Dictionary of Banking and Finance - PDF Free Download (2024)

Dictionary of

third edition

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Originally published by Peter Collin Publishing in 1991 Second edition published 1999 Third edition published 2003 Reprinted 2005 A & C Black Publishers Ltd 38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB © P. H. Collin 1991, 1999 © Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003 © A & C Black Publishers Ltd 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers. A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-10: 0 7136 7739 2 ISBN-13: 978 0 7136 7739 3 eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0227-5 A & C Black uses paper produced with elemental chlorine-free pulp, harvested from managed sustainable forests. Text typeset by A & C Black Printed in Italy by Legoprint

Preface to the first edition This dictionary provides a basic vocabulary of terms used in the fields of banking, investment, the Stock Exchange, and general finance. It covers both British and American usage. The main words and phrases are defined in simple English, and many examples are given to show how the words may be used in context. In some cases, the definitions are expanded by explanatory comments. We also give qutoations from newspapers and financial magazines from various parts of the world. The supplements at the back of the book offer additional information.

Preface to the second edition The vocabulary of banking and finance, like that of so many modern disciplines, moves forward rapidly, and we have expanded and edited the text of the dictionary to keep pace with current changes. We have also made a further selection of recent quotations from newspapers and magazines. At the same time, to make the dictionary more useful to students, we now give phonetic transcriptions for all the headwords.

Preface to the third edition The text and supplements have been thoroughly revised for this new edition and many new entries have been included to reflect recent changes in the field of banking and finance. We are grateful to Stephen Curtis for his help with this edition. Thanks are also due to Katy McAdam, Joel Adams, Daisy Jackson, Sarah Lusznat, Jill Garner and Sandra Anderson for the excellent presentation of the text.

Pronunciation Guide The following symbols have been used to show the pronunciation of the main words in the dictionary. Stress is indicated by a main stress mark ( ) and a secondary stress mark ( ) . Note that these are only guides, as the stress of the word changes according to its position in the sentence. Vowels ɑ ɒ a aυ aə aυə ɔ ɔ e eə e eυ i i ə  ə u u υ υə '

back harm stop type how hire hour course annoy head fair make go word keep happy about fit near annual pool book tour shut

Consonants b d ð d f h j k l m n ŋ p r s ʃ t tʃ θ v w x z

buck dead other jump fare gold head yellow cab leave mix nil sing print rest save shop take change theft value work loch measure zone

A A /sŋ(ə)l e/, AA /db(ə)l e/,

AAA /trp(ə)l e/ noun letters that

show how reliable a particular share, bond or company is considered to be 쑗 These bonds have a AAA rating.

‘…the rating concern lowered its rating to single-A from double-A, and its senior debt rating to triple-B from single-A’ [Wall Street Journal] COMMENT: The AAA rating is given by

Standard & Poor’s or by Moody’s, and indicates a very high level of reliability for a corporate or municipal bond in the US

A1 /e wɒn/ adjective 왍 ship which is A1 at Lloyd’s a ship which is in the best possible condition according to Lloyd’s Register AAD abbreviation Arab accounting dinar ABA abbreviation American Bankers Association abandonment /əbndənmənt/ noun an act of giving up voluntarily something that you own, such as an option or the right to a property abatement /əbetmənt/ noun an act of reducing ABA transit number /e bi e trnzt nmbə/ noun a number allocated to an American financial institution, such as a bank (NOTE: The number appears on US cheques in the top right-hand corner, above the ‘check routing symbol’.) ABI abbreviation Association of British

Insurers

above par /əbv pɑ/ adjective re-

ferring to a share with a market price higher than its par value above the line /əbv ðə lan/ adjective, adverb 1. COMPANIES forming part of normal income and expenditure before tax 쑗 Exceptional items are noted above the line in company accounts. 2. relating to revenue items in a

government budget 3. ADVERTISING relating to advertising for which payment is made (such as an ad in a magazine or a stand at a trade fair) and for which a commission is paid to an advertising agency. Compare below the line absolute /bsəlut/ adjective complete or total absolute monopoly /bsəlut mənɒpəli/ noun a situation where only one producer produces or only one supplier supplies something 쑗 The company has an absolute monopoly of imports of French wine. 쑗 The supplier’s absolute monopoly of the product meant that customers had to accept his terms. absolute title /bsəlut tat(ə)l/ noun a form of ownership of a piece of land in which the owner’s right is guaranteed by being registered with the Land Registry (NOTE: Absolute title also exists to leasehold land, giving the proprietor a guaranteed valid lease.) absorb /əbzɔb/ verb to take in a

small item so that it forms part of a larger one 왍 overheads have absorbed all our profits all our profits have gone in paying overhead expenses 왍 to absorb a loss by a subsidiary to include a subsidiary company’s loss in the group accounts 왍 a business which has been absorbed by a competitor a small business which has been made part of a larger one absorption /əbzɔpʃən/ noun the process of making a smaller business part of a larger one, so that the smaller company in effect no longer exists absorption costing /əbzɔpʃən kɒstŋ/ noun a form of costing for a product that includes both the direct costs of production and the indirect overhead costs as well

absorption rate

absorption rate /əbzɔpʃən ret/

accident policy

1984; until then companies could depreciate new equipment at 100% in the first year of purchase.

an offer of new shares for which you have applied acceptance credit /əkseptəns kredt/ noun an arrangement of credit from a bank, where the bank accepts bills of exchange drawn on the bank by the debtor: the bank then discounts the bills and is responsible for paying them when they mature; the debtor owes the bank for the bills but these are covered by letters of credit acceptance sampling /əkseptəns sɑmplŋ/ noun the process of testing a small sample of a batch to see if the whole batch is good enough to be accepted accepting house /əkseptŋ haυs/, acceptance house /əkseptəns haυs/ noun a firm (usually a merchant bank) which accepts bills of exchange (i.e. promises to pay them) at a discount, in return for immediate payment to the issuer, in this case the Bank of England

acceleration /əkseləreʃ(ə)n/ noun

Accepting Houses Committee

noun a rate at which overhead costs are absorbed into each unit of production abstract /bstrkt/ noun a short form of a report or document 쑗 to make an abstract of the company accounts a/c, acc abbreviation account accelerate /əkseləret/ verb 1. to make something go faster 2. to reduce the amount of time before a maturity date accelerated depreciation /əkseləretd dpriʃeʃ(ə)n/ noun a system of depreciation which reduces the value of assets at a high rate in the early years to encourage companies, as a result of tax advantages, to invest in new equipment COMMENT: This applied in the UK until

the act of making an unpaid balance or bond repayment become payable immediately accept /əksept/ verb 1. to take something which is being offered 왍 to accept delivery of a shipment to take goods into the warehouse officially when they are delivered 2. to say ‘yes’ or to agree to something 쑗 She accepted the offer of a job in Australia. 쑗 He accepted £2000 in lieu of notice. 쑗 60% of shareholders have accepted the offer. acceptable /əkseptəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be accepted 쑗 Both parties found the offer acceptable. 쑗 The terms of the contract of employment are not acceptable to the candidate. 쑗 The offer is not acceptable to the shareholders. acceptance /əkseptəns/ noun 1. the act of signing a bill of exchange to show that you agree to pay it 왍 to present a bill for acceptance to present a bill for payment by the person who has accepted it 2. 왍 acceptance of an offer the act of agreeing to an offer 왍 to give an offer a conditional acceptance to accept an offer provided that specific things happen or that specific terms apply 왍 we have their letter of acceptance we have received a letter from them accepting the offer 3. a bill which has been accepted 4. the act of accepting

/əkseptŋ haυzz kəmti/ noun the

main London merchant banks, which organise the lending of money with the Bank of England. They receive slightly better discount rates from the Bank. acceptor /əkseptə/ noun a person who accepts a bill of exchange by signing it, thus making a commitment to pay it by a specified date access /kses/ noun 왍 to have access to something to be able to obtain or reach something 쑗 She has access to large amounts of venture capital. 쐽 verb to call up data which is stored in a computer 쑗 She accessed the address file on the computer. Access /kses/ a credit card system formerly operated by some British banks, part of the MasterCard network access fee /kses fi/ noun a fee charged to bank customers for using online services access time /kses tam/ noun the time taken by a computer to find data stored in it accident insurance /ksd(ə)nt nʃυərəns/ noun insurance which will pay the insured person when an accident takes place accident policy /ksd(ə)nt pɒlsi/ noun an insurance contract

accommodation which provides a person with accident insurance accommodation /əkɒmədeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. money lent for a short time 2. 왍 to reach an accommodation with creditors to agree terms for settlement with creditors accommodation address /əkɒmədeʃ(ə)n ədres/ noun an address used for receiving messages, but which is not the real address of the company accommodation bill /əkɒmədeʃ(ə)n bl/ noun a bill of exchange where the person signing (the ‘drawee’) is helping another company (the ‘drawer’) to raise a loan accordance /əkɔdns/ noun 왍 in accordance with in agreement or conformity with, as a result of what someone has said should be done 쑗 In accordance with your instructions we have deposited the money in your current account. 쑗 I am submitting the claim for damages in accordance with the advice of our legal advisers. accord and satisfaction /əkɔd ən stsfkʃən/ noun the payment by a debtor of (part of) a debt accordingly /əkɔdŋli/ adverb in agreement with what has been decided 쑗 We have received your letter and have altered the contract accordingly. according to /əkɔdŋ tu/ preposition 1. in accordance with 쑗 The computer was installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 쑗 The shares were bought according to written instructions from the client. 2. as stated or shown by someone ‘…the budget targets for employment and growth are within reach according to the latest figures’ [Australian Financial Review]

account /əkaυnt/ noun 1. a record of financial transactions over a period of time, such as money paid, received, borrowed or owed 쑗 Please send me your account or a detailed or an itemised account. 2. (in a shop) an arrangement which a customer has to buy goods and pay for them at a later date, usually the end of the month 쑗 to have an account or a charge account or a credit account with Harrods 쑗 Put it on my account or charge it to my account. 쑗 They are one of our largest accounts. 왍 to open an

accountant account (of a customer ) to ask a shop to supply goods which you will pay for at a later date 왍 to open an account, to close an account (of a shop) to start or to stop supplying a customer on credit 왍 to settle an account to pay all the money owed on an account 왍 to stop an account to stop supplying a customer until payment has been made for goods supplied 3. 왍 on account as part of a total bill 왍 to pay money on account to pay to settle part of a bill 왍 advance on account money paid as a part payment 4. a customer who does a large amount of business with a firm and has an account with it 쑗 Smith Brothers is one of our largest accounts. 쑗 Our sales people call on their best accounts twice a month. 5. 왍 to keep the accounts to write each sum of money in the account book 쑗 The bookkeeper’s job is to enter all the money received in the accounts. 6. STOCK EXCHANGE a period during which shares are traded for credit, and at the end of which the shares bought must be paid for (NOTE: On the London .

Stock Exchange, there are twenty-four accounts during the year, each running usually for ten working days.) 7. notice

왍 to take account of inflation, to take inflation into account to assume that there will be a specific percentage of inflation when making calculations 쐽 verb 왍 to account for to explain and record a money transaction 쑗 to account for a loss or a discrepancy 쑗 The reps have to account for all their expenses to the sales manager. account aggregation /əkaυnt reeʃ(ə)n/ noun a service for online banking customers, which allows them to group various accounts, including credit card accounts, together accountancy /əkaυntənsi/ noun the work of an accountant 쑗 They are studying accountancy or They are accountancy students. (NOTE: The US term is accounting in this meaning.)

accountant /əkaυntənt/ noun a per-

son who keeps a company’s accounts or deals with an individual person’s tax affairs 쑗 The chief accountant of a manufacturing group. 쑗 The accountant has shown that there is a sharp variance in our labour costs. 쑗 I send all my income tax queries to my accountant.

accountant’s opinion

opinion /əkaυntənts əpnjən/ noun a report of the audit of a company’s books, carried out by a certified public accountant account book /əkaυnt bυk/ noun a book with printed columns which is used to record sales and purchases account day /əkaυnt de/ noun a day on which shares which have been bought must be paid for (usually a Monday ten days after the end of an account). Also called settlement day account end /əkaυnt end/ noun the end of an accounting period account executive /əkaυnt zekjυtv/ noun 1. an employee who looks after customers or who is the link between customers and the company 2. an employee of an organisation such as a bank, public relations firm or advertising agency who is responsible for looking after particular clients and handling their business with the organisation accounting /əkaυntŋ/ noun the work of recording money paid, received, borrowed or owed 쑗 accounting methods 쑗 accounting procedures 쑗 an accounting machine 쑗 The auditors have introduced a new accounting system. accountant’s

‘…applicants will be professionally qualified and have a degree in Commerce or Accounting’ [Australian Financial Review]

period /əkaυntŋ pəriəd/ noun a period of time at the end of which the firm’s accounts are made up Accounting Standards Board /əkaυntŋ stndədz bɔd/ noun a committee set up by British accounting institutions to monitor methods used in accounting account number /əkaυnt nmbə/ noun a special number given to an account, either a bank account (in which case it appears on cheques) or a customer account account reconcilement /əkaυnt rekənsalmənt/ noun same as bank accounting

reconciliation

accounts department /əkaυnts

dpɑtmənt/ noun a department in a company which deals with money paid, received, borrowed or owed

accumulate

manager /əkaυnts mnd$ə/ noun the manager of an accounts department accounts payable /əkaυnts peəb(ə)l/ noun money owed by a company accounts receivable /əkaυnts rsivəb(ə)l/ noun money owed to a company account statement /əkaυnt stetmənt/ noun a written document from a bank showing the balance of an account at the end of a period account trading /əkaυnt tredŋ/ noun buying shares and selling the same shares during an account, which means that the dealer has only to pay the difference between the price of the shares bought and the price obtained for them when they are sold accrete /əkrit/ verb to have something added to it, especially (of a fund) to have interest added to it accretion /əkriʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of adding interest to a fund over a period of time accrual /əkruəl/ noun 1. the act of noting financial transactions when they take place, and not when payment is made 2. a gradual increase by addition 왍 accrual of interest the automatic addition of interest to capital accruals basis /əkruəlz bess/, accruals concept /əkruəlz kɒnsept/ noun a method of preparing accounts in which revenues and costs are both reported during the period to which they refer and not during the period when payments are received or made accrue /əkru/ verb to increase and be due for payment at a later date 쑗 Interest accrues from the beginning of the month. accrued dividend /əkrud dvdend/ noun a dividend earned since the last dividend was paid accrued interest /əkrud ntrəst/ noun interest which has been earned by an interest-bearing investment 쑗 Accrued interest is added quarterly. acct abbreviation account accumulate /əkjumjυlet/ verb to grow in quantity by being added to, or to get more of something over a period of accounts

accumulated depreciation time 쑗 We allow dividends to accumulate in the fund. accumulated depreciation /əkjumjυletd dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun the total amount by which an asset has been depreciated since it was purchased accumulated profit /əkjumjυletd prɒft/ noun a profit which is not paid as dividend but is taken over into the accounts of the following year accumulated reserves /əkjumjυletd rz%vz/ plural noun reserves which a company has put aside over a period of years accumulation /əkjumjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of growing larger by being added to, or of getting more and more of something accumulation unit /əkjumjυleʃ(ə)n junt/ noun a type of unit in a unit trust, which produces dividends which are used to form more units (as opposed to an income unit, which produces dividends which the investor receives as income) ACD abbreviation authorized corporate director ACH abbreviation US automated clearing house achieve /ətʃiv/ verb to succeed in doing something, to do something successfully 쑗 The company has achieved great success in the Far East. 쑗 We achieved all our objectives in 2001. ‘…the company expects to move to profits of FFr 2m next year and achieve equally rapid growth in following years’ [Financial Times]

acid test ratio /sd test reʃəυ/

noun same as liquidity ratio ACP state noun an African, Caribbean and Pacific state which is linked to the European Community through the Lomé Convention (1985) acquire /əkwaə/ verb to buy 쑗 to acquire a company 쑗 We have acquired a new office building in the centre of town. acquirer /əkwaərə/ noun a person or company which buys something acquisition /kwzʃ(ə)n/ noun something bought 쑗 The chocolate factory is our latest acquisition. 쑗 The company has a record of making profit-

active account able acquisitions of traders in the retail sector. acquisition accounting /kwzʃ(ə)n əkaυntŋ/ noun a full consolidation, where the assets of a subsidiary company which has been purchased are included in the parent company’s balance sheet, and the premium paid for the goodwill is written off against the year’s earnings across-the-board /əkrɒs ðə bɔd/ adjective applying to everything or everyone 쑗 an across-the-board price increase or wage increase

across-the-board tariff increase /əkrɒs ði bɔd trf nkris/ noun

an increase in duty which applies to a whole range of items act /kt/ noun a law passed by parliament which must be obeyed by the people 쐽 verb 1. to work 쑗 He has agreed to act as an agent for an American company. 쑗 The solicitor is acting for us or on our behalf. 2. to do something 쑗 The board will have to act quickly if the company’s losses are going to be reduced. 왍 to act on something to do what you have been asked to do by someone 쑗 to act on a letter 쑗 The lawyers are acting on our instructions. ACT abbreviation Advance Corporation Tax action /kʃən/ noun 1. a thing which has been done 왍 to take action to do something 쑗 You must take action if you want to stop people cheating you. 2. 왍 to take industrial action to do something (usually to go on strike) to show that you are not happy with conditions at work 3. a case in a law court where a person or company sues another person or company 왍 to take legal action to sue someone 쑗 an action for libel or a libel action 쑗 an action for damages 쑗 She brought an action for wrongful dismissal against her former employer. active /ktv/ adjective involving many transactions or activities 쑗 an active demand for oil shares 쑗 an active day on the Stock Exchange 쑗 Computer shares are very active. active account /ktv əkaυnt/ noun an account, such as a bank account or investment account, which is used (i.e. money is deposited and withdrawn) frequently

active partner

active partner /ktv pɑtnə/

noun a partner who works in a company that is a partnership activity /ktvti/ noun the fact of being active or busy 쑗 a low level of business activity 쑗 There was a lot of activity on the Stock Exchange. 왍 monthly activity report a report by a department on what has been done during the past month ‘…preliminary indications of the level of business investment and activity during the March quarter will provide a good picture of economic activity in the year’ [Australian Financial Review]

activity chart /ktvti tʃɑt/ noun

a plan showing work which has been done, made so that it can be compared to a previous plan showing how much work should be done act of God /kt əv ɒd/ noun something you do not expect to happen, and which cannot be avoided, such as a storm or a flood (NOTE: Acts of God are not usually covered by insurance policies.) actual adjective /ktʃuəl/ real or cor-

rect 쑗 What is the actual cost of one unit? 쑗 The actual figures for directors’ expenses are not shown to the shareholders. 쐽 noun a physical commodity which is ready for delivery (as opposed to futures) actual price /ktʃuəl pras/ noun a price for a commodity which is for immediate delivery actuals /ktʃuəlz/ plural noun real figures 쑗 These figures are the actuals for last year. actuarial /ktʃueəriəl/ adjective calculated by an actuary 쑗 The premiums are worked out according to actuarial calculations. actuarial tables /ktʃueəriəl teb(ə)lz/ noun lists showing how long people of certain ages are likely to live, used to calculate life assurance premiums and annuities actuary /ktʃuəri/ noun a person employed by an insurance company or other organisation to calculate the risk involved in an insurance, and therefore the premiums payable by people taking out insurance

address COMMENT: In the UK, actuaries are quali-

fied after passing the examinations of the Institute of Actuaries.

ACU abbreviation Asian Currency Unit adaptable /ədptəb(ə)l/ adjective

able to change or be changed adaptation /dpteʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of changing something, or of being changed, to fit new conditions 쑗 adaptation to new surroundings ADB abbreviation 1. African Development Bank 2. Asian Development Bank add /d/ verb to put figures together to make a total 쑗 If you add the interest to the capital you will get quite a large sum. 쑗 Interest is added monthly. added value /dd vlju/ noun an amount added to the value of a product or service, equal to the difference between its cost and the amount received when it is sold. Wages, taxes, etc. are deducted from the added value to give the profit. 쏡 Value Added Tax adding machine /dŋ məʃin/ noun a machine which adds numbers addition /ədʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of putting numbers together 쑗 You don’t need a calculator to do simple addition. additional /ədʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective extra which is added 쑗 additional costs 쑗 They sent us a list of additional charges. 쑗 Some additional clauses were added to the contract. 쑗 Additional duty will have to be paid. additional borrowing /ədʃ(ə)n(ə)l bɒrəυŋ/ noun extra borrowing in addition to money already borrowed additional premium /ədʃ(ə)nəl primiəm/ noun a payment made to cover extra items in an existing insurance

additional voluntary contributions /ədʃ(ə)n(ə)l vɒlənt(ə)ri

kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun extra payments made voluntarily by an employee to a pension scheme (on top of the normal contributions, up to a maximum of 15% of gross earnings). Abbreviation AVCs address /ədres/ noun the details of number, street and town where an office is located or a person lives 쑗 My business address and phone number are printed on the card. 쐽 verb 1. to write

addressee the details of an address on an envelope or package 쑗 a letter addressed to the managing director 쑗 an incorrectly addressed package 쑗 Please address your enquiries to the manager. 2. to say something to someone 쑗 The chairman addressed the meeting. addressee /dresi/ noun a person to whom a letter or package is addressed addressing machine /ədresŋ məʃin/ noun a machine which puts addresses on envelopes automatically address list /ədres lst/ noun a list of names and addresses of people and companies add up /d p/ verb 1. to put several figures together to make a total 쑗 He made a mistake in adding up the column of figures. 왍 the figures do not add up the total given is not correct 2. to make sense 쑗 The complaints in the letter just do not add up. add up to /d p tυ/ verb to make a total of 쑗 The total expenditure adds up to more than £1,000. adequacy /dkwəsi/ noun the fact of being large enough or good enough for something adequate /dkwət/ adjective large or good enough 왍 to operate without adequate cover to act without being completely protected by insurance adjudicate /əd$udket/ verb to give a judgement between two parties in law or to decide a legal problem 쑗 to adjudicate a claim 쑗 to adjudicate in a dispute 왍 he was adjudicated bankrupt he was declared legally bankrupt adjudication /əd$udkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of giving a judgement or of deciding a legal problem adjudication of bankruptcy /əd$udkeʃ(ə)n əv bŋkrptsi/ noun a legal order making someone bankrupt adjudication tribunal /əd$udkeʃ(ə)n trabjun(ə)l/ noun a group which adjudicates in industrial disputes adjudicator /əd$udketə/ noun a person who gives a decision on a problem 쑗 an adjudicator in an industrial dispute adjust /əd$st/ verb to change something to fit new conditions 쑗 Prices are adjusted for inflation.

adjustment credit ‘…inflation-adjusted GNP moved up at a 1.3% annual rate’ [Fortune] ‘Saudi Arabia will no longer adjust its production to match short-term supply with demand’ [Economist] ‘…on a seasonally-adjusted basis, output of trucks, electric power, steel and paper decreased’ [Business Week]

adjustable /əd$stəb(ə)l/ adjective

which can be adjusted adjustable peg /əd$stəb(ə)l pe/ noun a method of pegging one currency to another, which allows the exchange rate to be adjusted from time to time adjustable rate mortgage /əd$stəb(ə)l ret mɔd$/ noun a mortgage where the interest rate changes according to the current market rates. Abbreviation ARM

adjustable rate preferred stock

/əd$stəb(ə)l ret prf%d stɒk/ noun a preference shares on which divi-

dends are paid in line with the interest rate on Treasury bills. Abbreviation ARPS

balance /əd$std bləns/ noun a balance in a bank account which is adjusted to take account of debits and credits during a period. This balance can then be used as a basis for calculating bank charges. adjusted gross income /əd$std rəυs nkm/ noun US a person’s total annual income less expenses, pension contributions, capital losses, etc., used as a basis to calculate federal income tax. Abbreviation AGI adjuster /əd$stə/ noun a person who calculates losses for an insurance company adjustment /əd$stmənt/ noun 1. the act of adjusting 쑗 to make an adjustment to salaries 쑗 an adjustment of prices to take account of rising costs 2. a slight change 쑗 Details of tax adjustments are set out in the enclosed document. 3. an entry in accounts which does not represent a receipt or payment, but which is made to make the accounts correct 4. a change in the exchange rates, made to correct a balance of payment deficit adjustment credit /əd$stmənt kredt/ noun a short-term loan from the Federal Reserve to a commercial bank adjusted

adjustment trigger

adjustment trigger /əd$stmənt

trə/ noun a factor such as a certain level of inflation which triggers an adjustment in exchange rates adjustor /əd$stə/ noun same as adjuster

administer /ədmnstə/ verb to or-

ganise, manage or direct the whole of an organisation or part of one 쑗 She administers a large pension fund. 쑗 It will be the HR manager’s job to administer the induction programme. administered price /ədmnstəd pras/ noun US a price fixed by a manufacturer which cannot be varied by a retailer (NOTE: The UK term is resale price maintenance.) administration /ədmnstreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the action of organising, controlling or managing a company 2. a

person or group of people who manage or direct an organisation 쑗 It is up to the administration to solve the problem, not the government. 3. an appointment by a court of a person to manage the affairs of a company administration costs /ədmnstreʃ(ə)n kɒsts/, administration expenses /ədmnstreʃ(ə)n kspensz/ plural noun the costs of management, not including production, marketing or distribution costs administration order /ədmnstreʃ(ə)n ɔdə/ noun 1. an order by a court, by which a debtor repays his debts in instalments 2. an order by a court to appoint an administrator for a company administrative receiver /ədmnstrətv rsivə/ noun a person appointed by a court to administer the affairs of a company administrator /ədmnstretə/ noun 1. a person who directs the work of other employees in a business 쑗 After several years as a college teacher, she hopes to become an administrator. 2. a person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of someone who dies without leaving a will admission charge /ədmʃ(ə)n tʃɑd$/ noun the price to be paid before going into an area or building, e.g. to see an exhibition ADR abbreviation American Depositary Receipt

adverse action

ad valorem /d vəlɔrəm/ adjective

from a Latin phrase meaning ‘according to value’, showing that a tax is calculated according to the value of the goods taxed 쑗 ad valorem duty 쑗 ad valorem tax COMMENT: Most taxes are ‘ad valorem’.

