Short interest
Definition
Total number of shares of a security that investors have sold short and that have not been repurchased to close out the short position. Usually, investors sell short to profit from price declines. As a result, the short interest is often an indicator of the amount of pessimism in the market about a particular security, although there are other reasons to short that are not related to pessimism. For example, hedging strategies for mergers and acquisition as well as derivative positions may involve short sales.
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Getting Started In Stocks
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The NASDAQ Dozen
Learning Markets
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The 10 Commandments Of Investing
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The Lowdown On Penny Stocks
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10 Things To consider Before Selecting An Online Broker
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Start Investing With Only $1,000
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Copyright © 2011 Campbell R. Harvey, Professor of Finance, Fuqua School of Business at Duke University
Term of the Day
Overwriting
A speculative option strategy that involves selling call or put options on stocks that are believed to be overpriced or underpriced; the options are expected not to be exercised.
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