR alone.
Special Conditions
Special conditions may be applied to an order, such as All or None (AON) or Do Not Reduce (DNR).
Specialist
An individual, corporation, partnership, or group of firms on a listed exchange floor that is responsible for a given exchange-traded security. The specialist stands ready to buy and sell shares to maintain an orderly market. A Market Maker serves a similar purpose for an OTC security.
Spread
The difference between the bid and the ask. Generally speaking, the more liquid (trading volume) a stock is, the smaller its bid/ask spread will be. Less liquid stocks (those with very light volume) usually have larger spreads.
Standard and Poors 500 Index (S & P 500)
The Standard and Poors 500 Index (or S & P 500) lists the 500 largest large-cap stocks, that is, stocks from large companies in various industries.
Stochastic Oscillator
Stochastics compare where a security's price closed relative to its price range over a given time period. The indicator consists of two lines representing the position of the market on a percentile basis, with zero at the bottom of the n-day range and 100 at the top of the range. The main, faster line is called %K, while the second line, called %D, is simply a moving average of %K. A stochastic value of 50 indicates that the last closing price is at the midpoint of the trading range for the specified period. Readings above 75% may indicate that the security is overbought, while readings below 25% could suggest it is oversold. It is important to note that it is not unusual for Stochastics to remain in an overbought/oversold condition for a long time period as the security's price continues to climb/fall.
Generally, a bullish interpretation may be suggested when the %K line crosses above the %D line while in oversold territory, and a bearish interpretation may be suggested when the %K line crosses below the %D line while in overbought territory.
Stock Dividends
A dividend paid in stock rather than cash.
Stop Limit Order
An order that becomes a limit order once the security trades at or through the designated stop price. A stop limit order instructs a broker to buy or sell at a specific price or better, but only after a given stop price has been reached or passed. It is a combination of a stop order and a limit order. Stock and ETF stop limit orders are triggered by a trade at or through the specified stop price.
Stop Order
A request to buy or sell at the market price, but only when the security trades at or past a price specified. Once the stock price moves to or through the stop price, the pending stop order becomes a market order. Stock and ETF stop orders are triggered by a trade at or through the specified stop price.
NOTE: Schwab will not trigger your stop or stop limit orders based upon odd-lot transactions, or any other transactions excluded from the consolidated last sale price calculations.
Prices, quotes, market values, and volumes in StreetSmart Edge are streaming, real-time consolidated market quotes. For Mutual Funds, the NAV is a daily calculation occurring after market close. This process may take 2-to-4 hours before a final NAV is made available to the public.
Strike Price (or Exercise Price)
The price at which the owner of an option can purchase (call) or sell (put) the underlying security.
Subscriber
Subscriber Only orders are identical to normal orders, except that they are not included for display in the ISLD quote on NASDAQ. They are visible to anyone with access to the Island book and have the same execution priority as unrestricted orders. Invisible and Subscriber Only orders do not comply with the Display Alternative as described in the SEC Order Handling Rules.
Support
See "Resistance".
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The study of market action. It is the representation, usually in graphic form, of the actual history of trading (price changes, volume of transactions, etc.) in a certain stock or index and then deducing from that pictured history the present position and possible future trend.
Tick
The tick refers to each individual move from one trade to another in a stock. An up tick means the price moved up from the last trade execution, while a down tick means it moved down. If there is no change from the last trade, the tick is considered neutral.
Time and Sales
Time and Sales reflect the trades occurring in the market by displaying each trade's price, size (number of shares), venue, and time that the trade was reported.
Time Conditions
The following time limits may be applied to Stop, Limit, or Stop Limit orders: Day Only, Good Until Canceled, Fill or Kill, Immediate or Cancel.
Trailing Stop
Trailing Stop is an order request set at a price level that is above (for short positions) or below (for long positions) the current price that adjusts as the price fluctuates. For a long position, a trailing stop would be set below the current price and rise as the price advances. Should the price decline and reach the trailing stop, then an order would be triggered and the position closed. As long as the price remains above the trailing stop, the position is held.
Trend
Trend refers to the direction of prices over time. Rising peaks and troughs constitute an up trend, while falling peaks and troughs constitute a down trend. Trends are generally classified as major (longer than a year), intermediate (one to six months), or minor (less than a month).
Trend Line
Trend lines are created by joining significant highs and lows on a price chart. An up trend line connects a series of higher lows, while a down trend line connects a series of lower highs. An internal trend line can also be drawn to best approximate the majority of relative highs or relative lows without any special considerations given to extreme price points.
Triangles
Triangle patterns are sideways patterns in which price fluctuates within converging trend lines. The three types of triangles are the symmetrical, the ascending, and the descending. A symmetrical triangle occurs when prices are making both lower-highs and higher-lows. An ascending triangle occurs when there are higher-lows (as with a symmetrical triangle), but the highs are occurring at the same price level due to resistance. The odds favor an upside breakout from an ascending triangle. A descending triangle occurs when there are lower-highs (as with a symmetrical triangle), but the lows are occurring at the same price level due to support. The odds favor a downside breakout from a descending triangle. Prices often breakout rapidly from a triangle, and the breakout can be confirmed when accompanied by an increase in volume.
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Volatility is a measurement of change in price over a given period. It is usually expressed as a percentage and computed as the annualized standard deviation of the percentage change in daily price.
Volume
Volume is the number of shares traded in a security over a period of time. On a chart, volume is usually represented as a histogram (vertical bars) below the price chart.
A type of security usually issued together with a bond or preferred stock that allows the holder to buy a proportionate amount of common stock at a fixed price (usually above the market price at the time of issuance) for a period of years or to perpetuity. Warrants are transferable and trade on the major exchanges. They are also known as Subscription Warrants.
Whipsaw
A whipsaw occurs when a buy or sell signal is reversed in a short time. Volatile markets and sensitive indicators can cause whipsaws. For example, a whipsaw would occur if a position trader initiates a long position on a bullish MACD crossover and has to close it the next day because of a bearish moving average crossover.
Williams %R
The Williams' %R is a momentum indicator that measures overbought/oversold levels. The interpretation of Williams' %R is very similar to that of the %K Stochastic Oscillator. Readings in the 80-100 range indicate that a security is overbought, while readings in the 0-20 range indicate oversold.