For example VAT is calculated as a percentage of the charge made, and income tax is a percentage of income earned.

ad valorem duty /d vəlɔrəm

djuti/ noun the duty calculated on the sales value of the goods ad valorem tax /d vəlɔrem tks/ noun tax calculated according to the value of the goods taxed advance /ədvɑns/ noun 1. money paid as a loan or as a part of a payment to be made later 쑗 She asked if she could have a cash advance. 쑗 We paid her an advance on account. 2. an increase 3. 왍 in advance early, before something happens 쑗 freight payable in advance 쑗 prices fixed in advance 쐽 adjective early, or taking place before something else happens 쑗 advance payment 쑗 Advance holiday bookings are up on last year. 쑗 You must give seven days’ advance notice of withdrawals from the account. 쐽 verb 1. to lend 쑗 The bank advanced him £100,000 against the security of his house. 2. to increase 쑗 Prices generally advanced on the stock market. 3. to make something happen earlier 쑗 The date of the AGM has been advanced to May 10th. 쑗 The meeting with the German distributors has been advanced from 11.00 to 09.30. Advance Corporation Tax /ədvɑns kɔpəreʃ(ə)n tks/ noun a tax (abolished in 1999) which was paid by a company in advance of its main corporation tax payments. It was paid when dividends were paid to shareholders and was deducted from the main tax payment when that fell due. It appeared on the tax voucher attached to a dividend warrant. Abbreviation ACT adverse /dv%s/ adjective unfavourable 왍 adverse balance of trade a situation in which a country imports more than it exports 왍 adverse trading conditions bad conditions for trade adverse action /dv%s kʃən/ noun a decision which has unfavourable consequences for employees 쑗 The new

advertising agency

bonus system was considered adverse action by underachievers in the organisation. advertising agency /dvətazŋ ed$ənsi/ noun an office which plans, designs and manages advertising for other companies advertising budget /dvətazŋ bd$t/ noun money planned for spending on advertising 쑗 Our advertising budget has been increased. advice /ədvas/ noun an opinion as to what action to take 쑗 The accountant’s advice was to send the documents to the police. 왍 to take legal advice to ask a lawyer to say what should be done 앳 as per advice 1. according to what is written on the advice note 2. advising that a bill of exchange has been drawn advise /ədvaz/ verb 1. to tell someone what has happened 쑗 We have been advised that the shipment will arrive next week. 2. to suggest to someone what should be done 쑗 The lawyer advised us to send the documents to the police. advise against /ədvaz əenst/ verb to suggest that something should not be done 쑗 The HR manager advised against dismissing the staff without notice. adviser /ədvazə/, advisor noun a person who suggests what should be done 쑗 He is consulting the company’s legal adviser. advisory /ədvaz(ə)ri/ adjective as an adviser 쑗 He is acting in an advisory capacity. advisory board /ədvaz(ə)ri bɔd/ noun a group of advisors advisory funds /ədvaz(ə)ri fndz/ plural noun funds placed with a financial institution to invest on behalf of a client, the institution investing them at its own discretion AER abbreviation Annual Equivalent Rate AEX abbreviation Amsterdam Stock Exchange AFBD abbreviation Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers

Affärsvärlden

General

Index

noun an index of prices on the Stockholm Stock Exchange

against

affect /əfekt/ verb to cause some

change in something, especially to have a bad effect on something 쑗 The new government regulations do not affect us. affiliate /əfliət/ noun a company which partly owns another company, or is partly owned by the same holding company as another affiliated /əflietd/ adjective connected with or owned by another company 쑗 Smiths Ltd is one of our affiliated companies. affinity card /əfnti kɑd/ noun a credit card where a percentage of each purchase made is given by the credit card company to a stated charity affluent /fluənt/ adjective rich 쑗 Our more affluent clients prefer the luxury model. 왍 the affluent rich people 왍 the mass affluent people with more than £50,000 in liquid assets affluent society /fluənt səsaəti/ noun a type of society where most people are rich afford /əfɔd/ verb to be able to pay for or buy something 쑗 We could not afford the cost of two telephones. 쑗 The company cannot afford the time to train new staff. (NOTE: Only used after can, cannot, could, could not, able to)

afghani /fɑni/ a unit of currency

used in Afghanistan

African

Development

Bank

/frkən dveləpmənt/ noun a bank

set up by African countries to provide long-term loans to help agricultural development and improvement of the infrastructure. Abbreviation ADB (NOTE: The bank now has non-African members.) afterdate /ɑftədet/ noun a bill of

exchange payable at a date later than that on the bill aftermarket /ɑftəmɑkt/ noun a market in new shares, which starts immediately after trading in the shares begins (i.e. a secondary market) after tax /ɑftər tks/ adverb after tax has been paid after-tax profit /ɑftə tks prɒft/ noun profit after tax has been deducted AG abbreviation Aktiengesellschaft against /əenst/ preposition 1. in view of the fact that something else is owed or has been pledged 쑗 Can I have

aged debtors analysis an advance against next month’s salary? 쑗 The bank advanced him £10,000 against the security of his house. 2. compared with ‘…investment can be written off against the marginal rate of tax’ [Investors Chronicle]

aged debtors analysis /ed$d

detəz ənləss/, ageing schedule /ed$ŋ ʃedjul/ noun a list which analyses a company’s debtors, showing the number of days their payments are outstanding COMMENT: An ageing schedule shows all

the debtors of a company and lists (usually in descending order of age) all the debts that are outstanding. The debtors will be shown as: £X at 30 days, £Y at 60 days, £Z at 90 days, etc.

agency /ed$ənsi/ noun 1. an office or job of representing another company in an area 쑗 They signed an agency agreement or an agency contract. 2. an office or business which arranges things for other companies 3. US a security issued by a government agency, such as a Federal Home Loan Bank agency bank /ed$ənsi bŋk/ noun a bank which does not accept deposits, but acts as an agent for another (usually foreign) bank agency bill /ed$ənsi bl/ noun a bill of exchange drawn on the local branch of a foreign bank agency broker /ed$ənsi brəυkə/ noun a dealer who acts as the agent for an investor, buying and selling for a commission agent /ed$ənt/ noun 1. a person who represents a company or another person in an area 쑗 to be the agent for BMW cars 2. a person in charge of an agency 쑗 an advertising agent 쑗 The estate agent sent me a list of properties for sale. 쑗 Our trip was organised through our local travel agent. 3. 왍 (business) agent US the chief local official of a trade union 쑗 Management would only discuss the new payment scheme with agents officially representing the workers. agent bank /ed$ənt bŋk/ noun a bank which uses the credit card system set up by another bank agent de change noun the French word for stockbroker

agree

agente de cambio y bolsa noun the Spanish word for stockbroker agente di cambio noun the Italian word for stockbroker agent’s commission /ed$ənts kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun money, often a percentage of sales, paid to an agent aggregate /rət/ adjective total, with everything added together 쑗 aggregate output aggregate demand /rət dmɑnd/ noun total demand for goods and services from all sectors of the economy, such as individuals, companies and the government 쑗 Economists are studying the recent fall in aggregate demand. 쑗 As incomes have risen, so has aggregate demand. aggregate risk /rət rsk/ noun the risk which a bank runs in lending to a customer aggregate supply /rət səpla/ noun all goods and services on the market 쑗 Is aggregate supply meeting aggregate demand? AGI abbreviation 1. US adjusted gross income 2. annual gross income agio /d$əυ/ noun 1. a charge made for changing money of one currency into another, or for changing banknotes into cash 2. the difference between two values, such as between the interest charged on loans made by a bank and the interest paid by the bank on deposits, or the difference between the values of two currencies, or between a gold coin and paper currency of the same face value AGM abbreviation Annual General Meeting agree /əri/ verb 1. to decide and approve something together with another person or other people 쑗 The figures were agreed between the two parties. 쑗 We have agreed the budgets for next year. 쑗 He has agreed your prices. 쑗 The terms of the contract are still to be agreed. 2. 왍 to agree on something to come to a decision that is acceptable to everyone about something 쑗 We all agreed on the need for action. 3. 왍 to agree to something to say that you accept something that is suggested 쑗 After some discussion he agreed to our plan. 왍 to agree to do something to say that you will do something 쑗 She agreed to

agreed be chairman. 쑗 Will the finance director agree to resign? agreed /ərid/ adjective which has been accepted by everyone 쑗 We pay an agreed amount each month. 쑗 The agreed terms of employment are laid down in the contract. agreed price /ərid pras/ noun a price which has been accepted by both the buyer and seller agreed takeover bid /ərid tekəυvə bd/ noun a takeover bid which is accepted by the target company and recommended by its directors to its shareholders agreement /ərimənt/ noun a spoken or written contract between people or groups which explains how they will act 쑗 a written agreement 쑗 an unwritten or verbal agreement 쑗 to draw up or to draft an agreement 쑗 to break an agreement 쑗 to sign an agreement 쑗 to reach an agreement or to come to an agreement on something 쑗 a collective wage agreement ‘…after three days of tough negotiations the company has reached agreement with its 1,200 unionized workers’ [Toronto Star]

agreement among underwriters /ərimənt əmŋ ndəratəz/ noun

a document which forms a syndicate of underwriters, linking them to the issuer of a new share issue agree with /əri wð/ verb 1. to say that your opinions are the same as someone else’s 쑗 I agree with the chairman that the figures are lower than normal. 2. to be the same as 쑗 The auditors’ figures do not agree with those of the accounts department. AICPA abbreviation American Institute of Certified Public Accountants AIM abbreviation alternative investment market AIMA abbreviation Alternative Investment Management Association air carrier /eə kriə/ noun a company which sends cargo or passengers by air air forwarding /eə fɔwədŋ/ noun the process of arranging for goods to be shipped by air air freight /eə fret/ noun the transportation of goods in aircraft, or goods

allocation sent by air 쑗 to send a shipment by air freight 쑗 Air freight tariffs are rising. air freight charges /eə fret tʃɑd$z/, air freight rates /eə fret rets/ plural noun money charged for sending goods by air airmail /eəmel/ noun a postal service which sends letters or parcels by air 쑗 to send a package by airmail 쑗 Airmail charges have risen by 15%. 쐽 verb to send letters or parcels by air 쑗 We airmailed the document to New York. airmail envelope /eəmel envələυp/ noun a very light envelope for sending airmail letters airmail sticker /eəmel stkə/ noun a blue sticker with the words ‘air mail’, which can be stuck on an envelope or parcel to show that it is being sent by air airmail transfer /eəmel trnsf%/ noun an act of sending money from one bank to another by airmail airport tax /eəpɔt tks/ noun a tax added to the price of an air ticket to cover the cost of running an airport Aktie noun the German word for share Aktiengesellschaft noun the German word for public limited company. Abbreviation AG alien corporation /eliən kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun US a company which is incorporated in a foreign country all-in policy /ɔl n pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy which covers all risks all-in rate /ɔl n ret/ noun 1. a price which covers all the costs connected with a purchase, such as delivery, tax and insurance, as well as the cost of the goods themselves 2. a wage which includes all extra payments, such as bonuses and merit pay allocate /ləket/ verb 1. to provide a particular amount from a total sum of money for a particular purpose 쑗 We allocate 10% of revenue to publicity. 쑗 $2,500 was allocated to office furniture. 2. to divide something in various ways and share it out 쑗 How are we going to allocate the available office space? allocation /ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of providing sums of money for particular purposes, or a sum provided for a purpose 쑗 the allocation of funds to a project

allocation rate

allocation rate /ləkeʃ(ə)n ret/

noun the percentage of a payment that is actually invested in a fund after initial charges have been taken into account allonge /lɒn$/ noun a piece of paper attached to a bill of exchange, so that more endorsem*nts can be written on it All Ordinaries Index /ɔl ɔd(ə)n(ə)riz ndeks/ noun the index of prices on the Australian Stock Exchange. Abbreviation AO Index, AO all or none /ɔl ɔ nn/ noun a buying order which stipulates that the whole order has to be bought at a certain price and no parts of the order can be executed separately. Abbreviation AON allot /əlɒt/ verb to share out 왍 to allot shares to give a certain number of shares to people who have applied for them allotment /əlɒtmənt/ noun 1. the process of sharing out something, especially money between various departments, projects or people 쑗 The allotment of funds to each project is the responsibility of the finance director. 2. the act of giving shares in a new company to people who have applied for them 쑗 share allotment 쑗 payment in full on allotment allow /əlaυ/ verb 1. to say that someone can do something 쑗 Junior members of staff are not allowed to use the chairman’s lift. 쑗 The company allows all members of staff to take six days’ holiday at Christmas. 2. to give 쑗 to allow 5% discount to members of staff 3. to agree to or accept legally 쑗 to allow a claim or an appeal allowable /əlaυəb(ə)l/ adjective legally accepted allowable expenses /əlaυəb(ə)l kspensz/ plural noun business expenses which can be claimed against tax allowance /əlaυəns/ noun 1. money which is given for a special reason 쑗 a travel allowance or a travelling allowance 2. part of an income which is not taxed 쑗 allowances against tax or tax allowances 쑗 personal allowances 3. money removed in the form of a discount 쑗 an allowance for depreciation 쑗 an allowance for exchange loss

alternative ‘…the compensation plan includes base, incentive and car allowance totalling $50,000+’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

allowance for bad debt /əlaυəns

fə bd det/ noun provision made in a company’s accounts for debts which may never be paid allow for /əlaυ fɔ/ verb 1. to give a discount for something, or to add an extra sum to cover something 쑗 to allow for money paid in advance 쑗 Add on an extra 10% to allow for postage and packing. 왍 delivery is not allowed for delivery charges are not included 2. to include something in your calculations 왍 allow 28 days for delivery calculate that delivery will take up to 28 days all-risks policy /ɔl rsks pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy which covers risks of any kind, with no exclusions All-Share Index /ɔl ʃeə ndeks/ noun an index based on the market price of about 700 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (NOTE: The full name is the Financial Times Actuaries All-Share Index.) alpha /lfə/ noun 1. an anticipated

performance of a share, compared to the market in general 2. a rate of return on a unit trust or mutual fund, compared with typical returns for that category of trust. 쏡 beta

alphabetical order /lfəbetk(ə)l

ɔdə/ noun the arrangement of records (such as files and index cards) in the order of the letters of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, etc.) alpha shares /lfə ʃeəz/, alpha securities /lfə skjυərtiz/, alpha stocks /lfə stɒks/ plural noun shares in the main companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (about 130 companies, whose shares are frequently traded, normally in parcels of 1000 shares) (NOTE: Transactions in alpha stocks are listed on SEAQ.)

alternate account /ɔlt%nət ə-

kaυnt/ noun a bank account where the several signatories can each sign cheques without asking another to validate their signature alternative /ɔlt%nətv/ adjective other, which can take the place of something 왍 to find someone alternative employment to find someone another job

Alternative Investment Market

/ɔll%nətv nvestmənt mɑkt/ noun a London stock market, regulated

by the London Stock Exchange, dealing in shares in smaller companies which are not listed on the main London Stock Exchange. Abbreviation AIM (NOTE: The AIM is a way in which smaller companies can sell shares to the investing public without going to the expense of obtaining a full share listing.) Alternative Minimum Tax /ɔll%nətv mnməm tks/ noun US a

federal tax on certain capital gains and other income above normal taxable income. Abbreviation AMT alternative order /ɔlt%nətv ɔdə/ noun an order to do one of two things (such as buy or sell stock at certain prices) aluminium /ləmniəm/ noun a metal which is frequently traded on commodity exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange (NOTE: The US spelling is aluminum.) a.m. /e em/ adverb in the morning,

before 12 midday 쑗 The flight leaves at 9.20 a.m. 쑗 Telephone calls before 6 a.m. are charged at the cheap rate.

(NOTE: The US spelling is A.M.)

American Bankers Association /əmerkən bŋkəz əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun an association which represents

US banks and promotes good practice. Abbreviation ABA American Depositary Receipt /əmerkən dpɒztri rsit/ noun a document issued by an American bank to US citizens, making them unregistered shareholders of companies in foreign countries. The document allows them to receive dividends from their investments, and ADRs can themselves be bought or sold. Abbreviation ADR COMMENT: Buying and selling ADRs is

easier for American investors than buying or selling the actual shares themselves, as it avoids stamp duty and can be carried out in dollars without incurring exchange costs.

Amsterdam Stock Exchange

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants /əmerkən

nsttjut əv s%tfad pblk əkaυntənts/ noun an official organisation representing CPAs. Abbreviation AICPA

American Stock Exchange /ə-

merkən stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the smaller of the two Stock Exchanges based in New York (the other is the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE). Abbreviation Amex (NOTE: Also called

Curb Exchange or Little Board, as opposed to the Big Board, or NYSE.) Amex /meks/ abbreviation American Stock Exchange (informal ) AmEx /meks/ abbreviation Ameri.

can Express

amortisable /mɔtazəb(ə)l/ ad-

jective which can be amortised 쑗 The capital cost is amortisable over a period of ten years. amortisation /əmɔtazeʃ(ə)n/, amortising noun an act of amortising 쑗 amortisation of a debt amortise /əmɔtaz/, amortize verb 1. to repay a loan by regular payments, most of which pay off the interest on the loan at first, and then reduce the principal as the repayment period progresses 쑗 The capital cost is amortised over five years. 2. to depreciate or to write down the capital value of an asset over a period of time in a company’s accounts amount /əmaυnt/ noun a quantity of money 쑗 A small amount has been deducted to cover our costs. 쑗 A large amount is still owing. 쑗 What is the amount to be written off? 쑗 She has a small amount invested in gilt-edged stock. 쐽 verb 왍 to amount to to make a total of 쑗 Their debts amount to over £1m. amount paid up /əmaυnt ped p/ noun an amount paid for a new issue of shares, either the total payment or the first instalment, if the shares are offered with instalment payments amount to /əmaυnt tυ/ verb to make a total of 쑗 Their debts amount to over £1m.

American Institute of Banking

Amsterdam

training for bank staff. Abbreviation

the main stock exchange in the Netherlands. Business is transacted by ‘hoekmen’ (marketmakers) or directly

/əmerkən nsttjut əv bŋkŋ/ noun part of the ABA which organises AIB

Stock

Exchange

/mstədm stɒk kstʃend$/ noun

analogue computer between banks on the Amsterdam Interprofessional Market (AIM). Abbreviation AEX

analogue computer /nəlɒ kəm-

pjutə/ noun a computer which works on the basis of electrical impulses representing numbers analyse /nəlaz/, analyze verb to examine someone or something in detail 쑗 to analyse a statement of account 쑗 to analyse the market potential analysis /ənləss/ noun a detailed examination and report 쑗 a job analysis 쑗 market analysis 쑗 Her job is to produce a regular sales analysis. (NOTE: The plural is analyses.) analyst /nəlst/ noun a person who

analyses 쑗 a market analyst 쑗 a systems analyst angel /end$əl/ noun a person who provides backing for a stage performance, such as a play or musical, and receives a percentage dividend when the start-up costs have been covered angel network /end$əl netw%k/ noun a network of backers, organised through a central office which keeps a database of suitable investors and puts them in touch with entrepreneurs who need financial backing announce /ənaυns/ verb to tell something to the public 쑗 to announce the first year’s trading results 쑗 The director has announced a programme of investment. announcement /ənaυnsmənt/ noun an act of telling something in public 쑗 the announcement of a cutback in expenditure 쑗 the announcement of the appointment of a new managing director 쑗 The managing director made an announcement to the staff. annual /njuəl/ adjective for one year 쑗 an annual statement of income 쑗 They have six weeks’ annual leave. 쑗 The company has an annual growth of 5%. 쑗 We get an annual bonus. 왍 on an annual basis each year 쑗 The figures are revised on an annual basis. ‘…real wages have risen at an annual rate of only 1% in the last two years’ [Sunday Times] ‘…the remuneration package will include an attractive salary, profit sharing and a company car together with four weeks’ annual holiday’ [Times]

annual management fee

accounts /njuəl əkaυnts/ plural noun the accounts prepared at the end of a financial year 쑗 The annual accounts have been sent to the shareholders. annual depreciation /njuəl dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun a reduction in the book value of an asset at a particular rate per year. 쏡 straight line annual

depreciation

Annual Equivalent Rate /njuəl

kwvələnt ret/ noun a figure which shows what the interest rate on an account would be if interest was paid for a full year and compounded. Abbreviation

AER

Annual General Meeting /njuəl

d$en(ə)rəl mitŋ/ noun an annual meeting of all shareholders of a company, when the company’s financial situation is presented by and discussed with the directors, when the accounts for the past year are approved and when dividends are declared and audited. Abbreviation AGM (NOTE: The US term is annual meeting or annual stockholders’ meeting.) annual gross income /njuəl rəυs nkm/ noun total annual in-

come before any deductions or exclusions. Abbreviation AGI annual income /njuəl nkm/ noun money received during a calendar year annualised /njuəlazd/, annualized adjective shown on an annual basis ‘…he believes this may have caused the economy to grow at an annualized rate of almost 5 per cent in the final quarter of last year’ [Investors Chronicle]

annualised

percentage

rate

/njuəlazd pəsentd$ ret/ noun a

yearly percentage rate, calculated by multiplying the monthly rate by twelve

(NOTE: The annualised percentage rate is not as accurate as the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), which includes fees and other charges.) annually /njuəli/ adverb each year 쑗

The figures are updated annually.

annual

management

charge

/njuəl mnd$mənt tʃɑd$/ noun a

charge made by the financial institution which is managing an account annual management fee /njuəl mnd$mənt fi/ noun an annual

Annual Percentage Rate charge made for running a fund, usually calculated as a percentage of the amount invested Annual Percentage Rate /njuəl pəsentd$ ret/ noun a rate of interest (such as on a hire-purchase agreement) shown on an annual compound basis, and including fees and charges. Abbreviation APR COMMENT:

Because hire purchase agreements quote a flat rate of interest covering the whole amount borrowed or a monthly repayment figure, the Consumer Credit Act, 1974, forces lenders to show the APR on documentation concerning hire purchase agreements, so as to give an accurate figure of the real rate of interest as opposed to the nominal rate. The APR includes various fees charged (such as the valuation of a house for mortgage). It may also vary according to the sum borrowed – a credit card company will quote a lower APR if the borrower’s credit limit is low.

annual percentage yield /njuəl

pəsentd$ jild/ noun the annual rate of compound interest earned by an account. Abbreviation APY annual report /njuəl rpɔt/ noun a report of a company’s financial situation at the end of a year, sent to all the shareholders annual rest system /njuəl rest sstəm/ noun a system by which extra payments or overpayments made to reduce the amount borrowed on a mortgage are credited to the account only once a year annual return /njuəl rt%n/ noun an official report which a registered company has to make each year to the Registrar of Companies annuitant /ənjutənt/ noun a person who receives an annuity annuity /ənjuti/ noun money paid each year to a retired person, usually in return for a lump-sum payment. The value of the annuity depends on how long the person lives, as it usually cannot be passed on to another person. Annuities are fixed payments, and lose their value with inflation, whereas a pension can be index-linked. 쑗 to buy or to take out an annuity 쑗 He has a government annuity or an annuity from the government.

application COMMENT: When a person retires, he or

she is required by law to purchase a ‘compulsory purchase annuity’ with the funds accumulated in his or her pension fund. This provides a taxable income for the rest of his or her life, but usually it is a fixed income which does not change with inflation.

annuity certain /ənjuti s%tən/

noun an annuity that provides payments for a certain number of years, regardless of life or death of the annuitant antedate /ntdet/ verb to put an earlier date on a document 쑗 The invoice was antedated to January 1st. anti- /nti/ prefix against anticipate /ntspet/ verb to expect something to happen anticipated balance /ntspetd bləns/ noun a balance which is forecast from a deposit when it matures anti-dumping /nti dmpŋ/ adjective which protects a country against dumping 쑗 anti-dumping legislation anti-inflationary /nti nfleʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective which tries to restrict inflation 쑗 anti-inflationary measures anti-trust /nti trst/ adjective attacking monopolies and encouraging competition 쑗 anti-trust measures anti-trust laws /nti trst lɔz/, anti-trust legislation /nti trst led$sleʃ(ə)n/ plural noun laws in the US which prevent the formation of monopolies AO abbreviation All-Ordinaries Index AOB abbreviation any other business AON abbreviation all or none APACS abbreviation Association for Payment Clearing Services appendix /əpendks/ noun additional pages at the back of a book applicant /plkənt/ noun a person who applies for something 쑗 an applicant for a job or a job applicant 쑗 an applicant to an industrial tribunal 쑗 There were thousands of applicants for shares in the new company. application /plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of asking for something, usually in writing, or a document in which someone asks for something, e.g. a job 쑗 shares payable on application 쑗 She

application form sent off six applications for job or six job applications. 2. effort or diligence 쑗 She has shown great application in her work on the project.

application form /plkeʃ(ə)n

fɔm/ noun a form to be filled in when applying for a new issue of shares or for a job apply /əpla/ verb 1. to ask for something, usually in writing 쑗 to apply in writing 쑗 to apply in person 쑗 The more ambitious of the office workers will apply for the management trainee programme. 쑗 About fifty people have applied for the job, but there is only one vacancy. 2. to affect or to relate to 쑗 This clause applies only to deals outside the EU. (NOTE: [all senses] applies – applying – applied)

appoint /əpɔnt/ verb to choose

someone for a job 쑗 We have appointed a new distribution manager. 쑗 They’ve appointed Janet Smith (to the post of) manager. (NOTE: You appoint a person to a job.)

appointment /əpɔntmənt/ noun

the act of being appointed to a job, or of appointing someone to a job 왍 on his appointment as manager when he was made manager apportion /əpɔʃ(ə)n/ verb to share out something, e.g. costs, funds or blame 쑗 Costs are apportioned according to projected revenue. apportionment /əpɔʃ(ə)nmənt/ noun the sharing out of costs appraisal /əprez(ə)l/ noun a calculation of the value of someone or something ‘…we are now reaching a stage in industry and commerce where appraisals are becoming part of the management culture. Most managers now take it for granted that they will appraise and be appraised’ [Personnel Management]

appraise /əprez/ verb to assess or to

calculate the value of something or someone appraisee /əprezi/ noun an employee who is being appraised by his or her manager in an appraisal interview appreciate /əpriʃiet/ verb 1. to notice how good something is 쑗 The customer always appreciates efficient service. 2. (of currency, shares, etc.) to increase in value

approximately

appreciation /əpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an increase in value 쑗 The apprecia-

tion of the dollar against the peseta. Also called capital appreciation 2. the act of valuing something highly 쑗 He was given a rise in appreciation of his excellent work. appro /prəυ/ noun same as approval (informal ) 왍 to buy something on appro to buy something which you will only pay for if it is satisfactory appropriate adjective /əprəυpriət/ suitable 쑗 I leave it to you to take appropriate action. 쐽 verb /əprəυpriet/ to put a sum of money aside for a special purpose 쑗 to appropriate a sum of money for a capital project appropriation /əprəυprieʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of putting money aside for a special purpose 쑗 appropriation of funds to the reserve appropriation account /əprəυprieʃ(ə)n əkaυnt/ noun the part of a profit and loss account which shows how the profit has been dealt with, e.g., how much has been given to the shareholders as dividends and how much is being put into the reserves approval /əpruv(ə)l/ noun 1. the act of saying or thinking that something is good 쑗 to submit a budget for approval 2. 왍 on approval in order to be able to use something for a period of time and check that it is satisfactory before paying for it 쑗 to buy a photocopier on approval approve /əpruv/ verb 1. 왍 to approve of something to think something is good 쑗 The chairman approves of the new company letter heading. 쑗 The sales staff do not approve of interference from the accounts division. 2. to agree to something officially 쑗 to approve the terms of a contract 쑗 The proposal was approved by the board. approved securities /əpruvd skjυərtiz/ plural noun state bonds which can be held by banks to form part of their reserves (NOTE: The list of these .

bonds is the ‘approved list’.)

approximate /əprɒksmət/ adjec-

tive not exact, but almost correct 쑗 The sales division has made an approximate forecast of expenditure. approximately /əprɒksmətli/ adverb not quite exactly, but close to the

approximation

figure shown 쑗 Expenditure on marketing is approximately 10% down on the previous quarter. approximation /əprɒksmeʃ(ə)n/ noun a rough calculation 쑗 Each department has been asked to provide an approximation of expenditure for next year. 쑗 The final figure is only an approximation. APR abbreviation Annual Percentage Rate APY abbreviation annual percentage yield Arab accounting dinar /rəb əkaυntŋ dinɑ/ noun a unit used for accounting purposes between member countries of the Arab Monetary Fund. Abbreviation AAD arb abbreviation arbitrageur (informal ) arbitrage /ɑbtrɑ$/ noun the business of making a profit from the difference in value of various assets, e.g. by: selling foreign currencies or commodities on one market and buying on another at almost the same time to profit from different exchange rates; buying currencies forward and selling them forward at a later date, to benefit from a difference in prices; buying a security and selling another security to the same buyer with the intention of forcing up the value of both securities arbitrage fund /ɑbtrɑ$ fnd/ noun a fund which tries to take advantage of price discrepancies for the same asset in different markets arbitrage syndicate /ɑbtrɑ$ sndkət/ noun a group of people who together raise the capital to invest in arbitrage deals arbitrageur /ɑbtred$ə/, arbitrager /ɑbtrɑ$%/ noun a person whose business is arbitrage .

