Short Sell

Definition

Betting that a stock will go down, then buying it back cheaper. It's essentially profiting from someone else's misfortune.

Example Usage

The hedge fund short sold the company's stock, betting on negative earnings reports.

Source: Investment and finance terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

managerial accounting

Internal accounting focused on providing information for management decisions rather than external reporting. Unlike financial accounting's rigid rules, managerial accounting embraces whatever analysis helps executives decide which division to blame for poor performance.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Intermediate

treasury stock

Shares that a company has issued and later repurchased, sitting in corporate limbo—not quite cancelled but no longer outstanding. The equity equivalent of taking back your gift because the recipient didn't appreciate it enough.

💰 Finance / Accounting

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crossfoot

To verify that the sum of row totals equals the sum of column totals in a spreadsheet, because trusting your formulas is for amateurs. It's the accounting equivalent of checking your math twice before raising your hand.

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defray

To cover costs without complaining—the fancy word for 'paying the bill so everyone else can enjoy themselves.' It means to shoulder the financial burden of an expense, often making you question your life choices.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Beginner

gross profit margin

The percentage of revenue remaining after subtracting cost of goods sold, revealing how much you make before paying for all the other stuff that keeps businesses running. High margins are good; low margins mean you're working hard to stay broke.

💰 Finance / Accounting

Intermediate

expenditure

The formal way of saying 'money spent,' used by accountants and government agencies to make spending sound more official and less like shopping. It's the act of paying out funds or the amount actually disbursed, tracked obsessively in budgets everywhere. The difference between expenditure and expense is subtle enough that even accountants argue about it at parties—yes, those parties are exactly as fun as they sound.

💰 Finance / Accounting

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