Passed
Common stock - Answers the most "junior security" because it ranks last in line at liquidation. An equity
or ownership position that usually allows the owner to vote on major corporate issues such as stock
splits, mergers, acquisitions, authorizing more shares, etc.
Transfer agent - Answers issues and redeems certificates. Handles name changes, validates mutilated
certificates. Distributes dividends, gains, and and shareholder reports to mutual fund investors.
registrar - Answers audits the transfer agent to make sure the number of authorized shares is never
exceeded
dividends - Answers money paid from profits to holders of common and preferred stock whenever the
Board of Directors is feeling especially generous
Declaration date - Answers the date the Board of Directors declares a dividend
Record date - Answers the date determined by the Board of Directors upon which the investor must be
the "holder of record" in order to receive the upcoming dividend. Settlement of a trade must occur by
the record date for the buyer to receive the dividend
payable date - Answers the date that the dividend check is paid to investors
regular way settlement - Answers T + 3, trade plus three business days. T + 1 for Treasury securities
T + 3 - Answers regular way settlement, trade date plus three business days
Ex-Date - Answers two days before the Record Date of corporate stock. The date upon which the buyer
is not entitled to the upcoming dividend. Note that for mutual funds, this date is established by the
Board of Directors, usually the day after the Record Date
Pre-emptive right - Answers the right of common stockholders to maintain their proportional ownership
if the company offers more shares of stock
subscription right - Answers the securities used in additional offerings of stock to purchase available
shares, usually at a slight discount
warrant - Answers long term equity securities giving the owner the right to purchase stock at a set price.
OFten attached as a "sweetener" that makes the other security more attractive
currency exchange risk - Answers the risk that the value of the U.S. dollar versus another currency will
have a negative impact on businesses and investors.
option - Answers a derivative giving the holder the right to buy or sell something for a stated price up to
expiration of the contract. Puts and calls
, bullish - Answers an investor who takes a position based on the belief that the market or a particular
security will rise. Buyers of stock and call options
bearish - Answers an investor who takes a position based on the belief that the market or a particular
security will fall. sellers of stock and buyers of put options
preferred stock - Answers a fixed-income security whose stated dividends must be paid before common
stock can receive any dividend payment. Also gets preference ahead of common stock in a liquidation
(but behind all bonds and general creditors)
fixed-income security - Answers a security promising a fixed rate of interest or dividends.
straight preferred stock - Answers a preferred stock whose missed dividends do not go into arrears,
a.k.a. "non-cumulative preferred."
cumulative preferred stock - Answers preferred stock where missed dividends go into arrears and must
be paid before the issuer may pay dividends to other preferred stock and/or common stock
participating preferred stock - Answers preferred stock whose dividend is often raised above the stated
rate
convertible preferred stock - Answers a preferred stock or corporate bond allowing the investor to use
the par value to "buy" shares of the company's common stock at a set price
par value - Answers the face amount that a debt security will pay at maturity, e.g., $1000. For preferred
stock, the amount against which the dividend percentage is calculated, e.g., $100 par value
growth - Answers investment objective that seeks "capital appreciation." Achieved through common
stock, primarily.
income - Answers investment objective that seeks current income, found by investing in fixed income,
e.g., bonds, money market, preferred stock. An equity income fund buys stocks that pay dividends; less
volatile than a growth and income or a pure growth fund.
capital appreciation - Answers the rise in an asset's market price. The objective of a "growth stock
investor."
yield - Answers the income a security produces to the holder and capital gains distributions
total return - Answers measuring growth in share price plus dividends and capital gains distributions
IPO - Answers a corporation's first sale of stock to public investors, By definition, a primary market
transaction in which the issuer receives the proceeds
Primary market - Answers where securities are issued to raise capital for the issuer