COMMENT: Arbitrageurs buy shares in

companies which are potential takeover targets, either to force up the price of the shares before the takeover bid, or simply as a position while waiting for the takeover bid to take place. They also sell shares in the company which is expected to make the takeover bid, since one of the consequences of a takeover bid is usually that the price of the target company rises while that of the bidding company falls. Arbitrageurs may then sell the shares in the target company at a profit, either to

arrears one of the parties making the takeover bid, or back to the company itself.

arbitration /ɑbtreʃ(ə)n/ noun the

settling of a dispute by an outside party agreed on by both sides 쑗 to take a dispute to arbitration or to go to arbitration 쑗 arbitration in an industrial dispute 쑗 The two sides decided to submit the dispute to arbitration or to refer the question to arbitration. area code /eəriə kəυd/ noun a special telephone number which is given to a particular area 쑗 The area code for central London is 0207. area manager /eəriə mnd$ə/ noun a manager who is responsible for a company’s work in a specific part of the country arithmetic average /rθmetk v(ə)rd$/ noun same as average ARM abbreviation adjustable rate mortgage armed robbery /ɑmd rɒbəri/ noun a robbery where the robber is armed with a gun arm’s length /ɑmz leŋθ/ adjective 왍 arm’s length transaction a transaction which is carried out by two parties with no connection between them (resulting in a fair market value for the item sold) 왍 to deal with someone at arm’s length to deal as if there were no financial link between the two parties (as when a company buys a service from one of its own subsidiaries) around /əraυnd/ preposition 1. approximately 쑗 The office costs around £2,000 a year to heat. 쑗 His salary is around $85,000. 2. with a premium or discount 왍 5 points around with a 5-point premium and a 5-point discount, both calculated on the spot price ARPS abbreviation adjustable rate preferred stock arrangement fee /ərend$mənt fi/ noun a charge made by a bank to a client for arranging credit facilities arrears /ərəz/ plural noun 1. money which is owed, but which has not been paid at the right time 쑗 a salary with arrears effective from January 1st 쑗 We are pressing the company to pay arrears of interest. 쑗 You must not allow the mortgage payments to fall into arrears. 2. 왍 in arrears owing money which

arrive

should have been paid earlier 쑗 The payments are six months in arrears. 쑗 He is six weeks in arrears with his rent. arrive /ərav/ verb to reach a place 쑗 The consignment has still not arrived. 쑗 The shipment arrived without any documentation. 쑗 The plane arrives in Sydney at 04.00. 쑗 The train leaves Paris at 09.20 and arrives at Bordeaux two hours later. (NOTE: You arrive at or in a place or town, but only in a country.) arrive at /ərav ət/ verb to work out

and agree on something 쑗 They very quickly arrived at an acceptable price. 쑗 After some discussion we arrived at a compromise. article /ɑtk(ə)l/ noun 1. a product or thing for sale 쑗 to launch a new article on the market 쑗 a black market in luxury articles 2. a section of a legal agreement such as a contract or treaty 쑗 See article 8 of the contract. article 8 currency /ɑtk(ə)l et krənsi/ noun a strong convertible currency (according to the IMF) articled clerk /ɑtk(ə)ld klɑk/ noun a clerk who is bound by contract to work in a solicitor’s office for some years to learn the law (NOTE: Such as person is now officially called a trainee solicitor, though the old term is still used) articles of association /ɑtk(ə)lz əv əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ plural noun a docu-

ment which lays down the rules for a company regarding such matters as the issue of shares, the conduct of meetings and the appointment of directors 쑗 This procedure is not allowed under the articles of association of the company.

articles

incorporation

/ɑtk(ə)lz əv nkɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ plural noun US a document which sets up a

company and lays down the relationship between the shareholders and the company (NOTE: The UK term is Memorandum of Association.)

articles of partnership /ɑtk(ə)lz

əv pɑtnəʃp/ plural noun same as partnership agreement asap /e es e pi, esp/, ASAP abbreviation as soon as possible ascending tops /əsendŋ tɒps/ noun a term used by chartists to refer to an upward trend in the market, where

ask for each peak is higher than the preceding one ASEAN abbreviation Association of Southeast Asian Nations A shares /e ʃeəz/ plural noun ordinary shares with limited voting rights or no voting rights at all COMMENT: A company may be set up

with two classes of share: ‘A’ shares, which are available to the general investor, and ‘B’ shares which are only bought by certain individuals, such as the founder and his family. Such division of shares is becoming less usual nowadays.

Asian /e$(ə)n/ adjective relating or belonging to Asia Asian Currency Unit /e$(ə)n krənsi junt/ noun a unit of account for dollar deposits held in Singapore and other Asian markets. Abbreviation ACU Asian

Development

Bank

/e$(ə)n dveləpmənt bŋk/ noun a

bank set up by various Asian countries, with other outside members, to assist countries in the region with money and technical advice. Abbreviation ADB Asian dollar /e$(ə)n dɒlə/ noun an American dollar deposited in Singapore and other Asian markets, and traded in Singapore Asian dollar bonds /e$(ə)n dɒlə bɒndz/ plural noun bonds issued in Asian dollars Asian monetary unit /e$(ə)n mnt(ə)ri junt/ noun a unit used in financial dealings between members of the Asian Clearing Union ask /ɑsk/ verb 1. to put a question to someone 쑗 He asked the information office for details of companies exhibiting at the motor show. 쑗 Ask the salesgirl if the bill includes VAT. 2. to tell someone to do something 쑗 He asked the switchboard operator to get him a number in Germany. 쑗 She asked her secretary to fetch a file from the managing director’s office. 쑗 Customs officials asked him to open his case. asked price /ɑskt pras/ noun a price at which a commodity or stock is offered for sale by a seller (also called ‘offer price’ in the UK) ask for /ɑsk fɔ/ verb 1. to say that you want or need something 쑗 They asked for more time to repay the loan. 2.

asking price

to put a price on something for sale 쑗 They are asking £24,000 for the car. asking price /ɑskŋ pras/ noun a price which the seller is hoping will be paid for the item being sold 쑗 the asking price is £24,000 as per /z p%/ 쒁 per assay mark /se mɑk/ noun a mark put on gold or silver items to show that the metal is of the correct quality assess /əses/ verb to calculate the value of something or someone 쑗 to assess damages at £1,000 쑗 to assess a property for the purposes of insurance assessment /əsesmənt/ noun a calculation of value 쑗 a property assessment 쑗 a tax assessment 쑗 They made a complete assessment of each employee’s contribution to the organisation. assessor /əsesə/ noun a person who advises a tribunal asset /set/ noun something which belongs to a company or person, and which has a value 쑗 Her assets are only £640 as against liabilities of £24,000. ‘…many companies are discovering that a well-recognised brand name can be a priceless asset that lessens the risk of introducing a new product’ [Duns Business Month] COMMENT: A company’s balance sheet

will show assets in various forms: current assets, fixed assets, intangible assets, etc.

allocation /set ləkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the work of deciding how much money should be spent on the purchase of different types of investment, such as growth units or income units, depending on the particular needs of the individual investor asset-backed securities /set bkt sikjυərtiz/ plural noun shares which are backed by the security of assets asset backing /set bkŋ/ noun a support for a share price provided by the value of the company’s assets 쑗 he has an excess of assets over liabilities 쑗 her assets are only £640 as against liabilities of £24,000 asset

asset

management

account

/set mnd$mənt əkaυnt/ noun

an account with a stockbroker which also acts as a bank account, and has credit card facilities as well. Also called central assets account

associate bank

asset play /set ple/ noun a share

which seems to be undervalued based on its asset value and so is an attractive buy asset stripper /set strpə/ noun a person who buys a company to sell its assets asset stripping /set strpŋ/ noun the practice of buying a company at a lower price than its asset value, and then selling its assets asset value /set vlju/ noun the value of a company calculated by adding together all its assets assign /əsan/ verb 1. to give something to someone by means of an official legal transfer 쑗 to assign a right to someone 쑗 to assign shares to someone 2. to give someone a job of work to do and make him or her responsible for doing it 쑗 He was assigned the task of checking the sales figures. assignation /sneʃ(ə)n/ noun a legal transfer 쑗 the assignation of shares to someone 쑗 the assignation of a patent assignee /sani/ noun a person who receives something which has been assigned to him or her assignment /əsanmənt/ noun 1. the legal transfer of a property or right 쑗 the assignment of a patent or of a copyright 쑗 to sign a deed of assignment 2. a particular task given to someone 쑗 Her first assignment was to improve the company’s image. 쑗 The oil team is on an assignment in the North Sea. assignor /sanɔ/ noun a person who assigns something to someone assigns /əsanz/ plural noun people to whom property has been assigned 왍 his heirs and assigns the people who have inherited his property and had it transferred to them associate /əsəυsiət/ adjective linked 쐽 noun 1. a person who works in the same business as someone 쑗 She is a business associate of mine. 2. a person or company linked to another in a takeover bid 3. same as associate company

associate bank /əsəυsiət bŋk/ noun a bank which is part of a group such as Visa or MasterCard

associate company

company /əsəυsiət kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which is partly owned by another company associated company /əsəυsietd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which is partly owned by another company (though less than 50%), which exerts some management control over it or has a close trading relationship with it 쑗 Smith Ltd and its associated company, Jones Brothers associate director /əsəυsiət darektə/ noun a director who attends board meetings, but has not been elected by the shareholders association /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a group of people or companies with the same interest 쑗 an employers’ association 쑗 Our company has applied to join the trade association. 쑗 The manufacturers’ association has sent a letter to the minister. associate

Association for Payment Clearing Services /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n fə

pemənt klərŋ s%vsz/ noun an organisation which deals with the clearing of payments in the UK. Abbreviation APACS

Association of British Insurers /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n əv brtʃ nʃυərəz/ noun an organisation reprenting British

companies which are authorised to transact insurance business. Abbreviation ABI

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n

əv tʃɑtəd s%tfad əkaυntənts/ noun an organisation whose members are certified accountants. Abbreviation

ATM Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.)

Singapore,

mortgage /əsjuməb(ə)l mɔd$/ noun US a mortgage which can be passed to another person, such as a person buying the property from the mortgagor assume /əsjum/ verb to take for yourself 쑗 He has assumed responsibility for marketing. 쑗 The company will assume all risks. assumption /əsmpʃən/ noun 1. the act of taking for yourself 쑗 assumption of risks 2. the transfer of the rest of a mortgage to someone assurance /əʃυərəns/ noun a type of insurance which pays compensation for an event that is certain to happen at some time, especially for the death of the insured person. Also called life asassumable

surance, life insurance assure /əʃυə/ verb to insure some-

one, or someone’s life, so that the insurance company will pay compensation when that person dies 쑗 He has paid the premiums to have his wife’s life assured. (NOTE: Assure, assurer and assurance are used in Britain for insurance policies relating to something which will certainly happen (such as death); for other types of policy (i.e. those against something which may or may not happen, such as an accident) use the terms insure, insurer and insurance.) assurer /əʃυərə/, assuror noun an

insurer or a company which insures

AST abbreviation Automated Screen Trading

ACCA

ASX abbreviation Australian Stock

Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n əv

at best /t best/ adverb 왍 buy at

fjutʃəz brəυkəz ən diləz/ noun a self-regulating organisation which oversees the activities of dealers in futures and options. Abbreviation AFBD

Association of Southeast Asian Nations /əsəυsieʃ(ə)n əv saυθist

e$(ə)n neʃ(ə)nz/ noun an organisation formed originally in 1967 to promote economic growth, social and educational development and general stability in Southeast Asia. Abbreviation

ASEAN (NOTE: The current members are: Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,

Exchange best an instruction to a stockbroker to buy securities at the best price available, even if it is high 왍 sell at best an instruction to a stockbroker to sell shares at the best price possible at call /t kɔl/ adverb immediately available ATM abbreviation automated teller machine ‘…the major supermarket operator is planning a new type of bank that would earn 90% of its revenue from fees on automated teller machine transactions. With the bank setting up ATMs at 7,000 group outlets nationwide, it would have a

ATM alliance branch network at least 20 times larger than any of the major banks’ [Nikkei Weekly]

ATM alliance /e ti em əlaəns/

noun a group of banks whose cards can be used at the same ATMs ATS abbreviation automatic transfer service at sight /t sat/ noun immediately, when it is presented 쑗 a bill of exchange payable at sight attaché /ətʃe/ noun a junior diplomat who does special work attachment order /əttʃmənt ɔdə/ noun an order from a court to hold a debtor’s property to prevent it being sold until debts are paid attract /ətrkt/ verb to make someone want to join or come to something 쑗 The company is offering free holidays in Spain to attract buyers. 쑗 We have difficulty in attracting skilled staff to this part of the country. attractive /ətrktv/ adjective which attracts 왍 attractive prices prices which are cheap enough to make buyers want to buy 왍 attractive salary a good salary to make high-quality applicants apply for the job attributable profit /ətrbjυtəb(ə)l prɒft/ noun a profit which can be shown to come from a particular area of the company’s operations auction /ɔkʃən/ noun 1. a method of selling goods where people want to buy compete with each other by saying how much they will offer for it, and the item is sold to the person who makes the highest offer 쑗 Their furniture will be sold in the auction rooms next week. 쑗 They announced a sale by auction of the fire-damaged stock. 쑗 The equipment was sold by auction or at auction. 왍 to put an item up for auction to offer an item for sale at an auction 2. a method of selling government stock, where all stock on issue will be sold, and the highest price offered will be accepted (as opposed to tendering, where not all the stock may be sold if the tender prices are too low) 쐽 verb to sell something at an auction 쑗 The factory was closed and the machinery was auctioned off. auction system /ɔkʃən sstəm/ noun a system where prices are agreed as the result of marketmakers offering stock for sale on the trading floor (as op-

audit trail posed to a quote system, where prices are quoted on a computerised screen)

audit /ɔdt/ noun 1. the examination of the books and accounts of a company 쑗 to carry out the annual audit 2. a detailed examination of something in order to assess it 쑗 A thorough job audit was needed for job evaluation. 쑗 A manpower audit showed up a desperate lack of talent. 쐽 verb to examine the books and accounts of a company 쑗 Messrs Smith have been asked to audit the accounts. 쑗 The books have not yet been audited. auditing /ɔdtŋ/ noun the work of examining the books and accounts of a company auditor /ɔdtə/ noun a person who audits COMMENT: Auditors are appointed by the

company’s directors and voted for by the AGM. In the USA, audited accounts are only required by corporations which are registered with the SEC, but in the UK all limited companies with a turnover over a certain limit must provide audited annual accounts.

auditors’ fees /ɔdtəz fiz/ plural

noun fees paid to a company’s auditors, which are approved by the shareholders at an AGM auditors’ qualification /ɔdtəz kwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a form of words in a report from the auditors of a company’s accounts, stating that in their opinion the accounts are not a true reflection of the company’s financial position. Also called qualification of accounts

auditors’ report /ɔdtəz rpɔt/

noun a report written by a company’s auditors after they have examined the accounts of the company (NOTE: If the auditors are satisfied, the report certifies that, in their opinion, the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view of the company’s financial position.)

audit trail /ɔdt trel/ noun the records that show all the stages of a transaction, e.g. a purchase, a sale or a customer complaint, in the order in which they happened (NOTE: An audit trail can be a useful tool for problem-solving and, in financial markets, may be used to ensure that the dealers

austral have been fair and accurate in their proceedings.) austral /ɔstr(ə)l/ noun a unit of cur-

rency used in Argentina

Australian Stock Exchange /ɒ-

streliən stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the national stock exchange of Australia, made up of six exchanges (in Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney). Abbreviation ASX AUT abbreviation authorised unit trust authenticate /ɔθentket/ verb to say that something is true or genuine, especially to state that gold is of a correct quality authentication /ɔθentkeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an action of checking that something is true, such as an instruction sent to a bank by email 2. a method of proving the identity of a person or company COMMENT: Authentication is particularly

important on the Internet where you do not actually see the person or premises of a company when making a purchase. If CompanyX wants to prove to Internet customers that they are really CompanyX and not a fraudster, they must ask an independent authenticator to issue them with a unique certificate of authentication. A visitor to the CompanyX website can ask to see this certificate and will be shown the unique number supplied by the trustworthy independent authenticator. Authentication is normally only used on commercial web sites that are selling goods.

/ɔθərazeʃ(ə)n/, noun permission or power to do something 쑗 Do you have authorisation for this expenditure? 쑗 He has not been given authorisation to act on our behalf. authorise /ɔθəraz/, authorize verb 1. to give permission for something to be done 쑗 to authorise payment of £10,000 2. to give someone the authority to do something 쑗 to authorise someone to act on the company’s behalf authorised /ɔθərazd/, authorized adjective permitted authorised capital /ɔθərazd kpt(ə)l/ noun an amount of capital which a company is allowed to have, as stated in the memorandum of association

authorisation authorization

automatic

authorised corporate director /ɔθərazd kɔp(ə)rət darektə/ noun the person who is in charge of an

Open-ended investment company. Abbreviation ACD authorised dealer /ɔθərazd dilə/ noun a person or company (such as a bank) that is allowed by the country’s central bank to buy and sell foreign currency authorised stock /ɔθərazd stɒk/ noun same as authorised capital authorised unit trust /ɔθərazd junt trst/ noun the official name for a unit trust which has to be managed according to EU directives. Abbreviation AUT authorities /ɔθɒrtiz/ plural noun the government, the people in control authority /ɔθɒrti/ noun the power to do something 쑗 a manager with authority to sign cheques 쑗 He has no authority to act on our behalf. 쑗 Only senior managers have the authority to initiate these changes. authority to purchase /ɔθɒrti tə p%tʃs/ noun a bill drawn up and presented with shipping documentation to the purchaser’s bank, allowing the bank to purchase the bill automaker /ɔtəυmekə/ noun US a company that manufactures cars (NOTE: The UK term is car maker.)

automated /ɔtəmetd/ adjective

worked automatically by machines 쑗 a fully automated car assembly plant

Automated

Clearing

House

/ɔtəmetd klərŋ haυs/ noun an

organisation set up by the federal authorities to settle transactions carried out by computer, such as automatic mortgage payments, and trade payments between businesses. Abbreviation ACH

Automated

Screen

Trading

/ɔtəmetd skrin tredŋ/ noun a

system where securities are bought, sold and matched automatically by computer. Abbreviation AST

automated

teller

machine

/ɔtəmtk telŋ məʃin/ noun a

machine which gives out money when a special card is inserted and special instructions given. Abbreviation ATM automatic /ɔtəmtk/ adjective which works or takes place without any

automatically

person making it happen 쑗 There is an automatic increase in salaries on January 1st.

automatically /ɔtəmtkli/ ad-

verb without a person giving instructions 쑗 The invoices are sent out automatically. 쑗 Addresses are typed in automatically. 쑗 A demand note is sent automatically when the invoice is overdue.

automatic

data

processing

/ɔtəmtk detə prəυsesŋ/ noun

data processing done by a computer

automatic

transfer

service

/ɔtəmtk trnsfə s%vs/ noun US a service by which money can be

transferred automatically from a customer’s savings account to cover an overdraft in a current account. Abbreviation ATS

automatic

vending

machine

/ɔtəmtk vendŋ məʃin/ noun a

machine which provides drinks, cigarettes etc., when a coin is put in automation /ɔtəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun the use of machines to do work with very little supervision by people availability /əveləblti/ noun the fact of being easy to obtain 왍 offer subject to availability the offer is valid only if the goods are available availability float /əveləblti fləυt/ noun 1. a time between the moment a cheque is deposited and the time the money will have cleared 2. the amount of money in an account represented by deposits which have not yet cleared available /əveləb(ə)l/ adjective which can be obtained or bought 쑗 an item which is no longer available 쑗 funds which are made available for investment in small businesses 쑗 This product is available in all branches. available capital /əveləb(ə)l kpt(ə)l/ noun capital which is ready to be used available funds /əveləb(ə)l fndz/ plural noun funds held by a bank which it can use for loans or other investments aval /əvɑl/ noun a term used in Europe to refer to a bill or promissory note which is guaranteed by a third party

average out

AVC abbreviation average variable cost

average /v(ə)rd$/ noun 1. a num-

ber calculated by adding several figures together and dividing by the number of figures added 쑗 the average for the last three months or the last three months’ average 쑗 sales average or average of sales 2. 왍 on average, on an average in general 쑗 On average, £15 worth of goods are stolen every day. 3. the sharing of the cost of damage or loss of a ship between the insurers and the owners 쐽 adjective equal to the average of a set of figures 쑗 the average increase in salaries 쑗 The average cost per unit is too high. 쑗 The average sales per representative are rising. 쐽 verb 1. to amount to something when the average of a set of figures is worked out 쑗 Price increases have averaged 10% per annum. 쑗 Days lost through sickness have averaged twenty-two over the last four years. 2. to work out an average figure for something ‘…a share with an average rating might yield 5 per cent and have a PER of about 10’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the average price per kilogram for this season to the end of April has been 300 cents’ [Australian Financial Review]

average adjuster /v(ə)rd$ ə-

d$stə/ noun a person who calculates how much of a maritime insurance is to be paid by the insurer against a claim average adjustment /v(ə)rd$ əd$stmənt/ noun a calculation of the share of the cost of damage or loss of a ship that an insurer has to pay average balance /v(ə)rd$ bləns/ noun the balance in an account calculated over a period average daily balance /v(ə)rd$ deli bləns/ noun the balance in an account calculated by taking the final balances for each day, and averaging them (NOTE: The average daily balance is used for the purpose of calculating interest or bank charges.) average due date /v(ə)rd$ dju det/ noun the average date when sev-

eral different payments fall due average out /v(ə)rd$ aυt/ verb to come to a figure as an average 쑗 It averages out at 10% per annum. 쑗 Sales increases have averaged out at 15%.

averager

averager /vərd$ə/ noun a person

who buys the same share at various times and at various prices to get an average value average-sized /vərd$ sazd/ adjective of a similar size to most others, not very large or very small 쑗 They are an average-sized company. 쑗 He has an average-sized office. averaging /vərd$ŋ/ noun buying or selling shares at different times and at different prices to establish an average price avoid /əvɔd/ verb to try not to do something 쑗 My aim is to avoid paying too much tax. 쑗 We want to avoid direct competition with Smith Ltd. 쑗 The company is struggling to avoid bankruptcy. (NOTE: You avoid something or avoid doing something.) avoidance /əvɔdəns/ noun the act

of trying not to do something or not to pay something 쑗 tax avoidance avoirdupois /vwɑ dju pwɑ/ noun a non-metric system of weights used in the UK, the USA and other countries, whose basic units are the ounce, the pound, the hundredweight and the ton (NOTE: The system is now no longer officially used in the UK) COMMENT: Avoirdupois weight is divided

into drams (16 drams = 1 ounce); ounces

ax (16 ounces = one pound); pounds (100 pounds = 1 hundredweight); hundredweight (20 hundredweight = 1 ton). Avoirdupois weights are slightly heavier than troy weights with the same names: the avoirdupois pound equals 0.45kg, whereas the troy pound equals 0.37kg.

award /əwɔd/ noun something given

by a court, tribunal or other official body, especially when settling a dispute or claim 쑗 an award by an industrial tribunal 쑗 The arbitrator’s award was set aside on appeal. 쑗 The latest pay award has been announced. 쐽 verb to decide the amount of money to be given to someone 쑗 to award someone a salary increase 쑗 He was awarded £10,000 damages in the libel case. 쑗 The judge awarded costs to the defendant. 왍 to award a contract to someone to decide that someone will be given the contract away /əwe/ adverb not here, somewhere else 쑗 The managing director is away on business. 쑗 My secretary is away sick. 쑗 The company is moving away from its down-market image. 왍 the bid is away from the market US the bid is lower than the quoted market level ax /ks/ noun US the financial adviser who is the current expert on a particular stock or market sector (informal ) .

B B2B /bi tə bi/ adjective referring to

back and filling /bk ən flŋ/ ad-

riod, such as after a war, when more children are born than usual baby boomer /bebi bumə/ noun a person born during the period from 1945 to 1965, when the population of the UK and the USA increased rapidly back /bk/ noun the opposite side to the front 쑗 Write your address on the back of the envelope. 쑗 Please endorse the cheque on the back. 쐽 adjective referring to the past 쑗 a back payment 쐽 adverb so as to make things as they were before 쑗 He will pay back the money in monthly instalments. 쑗 The store sent back the cheque because the date was wrong. 쑗 The company went back on its agreement to supply at £1.50 a unit. 쐽 verb 1. to help someone, especially financially 쑗 The bank is backing us to the tune of £10,000. 쑗 She is looking for someone to back her project. 2. 왍 to back a bill to sign a bill promising to pay it if the person it is addressed to is not able to do so

jective referring to a market where prices rise and fall slightly backdate /bkdet/ verb 1. to put an earlier date on a document such as a cheque or an invoice 쑗 Backdate your invoice to April 1st. 2. to make something effective from an earlier date than the current date 쑗 The pay increase is backdated to January 1st. back door /bk dɔ/ noun 왍 by the back door by buying a listed company on order to acquire a listing on a Stock Exchange (which is cheaper than applying for a new listing) back-end load /bk end ləυd/ noun a management charge or commission which is levied when the investor sells out of the fund back-end loaded /bk end ləυdd/ adjective referring to an insurance or investment scheme where commission is charged when the investor withdraws his or her money from the scheme. Compare front-end loaded backer /bkə/ noun 1. a person or company that backs someone 쑗 One of the company’s backers has withdrawn. 2. 왍 the backer of a bill the person who backs a bill backhander /bkhndə/ noun a bribe or money given to persuade someone to do something for you (informal ) 쑗 He was accused of taking backhanders from the company’s suppliers. backing /bkŋ/ noun support, especially financial support 쑗 She has the backing of an Australian bank. 쑗 The company will succeed only if it has sufficient backing. 쑗 She gave her backing to the proposal.

‘…the businesses we back range from start-up ventures to established companies in need of further capital for expansion’ [Times]

‘…the company has received the backing of a number of oil companies who are willing to pay for the results of the survey’ [Lloyd’s List]

advertising or marketing that is aimed at other businesses rather than at consumers (NOTE: The word is most commonly

used of business-to-business dealings conducted over the Internet.)

