(FINANCE) hilarious term used for over a century in the trading of stocks, commodities, etc. A way in which someone who controls much of the outstanding shares of stock can make a lot of money while ruining those who are betting against the stock.
A "short" is traditionally someone with expertise in shorting a stock, i.e., managing to borrow shares and sell them in anticipation of a decline in value. Obviously, if there are many people shorting a particular stock at any given time, and if they are wrong about the future, then a steep rise in value if the share price will not only cause them to lose money, it will force panic purchases of stock as the traders attempt to cover their shorts. If the instigator of the squeeze is successful, he will have a corner, and drive the price of the stock up to absurd levels.
An unsuccessful squeeze of shorts in a copper trust triggered the Crisis of 1907. That, in turn, triggered the Aldrich–Vreeland Act (May 1908).
A "short" is traditionally someone with expertise in shorting a stock, i.e., managing to borrow shares and sell them in anticipation of a decline in value. Obviously, if there are many people shorting a particular stock at any given time, and if they are wrong about the future, then a steep rise in value if the share price will not only cause them to lose money, it will force panic purchases of stock as the traders attempt to cover their shorts. If the instigator of the squeeze is successful, he will have a corner, and drive the price of the stock up to absurd levels.
An unsuccessful squeeze of shorts in a copper trust triggered the Crisis of 1907. That, in turn, triggered the Aldrich–Vreeland Act (May 1908).
The brokers, after awhile, commenced to borrow large amounts of the stock. This convinced the insiders that there was a big short interest somewhere, and they got together in order to squeeze the shorts... They never awakened to the fact that the {president of the company} had sold out on them... {and were totally ruined}
Henry Clews, Victor Niederhoffer, *Fifty Years in Wall Street*, p.149
Henry Clews, Victor Niederhoffer, *Fifty Years in Wall Street*, p.149
by Abu Yahya April 05, 2010
(ECONOMICS) Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
As a measure of unemployment, U-2 focuses on workers who must abruptly deal with the loss of income after having lost their job or recently finished temporary employment. It is nearly always more than U-1, but there are occasional exceptions.
by Abu Yahya July 16, 2010
Abu Yahya is a brilliant writer and exceptionally good-looking. He's thoughtful and detail-oriented, and gives a good foot-rub.
CAVEAT LECTOR: I am Abu Yahya.
CAVEAT LECTOR: I am Abu Yahya.
by Abu Yahya April 10, 2010
(FINANCE) a call option that is written by a party who possesses none of the underlying stock; a commitment to sell a fixed amount of something at a fixed price, of something one does not happen to have.
Writing an option means selling a certificate that guarantees the holder can buy a traded item for a guaranteed price (strike price). The person who writes the option is betting that the price of the underlying stock will go down (shorting a stock, AKA a short position). If the person writing the option is correct, then she makes money off the sale of the option, but does not have to worry about honoring the option, since it is out of the money and has no intrinsic value.
If the person writing the option is wrong, and the price of the underlying stock goes up, then she must buy the item at the higher spot price specifically to sell it at the low strike price ("short cover"). In rare cases, a person who makes this sort of error will actually drive the spot price much higher than it would have gone ordinarily.
Writing an option means selling a certificate that guarantees the holder can buy a traded item for a guaranteed price (strike price). The person who writes the option is betting that the price of the underlying stock will go down (shorting a stock, AKA a short position). If the person writing the option is correct, then she makes money off the sale of the option, but does not have to worry about honoring the option, since it is out of the money and has no intrinsic value.
If the person writing the option is wrong, and the price of the underlying stock goes up, then she must buy the item at the higher spot price specifically to sell it at the low strike price ("short cover"). In rare cases, a person who makes this sort of error will actually drive the spot price much higher than it would have gone ordinarily.
Naked option writing is quite risky because you can make only a limited amount of money. yet the risks are high.
by Abu Yahya April 15, 2010
(US GOVERNMENT) Federal Open Market Committee; a committee whose members include the 7 governors of the Federal Reserve Board plus five presidents of the Federal Reverse Banks (there are 12 district banks). The FOMC is responsible for open market operations of the Federal Reserve System.
The FOMC manages purchases and sales of Treasury securities.
by Abu Yahya June 16, 2010
a sexual relationship involving three persons, two of whom never have sex with EACH OTHER. For example, in a heterosexual triangle M-F-M, the two men have sex with the woman but never with the other.
See closed triangle.
See closed triangle.
A famous example of an open triangle was that involving Manuel de Godoy, Queen Maria Louisa, and King Carlos IV . In exchange for servicing two of the most repulsive people in Europe, Godoy made an enormous fortune and became the effective ruler of Spain.
The relationship was an open triangle because the king and queen found each other unbearable.
The relationship was an open triangle because the king and queen found each other unbearable.
by Abu Yahya March 21, 2010
*noun*; series of programs enacted by the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) in response to the Great Depression. This definition refers to the New Deal in US history (as opposed to the current "New Deal" in Great Britain).
The main architects of the New Deal were Harry Hopkins, Henry A. Wallace, and Harold L. Ickes. The chief prigrams were:
--- The Works Progress Administration (WPA);
--- the Public Works Administration (PWA);
--- the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).
These were set up to address industrial and farming failures.
Other programs addressed a long-standing need:
--- the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC);
--- the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which introduced electrical power infrastructure to much of the impoverished rural South;
--- the Civil Works Administration (CWA), which supplied electrical power generation;
--- the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which provides insurance for bank accounts;
--- the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC);
--- the Social Security Administration (SSA);
Legislation included:
--- the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), or Wagner Act, which gave most workers the right to organize;
--- the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), which was struck down in 1935 by the US Supreme Court;
--- the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which set basic working standards.
The New Deal's main impact was to establish basic protections for workers, consumers, and farmers. While some of these protections could have been better designed, they perform an indispensable function. In terms of actual fiscal policy, the New Deal was far too small to hasten the end of the Great Depression itself.
The main architects of the New Deal were Harry Hopkins, Henry A. Wallace, and Harold L. Ickes. The chief prigrams were:
--- The Works Progress Administration (WPA);
--- the Public Works Administration (PWA);
--- the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA).
These were set up to address industrial and farming failures.
Other programs addressed a long-standing need:
--- the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC);
--- the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which introduced electrical power infrastructure to much of the impoverished rural South;
--- the Civil Works Administration (CWA), which supplied electrical power generation;
--- the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which provides insurance for bank accounts;
--- the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC);
--- the Social Security Administration (SSA);
Legislation included:
--- the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), or Wagner Act, which gave most workers the right to organize;
--- the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), which was struck down in 1935 by the US Supreme Court;
--- the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which set basic working standards.
The New Deal's main impact was to establish basic protections for workers, consumers, and farmers. While some of these protections could have been better designed, they perform an indispensable function. In terms of actual fiscal policy, the New Deal was far too small to hasten the end of the Great Depression itself.
by Abu Yahya March 06, 2009