B2C /bi tə si/ adjective referring to advertising or marketing that is aimed at consumers rather than at other businesses (NOTE: The word is most commonly used of business-to-consumer dealings conducted over the Internet.)

baby bonds /bebi bɒndz/ plural

noun US bonds in small denominations (e.g. $100) which the small investor can afford to buy

baby boom /bebi bum/ noun a pe-

back interest

back interest /bk ntrəst/ noun

interest which has not yet been paid backlog /bklɒ/ noun an amount of work, or of items such as orders or letters, which should have been dealt with earlier but is still waiting to be done 쑗 The warehouse is trying to cope with a backlog of orders. 쑗 We’re finding it hard to cope with the backlog of paperwork. back office /bk ɒfs/ noun US 1. the part of a broking firm where the paperwork involved in buying and selling shares is processed 2. the part of a bank where cheques are processed, statements of account drawn up and other administrative tasks are done 3. the general administration department of a company back orders /bk ɔdəz/ plural noun orders received and not yet fulfilled, usually because the item is out of stock 쑗 It took the factory six weeks to clear all the accumulated back orders. back out /bk aυt/ verb to stop being part of a deal or an agreement 쑗 The bank backed out of the contract. 쑗 We had to cancel the project when our German partners backed out. back pay /bk pe/ noun a salary which has not been paid 쑗 I am owed £500 in back pay. back payment /bk pemənt/ noun 1. a payment which is due but has not yet been paid 2. the act of paying money which is owed back rent /bk rent/ noun a rent due but not paid 쑗 The company owes £100,000 in back rent. back tax /bk tks/ noun tax which is owed back-to-back credit /bk tə bk kredt/ noun 1. credit facilities for the purchase of goods, where the credit is asked for by the purchaser, but is granted to a middleman, who buys the goods, then sells them on to the final purchaser, and uses the credit as a basis for obtaining further credit facilities 2. credit in a currency allowed to a foreign trader on the basis of credit which has been granted by a bank in the trader’s own country back-to-back loan /bk tə bk ləυn/ noun a loan from one company to another in one currency arranged

backward integration against a loan from the second company to the first in another currency. Also parallel loan (NOTE: called Back-to-back loans are (used by international companies to get round exchange controls.) back up /bk p/ verb 1. to support

or help 쑗 The finance director said the managing director had refused to back him up in his argumen 쑗 He brought along a file of documents to back up his claim. 2. to go into reverse 3. 왍 to back up a portfolio to sell long-term bonds and replace them by short-term bonds backup /bkp/ adjective supporting or helping 쑗 We offer a free backup service to customers. 쑗 After a series of sales tours by representatives, the sales director sends backup letters to all the contacts. backup copy /bkp kɒpi/ noun a copy of a computer disk to be kept in case the original disk is damaged backup credit /bkp kredt/ noun credit provided by banks for a eurocurrency note backup line /bkp lan/ noun credit provided by banks against the security of commercial bills of exchange which are about to mature backup withholding /bkp wθhəυldŋ/ noun US a tax retained from investment income so that the IRS is sure of getting the tax due back wages /bk wed$z/ plural noun same as back pay backwardation /bkwədeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a penalty paid by the seller when postponing delivery of shares to the buyer (NOTE: The opposite is forwardation.) 2. a situation where the spot price of a commodity or currency is higher than the futures price 3. the difference between the spot and futures prices backward integration /bkwəd ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun a process of expansion in which a business which deals with the later stages in the production and sale of a product acquires a business that deals with an earlier stage in the same process, usually a supplier 쑗 Buying up rubber plantations is part of the tyre company’s backward integration policy. 쑗 Backward integration will ensure cheap supplies but forward inte-

BACS gration would bring us nearer to the market. Also called vertical integration (NOTE: The opposite is forward integration.)

BACS /bks/ noun a company set up to organise the payment of direct debits, standing orders, salary cheques and other payments generated by computers. It operates for all the British clearing banks and several building societies; it forms part of APACS. Full form Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services bad /bd/ adjective not good bad bargain /bd bɑn/ noun an

item which is not worth the price asked

bad buy /bd ba/ noun a thing

bought which was not worth the money paid for it bad cheque /bd tʃek/ noun a cheque which is returned to the drawer for any reason bad debt /bd det/ noun a debt which will not be paid, usually because the debtor has gone out of business, and which has to be written off in the accounts 쑗 The company has written off £30,000 in bad debts. bad debt provision /bd det prəv$(ə)n/ noun money put aside in accounts to cover potential bad debts baht /bɑt/ noun a unit of currency used in Thailand bailee /beli/ noun a person who receives property by way of bailment bailment /belmənt/ noun a transfer of goods by someone (the bailor) to someone (the bailee) who then holds them until they have to be returned to the bailor (NOTE: Putting jewels in a bank’s safe deposit box is an example of bailment.) bailor /belɔ/ noun a person who

transfers property by way of bailment bail out /bel aυt/ verb 1. to rescue a company which is in financial difficulties 2. 왍 to bail someone out to pay money to a court as a guarantee that someone will return to face charges 쑗 She paid $3,000 to bail him out. ‘…the government has decided to bail out the bank which has suffered losses to the extent that its capital has been wiped out’ [South China Morning Post]

balance of payments surplus

bail-out /belaυt/ noun a rescue of a company in financial difficulties balance /bləns/ noun 1. the amount which has to be put in one of the columns of an account to make the total debits and credits equal 왍 balance in hand cash held to pay small debts 왍 balance brought down or forward the closing balance of the previous period used as the opening balance of the current period 왍 balance carried down or forward the closing balance of the current period 2. the rest of an amount owed 쑗 You can pay £100 deposit and the balance within 60 days. 왍 balance due to us the amount owed to us which is due to be paid 쐽 verb 1. to be equal (i.e. the assets owned must always equal the total liabilities plus capital) 왍 the February accounts do not balance the two sides are not equal 왍 to balance off the accounts to make the two sides of an account balance at the end of an accounting period, by entering a debit balance in the credit side or a credit balance in the debit side, and carrying the balance forward into the next period 2. to calculate the amount needed to make the two sides of an account equal 쑗 I have finished balancing the accounts for March. 3. to plan a budget so that expenditure and income are equal 쑗 The president is planning for a balanced budget. balance certificate /bləns s%tfkət/ noun a share certificate given to an investor who has sold part of his or her shareholding and shows the number of shares which he or she has retained balanced budget / blənst bd$t/ noun a budget where expenditure and income are equal balance of payments /bləns əv pemənts/ noun a comparison between total receipts and payments arising from a country’s international trade in goods, services and financial transactions. Abbreviation BOP balance of payments deficit /bləns əv peməntz defst/ noun

a situation when a country imports more than it exports

balance of payments surplus /bləns əv pemənts s%pləs/ noun

a situation where a country sells more to other countries than it buys from them

balance of trade

balance of trade /bləns əv tred/

noun a record of the international trading position of a country in merchandise, excluding invisible trade. Also called trade balance balance sheet /bləns ʃit/ noun a statement of the financial position of a company at a particular time, such as the end of the financial year or the end of a quarter, showing the company’s assets and liabilities 쑗 Our accountant has prepared the balance sheet for the first half-year. 쑗 The company balance sheet for the last financial year shows a worse position than for the previous year. 쑗 The company balance sheet for 1984 shows a substantial loss. COMMENT: The balance sheet shows the

state of a company’s finances at a certain date. The profit and loss account shows the movements which have taken place since the end of the previous accounting period. A balance sheet must balance, with the basic equation that assets (i.e. what the company owns, including money owed to the company) must equal liabilities (i.e. what the company owes to its creditors) plus capital (i.e. what it owes to its shareholders). A balance sheet can be drawn up either in the horizontal form, with (in the UK) liabilities and capital on the left-hand side of the page (in the USA, it is the reverse) or in the vertical form, with assets at the top of the page, followed by liabilities, and capital at the bottom. Most are usually drawn up in the vertical format, as opposed to the more old-fashioned horizontal style.

balancing item /blənsŋ atəm/,

balancing figure /blənsŋ fə/ noun an item introduced into a balance sheet to make the two sides balance balboa /blbəυə/ noun a unit of currency used in Panama balloon /bəlun/ noun a loan where the last repayment is larger than the others balloon mortgage /bəlun mɔd$/ noun US a mortgage where the final payment (called a ‘balloon payment’) is larger than the others ballot /blət/ noun 1. an election where people vote for someone by marking a cross on a paper with a list of names 쑗 Six names were put forward for three vacancies on the committee so a ballot was held. 2. a selection made by

Bank taking papers at random out of a box 쑗 The share issue was oversubscribed, so there was a ballot for the shares. 쐽 verb to take a vote by ballot 쑗 The union is balloting for the post of president. ballot box /blət bɒks/ noun a sealed box into which ballot papers are put ballot paper /blət pepə/ noun a paper on which the voter marks a cross to show who they want to vote for Baltic Futures Exchange /bɔltk fjutʃəz kstʃend$/ noun an institution in London specialising in the chartering of shipping for sea freight and planes for airfreight, and also in commodity futures, such as wheat, barley, potatoes and pigs. Abbreviation BFE

banca noun the Italian word for bank Banca d’Italia noun the central bank of Italy

bancassurer /bŋkəsjυərə/ noun

a bank offering a range of financial services to its customers, including insurance from a subsidiary insurance company banco noun the word for bank in Spanish and Portuguese Banco de España noun the central bank of Spain Banco de Portugal noun the central bank of Portugal band /bnd/ noun a range of figures with an upper and a lower limit, to which something, e.g. the amount of someone’s salary or the exchange value of a currency, is restricted but within which it can move 쑗 a salary band bank /bŋk/ noun a business which holds money for its clients, lends money at interest, and trades generally in money 쑗 the First National Bank 쑗 the Royal Bank of Scotland 쑗 She put all her earnings into the bank. 쑗 I have had a letter from my bank telling me my account is overdrawn. 쐽 verb to deposit money into a bank or to have an account with a bank 쑗 He banked the cheque as soon as he received it. 왍 where do you bank? where do you have a bank account? 쑗 I bank at or with Barclays Bank noun a German word meaning bank

bankable /bŋkəb(ə)l/ adjective which a bank will accept as security for a loan bankable paper /bŋkəb(ə)l pepə/ noun a document which a bank will accept as security for a loan bank account /bŋk əkaυnt/ noun an account which a customer has with a bank, where the customer can deposit and withdraw money 쑗 to open a bank account 쑗 to close a bank account 쑗 How much money do you have in your bank account? 쑗 If you let the balance in your bank account fall below £100, you have to pay bank charges. (NOTE:

bankable

The US term is banking account.)

bank advance /bŋk ədvɑns/

noun same as bank loan 쑗 She asked for a bank advance to start her business. bank balance /bŋk bləns/ noun the state of a bank account at any particular time 쑗 Our bank balance went into the red last month. bank base rate /bŋk bes ret/ noun a basic rate of interest, on which the actual rate a bank charges on loans to its customers is calculated bank bill /bŋk bl/ noun 1. GB a bill of exchange by one bank telling another bank (usually in another country) to pay money to someone 2. GB same as banker’s bill 3. US same as banknote bank book /bŋk bυk/ noun a book, given by a bank, which shows money which you deposit or withdraw from your savings account (also called a ‘passbook’) bank borrowing /bŋk bɒrəυŋ/ noun money borrowed from a bank 쑗 The new factory was financed by bank borrowing. bank card /bŋk kɑd/ noun a credit card or debit card issued to a customer by a bank for use instead of cash when buying goods or services (NOTE: There are internationally recognised rules that govern the authorisation of the use of bank cards and the clearing and settlement of transactions in which they are used.) bank charges /bŋk tʃɑd$z/ plural noun charges which a bank makes for carrying out work for a customer (NOTE: The US term is service charge.)

banker’s reference

bank charter /bŋk tʃɑtə/ noun an

official government document allowing the establishment of a bank bank cheque /bŋk tʃek/ noun a bank’s own cheque, drawn on itself and signed by a bank official bank clerk /bŋk klɑk/ noun a person who works in a bank, but is not a manager bank credit /bŋk kredt/ noun loans or overdrafts from a bank to a customer bank deposits /bŋk dpɒztz/ plural noun all money placed in banks by private or corporate customers bank discount rate /bŋk dskaυnt ret/ noun a rate charged by a bank for a loan where the interest charges are deducted when the loan is made bank draft /bŋk drɑft/ noun an order by one bank telling another bank, usually in another country, to pay money to someone banker /bŋkə/ noun 1. a person who is in an important position in a bank 2. a bank 쑗 the company’s banker is Barclays banker’s acceptance /bŋkəz əkseptəns/ noun a bill of exchange guaranteed by a bank

Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services /bŋkəz ɔtəmetd

klərŋ s%vsz/ plural noun full form of BACS. Compare CHAPS banker’s bill /bŋkəz bl/ noun an order by one bank telling another bank, usually in another country, to pay money to someone banker’s draft /bŋkəz drɑft/ noun a draft payable by a bank in cash on presentation banker’s lien /bŋkəz liən/ noun the right of a bank to hold some property of a customer as security against payment of a debt banker’s order /bŋkəz ɔdə/ noun an order written by a customer asking a bank to make a regular payment 쑗 He pays his subscription by banker’s order. banker’s reference /bŋkəz ref(ə)rəns/ noun details of a company’s bank, account number, etc., sup-

Bank Examiner

plied so that a client can check if the company is a risk Bank Examiner /bŋk zmnə/ noun US an official of one of the Federal Reserve Banks who examines the working of companies who apply to become banks, and who supervises the running of banks within the Reserve Bank’s district

Bank for International Settlements /bŋk fə ntənʃ(ə)nəl

set(ə)lmənts/ noun a bank (based in Basle) which acts as the clearing bank for the central banks of various countries through which they settle their currency transactions, and which also acts on behalf of the IMF. Abbreviation BIS bank giro /bŋk d$arəυ/ noun a method used by clearing banks to transfer money rapidly from one account to another bank giro credit /bŋk d$arəυ kredt/ noun a cash or cheque payment to an organisation or person which usually takes three working days to process. Abbreviation BGC bank holiday /bŋk hɒlde/ noun a weekday which is a public holiday when the banks are closed 쑗 New Year’s Day is a bank holiday. 쑗 Are we paid for bank holidays in this job?

bank

identification

number

/bŋk adentfkeʃ(ə)n nmbə/ noun internationally organised six-digit

number which identifies a bank for charge card purposes. Abbreviation BIN banking /bŋkŋ/ noun the business of banks 쑗 He is studying banking. 쑗 She has gone into banking. 왍 a banking crisis a crisis affecting the banks banking account /bŋkŋ əkaυnt/ noun US an account which a customer has with a bank Banking Code /bŋkŋ kəυd/ noun a voluntary code of practice adopted by banks and building societies in their dealings with their customers banking hours /bŋkŋ aυəz/ plural noun the hours when a bank is open for its customers 쑗 You cannot get money out of the bank after banking hours. banking service /bŋkŋ s%vs/ noun the various ways in which a bank can help a customer, such as operating

bank rate accounts, making transfers, paying standing orders and selling foreign currency bank line /bŋk lan/ noun same as line of credit bank loan /bŋk ləυn/ noun a loan

made by a bank to a customer, usually against the security of a property or asset 쑗 He asked for a bank loan to start his business. Also called bank advance

bank manager /bŋk mnd$ə/

noun the person in charge of a branch of a bank 쑗 They asked their bank manager for a loan. bank mandate /bŋk mndet/ noun a written order to a bank, asking it to open an account and allow someone to sign cheques on behalf of the account holder, and giving specimen signatures and relevant information banknote /bŋknəυt/ noun 1. a piece of printed paper money (in England, issued by the Bank of England; in Scotland, commercial banks can issue notes) 쑗 a counterfeit £20 note 쑗 He pulled out a pile of used notes. (NOTE: The US term is bill.) 2. US a non-interest bearing note, issued by a Federal Reserve Bank, which can be used as cash Bank of England /bŋk əv ŋlənd/ noun the British central bank, owned by the state, which, together with the Treasury, regulates the nation’s finances COMMENT: The Bank of England issues

banknotes which carry the signatures of its officials. It is the lender of last resort to commercial banks and supervises banking institutions in the UK Its Monetary Policy Committee is independent of the government and sets interest rates. The Governor of the Bank of England is appointed by the government.

Bank of Japan /bŋk əv d$əpn/

noun the central bank of Japan. Abbreviation BOJ bank on /bŋk ɒn/ verb to feel sure that something will happen 쑗 He is banking on getting a loan from his father to set up in business. 쑗 Do not bank on the sale of your house. bank rate /bŋk ret/ noun 1. the discount rate of a central bank 2. formerly, the rate at which the Bank of

bank reconciliation

England lent to other banks (then also called the Minimum Lending Rate (MLR), and now called the base rate) bank reconciliation /bŋk rekənslieʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of making sure that the bank statements agree with the company’s ledgers bank reference /bŋk ref(ə)rəns/ noun same as banker’s reference bank release /bŋk rlis/ noun same as release note bank reserves /bŋk rz%vz/ noun cash and securities held by a bank to cover deposits bank return /bŋk rt%n/ noun a regular report from a bank on its financial position bankroll /bŋkrəυl/ verb to provide the money that enables something or someone to survive (informal ) 쑗 How long can he go on bankrolling his daughter’s art gallery? bankrupt /bŋkrpt/ noun, adjective (a person) who has been declared by a court not to be capable of paying his or her debts and whose affairs are put into the hands of a receiver 쑗 a bankrupt property developer 쑗 She was adjudicated or declared bankrupt. 쑗 He went bankrupt after two years in business. 쐽 verb to make someone become bankrupt 쑗 The recession bankrupted my father. bankruptcy /bŋkrptsi/ noun the state of being bankrupt 쑗 The recession has caused thousands of bankruptcies. .

(NOTE: The plural is bankruptcies.) COMMENT: In the UK, bankruptcy is ap-

plied only to individual persons, but in the USA the term is also applied to corporations. In the UK, a bankrupt cannot hold public office (for example, they cannot be elected an MP) and cannot be the director of a company. They also cannot borrow money. In the USA, there are two types of bankruptcy: involuntary, where the creditors ask for a person or corporation to be made bankrupt; and voluntary, where a person or corporation applies to be made bankrupt (in the UK, this is called voluntary liquidation).

order /bŋkrptsi ɔdə/ noun same as declaration of

bankruptcy bankruptcy

bank statement /bŋk stetmənt/

noun a written statement from a bank

bargain showing the balance of an account at a specific date bank syndicate /bŋk sndkət/ noun a group of major international banks which group together to underwrite a massive loan bank transfer /bŋk trnsf%/ noun an act of moving money from a bank account to another account Bankwire /bŋkwaə/ noun US a system operated by a group of banks to pass information among member banks banque noun the French word for bank banque d’affaires noun the French word for merchant bank Banque de France noun the Central Bank of France bar /bɑ/ noun 1. a place where you can buy and drink alcohol 쑗 The sales reps met in the bar of the hotel. 2. a thing which stops you doing something 쑗 Government legislation is a bar to foreign trade. bar-bell /bɑ bel/ noun US a portfolio which concentrates on very long-term and very short-term bonds only. Compare ladder bar chart /bɑ tʃɑt/ noun a chart where values or quantities are shown as columns of different heights set on a base line, the different lengths expressing the quantity of the item or unit. Also called bar graph, histogram Barclays Index /bɑkliz ndeks/ noun an index of prices on the New Zealand Stock Exchange bar code /bɑ kəυd/ noun a system of lines printed on a product which, when read by a computer, give a reference number or price bargain /bɑn/ noun 1. an agreement on the price of something 쑗 to strike a bargain or to make a bargain 왍 to drive a hard bargain to be a difficult person to negotiate with 왍 it is a bad bargain it is not worth the price 2. something which is cheaper than usual 쑗 That car is a (real) bargain at £500. 3. a sale and purchase of one lot of shares on the Stock Exchange 쐽 verb to try to reach agreement about something, especially a price, usually with each person or group involved putting forward suggestions or offers which are dis-

bargain hunter cussed until a compromise is arrived at 쑗

You will have to bargain with the dealer if you want a discount. 쑗 They spent two hours bargaining about or over the price. (NOTE: You bargain with someone over or about or for something.) bargain hunter /bɑn hntə/ noun a person who looks for cheap deals bargain hunting /bɑn hntŋ/ noun looking for cheap goods or shares, which no one has noticed bargaining /bɑnŋ/ noun the act of trying to reach agreement about something, e.g. a price or a wage increase for workers bargaining position /bɑnŋ pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun the offers or demands made by one group during negotiations bargaining power /bɑnŋ paυə/ noun the strength of one person or group when discussing prices or wage settlements bargain offer /bɑn ɒfə/ noun the sale of a particular type of goods at a cheap price 쑗 This week’s bargain offer – 30% off all carpet prices. bargain price /bɑn pras/ noun a cheap price 쑗 These carpets are for sale at a bargain price. bargain sale /bɑn sel/ noun the sale of all goods in a store at cheap prices bargains done /bɑnz dn/ plural noun the number of deals made on the Stock Exchange during a day barrels per day /brəlz pə de/ plural noun a figure used to show the output of an oilfield barren /brən/ adjective referring to money which is not earning any interest barrier /briə/ noun anything which makes it difficult for someone to do something, especially to send goods from one place to another 왍 to impose trade barriers on certain goods to restrict the import of some goods by charging high duty 쑗 They considered imposing trade barriers on some food products. 왍 to lift trade barriers from imports to remove restrictions on imports 쑗 The government has lifted trade barriers on foreign cars. ‘…a senior European Community official has denounced Japanese trade barriers, saying they

base cost European producers $3 billion a year’ [Times] ‘…to create a single market out of the EC member states, physical, technical and tax barriers to free movement of trade between member states had to be removed. Imposing VAT on importation of goods from other member states was seen as one such tax barrier’ [Accountancy]

barrier to entry /briə tυ entri/

noun a factor that makes it impossible or unprofitable for a company to try to start selling its products in a particular market (NOTE: Barriers to entry may be created, for example, when companies already in a market have patents that prevent their goods from being copied, when the cost of the advertising needed to gain a market share is too high, or when an existing product commands very strong brand loyalty.) barter /bɑtə/ noun 1. a system in

which goods are exchanged for other goods and not sold for money 2. a system in which advertising space or time is exchanged for goods from the advertiser 쐽 verb to exchange goods for other goods and not for money 쑗 They agreed a deal to barter tractors for barrels of wine. ‘…under the barter agreements, Nigeria will export 175,000 barrels a day of crude oil in exchange for trucks, food, planes and chemicals’ [Wall Street Journal]

barter agreement /bɑtə ərimənt/ noun an agreement to exchange goods by barter 쑗 The company has agreed a barter deal with Bulgaria. bartering /bɑtərŋ/ noun the act of exchanging goods for other goods and not for money base noun /bes/ 1. the lowest or first position 쑗 Turnover increased by 200%, but started from a low base. 2. a place where a company has its main office or factory, or a place where a businessperson’s office is located 쑗 The company has its base in London and branches in all the European countries. 쑗 He has an office in Madrid which he uses as a base while travelling in Southern Europe. 쐽 verb /bes/ 1. 왍 to base something on something to calculate something using something as your starting point or basic material for the calculation 쑗 We based our calculations on the forecast turnover. 왍 based on calculating from 쑗 based on last year’s figures 쑗 based on

base currency population forecasts 2. to set up a company or a person in a place 쑗 The European manager is based in our London office. 쑗 Our overseas branch is based in the Bahamas. 쐽 adjective lowest or first, and used for calculating others ‘…the base lending rate, or prime rate, is the rate at which banks lend to their top corporate borrowers’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…other investments include a large stake in the Chicago-based insurance company’ [Lloyd’s List]

base currency /bes krənsi/ noun

a currency against which exchange rates of other currencies are quoted 쑗 turnover increased by 200%, but starting from a low base base metals /bes met(ə)lz/ plural noun ordinary metals used in industry, such as aluminium and lead base rate /bes ret/ noun same as bank base rate

index /bes wetd ndeks/ noun an index which is weighted according to the base year base year /bes jə/ noun the first year of an index, against which changes occurring in later years are measured basic /besk/ adjective 1. normal 2. most important 3. simple, or from which everything starts 쑗 She has a basic knowledge of the market. 쑗 To work at the cash desk, you need a basic qualification in maths. basic balance /besk bləns/ noun the balance of current account and long-term capital accounts in a country’s balance of payments basic banking service /besk bŋkŋ s%vs/ noun basic service offered by banks to their customers, in connection with operating their accounts basic commodities /besk kəmɒdtiz/ plural noun ordinary farm produce, produced in large quantities, e.g. corn, rice or sugar basic discount /besk dskaυnt/ noun a normal discount without extra percentages 쑗 Our basic discount is 20%, but we offer 5% extra for rapid settlement. basic industry /besk ndəstri/ noun the most important industry of a country, e.g. coal, steel or agriculture base-weighted

basket

basic pay /besk pe/ noun a normal salary without extra payments

basic product /besk prɒdkt/ noun the main product made from a raw material

basic rate tax /besk ret tks/ noun the lowest rate of income tax

basics /besks/ plural noun simple

and important facts or principles 쑗 She has studied the basics of foreign exchange dealing. 왍 to get back to basics to consider the main facts or principles again basic salary /besk sləri/ noun same as basic pay basic wage /besk wed$/ noun same as basic pay 쑗 The basic wage is £110 a week, but you can expect to earn more than that with overtime. basis /bess/ noun 1. a point or number from which calculations are made 쑗 We forecast the turnover on the basis of a 6% price increase. 2. the general terms of agreement or general principles on which something is decided or done 쑗 This document should form the basis for an agreement. 쑗 We have three people working on a freelance basis. 왍 on a short-term, long-term basis for a short or long period 쑗 He has been appointed on a short-term basis. (NOTE: [all senses] The plural is bases.)

basis point /bess pɔnt/ noun an

one hundredth of a percentage point (0.01%), the basic unit used in measuring market movements or interest rates basis price /bess pras/ noun 1. the price agreed between buyer and seller on the over-the- counter market 2. the price of a bond shown as its annual percentage yield to maturity basis swap /bess swɒp/ noun the exchange of two financial instruments, each with a variable interest calculated on a different rate basket /bɑskt/ noun 1. a container made of thin pieces of wood, metal, plastic, etc. 쑗 a basket of apples 2. US a group of prices or currencies taken as a standard 쑗 the price of the average shopping basket 쑗 The pound has fallen against a basket of European currencies. 쑗 The market basket has risen by 6%.

basket of currencies ‘…the weekly adjusted average total basket price of œ37.89 was just 3p more than the week before Christmas’ [The Grocer]

basket of currencies /bɑskt əv krənsiz/ noun same as currency basket

batch /btʃ/ noun 1. a group of items

which are made at one time 쑗 This batch of shoes has the serial number 25–02. 2. a group of documents which are processed at the same time 쑗 Today’s batch of invoices is ready to be mailed. 쑗 The accountant signed a batch of cheques. 쑗 We deal with the orders in batches of fifty at a time. 쐽 verb to put items together in groups 쑗 to batch invoices or cheques batch number /btʃ nmbə/ noun a number attached to a batch 쑗 When making a complaint always quote the batch number on the packet. batch processing /btʃ prəυsesŋ/ noun a system of data processing where information is collected into batches before being loaded into the computer batch production /btʃ prədkʃən/ noun production in batches BBA abbreviation British Bankers’ Association bear /beə/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a person who sells shares, commodities or currency because he or she thinks their price will fall and it will be possible to buy them again more cheaply later (NOTE: The opposite is bull.) 왍 taking a bear position acting on the assumption that the market is likely to fall 쐽 verb 1. to give interest 쑗 government bonds which bear 5% interest 2. to have something, especially to have something written on it 쑗 an envelope which bears a London postmark 쑗 a letter bearing yesterday’s date 쑗 The cheque bears the signature of the company secretary. 쑗 The share certificate bears his name. 3. to pay costs 쑗 The costs of the exhibition will be borne by the company. 쑗 The company bore the legal costs of both parties. (NOTE: bearing – bore – has borne)

bear covering /beə kvərŋ/ noun

a point in a market where dealers who sold stock short, now buy back (at lower prices) to cover their positions

STOCK EXCHANGE

bed-pepping

bearer /beərə/ noun a person who holds a cheque or certificate 왍 the cheque is payable to bearer the cheque will be paid to the person who holds it, not to any particular name written on it bearer bond /beərə bɒnd/, bearer security noun a bond which is payable to the bearer and does not have a name written on it bearing /beərŋ/ adjective which bears, which produces 쑗 certificates bearing interest at 5% 쑗 interest-bearing deposits bearish /beərʃ/ adjective referring to a factor which tends to make market prices fall bear market /beə mɑkt/ noun a period when share prices fall because shareholders are selling since they believe the market will fall further (NOTE: The opposite is a bull market)

bear position /beə pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun

a short position, that is, selling shares which you do not own (you will buy them later at a lower price so as to be able to settle) bear raid /beə red/ noun selling large numbers of shares to try to bring down prices bear squeeze /beə skwiz/ noun 1. an action by banks to raise exchange rates, forcing currency bear sellers to buy back currency at a loss (i.e. at a higher price) 2. an operation by marketmakers to increase the price of shares, so as to force bears to buy at higher prices than they intended bed-and-breakfast deal /bed ən brekfəst dil/ noun formerly, an arrangement where shares were sold one day and bought back the following day, in order to establish a profit or loss for tax declaration (NOTE: STOCK EXCHANGE

Doing such deals was ‘bed-and-breakfasting’.)

called

COMMENT: This is no longer possible,

since a period of thirty days has to elapse between the sale and repurchase of the same shares to allow a new price to be established.

bed-pepping /bed pepŋ/ noun an

arrangement by which you sell existing investments and put the resulting cash into a PEP. This establishes any gains on the investments, so that you can cal-

behavioural finance culate whether you should pay capital gains tax. behavioural finance /bhevjərəl fanns/ noun a psychological view of the way people take financial decisions Beige Book /be$ bυk/ noun US a report on the financial position prepared by the district banks for the Federal Reserve Board. 쏡 Blue Book, Green Book

bellwether /belweðə/ noun a leading share which is thought of as an indicator of market trends as a whole (such as Lloyds in the UK) belly up /beli p/ adverb 왍 to go belly up to fail or to go into liquidation (informal ) below par /bləυ pɑ/ adjective referring to a share with a market price lower than its par value below the line /bləυ ðə lan/ adjective, adverb part of a budget referring to receipts from redeemed debts and from expenditure covered by borrowings below-the-line expenditure /bləυ ðə lan kspendtʃə/ noun 1. payments which do not arise from a company’s normal activities, e.g. redundancy payments 2. extraordinary items which are shown in the profit and loss account below net profit after taxation, as opposed to exceptional items which are included in the figure for profit before taxation belt and braces /belt ən bresz/, belt and suspenders /belt ən səspendəz/ noun 왍 a belt and braces person a very cautious lender, one who asks for extra collateral as well as guarantees for a loan benchmark /bentʃmɑk/ noun a point in an index which is important, and can be used to compare with other figures beneficial interest /benfʃ(ə)l ntrəst/ noun a situation where someone is allowed to occupy or receive rent from a house without owning it beneficial occupier /benfʃ(ə)l ɒkjυpaə/ noun a person who occupies a property but does not own it fully beneficial owner /benfʃ(ə)l əυnə/ noun a person who owns a prop.

best practice erty which is being used by someone else beneficiary /benfʃəri/ noun a person who gains money from something 쑗 the beneficiaries of a will benefit /benft/ noun 1. payments which are made to someone under a national or private insurance scheme 쑗 She receives £75 a week as unemployment benefit. 쑗 Sickness benefit is paid monthly. 쑗 The insurance office sends out benefit cheques each week. 2. something of value given to an employee in addition to their salary 쐽 verb 1. to make better or to improve 쑗 A fall in inflation benefits the exchange rate. 2. 왍 to benefit from or by something to be improved by something, to gain more money because of something 쑗 Exports have benefited from the fall in the exchange rate. 쑗 The employees have benefited from the profit-sharing scheme. ‘…the retail sector will also benefit from the expected influx of tourists’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…what benefits does the executive derive from his directorship? Compensation has increased sharply in recent years and fringe benefits for directors have proliferated’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…salary is negotiable to £30,000, plus car and a benefits package appropriate to this senior post’ [Financial Times] ‘California is the latest state to enact a program forcing welfare recipients to work for their benefits’ [Fortune]

benefit in kind /benft n kand/

noun a benefit other than money received by an employee as part of his or her total compensation package, e.g. a company car or private health insurance. Such benefits are usually subject to tax. bequest /bkwest/ noun something, e.g. property or money (but not freehold land), given to someone in a will 쑗 He made several bequests to his staff. berhad noun a Malay word meaning ’private’, used to describe a limited company in Malaysia. Abbreviation Bhd. 쏡 Sdn best practice /best prkts/ noun the most effective and efficient way to do something or to achieve a particular aim (NOTE: In business, best practice is often determined by benchmarking, that is by comparing the method one organisation uses to carry out a task

best-selling with the methods used by other similar organisations and determining which method is most efficient and effective.) best-selling /best selŋ/ adjective

which sells better than any other 쑗 These computer disks are our best-selling line. bet /bet/ noun an amount deposited when you risk money on the result of a race or of a game 쐽 verb to risk money on the result of something 쑗 He bet £100 on the result of the election. 쑗 I bet you £25 the dollar will rise against the pound. beta /bitə/ noun a measurement of the return on investment in a certain stock compared against a one percentage point return on the stock market in general: it shows the volatility in the price of the share compared to the FTSE All-Share Index beta shares /bitə ʃeəz/, beta securities /bitə skjυərtiz/, beta stocks /bitə stɒks/ plural noun a group of about 500 shares which are traded on the London Stock Exchange, but not as frequently as the alpha shares (NOTE: Prices of beta shares are quoted on SEAQ, but not the share transactions.) betting tax /betŋ tks/ noun a tax

levied on betting on horses, dogs, etc.

(NOTE: betting – bet – has bet) b/f abbreviation brought forward BFE abbreviation Baltic Futures

Exchange

BGC abbreviation bank giro credit Bhd abbreviation berhad bi- /ba/ prefix twice 왍 bi-monthly twice a month 왍 bi-annually twice a

year

bid /bd/ noun 1. an offer to buy some-

thing at a specific price. 쏡 takeover bid

왍 to make a bid for something to offer

to buy something 쑗 We made a bid for the house. 쑗 The company made a bid for its rival. 왍 to make a cash bid to offer to pay cash for something 왍 to put in or enter a bid for something to offer to buy something, usually in writing 2. an offer to sell something or do a piece of work at a specific price 쑗 She made the lowest bid for the job. 쑗 They asked for bids for the supply of spare parts. 쐽 verb to offer to buy 왍 to bid for some-

Big Bang thing (at an auction) to offer to buy something 왍 he bid £1,000 for the jewels he offered to pay £1,000 for the jewels bid basis /bd bess/ noun the pricing of unit trusts at a lower bid price to encourage buyers bidder /bdə/ noun a person who makes a bid, usually at an auction 쑗 Several bidders made offers for the house. 왍 the property was sold to the highest bidder to the person who had made the highest bid or who offered the most money 왍 the tender will go to the lowest bidder to the person who offers the best terms or the lowest price for services bidding /bdŋ/ noun the act of making offers to buy, usually at an auction 왍 the bidding started at £1,000 the first and lowest bid was £1,000 왍 the bidding stopped at £250,000 the last bid, i.e. the successful bid, was for £250,000 왍 the auctioneer started the bidding at £100 the auctioneer suggested that the first bid should be £100 bid market /bd mɑkt/ noun a market where there are more bids to buy than offers to sell (NOTE: The opposite is an offered market.) bid-offer price /bd ɒfə pras/ noun a price charged by unit trusts to

buyers and sellers of units, based on the bid-offer spread bid-offer spread /bd ɒfə spred/ noun the difference between buying and selling prices (i.e. between the bid and offer prices) bid price /bd pras/ noun a price at which investors sell shares or units in a unit trust (NOTE: The opposite, i.e. the buying price, is called the offer price; the difference between the two is the spread.) bid rate /bd ret/ noun a rate of in-

terest offered on deposits

Big Bang /b bŋ/ noun 1. the

change in practices on the London Stock Exchange, with the introduction of electronic trading on October 27th 1986 2. a similar change in financial practices in another country COMMENT: The changes included the ab-

olition of stock jobbers and the removal of the system of fixed commissions. The Stock Exchange trading floor closed and

Big Blue

deals are now done by phone or computer or on the Internet.

Big Blue /b blu/ noun IBM (informal ) .

Big Board /b bɔd/ noun US

same as New York Stock Exchange (informal ) .

‘…at the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 24.25 at 2,559.65, while New York S.E. volume totalled 180m shares. Away from the Big Board, the American S.E. Composite climbed 2.31 to 297.87’ [Financial Times]

big business /b bzns/ noun

very large commercial firms Big Four /b fɔ/ noun 1. the four large British commercial banks: Barclays, LloydsTSB, HSBC and Natwest (now joined by several former building societies that have become banks) 2. the four largest Japanese securities houses: Daiwa, Nikko, Nomura and Yamaichi Big Three /b θri/ noun US a name for the three big car makers in Detroit, i.e. General Motors (GM), Chrysler and Ford (informal ) bilateral /balt(ə)rəl/ adjective between two parties or countries 쑗 The minister signed a bilateral trade agreement. bilateral clearing /balt(ə)rəl klərŋ/ noun the system of annual settlements of accounts between certain countries, where accounts are settled by the central banks bilateral credit /balt(ə)rəl kredt/ noun credit allowed by banks to other banks in a clearing system (to cover the period while cheques are being cleared) bilateral netting /balt(ə)rəl netŋ/ noun the settlement of contracts between two banks to give a new position bill /bl/ noun 1. a written list of charges to be paid 쑗 The sales assistant wrote out the bill. 쑗 Does the bill include VAT? 쑗 The bill is made out to Smith Ltd. 쑗 The builder sent in his bill. 쑗 She left the country without paying her bills. 2. a list of charges in a restaurant 쑗 Can I have the bill please? 쑗 The bill comes to £20 including service. 3. a written paper promising to pay money 왍 bills payable (B/P) bills, especially bills .

bill of exchange of exchange, which a company will have to pay to its creditors 왍 bills receivable (B/R) bills, especially bills of exchange, which are due to be paid by a company’s debtors 왍 due bills bills which are owed but not yet paid. 쏡 bill of exchange 4. US same as banknote 쑗 a $5 bill (NOTE: The UK term is note or banknote.) 5. a draft of a new law which will be discussed in Parliament 6. a small poster 왍 ‘stick no bills’ the unauthorised putting up of posters is prohibited 쐽 verb to present a bill to someone so that it can be paid 쑗 The plumbers billed us for the repairs. bill broker /bl brəυkə/ noun a discount house, a firm which buys and sells bills of exchange for a fee billing /blŋ/ noun the work of writing invoices or bills billing error /blŋ erə/ noun a mistake in charging a sum to a credit card billion /bljən/ one thousand million (NOTE: In the USA, it has always meant one thousand million, but in UK English it formerly meant one million million, and it is still sometimes used with this meaning. With figures it is usually written bn: $5bn say ‘five billion dollars’.)

‘…gross wool receipts for the selling season to end June 30 appear likely to top $2 billion’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…at its last traded price the bank was capitalized at around $1.05 billion’ [South China Morning Post]

bill of exchange /bl əv ks-

tʃend$/ noun a document, signed by the person authorising it, which tells another person or a financial institution to pay money unconditionally to a named person on a certain date (NOTE: Bills of exchange are usually used for payments in foreign currency.) 왍

to accept a bill to sign a bill of exchange to show that you promise to pay it 왍 to discount a bill to buy or sell a bill of exchange at a lower price than that written on it in order to cash it later COMMENT: A bill of exchange is a

document raised by a seller and signed by a purchaser, stating that the purchaser accepts that he owes the seller money, and promises to pay it at a later date. The person raising the bill is the ‘drawer’; the person who accepts it is the ‘drawee’. The seller can then sell the bill at a discount to

bill of lading raise cash. This is called a ‘trade bill’. A bill can also be accepted (i.e. guaranteed) by a bank, and in this case it is called a ‘bank bill’.

bill of lading /bl əv ledŋ/ noun a

list of goods being shipped, which the transporter gives to the person sending the goods to show that the goods have been loaded bill of sale /bl əv sel/ noun a document which the seller gives to the buyer to show that the sale has taken place BIN abbreviation bank identification number bind /band/ verb 1. to tie or to attach 2. to make it a legal duty for someone or something to act in a particular way 쑗 The company is bound by its articles of association. 쑗 He does not consider himself bound by the agreement which was signed by his predecessor. (NOTE: [all senses] binding – bound)

binder /bandə/ noun 1. a stiff card-

board cover for papers 2. US a temporary agreement for insurance sent before the insurance policy is issued (NOTE: The UK term is cover note.)

binding /bandŋ/ adjective which le-

gally forces someone to do something 쑗 a binding contract 쑗 This document is not legally binding. 왍 the agreement is binding on all parties all parties signing it must do what is agreed birr /b%/ noun a unit of currency used in Ethiopia birth rate /b%θ ret/ noun the number of children born per 1,000 of the population BIS abbreviation Bank for International Settlements black /blk/ noun 왍 in the black, into the black in or into credit 쑗 The company has moved into the black. 쑗 My bank account is still in the black. 쐽 verb to forbid trading in specific goods or with specific suppliers 쑗 Three firms were blacked by the government. 쑗 The union has blacked a trucking firm. black economy /blk kɒnəmi/ noun goods and services which are paid for in cash, and therefore not declared for tax. Also called hidden economy, parallel economy, shadow economy Black Friday /blk frade/ noun a

sudden collapse on a stock market

blanket agreement (NOTE: Called after the first major collapse of the US stock market on 24th September, 1869.) blackleg /blkle/ noun an em-

ployee who continues working when there is a strike black list /blk lst/ noun 1. a list of goods, people or companies which have been blacked 2. a list of people considered by an employer to be too dangerous or disruptive to employ blacklist /blklst/ verb to put goods, people or a company on a black list 쑗 Their firm was blacklisted by the government. black market /blk mɑkt/ noun the buying and selling of goods or currency in a way which is not allowed by law 쑗 There is a flourishing black market in spare parts for cars. 쑗 You can buy gold coins on the black market. 왍 to pay black market prices to pay high prices to get items which are not easily available Black Monday /blk mnde/ noun Monday, 19th October, 1987, when world stock markets crashed Black Tuesday /blk tjuzde/ noun Tuesday, 29th October, 1929, when the US stock market crashed Black Wednesday /blk wenzde/ noun Wednesday, 16th September, 1992, when the pound sterling left the European Exchange Rate Mechanism and was devalued against other currencies COMMENT: Not always seen as ‘black’,

since some people believe it was a good thing that the pound left the ERM.

blank /blŋk/ adjective with nothing written on it 쐽 noun a space on a form which has to be completed 쑗 Fill in the blanks and return the form to your local office. blank cheque /blŋk tʃek/ noun a cheque with the amount of money and the payee left blank, but signed by the drawer blank endorsem*nt /blŋk ndɔsmənt/ noun an endorsem*nt which consists of a signature, and no other details blanket agreement /blŋkt ərimənt/ noun an agreement which covers many different items

blanket lien

blanket lien /blŋkt liən/ noun

US a lien on a person’s property (including personal effects) blind trust /bland trst/ noun a trust set up to run a person’s affairs without the details of any transaction being known to the person concerned (NOTE: Blind trusts are set up by politicians to avoid potential conflicts of interest.) blip /blp/ noun bad economic figures (a higher inflation rate, lower exports, etc.), which only have a short-term effect ‘…whether these pressures are just a cyclical blip in a low inflation era, or whether the UK is drifting back to the bad old days will be one of the crucial questions for the stock market this year’ [Financial Times]

block /blɒk/ noun 1. a series of items

grouped together 쑗 I bought a block of 6,000 shares. 2. a series of buildings forming a square with streets on all sides 쑗 They want to redevelop a block in the centre of the town. 왍 a block of offices, an office block a large building which only contains offices 쐽 verb to stop something taking place 쑗 He used his casting vote to block the motion. 쑗 The planning committee blocked the redevelopment plan. block booking /blɒk bυkŋ/ noun booking of several seats or rooms at the same time 쑗 The company has a block booking for twenty seats on the plane or for ten rooms at the hotel. blocked account /blɒkt əkaυnt/ noun a bank account which cannot be used, usually because a government has forbidden its use blocked currency /blɒkt krənsi/ noun a currency which cannot be taken out of a country because of government exchange controls 쑗 The company has a large account in blocked roubles. block trading /blɒk tredŋ/ noun trading in very large numbers of shares blowout /bləυaυt/ noun US a rapid sale of the whole of a new stock issue (informal ) Blue Book /blu bυk/ noun 1. GB an annual publication of national statistics of personal incomes and spending patterns 2. US a document reviewing monetary policy, prepared for the Federal Reserve .

board of directors

blue chip /blu tʃp/ noun a very safe investment, a risk-free share in a good company blue-chip investments /blu tʃp nvestmənts/, blue-chip shares /blu tʃp seəz/, blue-chips /blu tʃps/ plural noun low-risk shares in good companies blue-collar union /blu kɒlə junjən/ noun a trade union formed mainly of blue-collar workers blue-collar worker /blu kɒlə w%kə/ noun a manual worker in a factory Blue list /blu lst/ noun US a daily list of municipal bonds and their ratings, issued by Standard & Poor’s blue sky laws /blu ska lɔz/ plural noun US state laws to protect investors against fraudulent traders in securities bluetooth /blutuθ/ trademark a type of technology allowing for communication between mobile phones, computers and the Internet bn /bljən/ abbreviation billion board /bɔd/ noun 1. 쒁 board of directors 쑗 He sits on the board as a representative of the bank. 쑗 Two directors were removed from the board at the AGM. 2. a group of people who run an organisation, trust or society 3. 왍 on board on a ship, plane or train 4. a screen on which share prices are posted (on the wall of the trading floor in a Stock Exchange) 쐽 verb to go on to a ship, plane or train 쑗 Customs officials boarded the ship in the harbour. ‘CEOs, with their wealth of practical experience, are in great demand and can pick and choose the boards they want to serve on’ [Duns Business Month]

board meeting /bɔd mitŋ/ noun

a meeting of the directors of a company board of directors /bɔd əv darektəz/ noun 1. GB a group of directors elected by the shareholders to run a company 쑗 The bank has two representatives on the board of directors. 2. US a group of people elected by the shareholders to draw up company policy and to appoint the president and other executive officers who are responsible for managing the company ‘…a proxy is the written authorization an investor sends to a stockholder meeting

board order

conveying his vote on a corporate resolution or the election of a company’s board of directors’ [Barrons] COMMENT: Directors are elected by

shareholders at the AGM, though they are usually chosen by the chairman or chief executive. A board will consist of a chairman (who may be non-executive), a chief executive or managing director, and a series of specialist directors in charge of various activities of the company (such as production director or sales director). The company secretary will attend board meetings, but is not a director. Apart from the executive directors, who are in fact employees of the company, there may be several non-executive directors, appointed either for their expertise and contacts, or as representatives of important shareholders such as banks. These non-executive directors are paid fees. The board of an American company may be made up of a large number of non-executive directors and only one or two executive officers; a British board has more executive directors.

board order /bɔd ɔdə/ noun an

order to a stockbroker to buy or sell at a particular price boardroom /bɔdrum/ noun a room where the directors of a company meet boardroom battle /bɔdrum bt(ə)l/ noun an argument between directors boiler room /bɔlə rυm/ noun a room in which telephone sales executives try to sell securities to potential investors BOJ abbreviation Bank of Japan bolivar /bɒlvɑ/ noun the unit of currency used in Venezuela boliviano /bəlviɑnəυ/ noun a unit of currency used in Bolivia (NOTE: Also called the Bolivian peso.) bolsa noun the Spanish word for stock

exchange

Bombay

Stock

Exchange

/bɒmbe stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the

main stock exchange in India. Abbreviation BSE bona fide /bəυnə fadi/ adjective trustworthy, which can be trusted 왍 a bona fide offer an offer which is made honestly bonanza /bənnzə/ noun great wealth, or a source of great wealth 쑗

bond-washing The oil well was a bonanza for the company. 쑗 Last year was a bonanza year for the electronics industry. bona vacantia /bəυnə vəkntiə/ noun a property with no owner, or which does not have an obvious owner, and which usually passes to the Crown bond /bɒnd/ noun 1. a contract document promising to repay money borrowed by a company or by the government at a certain date, and paying interest at regular intervals 2. 왍 goods (held) in bond goods held by customs until duty has been paid 왍 entry of goods under bond bringing goods into a country in bond 왍 to take goods out of bond to pay duty on goods so that they can be released by customs 3. a form of insurance fund which is linked to a unit trust, but where there is no yield because the income is automatically added to the fund COMMENT: Bonds are in effect another

form of long-term borrowing by a company or government. They can carry a fixed interest or a floating interest, but the yield varies according to the price at which they are bought; bond prices go up and down in the same way as share prices.

bonded /bɒndd/ adjective held in

bond

warehouse /bɒndd weəhaυs/ noun a warehouse where goods are stored until excise duty has been paid bondholder /bɒndhəυldə/ noun a person who holds government bonds bondised /bɒndazd/, bondized adjective referring to an insurance fund linked to a unit trust bond market /bɒnd mɑkt/ noun a market in which government or municipal bonds are traded bond rating /bɒnd retŋ/ noun a rating of the reliability of a company or government or local authority which has issued a bond (the highest rating is AAA) bond-washing /bɒnd wɒʃŋ/ noun selling securities cum dividend and buying them back later ex dividend, or selling US Treasury bonds with the interest coupon, and buying them back ex-coupon, so as to reduce tax bonded

bond yield

bond yield /bɒnd jild/ noun income produced by a bond, shown as a percentage of its purchase price bonus /bəυnəs/ noun an extra payment in addition to a normal payment bonus issue /bəυnəs ʃu/ noun a scrip issue or capitalisation issue, where a company transfers money from reserves to share capital and issues free extra shares to the shareholders (the value of the company remains the same, and the total market value of shareholders’ shares remains the same, the market price being adjusted to account for the new shares). Also called share split (NOTE: The US term is stock dividend or stock split.) bonus share /bəυnəs ʃeə/ noun an

extra share given to an existing shareholder book /bυk/ noun 1. a set of sheets of paper attached together 왍 a company’s books the financial records of a company 2. 왍 to make a book to have a list of shares which he or she is prepared to buy or sell on behalf of clients COMMENT: The books of account record

a company’s financial transactions. These are: sales (sales day book and sales returns book); purchases (purchases day book and purchases returns book); cash payments and receipts (cash book) and adjustments (journal). These books are commonly known as the ‘books of prime entry’, but in addition, a company’s accounting records usually include the ledger accounts (nominal ledger, sales ledger and purchases ledger) which may also be referred to as ‘books of account’.

book debts /bυk dets/ plural noun

trade debts as recorded in a company’s accounts bookkeeper /bυkkipə/ noun a person who keeps the financial records of a company or an organisation bookkeeping /bυkkipŋ/ noun the work of keeping the financial records of a company or an organisation

bookkeeping /bυkkipŋ

transaction

trnzkʃən/ noun a transaction (such as the issue of bonus shares) which involves changes to a company’s books of accounts, but does not alter the value of the company in any way

borderline case

book sales /bυk selz/ plural noun

sales as recorded in the sales book book-squaring /bυk skweərŋ/ noun the process of reducing the dealer’s exposure to the market to nil book value /bυk vlju/ noun the value of an asset as recorded in the company’s balance sheet bookwork /bυkw%k/ noun the keeping of financial records boom /bum/ noun 1. a time when sales, production or business activity are increasing 쑗 a period of economic boom 쑗 the boom of the 1990s 왍 the boom years years when there is an economic boom 2. a time when anything is increasing 쐽 verb to expand or to become prosperous 쑗 business is booming 쑗 sales are booming boomer /bumə/ noun a person born during a baby boom 쑗 Most boomers have not saved enough money for retirement. boom industry /bum ndəstri/ noun an industry which is expanding rapidly booming /bumŋ/ adjective which is expanding or becoming prosperous 쑗 a booming industry or company 쑗 Technology is a booming sector of the economy. boom share /bum ʃeə/ noun a share in a company which is expanding boost /bust/ noun help given to increase something 쑗 This publicity will give sales a boost. 쑗 The government hopes to give a boost to industrial development. 쐽 verb to make something increase 쑗 We expect our publicity campaign to boost sales by 25%. 쑗 The company hopes to boost its market share. 쑗 Incentive schemes are boosting production. ‘…the company expects to boost turnover this year to FFr 16bn from FFr 13.6bn last year’ [Financial Times]

BOP abbreviation balance of payments border /bɔdə/ noun a frontier be-

tween two countries

borderline case /bɔdəlan kes/

noun a worker who may or may not be recommended for a particular type of treatment, such as for promotion or dismissal

border tax adjustment

border tax adjustment /bɔdə

tks əd$stmənt/ noun a deduction of indirect tax paid on goods being exported or imposition of local indirect tax on goods being imported borrow /bɒrəυ/ verb 1. to take money from someone for a time, possibly paying interest for it, and repaying it at the end of the period 쑗 She borrowed £1,000 from the bank. 쑗 The company had to borrow heavily to repay its debts. 쑗 They borrowed £25,000 against the security of the factory. 2. to buy at spot prices and sell forward at the same time borrower /bɒrəυə/ noun a person who borrows 쑗 Borrowers from the bank pay 12% interest. borrowing /bɒrəυŋ/ noun the action of borrowing money 쑗 The new factory was financed by bank borrowing. ‘…we tend to think of building societies as having the best borrowing rates and indeed many do offer excellent terms’ [Financial Times]

borrowing costs /bɒrəυŋ kɒsts/

plural noun the interest and other charges paid on money borrowed borrowing power /bɒrəυŋ paυə/ noun the amount of money which a company can borrow borrowings /bɒrəυŋz/ plural noun money borrowed 쑗 The company’s borrowings have doubled. COMMENT: Borrowings are sometimes

shown as a percentage of shareholders’ funds (i.e. capital and money in reserves); this gives a percentage which is the ‘gearing’ of the company.

borrow short /bɒrəυ ʃɔt/ verb to

borrow for a short period borsa noun the Italian word for stock exchange Börse noun the German word for stock exchange bottom /bɒtəm/ noun the lowest part or point 왍 sales have reached rock bottom the very lowest point of all 왍 the bottom has fallen out of the market sales have fallen below what previously seemed to be the lowest point 왍 rock-bottom price the lowest price of all 왍 to go bottom up to crash or to go into liquidation 쐽 verb to reach the lowest point bottom feeder /bɒtəm fidə/ noun a someone who tries to buy shares when

boycott they are falling or have fallen substantially, in the hope that they will rise again (informal ) bottom fishing /bɒtəm fʃŋ/ noun the act of buying shares when they are falling or have fallen substantially, in the hope that they will rise again (informal ) bottom line /bɒtəm lan/ noun 1. the last line on a balance sheet indicating profit or loss 2. the final decision on a matter 쑗 The bottom line was that any workers showing dissatisfaction with conditions would be fired. bought /bɔt/ 쒁 buy bought deal /bɔt dil/ noun a method of selling shares in a new company or selling an issue of new shares in an existing company, where securities houses guarantee to buy all the shares on offer at a fixed price bought ledger /bɔt led$ə/ noun a book in which purchases are recorded bought ledger clerk /bɔt led$ə klɑk/ noun an office worker who deals with the bought ledger or the sales ledger bounce /baυns/ verb to be returned by the bank to the person who has tried to cash it, because there is not enough money in the payer’s account to pay it 쑗 He paid for the car with a cheque that bounced. bounty /baυnti/ noun a government subsidy made to help an industry bourse noun the French word for stock exchange (NOTE: In English, the .

word is often used of European stock exchanges in general.) boutique /butik/ noun 1. a section

of a department store selling up-to-date clothes 2. a small financial institution offering specialist advice or services box file /bɒks fal/ noun a cardboard box for holding documents box number /bɒks nmbə/ noun a reference number used when asking for mail to be sent to a post office or when asking for replies to an advertisem*nt to be sent to the newspaper’s offices 쑗 Please reply to Box No. 209. boycott /bɔkɒt/ noun a refusal to buy or to deal in certain products 쑗 The union organised a boycott against or of imported cars. 쐽 verb to refuse to buy

bracket or deal in a product 쑗 We are boycotting all imports from that country. 왍 the management has boycotted the meeting the management has refused to attend the meeting bracket /brkt/ noun a group of items or people taken together 왍 people in the middle-income bracket people with average incomes, not high or low 왍 she is in the top tax bracket she pays the highest level of tax bracket together /brkt təeðə/ verb to treat several items together in the same way 쑗 In the sales reports, all the European countries are bracketed together. branch /brɑntʃ/ noun the local office of a bank or large business, or a local shop which is part of a large chain branch manager /brɑntʃ mnd$ə/ noun a person in charge of a branch of a company ‘…a leading manufacturer of business, industrial and commercial products requires a branch manager to head up its mid-western Canada operations based in Winnipeg’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

branch office /brɑntʃ ɒfs/ noun a

less important office, usually in a different town or country from the main office brand loyalty /brnd lɔəlti/ noun the feeling of trust and satisfaction that makes a customer always buy the same brand of product brand name /brnd nem/ noun a name of a particular make of product breach /britʃ/ noun a failure to carry out the terms of an agreement 왍 the company is in breach of contract it has failed to carry out the duties of the contract breach of contract /britʃ əv kɒntrkt/ noun the failure to do something which has been agreed in a contract 왍 the company is in breach of contract the company has failed to do what was agreed in the contract breach of trust /britʃ əv trst/ noun a situation where a person does not act correctly or honestly when people expect him or her to breach of warranty /britʃ əv wɒrənti/ noun 1. the act of supplying goods which do not meet the standards of the warranty applied to them 2. a fail-

break-up value ure to do something which is a part of a contract break /brek/ noun 1. a sharp fall in share prices 2. a lucky deal or good opportunity 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to break even to balance costs and receipts, but not make a profit 쑗 Last year the company only just broke even. 쑗 We broke even in our first two months of trading. 2. to fail to carry out the duties of a contract 쑗 The company has broken the contract or the agreement by selling at a lower price. 왍 to break an engagement to do something not to do what has been agreed 3. to cancel a contract 쑗 The company is hoping to be able to break the contract. (NOTE: [all verb senses] breaking – broke – has broken) break down /brek daυn/ verb 1. to

stop working because of mechanical failure 쑗 The fax machine has broken down. 2. to stop 쑗 Negotiations broke down after six hours. 3. to show all the items in a total list of costs or expenditure 쑗 We broke the expenditure down into fixed and variable costs. breakdown /brekdaυn/ noun 1. an act of stopping working because of mechanical failure 쑗 We cannot communicate with our Nigerian office because of the breakdown of the telephone lines. 2. an act of stopping talking 쑗 a breakdown in wage negotiations 3. an act of showing details item by item 쑗 Give me a breakdown of investment costs. breakeven point /brekiv(ə)n pɔnt/ noun a point at which sales cover costs, but do not show a profit break-out /brek aυt/ noun a movement of a share price above or below its previous trading level breakpoint /brekpɔnt/ noun a level of deposits in an account that triggers a new higher level of interest break up /brek p/ verb to split something large into small sections 쑗 The company was broken up and separate divisions sold off. break-up value /brek p vlju/ noun 1. the value of the material of a fixed asset 쑗 What would the break-up value of our old machinery be? 쑗 Scrap merchants were asked to estimate the tractors’ break-up value. 2. the value of various parts of a company taken separately

Bretton Woods Agreement

Bretton Woods Agreement noun an international agreement reached in 1944, setting up the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and a system of fixed exchange rates between currencies bribe /brab/ noun money given secretly and usually illegally to someone in authority to get them to help 쑗 The minister was dismissed for taking bribes. 쐽 verb to pay someone money secretly and usually illegally to get them to do something for you bricks-and-mortar /brks ən mɔtə/ adjective 1. conducting business in the traditional way in buildings such as shops and warehouses and not being involved in e-commerce. Compare clicks-and-mortar 2. referring to the fixed assets of a company, especially its buildings bridge finance /brd$ fanns/ noun loans to cover short-term needs bridging loan /brd$ŋ ləυn/ noun a short-term loan to help someone buy a new house when the old one has not yet been sold (NOTE: The US term is bridge loan.) bring /brŋ/ verb to come to a place

with someone or something 쑗 He brought his documents with him. 쑗 The finance director brought her assistant to take notes of the meeting. (NOTE: bringing – brought) 왍 to bring a lawsuit against someone to tell someone to appear in court to settle an argument bring down /brŋ daυn/ verb 1. to reduce 쑗 Petrol companies have brought down the price of oil. 2. same as bring forward bring forward /brŋ fɔwəd/ verb 1. to make something take place earlier 쑗 to bring forward the date of repayment 쑗 The date of the next meeting has been brought forward to March. 2. to take an account balance from the end of the previous period as the starting point for the current period 쑗 Balance brought forward: £365.15 bring in /brŋ n/ verb to earn an amount of interest 쑗 The shares bring in a small amount. brisk /brsk/ adjective characterised by a lot of activity 쑗 sales are brisk 쑗 a brisk market in technology shares 쑗 The

buck market in oil shares is particularly brisk.

British

Bankers’

Association

/brtʃ bŋkəz əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun

an organisation representing British banks. Abbreviation BBA broad tape /brɔd tep/ noun US a news service giving general information about securities and commodities broker /brəυkə/ noun 1. a dealer who acts as a middleman between a buyer and a seller 2. 왍 (stock)broker a person or firm that buys and sells shares or bonds on behalf of clients brokerage /brəυkərd$/ noun 1. payment to a broker for a deal carried out 2. same as broking brokerage firm /brəυkərd$ f%m/, brokerage house /brəυkərd$ haυs/ noun a firm which buys and sells shares for clients brokerage rebates /brəυkərd$ ribets/ plural noun the percentage of the commission paid to a broker which is returned to the customer as an incentive to do more business broker-dealer /brəυkə dilə/ noun a dealer who makes a market in shares (i.e. buys shares and holds them for resale) and also deals on behalf of investor clients broker’s commission /brəυkəz kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun the payment to a broker for a deal which he or she has carried out (NOTE: Formerly, the commission charged by brokers on the London Stock Exchange was fixed, but since 1986, commissions have been variable.) broking /brəυkŋ/ noun the business

of dealing in stocks and shares

BSA abbreviation Building Societies Association

BSE Index /bi es i ndeks/ noun

an index of prices on the Indian Stock Exchange. Full form Bombay Stock Exchange Index B shares /bi ʃeəz/ plural noun ordi-

nary shares with special voting rights (often owned by the founder of a company and his family). See Comment at A

shares buck /bk/ noun US a dollar (informal ) 왍 to make a quick buck to make a .

bucket shop

profit very quickly 쐽 verb 왍 to buck the trend to go against the trend bucket shop /bkt ʃɒp/ noun 1. US a dishonest stockbroking firm where customers’ orders to buy and sell stock are treated as bets on the rise and fall of prices 2. a firm of brokers or dealers that sells shares that may be worthless 3. a brokerage firm which tries to push the sale of certain securities ‘…at last something is being done about the thousands of bucket shops across the nation that sell investment scams by phone’ [Forbes Magazine]

budget /bd$t/ noun 1. a plan of expected spending and income for a period of time 쑗 to draw up a budget for salaries for the coming year 쑗 We have agreed the budgets for next year. 2. 왍 the Budget the annual plan of taxes and government spending proposed by a finance minister. In the UK, the budget is drawn up by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 쑗 The minister put forward a budget aimed at boosting the economy. 왍 to balance the budget to plan income and expenditure so that they balance 쑗 The president is planning for a balanced budget. 쐽 adjective cheap 왍 budget prices low prices 쐽 verb to plan probable income and expenditure 쑗 We are budgeting for £10,000 of sales next year.

building society

budget deficit /bd$t defst/

noun 1. a deficit in a country’s planned budget, where income from taxation will not be sufficient to pay for the government’s expenditure 2. a deficit in personal finances where a household will borrow to finance large purchases which cannot be made out of income alone budget department /bd$t dpɑtmənt/ noun a department in a large store which sells cheaper goods budgeting /bd$tŋ/ noun the preparation of budgets to help plan expenditure and income budget surplus /bd$t s%pləs/ noun a situation where there is more revenue than was planned for in the budget budget variance /bd$t veəriəns/ noun the difference between the cost as estimated for a budget and the actual cost buffer stocks /bfə stɒks/ plural noun stocks of a commodity bought by an international body when prices are low and held for resale at a time when prices have risen, with the intention of reducing sharp fluctuations in world prices of the commodity

building and loan association

‘…he budgeted for further growth of 150,000 jobs (or 2.5 per cent) in the current financial year’ [Sydney Morning Herald]

/bldŋ ən ləυn əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun US same as savings and loan

‘…the Federal government’s budget targets for employment and growth are within reach according to the latest figures’ [Australian Financial Review]

/bldŋ səsaətiz əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation representing building societies. Abbreviation BSA

budget account /bd$t əkaυnt/

Building Societies Ombudsman

noun a bank account where you plan income and expenditure to allow for periods when expenditure is high, by paying a set amount each month budgetary /bd$t(ə)r/ adjective referring to a budget budgetary control /bd$t(ə)ri kəntrəυl/ noun controlled spending according to a planned budget budgetary policy /bd$t(ə)ri pɒlsi/ noun the policy of planning income and expenditure

budgetary

requirements

/bd$t(ə)ri rkwaəməntz/ plural noun the rate of spending or income re-

quired to meet the budget forecasts

Building Societies Association

/bldŋ səsaətiz ɒmbυdzmən/ noun

an official whose duty is to investigate complaints by members of the public against building societies (NOTE: All building societies belong to the Building Societies Ombudsman Scheme.) building society /bldŋ səsaəti/ noun a financial institution which ac-

cepts and pays interest on deposits, and lends money to people who are buying property against the security of the property which is being bought 쑗 We put our savings into a building society or into a building society account. 쑗 I have an account with the Nationwide Building Society. 쑗 I saw the building society manager to ask for a mortgage.

build into COMMENT: Building societies mainly in-

vest the money deposited with them as mortgages on properties, but a percentage is invested in government securities. Societies can now offer a range of banking services, such as cheque books, standing orders, overdrafts, etc., and now operate in much the same way as banks. Indeed, many building societies have changed from ‘mutual status’, where the owners of the society are its investors and borrowers, to become publicly-owned banks whose shares are bought and sold on the stock exchange. The comparable US institutions are the savings & loan associations, or ‘thrifts’.

build into /bld ntu/ verb to in-

clude something in something which is being set up 쑗 You must build all the forecasts into the budget. 왍 we have built 10% for contingencies into our cost forecast we have added 10% to our basic forecast to allow for items which may appear suddenly build up /bld p/ verb 1. to create something by adding pieces together 쑗 She bought several shoe shops and gradually built up a chain. 2. to expand something gradually 쑗 to build up a profitable business 쑗 to build up a team of sales representatives buildup /bldp/ noun a gradual increase 쑗 a buildup in sales or a sales buildup 쑗 There will be a big publicity buildup before the launch of the new model. 쑗 There has been a buildup of complaints about customer service. bulk buying /blk baŋ/ noun the act of buying large quantities of goods at low prices bulk carrier /blk kriə/ noun a ship which carries large quantities of loose goods such as corn or coal bulk purchase /blk p%tʃs/ noun an act of buying a large quantity of goods at low prices bull /bυl/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a person who believes the market will rise, and therefore buys shares, commodities or currency to sell at a higher price later (NOTE: The opposite is a bear.) ‘…lower interest rates are always a bull factor for the stock market’ [Financial Times]

bulldog bond /bυldɒ bɒnd/ noun a bond issued in sterling in the UK mar-

Bundesobligation ket by a non-British corporation. Compare samurai bond, Yankee bond

bullet /bυlt/ noun US a repayment of the capital of a loan when it matures

bullet bond /bυlt bɒnd/ noun

US a eurobond which is only redeemed when it is mature (NOTE: Bullet bonds are used in payments between central banks and also act as currency backing.) bullet loan /bυlt ləυn/ noun US a loan which is repaid in a single payment bullion /bυliən/ noun a gold or silver bars 쑗 A shipment of gold bullion was stolen from the security van. 쑗 The price of bullion is fixed daily. bullion bank /bυliən bŋk/ noun a bank which holds bullion for customers bullish /bυlʃ/ adjective optimistic, feeling that prices of shares will rise ‘…another factor behind the currency market’s bullish mood may be the growing realisation that Japan stands to benefit from the current combination of high domestic interest rates and a steadily rising exchange rate’ [Far Eastern Economic Review] ‘…currency traders chose to ignore better unemployment statistics from France, preferring to focus on the bullish outlook for the dollar’ [Times]

bull market /bυl mɑkt/ noun a period when share prices rise because people are optimistic and buy shares (NOTE: The opposite is a bear market.)

bull position /bυl pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun

STOCK EXCHANGE a strategy of buying shares in the hope that they will rise bumping /bmpŋ/ noun 1. US a lay-off procedure that allows an employee with greater seniority to displace a more junior employee 쑗 The economic recession led to extensive bumping in companies where only the most qualified were retained for some jobs. 쑗 The trade unions strongly objected to bumping practices since they considered that many employees were being laid off unfairly. 2. the situation where a senior employee takes the place of a junior (in a restaurant) Bund noun a German government bond Bundesobligation noun a German medium-term note, which cannot be bought by non-German buyers

bundle

bundle /bnd(ə)l/ noun 왍 to make a

bundle to make a lot of money (informal ) bundling /bnd(ə)lŋ/ noun the action of selling various financial services together as a package, such as a mortgage and house insurance buoyant /bɔənt/ adjective referring to a market where share prices are rising continuously bureau de change /bjυərəυ də ʃɒn$/ noun an office where you can change foreign currency business /bzns/ noun 1. work in buying, selling or doing other things to make a profit 쑗 We do a lot of business with Japan. 쑗 Business is expanding. 쑗 Business is slow. 쑗 Repairing cars is 90% of our business. 쑗 We did more business in the week before Christmas than we usually do in a month. 쑗 Strikes are very bad for business. 쑗 What’s your line of business? 왍 to be in business to run a commercial firm 왍 on business doing commercial work 쑗 She had to go abroad on business. 쑗 The chairman is in Holland on business. 2. a commercial company 쑗 He owns a small car repair business. 쑗 She runs a business from her home. 쑗 I set up in business as an insurance broker. 3. affairs discussed 쑗 The main business of the meeting was finished by 3 p.m. business address /bzns ədres/ noun the details of number, street and town where a company is located business agent /bzns ed$ənt/ noun US the chief local official of a trade union business call /bzns kɔl/ noun a visit to talk to someone about business business card /bzns kɑd/ noun a card showing a businessperson’s name and the name and address of the company he or she works for business centre /bzns sentə/ noun the part of a town where the main banks, shops and offices are located business computer /bzns kəmpjutə/ noun a powerful small computer programmed for special business uses .

business

correspondence

/bzns kɒrspɒndəns/ noun letters

concerned with a business

butterfly spread

business correspondent /bzns

kɒrspɒndənt/ noun a journalist who writes articles on business news for newspapers business customer /bzns kstəmə/ noun company which has an account with a bank business cycle /bzns sak(ə)l/ noun the period during which trade expands, slows down and then expands again. Also called trade cycle business day /bzns de/ noun a day (a normal weekday) when banks and stock exchanges are open for business business expenses /bzns kspensz/ plural noun money spent on running a business, not on stock or assets business hours /bzns aυəz/ plural noun the time when a business is open, usually 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. business magazine /bzns məzin/ noun a magazine dealing with business affairs businessman /bznsmn/ noun a man engaged in business business plan /bzns pln/ noun a document drawn up to show how a business is planned to work, with cash flow forecasts, sales forecasts, etc., often used when trying to raise a loan, or when setting up a new business business rate /bzns ret/ noun tax levied on business property (NOTE: The US term is local property tax.) business ratepayer /bznəs retpeə/ noun a business which pays local

taxes on a shop, office, factory, etc. business-to-business /bzns tə bzns/ adjective full form of B2B business-to-consumer /bzns tə kənsjumə/ adjective full form of B2C business transaction /bzns trnzkʃən/ noun an act of buying or selling businesswoman /bznsmn/ noun a woman engaged in business busted bonds /bstd bɒndz/ noun old shares or bonds which are no longer marketable, though the certificates may still have a value as collectors’ items butterfly spread /btəfla spred/ noun an act of buying two call options

buy and selling two call options, with different dates and prices, all at the same time

buy /ba/ verb to get something by pay-

ing money 쑗 to buy wholesale and sell retail 쑗 to buy for cash 쑗 He bought 10,000 shares. 쑗 The company has been bought by its leading supplier. (NOTE: buying – bought)

buy back /ba bk/ verb 1. to buy

something which you sold earlier 쑗 She sold the shop last year and is now trying to buy it back. 2. to buy its own shares buyback /babk/ noun 1. a type of loan agreement to repurchase bonds or securities at a later date for the same price as they are being sold 2. an international trading agreement where a company builds a factory in a foreign country and agrees to buy all its production 3. the continuation of a life assurance cover after a claim has been paid on critical illness under a policy that provides cover against both critical illness and death ‘…the corporate sector also continued to return cash to shareholders in the form of buy-backs, while raising little money in the form of new or rights issues’ [Financial Times]

buydown /badaυn/ noun US the ac-

tion of paying extra money to a mortgage in order to get a better rate in the future buyer /baə/ noun 1. a person who buys 왍 there were no buyers no one wanted to buy 2. a person who buys stock on behalf of a trading organisation for resale or for use in production buyer’s market /baəz mɑkt/ noun a market where products are sold cheaply because there are few people who want to buy them (NOTE: The opposite is seller’s market.)

by-product

buy forward /ba fɔwəd/ verb to

buy foreign currency before you need it, in order to be sure of the exchange rate buy in /ba n/ verb 1. (of a seller at an auction) to buy the thing which you are trying to sell because no one will pay the price you want 2. to buy stock to cover a position 3. (of a company) to buy its own shares buying /baŋ/ noun the act of getting something for money buying department /baŋ dpɑtmənt/ noun the department in a company which buys raw materials or goods for use in the company buying power /baŋ paυə/ noun the ability to buy 쑗 The buying power of the pound has fallen over the last five years. buyout /baaυt/ noun the purchase of a controlling interest in a company ‘…we also invest in companies whose growth and profitability could be improved by a management buyout’ [Times] ‘…in a normal leveraged buyout, the acquirer raises money by borrowing against the assets or cash flow of the target company’ [Fortune]

buy to let /ba tə let/ verb a situa-

tion where a property is bought as an investment to rent out rather than live in BV noun a Dutch public limited company. Full form besloten venootschap

bylaws /balɔz/ plural noun US rules

governing the internal running of a corporation (the number of meetings, the appointment of officers, etc.) (NOTE: In

the UK, these are called Articles of Association.) by-product /ba prɒdkt/ noun a

product made as a result of manufacturing a main product

C CA abbreviation chartered accountant CAB abbreviation Citizens Advice Bureau

cable /keb(ə)l/ noun 1. a telegram, a

message sent by telegraph 쑗 He sent a cable to his office asking for more money. 2. a spot exchange rate for the dollar and sterling 쐽 verb to send a message or money by telegraph 쑗 He cabled his office to ask them to send more money. 쑗 The office cabled him £1,000 to cover his expenses. 쑗 The money was cabled to the Spanish bank. cable address /keb(ə)l ədres/ noun a short address for sending cables cable transfer /keb(ə)l trnsf%/ noun a transfer of money by telegraph CAC 40 /si e si fɔti/, CAC 40 index noun an index of prices on the Paris Stock Exchange, based on the prices of forty leading shares CAD /kd/ abbreviation cash against documents cage /ked$/ noun US 1. the part of a broking firm where the paperwork involved in buying and selling shares is processed (NOTE: The UK term is back office.) 2. a section of a bank where a teller works (surrounded by glass windows) caisse d’épargne noun the French word for savings bank caja popular noun the Spanish word for savings bank calculate /klkjυlet/ verb 1. to find the answer to a problem using numbers 쑗 The bank clerk calculated the rate of exchange for the dollar. 2. to estimate 쑗 I calculate that we have six months’ stock left. calculation /klkjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the answer to a problem in mathematics 쑗 According to my calculations, we have six months’ stock left. 왍 we are

£20,000 out in our calculations we have made a mistake in our calculations and arrived at a figure which is £20,000 too much or too little calculator /klkjυletə/ noun an electronic machine which does calculations such as adding, subtracting and multiplying 쑗 He worked out the discount on his calculator. calendar /klndə/ noun 1. a book or set of sheets of paper showing the days and months in a year, often attached to pictures 2. a list of dates, especially a list of dates of new share issues calendar month /klndə mnθ/ noun a whole month as on a calendar, from the 1st to the 30th or 31st 쑗 Ninety days’ credit is almost three calendar months. calendar year /klndə jə/ noun a year from the 1st January to 31st December call /kɔl/ noun 1. a conversation on the telephone 왍 to make a call to dial and speak to someone on the telephone 왍 to take a call to answer the telephone 왍 to log calls to note all details of telephone calls made 2. a demand for repayment of a loan by a lender 3. FIN a demand to pay for new shares which then become paid up 4. FIN a price established during a trading session 5. a visit 쑗 The salespeople make six calls a day. 쐽 verb 1. to ask for a loan to be repaid immediately 2. to telephone someone 쑗 I’ll call you at your office tomorrow. 3. 왍 to call on someone to visit someone 쑗 Our salespeople call on their best accounts twice a month. 4. to ask for or order something to be done 쑗 to call a meeting 왍 the union called a strike the union told its members to go on strike

callable bond

callable bond /kɔləb(ə)l bɒnd/

noun a bond which can be redeemed before it matures callable capital /kɔləb(ə)l kpt(ə)l/ noun the part of a company’s capital which has not been called up call-back pay /kɔl bk pe/ noun pay given to an employee who has been called back to work after their normal working hours called up capital /kɔld p kpt(ə)l/ noun a share capital in a company which has been called up but not yet paid for ‘…a circular to shareholders highlights that the company’s net assets as at August 1, amounted to œ47.9 million – less than half the company’s called-up share capital of œ96.8 million. Accordingly, an EGM has been called for October 7’ [Times]

call in /kɔl n/ verb to ask for a debt to be paid call loan /kɔl ləυn/ noun a bank loan repayable at call call money /kɔl mni/ noun money loaned for which repayment can be demanded without notice. Also called money at call, money on call call option /kɔl ɒpʃən/ noun an op-

tion to buy shares at a future date and at a specific price (NOTE: The opposite, an

option to sell, is a put option.) call-over price /kɔl əυvə pras/ noun a price which is applied when sell-

ing is conducted by a chairman, and not by open outcry call price /kɔl pras/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a price to be paid on redemption of a US bond call purchase /kɔl p%tʃs/, call sale /kɔl sel/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a transaction where the seller or purchaser can fix the price for future delivery call rate /kɔl ret/ noun 1. the number of calls per day or per week which a salesperson makes on customers 2. a rate of interest on money at call call rule /kɔl rul/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a price fixed on a Stock Exchange at the end of a day’s trading and which remains valid until trading starts again the next day call up /kɔl p/ verb to ask for share capital to be paid

CAP

calm /kɑm/ adjective quiet, not excited 쑗 The markets were calmer after the government statement on the exchange rate. cambio noun the Spanish word for foreign exchange cambiste noun the French word for a foreign exchange broker cancel /knsəl/ verb 1. to stop something which has been agreed or planned 쑗 to cancel an appointment or a meeting 쑗 The government has cancelled the order for a fleet of buses. 쑗 The manager is still ill, so the interviews planned for this week have been cancelled. (NOTE: cancelling – cancelled) 2. 왍 to cancel a cheque to stop payment of a cheque which has been signed cancellation /knsəleʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of stopping something which has been agreed or planned 쑗 the cancellation of an appointment 쑗 the cancellation of an agreement cancellation clause /knsəleʃ(ə)n klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract which states the terms on which the contract may be cancelled cancel out /knsəl aυt/ verb (of two things) to balance each other or act against each other so that there is no change in the existing situation 쑗 The two clauses cancel each other out. 쑗 Higher costs have cancelled out the increased sales revenue. candlestick chart /knd(ə)lstk tʃɑt/ noun a chart similar to a bar chart, but showing the opening and close as well as the high and low figures for a particular period. These are shown as lines standing up on top of the body of the chart or hanging down beneath it, so that they look a little like the wick on a candle. cap /kp/ noun 1. an upper limit placed on something, such as an interest rate (the opposite, i.e. a lower limit, is a ‘floor’) 2. same as capitalisation (informal ) 쑗 Last year the total market cap of all the world’s gold companies fell from $71 billion to $46 billion. 쐽 verb to place an upper limit on something 쑗 to cap a local authority’s budget 쑗 to cap a department’s budget (NOTE: cap.

ping – capped)

CAP abbreviation Common Agricultural Policy

capacity

capacity /kəpsti/ noun 1. the

amount which can be produced, or the amount of work which can be done 쑗 industrial or manufacturing or production capacity 왍 to work at full capacity to do as much work as possible 2. the amount of space 3. ability 쑗 She has a particular capacity for detailed business deals with overseas companies. 4. (of a borrower ) the ability to pay back a loan 5. 왍 speaking in an official capacity speaking officially .

‘…analysts are increasingly convinced that the industry simply has too much capacity’ [Fortune]

capacity

utilisation

/kəpsəti

jutlazeʃ(ə)n/ noun the fact of using something as much as possible cap and collar /kp ən kɒlə/ noun an agreement giving both an upper and a lower limit to a loan capita /kptə/ 쒁 per capita capital /kpt(ə)l/ noun 1. the money, property and assets used in a business 쑗 a company with £10,000 capital or with a capital of £10,000 2. money owned by individuals or companies, which they use for investment 왍 flight of capital the rapid movement of capital out of one country because of lack of confidence in that country’s economic future ‘…issued and fully paid capital is $100 million, comprising 2340 shares of $100 each and 997,660 ordinary shares of $100 each’ [Hongkong Standard]

account /kpt(ə)l əkaυnt/ noun 1. an account of dealings such as money invested in or taken out of the company by the owners of a company 2. items in a country’s balance of payments which do not refer to the buying and selling merchandise, but refer to investments 3. the total equity in a business capital adequacy /kpt(ə)l dkwəsi/, capital adequacy ratio /kpt(ə)l dkwəsi reʃiəυ/ noun the amount of money which a bank has to have in the form of shareholders’ capital, shown as a percentage of its assets. Also called capital-to-asset ratio capital

(NOTE: The amount is internationally agreed at 8%.) capital allowances /kptl əlaυənsz/ plural noun the allowances

based on the value of fixed assets which

capital exports may be deducted from a company’s profits and so reduce its tax liability COMMENT: Under current UK law, depre-

ciation is not allowable for tax on profits, whereas capital allowances, based on the value of fixed assets owned by the company, are tax-allowable.

capital

asset

pricing

model

/kpt(ə)l set prasŋ mɒd(ə)l/ noun method of calculating the ex-

pected return on a share, by showing what percentage of future return is dependent on the movements of the stock market taken as a whole. Abbreviation CAPM

capital assets /kpt(ə)l sets/

plural noun the property, machines and other assets, which a company owns and uses but which it does not buy and sell as part of its regular trade. Also called fixed assets capital base /kpt(ə)l bes/ noun the capital structure of a company (shareholders’ capital plus certain loans and retained profits) used as a way of assessing the company’s worth capital bonus /kpt(ə)l bəυnəs/ noun an extra payment by an insurance company which is produced by a capital gain capital city /kpt(ə)l sti/ noun the main city in a country, where the government is located capital commitments /kpt(ə)l kəmtmənts/ plural noun expenditure on assets which has been authorised by directors, but not yet spent at the end of a financial period capital employed /kpt(ə)l mplɔd/ noun an amount of capital consisting of shareholders’ funds plus the long-term debts of a business. 쏡 return on capital employed capital equipment /kpt(ə)l kwpmənt/ noun equipment which a factory or office uses to work capital expenditure /kpt(ə)l kspendtʃə/ noun money spent on fixed assets (property, machines and furniture). Also called capital investment, capital outlay capital exports /kpt(ə)l ekspɔts/ plural noun the movement of capital out of a country (into overseas investments, or into loans to overseas countries)

capital flow

capital flow /kpt(ə)l fləυ/ noun

the movement of investment capital from one country to another. Also called capital movement, movement of capital capital gains /kpt(ə)l enz/ plural noun money made by selling a fixed asset or by selling shares (NOTE: If the asset is sold for less than its purchase price, the result is a capital loss.) COMMENT: In the UK capital gains tax is

payable on the sale of assets, in particular shares and properties, above a certain minimum level.

capital gains tax /kpt(ə)l enz

tks/ noun a tax paid on capital gains. Abbreviation CGT capital goods /kpt(ə)l υdz/ plural noun machinery, buildings and raw materials which are used to make other goods

capital-intensive

industry

/kpt(ə)l ntensv ndəstri/ noun

an industry which needs a large amount of capital investment in plant to make it work capitalisation /kpt(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, capitalization noun the value of a company calculated by multiplying the price of its shares on the stock exchange by the number of shares issued. Also called market capitalisation ‘…she aimed to double the company’s market capitalization’ [Fortune]

capitalisation issue noun same as bonus issue

capitalisation

reserves

/kpt(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n əv rz%vz/ noun the issuing free bonus shares to

shareholders

capitalise /kpt(ə)laz/, capitalize

verb 1. to invest money in a working company 왍 the company is capitalised at £10,000 the company has a working capital of £10,000 2. to convert reserves or assets into capital ‘…at its last traded price the bank was capitalized at around $1.05 billion with 60 per cent in the hands of the family’ [South China Morning Post]

capitalise on /kpt(ə)laz ɒn/ verb

to make a profit from 쑗 We are seeking to capitalise on our market position.

capital reserves

capitalism /kpt(ə)lz(ə)m/ noun

the economic system in which each person has the right to invest money, to work in business and to buy and sell, with no restrictions from the state capitalist /kpt(ə)lst/ adjective working according to the principles of capitalism 쑗 the capitalist system 쑗 the capitalist countries or world 쐽 noun a person who invests capital in business enterprises capitalist economy /kpt(ə)lst kɒnəmi/ noun an economy in which each person has the right to invest money, to work in business and to buy and sell, with no restrictions from the state capital levy /kpt(ə)l levi/ noun a tax on the value of a person’s property and possessions capital loss /kpt(ə)l lɒs/ noun a loss made by selling assets (NOTE: The opposite is capital gain.)

capital market /kpt(ə)l mɑkt/

noun an international market where money can be raised for investment in a business capital movement /kpt(ə)l muvmənt/ noun same as capital flow capital outlay /kpt(ə)l aυtle/ noun same as capital expenditure capital profit /kpt(ə)l prɒft/ noun a profit made by selling an asset capital-protected fund /kpt(ə)l prətektd fnd/ noun a fund which guarantees the investor’s capital and at the same time gives some growth capital ratio /kpt(ə)l reʃiəυ/ noun same as capital adequacy ratio capital requirements /kpt(ə)l rkwaəmənts/ plural noun 1. the amount of capital which a firm needs to operate normally 2. the amount of liquid assets needed by a bank to fulfil its obligations capital reserves /kpt(ə)l rz%vz/ plural noun 1. money from profits, which forms part of the capital of a company and can be used for distribution to shareholders only when a company is wound up. Also called undistributable reserves 2. the share capital of a company which comes from selling assets and not from normal trading

capital shares

capital shares /kpt(ə)l ʃeəz/

plural noun (on the Stock Exchange) shares in a unit trust which rise in value as the capital value of the units rises, but do not receive any income (NOTE: The other form of shares in a split-level investment trust are income shares, which receive income from the investments, but do not rise in value.) capital structure /kpt(ə)l strktʃə/ noun the way in which a company’s capital is made up from various sources capital transfer tax /kpt(ə)l trnsf% tks/ noun formerly, a tax on gifts or bequests of money or property CAPM abbreviation capital asset pricing model capped floating rate note /kpt fləυtŋ ret nəυt/ noun a floating rate note which has an agreed maximum rate capped rate /kpt ret/ verb a mortgage rate which is guaranteed not to go above a certain level for a set period of time, although it can move downwards captive market /kptv mɑkt/ noun a market where one supplier has a monopoly and the buyer has no choice over the product which he or she must purchase capture /kptʃə/ verb to take or get control of something 왍 to capture 10% of the market to sell hard, and so take a 10% market share 왍 to capture 20% of a company’s shares to buy shares in a company rapidly and so own 20% of it carat /krət/ noun 1. a measure of the quality of gold (pure gold being 24 carat) 쑗 a 22-carat gold ring 2. a measure of the weight of precious stones 쑗 a 5-carat diamond COMMENT: Pure gold is 24 carats and is

too soft to make jewellery. Most jewellery and other items made from gold are not pure, but between 19 and 22 carats. 22 carat gold has 22 parts of gold to two parts of alloy.

card /kɑd/ noun a small piece of cardboard or plastic, usually with information printed on it 쑗 He showed his staff card to get a discount in the store. cardholder /kɑdhəυldə/ noun a person who holds a credit card or bank cash card

cartel

card index /kɑd ndeks/ noun a series of cards with information written on them, kept in special order so that the information can be found easily 쑗 We use an alphabetical card-index system for staff records. carpetbagger /kɑptbə/ noun a person who invests in a building society or pension fund, hoping to benefit from eventual windfall payments if the society is demutualised or the fund is bought carriage /krd$/ noun the transporting of goods from one place to another 쑗 to pay for carriage carriage forward /krd$ fɔwəd/ noun a deal where the customer pays for transporting the goods carriage free /krd$ fri/ noun the customer does not pay for the shipping carriage paid /krd$ ped/ noun a deal where the seller has paid for the shipping carrier /kriə/ noun 1. a company which transports goods 쑗 We only use reputable carriers. 2. a vehicle or ship which transports goods carry /kri/ verb 1. to take from one place to another 쑗 a tanker carrying oil from the Gulf 쑗 The truck was carrying goods to the supermarket. 2. to vote to approve 왍 the motion was carried the motion was accepted after a vote 3. to produce 쑗 The bonds carry interest at 10%. 쐽 noun the cost of borrowing to finance a deal (NOTE: carries – carrying – carried)

carry forward /kri fɔwəd/ verb

to take an account balance at the end of the current period or page as the starting point for the next period or page carry over /kri əυvə/ verb 왍 to carry over a balance to take a balance from the end of one page or period to the beginning of the next carry-over /kri əυvə/ noun 1. the stock of a commodity held at the beginning of a new financial year 2. the fact of not paying an account on settlement day, but later. Also called contango carryover day /kriəυvə de/ noun the first day of trading on a new account on the London Stock Exchange cartel /kɑtel/ noun a group of companies which try to fix the price or to

cash regulate the supply of a product so that they can make more profit cash /kʃ/ noun money in the form of coins or notes 쐽 verb 왍 to cash a cheque to exchange a cheque for cash cashable /kʃəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be cashed 쑗 A crossed cheque is not cashable at any bank. cash account /kʃ əkaυnt/ noun an account which records the money which is received and spent cash advance /kʃ ədvɑns/ noun a loan in cash against a future payment cash against documents /kʃ əenst dɒkjυmənts/ noun a system whereby a buyer receives documents for the goods on payment of a bill of exchange cash and carry /kʃ ən kri/ noun 1. a large store selling goods at low prices, where the customer pays cash and takes the goods away immediately 쑗 We get our supplies every morning from the cash and carry. 2. buying a commodity for cash and selling the same commodity on the futures market ‘…the small independent retailer who stocks up using cash and carries could be hit hard by the loss of footfall associated with any increase in smuggled goods’ [The Grocer]

cash balance /kʃ bləns/ noun a

balance in cash, as opposed to amounts owed cash basis /kʃ bess/ noun a method of preparing the accounts of a business, where receipts and payments are shown at the time when they are made (as opposed to showing debts or credits which are outstanding at the end of the accounting period). Also called receipts and payments basis cash book /kʃ bυk/ noun a book

which records cash received and paid out cash box /kʃ bɒks/ noun metal box for keeping cash cash budget /kʃ bd$t/ noun a plan of cash income and expenditure cash card /kʃ kɑd/ noun a plastic card used to obtain money from a cash dispenser cash cow /kʃ kaυ/ noun a product or subsidiary company that consistently generates good profits but does not provide growth

cash in

cash crop /kʃ krɒp/ noun an agri-

cultural crop grown for sale to other buyers or to other countries, rather than for domestic consumption cash deal /kʃ dil/ noun a sale done for cash cash desk /kʃ desk/ noun the place in a store where you pay for the goods bought cash discount /kʃ dskaυnt/ noun a discount given for payment in cash. Also called discount for cash cash dispenser /kʃ dspensə/ noun a machine which gives out money when a special card is inserted and instructions given cash dividend /kʃ dvdend/ noun a dividend paid in cash, as opposed to a dividend in the form of bonus shares cash economy /kʃ kɒnəmi/ noun a black economy, where goods and services are paid for in cash, and therefore not declared for tax cash float /kʃ fləυt/ noun cash put into the cash box at the beginning of the day or week to allow change to be given to customers cash flow /kʃ fləυ/ noun cash which comes into a company from sales (cash inflow) or the money which goes out in purchases or overhead expenditure (cash outflow) 왍 the company is suffering from cash flow problems cash income is not coming in fast enough to pay the expenditure going out cash flow forecast /kʃ fləυ fɔkɑst/ noun a forecast of when cash will be received or paid out cash flow statement /kʃ fləυ stetmənt/ noun a report which shows cash sales and purchases cashier /kʃə/ noun 1. a person who takes money from customers in a shop or who deals with the money that has been paid 2. a person who deals with customers in a bank and takes or gives cash at the counter cashier’s check /kʃəz tʃek/ noun US a bank’s own cheque, drawn on itself and signed by a cashier or other bank official cash in /kʃ n/ verb to sell shares or other property for cash

cash in hand

cash in hand /kʃ n hnd/ noun

money and notes, kept to pay small amounts but not deposited in the bank cash in on /kʃ n ɒn/ verb to profit from 쑗 The company is cashing in on the interest in computer games. cash in transit /kʃ n trnzt/ noun cash being moved from one bank or business to another 쑗 Cash-in-transit services are an easy target for robbers. cash items /kʃ atəmz/ plural noun goods sold for cash cashless society /kʃləs səsaəti/ noun a society where no one uses cash, all purchases being made by credit cards, charge cards, cheques or direct transfer from one account to another cash limit /kʃ lmt/ noun 1. a fixed amount of money which can be spent during a certain period 2. a maximum amount someone can withdraw from an ATM using a cash card cash market /kʃ mɑkt/ noun the gilt-edged securities market (where purchases are paid for almost immediately, as opposed to the futures market) cash offer /kʃ ɒfə/ noun an offer to pay in cash, especially an offer to pay cash when buying shares in a takeover bid cash on delivery /kʃ ɒn dlv(ə)ri/ noun payment in cash when goods are delivered. Abbreviation COD cash payment /kʃ pemənt/ noun payment in cash cash position /kʃ pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun a state of the cash which a company currently has available cash positive /kʃ pɒztv/ adjective having cash in hand, as opposed to having debts and overdrafts ‘…as the group’s shares are already widely held, the listing will be via an introduction. It will also be accompanied by a deeply discounted £25m rights issue, leaving the company cash positive’ [Sunday Times]

cash price /kʃ pras/ noun a lower price or better terms which apply if the customer pays cash cash purchase /kʃ p%tʃs/ noun a purchase made for cash cash register /kʃ red$stə/ noun a machine which shows and adds the

casual worker prices of items bought, with a drawer for keeping the cash received cash reserves /kʃ rz%vz/ plural noun a company’s reserves in cash deposits or bills kept in case of urgent need 쑗 The company was forced to fall back on its cash reserves. cash sale /kʃ sel/ noun a transaction paid for in cash cash-strapped /kʃ strpt/ adjective short of money cash terms /kʃ t%mz/ plural noun lower terms which apply if the customer pays cash cash till /kʃ tl/ noun same as cash register

transaction /kʃ trnzkʃən/ noun a transaction paid for in cash cash transfer hatch /kʃ trnsf% htʃ/ noun a small door in an outside wall, allowing cash to be passed through (as from a supermarket to a security van) cash up /kʃ p/ verb to add up the cash in a shop at the end of the day cash voucher /kʃ vaυtʃə/ noun a piece of paper which can be exchanged for cash 쑗 With every £20 of purchases, the customer gets a cash voucher to the value of £2. Cashwire /kʃwaə/ noun US a system operated by a group of banks to clear payments between member banks cash with order /kʃ wð ɔdə/ noun terms of sale showing the payment has to be made in cash when the order is placed. Abbreviation CWO casting vote /kɑstŋ vəυt/ noun a vote used by the chairman in the case where the votes for and against a proposal are equal 쑗 The chairman has the casting vote. 쑗 He used his casting vote to block the motion. casual /k$uəl/ adjective not permanent, or not regular casual labour /k$uəl lebə/ noun workers who are hired for a short period casual work /k$uəl w%k/ noun work where the workers are hired for a short period casual worker /k$uəl w%kə/ noun a worker who can be hired for a short period cash

cat

cat /kt/ 쒁 fat cat, dead-cat bounce catalogue price /kt(ə)lɒ pras/

noun a price as marked in a catalogue or list catastrophe /kətstrəfi/ noun a sudden disaster catastrophe bond /kətstrəfi bɒnd/ noun a bond with very high interest rate but, which may be worth less, or give a lower rate of interest, if a disaster such as an earthquake occurs CAT standards /kt stndədz/ plural noun standards introduced by the government as an incentive to offer savers an even better deal, and to make it easier to spot the best investment value caveat /kvit/ noun warning 왍 to enter a caveat to warn someone legally that you have an interest in a case, and that no steps can be taken without your permission caveat emptor /kvit emptɔ/ phrase a Latin phrse meaning ‘let the buyer beware’, which indicates that the buyer is responsible for checking that what he or she buys is in good order ‘…the idea that buyers at a car boot sale should have any rights at all is laughable. Even those who do not understand Latin know that caveat emptor is the rule’ [Times]

caveat venditor /kvit venditɔ/ phrase a Latin phrase meaning ‘let the seller beware’, which indicates that the seller is legally bound to make sure that the goods he sells are in good order CBOT abbreviation Chicago Board of Trade CBS All-Share /si bi es ɔl ʃeə/ noun an index of prices on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (NOTE: The CBS Tendency also lists Amsterdam share prices.) CCA abbreviation current cost

accounting

CD /sidi/ abbreviation certificate of deposit

cedi /sidi/ noun a unit of currency

used in Ghana ceiling /silŋ/ noun the highest point that something can reach, e.g. the highest rate of a pay increase 쑗 to fix a ceiling for a budget 쑗 There is a ceiling of $100,000 on deposits. 쑗 Output reached its ceiling in June and has since fallen

central purchasing back. 쑗 What ceiling has the government put on wage increases this year? ceiling price /silŋ pras/ noun the highest price that can be reached cent /sent/ noun a small coin, one hundredth of a dollar 쑗 The stores are only a 25-cent bus ride away. 쑗 They sell oranges at 99 cents each. (NOTE: Cent is usually written ¢ in prices: 25¢, but not when a dollar price is mentioned: $1.25.) central /sentrəl/ adjective organised

from one main point

central assets account /sentrəl sets əkaυnt/ noun same as asset management account

central bank /sentrəl bŋk/ noun

the main government-controlled bank in a country, which controls that country’s financial affairs by fixing main interest rates, issuing currency, supervising the commercial banks and trying to control the foreign exchange rate

central

bank

discount

rate

/sentrəl bŋk dskaυnt ret/ noun

the rate at which a central bank discounts bills, such as treasury bills

central

bank

intervention

/sentrəl bŋk ntəvenʃ(ə)n/ noun

an action by a central bank to change base interest rates, to impose exchange controls or to buy or sell the country’s own currency in an attempt to influence international money markets central government /sentrəl v(ə)nmənt/ noun the main government of a country (as opposed to municipal, local, provincial or state governments) centralisation /sentrəlazeʃ(ə)n/, centralization noun the organisation of everything from a central point centralise /sentrəlaz/, centralize verb to organise from a central point 쑗 All purchasing has been centralised in our main office. 쑗 The group benefits from a highly centralised organisational structure. 쑗 The company has become very centralised, and far more staff work at headquarters. central office /sentrəl ɒfs/ noun the main office which controls all smaller offices central purchasing /sentrəl p%tʃsŋ/ noun purchasing organised

central rate

by a central office for all branches of a company central rate /sentrəl ret/ noun an exchange rate of a currency against the US dollar according to IMF rules centre /sentə/ noun 1. an important town 쑗 Sheffield is a major industrial centre. 쑗 Nottingham is the centre for the shoe industry. 2. a group of items in an account (NOTE: [all senses] The US spelling is center.) CEO abbreviation

chief executive

officer

certain annuity /s%t(ə)n ənjuti/

noun an annuity which will be paid for a certain number of years only certificate /sətfkət/ noun an official document which shows that something is owned by someone or that something is true certificated bankrupt /sətfketd bŋkrpt/ noun a bankrupt who has been discharged from bankruptcy with a certificate to show that he or she was not at fault certificate of approval /sətfkət əv əpruv(ə)l/ noun a document showing that an item has been approved officially certificate of authentication /sətfkət əv ɔθentkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a unique number supplied to a company by an independent source (an ‘authenticator’) to prove that the company is who they claim to be certificate of authority /sətfkət əv ɔθɒrəti/ noun a certificate showing that someone has the authority to do something, such as sign a cheque certificate of deposit /sətfkət əv dpɒzt/ noun a document from a bank showing that money has been deposited at a certain guaranteed interest rate for a certain period of time. Abbreviation CD ‘…interest rates on certificates of deposit may have little room to decline in August as demand for funds from major city banks is likely to remain strong. After delaying for months, banks are now expected to issue a large volume of CDs. If banks issue more CDs on the assumption that the official discount rate reduction will be delayed, it is very likely that CD rates will be pegged for a longer period than expected’ [Nikkei Weekly] COMMENT: A CD is a bearer instrument,

which can be sold by the bearer. It can be

CFA franc sold at a discount to the value, so that the yield on CDs varies.

certificate of incorporation /sə-

tfkət əv nkɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a document issued by Companies House to show that a company has been legally set up and officially registered certificate of origin /sətfkət əv ɒrd$n/ noun a document showing where imported goods come from or were made certificate of quality /sətfkət əv kwɒlti/ noun a certificate showing the grade of a soft commodity certificate of registration /sətfkət əv red$streʃ(ə)n/ noun a document showing that an item has been registered certificate of tax deducted /sətfkət əv tks ddktd/ noun a document issued by a financial institution showing that tax has been deducted from interest payments on an account certified accountant /s%tfad əkaυntənt/ noun an accountant who has passed the professional examinations and is a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants certified cheque /s%tfad tʃek/, certified check noun a cheque which a bank says is good and will be paid out of money put aside from the payer’s bank account

certified

public

accountant

/s%tfad pblk əkaυntənt/ noun US an accountant who has passed pro-

fessional examinations certify /s%tfa/ verb to make an official declaration in writing 쑗 I certify that this is a true copy. 쑗 The document is certified as a true copy. (NOTE: certifies – certifying – certified)

cession /seʃ(ə)n/ noun giving up

property to someone (especially a creditor) c/f abbreviation carried forward CFA abbreviation Communauté financière africaine CFA franc /si ef e frŋk/ noun a franc with a fixed exchange rate against the euro, used in African countries which were formerly French colonies (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo,

CFO

charge

Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo) CFO abbreviation chief financial officer CFP abbreviation Communauté Française du Pacifique CFP franc /si ef pi frŋk/ noun a franc with a fixed exchange rate against the euro, used in French territories in the Pacific CGT abbreviation capital gains tax chairman /tʃeəmən/ noun a person who presides over the board meetings of a company 쑗 the chairman of the board or the company chairman 왍 the chairman’s report, the chairman’s statement an annual report from the chairman of a company to the shareholders

to, for example, waiters, taxi-drivers) 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to change a £20 note to give someone smaller notes or coins in place of a £20 note 2. to give one type of currency for another 쑗 to change £1,000 into dollars 쑗 We want to change some traveller’s cheques. 3. 왍 to change hands (of a business, property, etc.) to be sold to a new owner 쑗 The shop changed hands for £100,000. change machine /tʃend$ məʃin/ noun a machine which gives small change for a note or larger coin changer /tʃend$ə/ noun a person who changes money channel /tʃn(ə)l/ verb to send in a certain direction 쑗 They are channelling their research funds into developing European communication systems. (NOTE:

‘…the corporation’s entrepreneurial chairman seeks a dedicated but part-time president. The new president will work a three-day week’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

channel of distribution /tʃn(ə)l

COMMENT: Note that in a UK company,

the chairman is less important than the managing director, although one person can combine both posts. In the US, a company president is less important than the chairman of the board.

chairman and managing director /tʃeəmən ən mnd$ŋ da-

rektə/ noun a managing director who is also chairman of the board of directors

Chamber

Commerce

/tʃembər əv kɒm%s/ noun a group

of local business people who meet to discuss problems which they have in common and to promote commerce in their town

Chancellor of the Exchequer /tʃɑnsələr əv ði kstʃekə/ noun GB

a chief finance minister in the government (NOTE: The US term is Secretary of the Treasury.)

change /tʃend$/ noun 1. money in coins or small notes 왍 to give someone

change for £10 to give someone coins or notes in exchange for a ten pound note 2. money given back by the seller, when the buyer can pay only with a larger note or coin than the amount asked 쑗 She gave me the wrong change. 쑗 You paid the £5.75 bill with a £10 note, so you should have £4.25 change. 왍 keep the change keep it as a tip (said

channelling – channelled)

əv dstrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun same as distribution channel CHAPS noun a computerised system for clearing cheques organised by the banks. Compare BACS. Full form Clearing House Automated Payments System chapter /tʃptə/ noun US a section

of an Act of Congress

‘…the company filed under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code, the largest failure ever in the steel industry’ [Fortune] ‘…the firm, whose trademark dates back to 1871, has been desperately trying to cut costs to compete with manufacturers in cheaper countries, but has also been hit by management problems. It said the filing for Chapter 11 protection should have little impact on customers and employees and would allow it to restructure’ [Times]

Chapter 11 /tʃptə ten/ noun a

section of the US Bankruptcy Reform Act 1978, which allows a corporation to be protected from demands made by its creditors for a period of time, while it is reorganised with a view to paying its debts. The officers of the corporation will negotiate with its creditors as to the best way of reorganising the business. Chapter 7 /tʃptə sevən/ noun a section of the US Bankruptcy Reform Act 1978, which sets out the rules for the liquidation of an incorporated company charge /tʃɑd$/ noun 1. money which must be paid, or the price of a service 쑗

chargeable to make no charge for delivery 쑗 to make a small charge for rental 쑗 There is no charge for this service or No charge is made for this service. 왍 free of charge free, with no payment to be made 2. a debit on an account 쑗 It appears as a charge on the accounts. 3. a guarantee of security for a loan, for which assets are pledged 4. being formally accused in a court 쑗 He appeared in court on a charge of embezzling or on an embezzlement charge. 쐽 verb 1. to ask for money to be paid 쑗 to charge £5 for delivery 쑗 How much does he charge? 왍 he charges £16 an hour he asks to be paid £16 for an hour’s work 2. to pay for something by putting it on a charge account 쑗 Can you charge the meal to my room? 쑗 I want to charge these purchases to the company account. 3. to take something as guarantee for a loan 4. to accuse someone formally of having committed a crime 쑗 He was charged with embezzling his clients’ money. chargeable /tʃɑd$əb(ə)l/ adjective which can be charged 쑗 repairs chargeable to the occupier chargeable gains /tʃɑd$əb(ə)l enz/ plural noun gains made by selling an asset, such as shares, on which capital gains will be charged charge account /tʃɑd$ əkaυnt/ noun an arrangement which a customer has with a store to buy goods and to pay for them at a later date, usually when the invoice is sent at the end of the month (NOTE: The customer will make regular monthly payments into the account and is allowed credit of a multiple of those payments.) charge card /tʃɑd$ kɑd/ noun a

type of credit card (such as American Express) for which a fee is payable, but which does not allow the user to take out a loan (he or she has to pay off the total sum charged at the end of each month) chargee /tʃɑd$i/ noun a person who has the right to force a debtor to pay charges forward /tʃɑd$z fɔwəd/ noun charges which will be paid by the customer charging period /tʃɑd$ŋ pəriəd/ noun a period of time during

chartist which charges are made to a credit card before they are charged to the cardholder chart /tʃɑt/ noun a diagram displaying information as a series of lines, blocks, etc. charter /tʃɑtə/ noun the action or business of hiring transport for a special purpose 쐽 verb to hire for a special purpose 쑗 to charter a plane or a boat or a bus chartered /tʃɑtəd/ adjective 1. referring to a company which has been set up by charter, and not registered under the Companies Act 쑗 a chartered bank 2. 왍 a chartered ship or bus or plane a ship, bus or plane which has been hired for a special purpose chartered accountant /tʃɑtəd əkaυntənt/ noun an accountant who has passed the professional examinations and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Abbreviation CA

Chartered Association of Certified Accountants /tʃɑtəd

əsəυsieʃ(ə)n əv s%tfad əkaυntənts/ noun a professional association of accountants in the UK chartered bank /tʃɑtəd bŋk/ noun a bank which has been set up by government charter (formerly used in England, but now only done in the USA and Canada)

Chartered Institute of Bankers /tʃɑtəd nsttjut əv bŋkəz/ noun

a professional association of bankers, providing training, professional examinations and qualifications which are recognised worldwide. Abbreviation CIB

charter flight /tʃɑtə flat/ noun a

flight in an aircraft which has been hired for that purpose charter plane /tʃɑtə plen/ noun a plane which has been chartered charter value /tʃɑtə vlju/ noun the value of a bank’s being able to continue do business in the future, reflected as part of its share price charting /tʃɑtŋ/ noun the work of using charts to analyse stock market trends and forecast future rises or falls chartist /tʃɑtst/ noun a person who studies stock market trends and forecasts future rises or falls

chattel mortgage

mortgage /tʃt(ə)l mɔd$/ noun money lent against the security of an item purchased, but not against real estate chattels /tʃt(ə)lz/ plural noun goods, moveable property but not real estate cheap /tʃip/ adjective, adverb not costing a lot of money or not expensive 왍 to buy something cheap at a low price 쑗 He bought two companies cheap and sold them again at a profit. 왍 they work out cheaper by the box these items are cheaper per unit if you buy a box of them cheap labour /tʃip lebə/ noun workers who do not earn much money cheaply /tʃipli/ adverb without paying much money 쑗 The salesman was living cheaply at home and claiming an enormous hotel bill on expenses. cheap money /tʃip mni/ noun money which can be borrowed at a low rate of interest cheapness /tʃipnəs/ noun the fact of being cheap 쑗 The cheapness of the pound means that many more tourists will come to London. cheap rate /tʃip ret/ noun a rate which is not expensive 쑗 Cheap rate phone calls start at 8 p.m. cheat /tʃit/ verb to trick someone so that he or she loses money 쑗 He cheated the Income Tax out of thousands of pounds. 쑗 She was accused of cheating clients who came to ask her for advice. check /tʃek/ noun 1. a sudden stop 왍 to put a check on imports to stop some imports coming into a country 2. investigation or examination 쑗 a routine check of the fire equipment 쑗 The auditors carried out checks on the petty cash book. 3. US (in a restaurant) a bill 4. US same as cheque 5. US a mark on paper to show that something is correct 쑗 Make a check in the box marked ‘R’. 쐽 verb 1. to stop or delay something 쑗 to check the entry of contraband into the country 쑗 to check the flow of money out of a country 2. to examine or to investigate something 쑗 to check that an invoice is correct 쑗 to check and sign for goods 왍 she checked the computer printout against the invoices she examined the printout and the invoices to see if the figures were the same 3. US to chattel

cheque mark something with a sign to show that it is correct 쑗 check the box marked ‘R’ (NOTE: The UK term is tick.) checkable /tʃekəb(ə)l/ adjective US

referring to a deposit account on which checks can be drawn check card /tʃek kɑd/ noun US a card issued by a bank to use in ATMs, but also used in some retail outlets check digit /tʃek dd$t/ noun the last digit of a string of computerised reference numbers, used to validate the transaction checking account /tʃekŋ əkaυnt/ noun US same as current account 1

checkoff /tʃekɒf/ noun US a system

where union dues are automatically deducted by the employer from a worker’s pay cheque 쑗 Checkoffs are seen by most employees as worthwhile as long as their interests are well represented by the union. 쑗 After checkoffs and tax deductions the workers’ pay had been reduced by one third. check out /tʃek aυt/ verb to go through a checkout and pay for the goods bought checkout /tʃekaυt/ noun the place where goods are paid for in a shop or supermarket 쑗 We have opened two more checkouts to cope with the Saturday rush. check routing symbol /tʃek rutŋ smbəl/ noun US a number shown on an American cheque which identifies the Federal Reserve district through which the cheque will be cleared (similar to the British ‘bank sort code’) check sample /tʃek sɑmp(ə)l/ noun a sample to be used to see if a consignment is acceptable cheque /tʃek/ noun a note to a bank asking them to pay money from your account to the account of the person whose name is written on the note 쑗 a cheque for £10 or a £10 cheque (NOTE: The US spelling is check.) 왍 to cash a cheque to exchange a cheque for cash 왍 to endorse a cheque to sign a cheque on the back to show that you accept it 왍 to make out a cheque to someone to write someone’s name on a cheque 쑗 Who shall I make the cheque out to? 왍 to pay by cheque to pay by writing a

cheque account

cheque, and not using cash or a credit card 왍 to pay a cheque into your account to deposit a cheque 왍 the bank referred the cheque to the drawer the bank returned the cheque to the person who wrote it because there was not enough money in the account to pay it 왍 to sign a cheque to sign on the front of a cheque to show that you authorise the bank to pay the money from your account 왍 to stop a cheque to ask a bank not to pay a cheque which has been signed and sent

cheque account /tʃek əkaυnt/

noun same as current account cheque book /tʃek bυk/ noun a booklet with new blank cheques (NOTE: The usual US term is checkbook.) cheque card /tʃek kɑd/, cheque guarantee card /tʃek rənti kɑd/ noun a plastic card from a bank which guarantees payment of a cheque up to a certain amount, even if the user has no money in his account cheque requisition /tʃek rekwzʃ(ə)n/ noun an official note from a department to the company accounts staff asking for a cheque to be written cheque stub /tʃek stb/ noun a piece of paper left in a cheque book after a cheque has been written and taken out cheque to bearer /tʃek tə beərə/ noun a cheque with no name written on it, so that the person who holds it can cash it Chicago Board of Trade /ʃkɑəυ bɔd əv tred/ noun a commodity market based in Chicago, trading in metals, soft commodities and financial futures. Abbreviation CBOT

Chicago Mercantile Exchange

/ʃkɑəυ m%kəntal kstʃend$/ noun a commodity market based in

Chicago, trading in livestock futures, and in financial futures on the IMM. Abbreviation CME Chicago School /ʃkɑəυ skul/ noun a school of monetarists, based at the University of Chicago, led by Professor Milton Friedman chickenfeed /tʃknfid/ noun a small amount of money (informal ) .

chronological order

chief /tʃif/ adjective most important 쑗

He is the chief accountant of an industrial group. 쑗 She is the chief buyer for a department store. chief cashier /tʃif kʃə/ noun a main cashier in a bank chief executive /tʃif zekjυtv/, chief executive officer /tʃif zekjυtv ɒfsə/ noun US the most important director in charge of a company. Abbreviation CEO chief financial officer /tʃif fannʃəl ɒfsə/ noun an executive in charge of a company’s financial operations, reporting to the CEO. Abbreviation CFO chief operating officer /tʃif ɒpəretŋ ɒfsə/ noun a director in charge of all a company’s operations (same as a ‘managing director’). Abbreviation COO

Chief Secretary to the Treasury /tʃif sekrətri tə, tυ ði/ noun GB a

government minister responsible to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the control of public expenditure (NOTE: In

the USA, this is the responsibility of the Director of the Budget.) Chinese walls /tʃaniz wɔlz/ plural noun imaginary barriers between

departments in the same organisation, set up to avoid insider dealing or conflict of interest (as when a merchant bank is advising on a planned takeover bid, its investment department should not know that the bid is taking place, or they would advise their clients to invest in the company being taken over) chip card /tʃp kɑd/ noun same as smart card CHIPS noun the computerised clearing

bank system used in the US. Full form Clearing House Interbank Payments System chop /tʃɒp/ noun a stamp, a mark

made on a document to show that it has been agreed, acknowledged, paid, or that payment has been received Christmas bonus /krsməs bəυnəs/ noun an extra payment made to staff at Christmas

chronological

order

/krɒnəlɒd$k(ə)l ɔdə/ noun the ar-

rangement of records such as files and invoices in order of their dates

churning

churning /tʃ%nŋ/ noun 1. a practice

employed by stockbrokers, where they buy and sell on a client’s discretionary account in order to earn their commission (the deals are frequently of no advantage to the client) 2. a practice employed by insurance salesmen where the salesman suggests that a client should change his insurance policy solely in order to earn the salesman a commission ‘…more small investors lose money through churning than almost any other abuse, yet most people have never heard of it. Churning involves brokers generating income simply by buying and selling investments on behalf of their clients. Constant and needless churning earns them hefty commissions which bites into the investment portfolio’ [Guardian]

CIB abbreviation Chartered Institute of Bankers CIF, c.i.f. abbreviation 1. cost, insurance and freight 2. US customer identification file circular /s%kjυlə/ adjective sent to many people 쐽 noun 1. a leaflet or letter sent to many people 쑗 They sent out a circular offering a 10% discount. 쑗 Senior management sent out a circular to all the employees explaining the changes in the payment scheme. 2. a leaflet sent by a broker to clients, with information about companies and shares circularise /s%kjυləraz/, circularize verb to send a circular to 쑗 The committee has agreed to circularise the members of the society. 쑗 They circularised all their customers with a new list of prices. circular letter /s%kjυlə letə/ noun a letter sent to many people circular letter of credit /s%kjυlə letər əv kredt/ noun a letter of credit sent to all branches of the bank which issues it circulate /s%kjυlet/ verb 1. 왍 to circulate freely (of money) to move about without restriction by the government 2. to send or to give out without restrictions 왍 to circulate money to issue money, to make money available to the public and industry 3. to send information to 쑗 They circulated a new list of prices to all their customers. 쑗 They circulated information about job vacancies to all colleges in the area.

civil law

circulating capital /s%kjυletŋ

kpt(ə)l/ noun capital in the form of cash or debtors, raw materials, finished products and work in progress which a company requires to carry on its business circulation /s%kjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun movement 왍 to put money into circulation to issue new notes to business and the public 쑗 The amount of money in circulation increased more than was expected. circulation of capital /s%kjυleʃ(ə)n əv kpt(ə)l/ noun a movement of capital from one investment to another circ*mstances /s%kəmstnsz/ plural noun a general situation, especially insofar as it influences what a person can do or the way in which something happens. 쏡 financial

Citizens

Advice

Bureau

/stz(ə)nz ədvas bjυərəυ/ noun an

office where people can go to get free advice on legal and administrative problems. Abbreviation CAB city /st/ noun 1. a large town 쑗 The largest cities in Europe are linked by hourly flights. 2. 왍 the City (of London) the old centre of London, where banks and large companies have their main offices; the British financial centre 쑗 He works in the City or He is in the City. 왍 they say in the City that the company has been sold the London business world is saying that the company has been sold City analyst /sti nəlst/ noun a person who studies the London stock market City desk /sti desk/ noun the department in a British newspaper which deals with business news City editor /sti edtə/ noun the business and finance editor of a British newspaper civil /sv(ə)l/ adjective referring to ordinary people civil action /sv(ə)l kʃən/ noun a court case brought by a person or a company against someone who has done them wrong civil law /sv(ə)l lɔ/ noun laws relating to people’s rights and to agreements between individuals

civil servant

civil servant /sv(ə)l s%vənt/ noun

a person who works in the civil service civil service /sv(ə)l s%vs/ noun the organisation and personnel which administer a country 쑗 You have to pass an examination to get a job in the civil service or to get a civil service job. claim /klem/ noun 1. an act of asking for something that you feel you have a right to 왍 the union put in a 6% wage claim the union asked for a 6% increase in wages for its members 2. an act of stating that something is a fact 쑗 Her claim that she had been authorised to take the money was demonstrably false. 3. an act of asking for money from an insurance company when something you insured against has taken place 왍 to put in a claim to ask the insurance company officially to pay damages 쑗 to put in a claim for repairs to the car 쑗 She put in a claim for £250,000 damages against the driver of the other car. 왍 to settle a claim to agree to pay what is asked for 쑗 The insurance company refused to settle his claim for storm damage. 쐽 verb 1. to ask for money, especially from an insurance company 쑗 He claimed £100,000 damages against the cleaning firm. 쑗 She claimed for repairs to the car against her insurance policy. 2. to say that you have a right to something or that something is your property 쑗 He is claiming possession of the house. 쑗 No one claimed the umbrella found in my office. 3. to state that something is a fact 쑗 He claims he never received the goods. 쑗 She claims that the shares are her property. claimant /klemənt/ noun a person who makes a claim against someone in the civil courts (NOTE: This term has now replaced plaintiff. The other side in a case is the defendant.) claim back /klem bk/ verb to ask

for money to be paid back

claimer /klemə/ noun same as claimant

claim form /klem fɔm/ noun a

form which has to be filled in when making an insurance claim claims department /klemz dpɑtmənt/ noun a department of an insurance company which deals with claims

clean bill of lading

manager /klemz mnd$ə/ noun the manager of a claims department claims reserve /klemz rz%v/ noun money set aside by an insurance company to meet costs of claims incurred but not yet settled class /klɑs/ noun 1. a category or group into which things are classified 2. US a type of common stock (NOTE: claims

Class A stock is similar to the British A shares.)

classified

advertisem*nts

/klsfad ədv%tsmənts/, classified ads /klsfad dz/ plural noun

advertisem*nts listed in a newspaper under special headings such as ‘property for sale’ or ‘jobs wanted’ 쑗 Look in the small ads to see if anyone has a filing cabinet for sale. classified directory /klsfad darekt(ə)ri/ noun a list of businesses grouped under various headings such as computer shops or newsagents classify /klsfa/ verb to put into classes or categories according to specific characteristics (NOTE: classifies – classifying – classified) clause noun /klɔz/ a section of a con-

tract 쑗 There are ten clauses in the contract of employment. 쑗 There is a clause in this contract concerning the employer’s right to dismiss an employee. 쑗 According to clause six, payments will not be due until next year. 쐽 verb to list details of the relevant parties to a bill of exchange claw back /klɔ bk/ verb to take back money which has been allocated 쑗 Income tax claws back 25% of pensions paid out by the government. 쑗 Of the £1m allocated to the project, the government clawed back £100,000 in taxes. clawback /klɔbk/ noun 1. money taken back, especially money taken back by the government from grants or tax concessions which had previously been made 2. the allocation of new shares to existing shareholders, so as to maintain the value of their holdings clean /klin/ adjective with no problems or no record of offences clean bill of lading /klin bl əv ledŋ/ noun a bill of lading with no note to say the shipment is faulty or damaged

clean float

clean float /klin fləυt/ noun an act of floating a currency freely on the international markets, without any interference from the government clear /klə/ adjective (of a period of time) free, total 왍 three clear days three whole working days 쑗 Allow three clear days for the cheque to be paid into your account. 쐽 verb 1. to sell something cheaply in order to get rid of stock 쑗 ‘Demonstration models to clear’ 2. 왍 to clear goods through customs to have all documentation passed by customs so that goods can enter or leave the country clearance /klərəns/ noun 왍 to effect customs clearance to clear goods through customs clearance certificate /klərəns sətfkət/ noun a document showing that goods have been passed by customs clearance sale /klərəns sel/ noun a sale of items at low prices to get rid of stock cleared date /kləd det/ noun a date on which a cheque has cleared and funds have been removed from the account clearing /klərŋ/ noun 1. 왍 clearing of goods through customs passing of goods through customs 2. an act of passing of a cheque through the banking system, transferring money from one account to another clearing bank /klərŋ bŋk/ noun a bank which clears cheques, especially one of the major British High Street banks, specialising in normal banking business for ordinary customers, such as loans, cheques, overdrafts and interest-bearing deposits clearing house /klərŋ haυs/ noun a central office where clearing banks exchange cheques, or where stock exchange or commodity exchange transactions are settled Clearing House Automated Payments System /klərŋ haυs

ɔtəmetd pemənts sstəm/ noun a computerised system which is organised by the banks and used for clearing cheques. Abbreviation CHAPS clearing house funds /klərŋ haυs fndz/ plural noun funds which are in the process of passing through the clearing house system

clearing member /klərŋ membə/

noun a member firm of a stock exchange which is also a member of the stock exchange clearing house clear off /klər ɒf/ verb 왍 to clear off a debt to pay all of a debt clear profit /klə prɒft/ noun profit after all expenses have been paid 쑗 We made $6,000 clear profit on the deal. clear title /klə tat(ə)l/ noun title to property without any charges or other encumbrances clerical error /klerk(ə)l erə/ noun a mistake made by someone doing office work clerical work /klerk(ə)l w%k/ noun work done in an office clerical worker /klerk(ə)l w%kə/ noun a person who works in an office clerk /klɑk/ noun a person who works in an office clicks-and-mortar /klks ən mɔtə/ adjective conducting business both through e-commerce and also in the traditional way in buildings such as shops and warehouses. Compare bricks-and-mortar ‘…there may be a silver lining for ‘clicks-and-mortar’ stores that have both an online and a high street presence. Many of these are accepting returns of goods purchased online at their traditional stores. This is a service that may make them more popular as consumers become more experienced online shoppers’ [Financial Times]

client /klaənt/ noun a person with whom business is done or who pays for a service 쑗 One of our major clients has defaulted on her payments. clientele /kliɒntel/ noun all the clients of a business or all the customers of a shop clients’ account /klaənts əkaυnt/ noun an account with a bank for clients of a solicitor climb /klam/ verb to go up 쑗 The company has climbed to No. 1 position in the market. 쑗 Profits climbed rapidly as the new management cut costs. close noun /kləυz/ the end of a day’s trading on the Stock Exchange 쑗 At the close shares had fallen 20%. 쐽 adjective /kləυs/ 왍 close to very near, almost 쑗 The company was close to bankruptcy. 쑗 We are close to meeting our sales targets. 쐽 verb /kləυz/ 1. 왍 to

close company close a position to arrange your affairs so that you no longer have any liability to pay (e.g. by selling all your securities or when a purchaser of a futures contract takes on a sales contract for the same amount to offset the risk) 왍 to close the accounts to come to the end of an accounting period and make up the profit and loss account 2. to bring something to an end 왍 she closed his building society account she took all the money out and stopped using the account 3. 왍 the shares closed at $15 at the end of the day’s trading the price of the shares was $15 close company /kləυs kmp(ə)ni/ noun a privately owned company controlled by a few shareholders (in the UK, less than five) where the public may own a small number of the shares (NOTE: The US term is close corporation or closed corporation.) closed /kləυzd/ adjective 1. not open

for business, or not doing business 쑗 The office is closed on Mondays. 쑗 These warehouses are usually closed to the public. 쑗 All the banks are closed on Christmas Day. 2. restricted closed economy /kləυzd kɒnəmi/ noun a type of economy where trade and financial dealings are tightly controlled by the government closed-end mortgage /kləυzd end mɔd$/ noun a mortgage where the borrower cannot use the property as security for other borrowings, such as a second mortgage, and cannot repay the mortgage early either closed fund /kləυzd fnd/ noun a fund, such as an investment trust, where the investor buys shares in the trust and receives dividends (as opposed to an open-ended trust, such as a unit trust, where the investor buys units, and his investment is used to purchase further securities for the trust) closed market /kləυzd mɑkt/ noun a market where a supplier deals only with one agent or distributor and does not supply any others direct 쑗 They signed a closed-market agreement with an Egyptian company. close down /kləυz daυn/ verb 1. to shut a shop, factory or service for a long period or for ever 쑗 The company is closing down its London office. 쑗 The

closing out accident closed down the station for a period. 2. (of a shop, factory or service) to stop doing business or operating ‘…the best thing would be to have a few more plants close down and bring supply more in line with current demand’ [Fortune]

closed shop /kləυzd ʃɒp/ noun a

system where a company agrees to employ only union members for specific jobs 쑗 The union is asking the management to agree to a closed shop. COMMENT: Closed shops are illegal in

many countries.

/kləυs endd/, closed-end /kləυzd end/ adjective re-

close-ended

ferring to an investment which has a fixed capital, such as an investment trust closely held /kləυsli held/ adjective referring to shares in a company which are controlled by only a few shareholders close off /kləυz ɒf/ verb to come to the end of an accounting period and make up the profit and loss account close out /kləυz aυt/ verb to end a futures contract by selling the relevant commodity or financial instrument closing /kləυzŋ/ adjective 1. final or coming at the end 2. at the end of an accounting period 쑗 At the end of the quarter the bookkeeper has to calculate the closing balance. 쐽 noun 1. 왍 the closing of an account the act of stopping supply to a customer on credit 2. the action of finalising a deal closing bell /kləυzŋ bel/ noun a bell which is rung when a Stock Exchange closes for business closing bid /kləυzŋ bd/ noun the last bid at an auction, the bid which is successful closing costs /kləυzŋ kɒsts/ plural noun US the costs involved in finalising a deal, especially a mortgage or other bank loan closing date /kləυzŋ det/ noun the last date 쑗 The closing date for tenders to be received is May 1st. closing-down sale /kləυzŋ daυn sel/ noun the sale of goods when a shop is closing for ever closing out /kləυzŋ aυt/ noun the ending of a futures contract by selling the relevant commodity

closing price

closing price /kləυzŋ pras/ noun

the price of a share at the end of a day’s trading closing statement /kləυzŋ stetmənt/ noun a statement of all charges and fees involved in a mortgage, made just before the mortgage is signed closing stock /kləυzŋ stɒk/ noun the details of stock at the end of an accounting period 쑗 At the end of the month the closing stock was 10% higher than at the end of the previous month. closing time /kləυzŋ tam/ noun the time when a shop or office stops work closure /kləυ$ə/ noun the act of closing CM abbreviation US compounding method CMBS abbreviation commercial mortgage-backed securities CME abbreviation Chicago Mercantile Exchange CML abbreviation Council of Mortgage Lenders C/N abbreviation credit note Co. abbreviation company 쑗 J. Smith & Co. co- /kəυ/ prefix working or acting together c/o abbreviation care of COB abbreviation Commission des Opérations de Bourse co-creditor /kəυ kredtə/ noun a person who is a creditor of the same company as you are COD, c.o.d. abbreviation cash on delivery code /kəυd/ noun 1. a system of signs, numbers or letters which mean something 2. a set of rules code of practice /kəυd əv prkts/ noun 1. rules drawn up by an association which the members must follow when doing business 2. the formally established ways in which members of a profession agree to work 쑗 Advertisers have agreed to abide by the code of practice set out by the advertising council. co-director /kəυ darektə/ noun a person who is a director of the same company as you

collapse

co-financing /kəυ fannsŋ/ noun

the act of arranging finance for a project from a series of sources cohabit /kəυhbt/ verb to live together when not married 쑗 A woman who cohabits may lose out financially if her partner dies. cohabitant /kəυhbtənt/ noun a person who lives with another cohabitation /kəυhbteʃ(ə)n/ noun living together, when not married 쑗 Most public-sector pension schemes do not recognise cohabitation. coin /kɔn/ noun a piece of metal money 쑗 He gave me two 10-cent coins in my change. 쑗 I need some 10p coins for the telephone. 왍 coins of the realm the coins which are legal tender in the UK coincident indicator /kəυnsd(ə)ns ndketə/ noun an indicator which coincides with economic activity (as opposed to leading indicators and lagging indicators) co-insurance /kəυ nʃυərəns/ noun an insurance policy where the risk is shared among several insurers COLA abbreviation US cost-of-living allowance cold /kəυld/ adjective without being prepared cold call noun /kəυld kɔl/ a telephone call or sales visit where the salesperson has no appointment and the client is not an established customer 쐽 verb to make a cold call cold caller /kəυld kɔlə/ noun a salesman who makes cold calls cold calling /kəυld kɔlŋ/ noun the act of making cold calls on potential customers ‘…the board is considering the introduction of a set of common provisions on unsolicited calls to investors. The board is aiming to permit the cold calling of customer agreements for the provision of services relating to listed securities. Cold calling would be allowed when the investor is not a private investor’ [Accountancy]

cold start /kəυld stɑt/ noun the act of beginning a new business or opening a new shop with no previous turnover to base it on collapse /kəlps/ noun 1. a sudden fall in price 쑗 the collapse of the market in silver 쑗 the collapse of the dollar on the foreign exchange markets 2. a

collar sudden failure 쑗 the collapse of the pay negotiations 쑗 Investors lost thousands of pounds in the collapse of the company. 쐽 verb 1. to fall suddenly 쑗 The market in silver collapsed. 쑗 The yen collapsed on the foreign exchange markets. 2. to fail suddenly 쑗 The company collapsed with £250,000 in debts. 쑗 Talks between management and unions collapsed last night. collar /kɒlə/ noun 1. purchasing fixed minimum and maximum rates (‘floors’ and ‘caps’) of interest, dividends or repayments at the same time 2. 쒁 white-collar COMMENT: If a company has money in

variable rate investments and wants to protect its income, it will buy a floor; instead of paying the premium for this purchase it will simultaneously sell a cap, so effectively creating a ‘collar’ round its investments.

/kəlt(ə)rəl/ adjective used to provide a guarantee for a loan 쐽 noun security, such as negotiable instruments, shares or goods, used to provide a guarantee for a loan

collateral

‘…examiners have come to inspect the collateral that thrifts may use in borrowing from the Fed’ [Wall Street Journal]

collateralise /kəlt(ə)rəlaz/, col-

lateralize verb to secure a debt by

means of a collateral

collateral loan /kəlt(ə)rəl ləυn/

noun a loan secured on assets colleague /kɒli/ noun a person who works in the same organisation as another collect /kəlekt/ verb 1. to get money which is owed to you by making the person who owes it pay 왍 to collect a debt to go and make someone pay a debt 2. to take things away from a place 쑗 We have to collect the stock from the warehouse. 쐽 adverb, adjective referring to a phone call which the person receiving the call agrees to pay for collect call /kəlekt kɔl/ noun a telephone call which the person receiving the call agrees to pay for collectibles /kəlektb(ə)lz/ plural noun items which people collect, e.g. stamps, playing cards or matchboxes collecting agency /kəlektŋ ed$ənsi/ noun an agency which col-

commercial attaché lects money owed to other companies for a commission collection /kəlekʃən/ noun 1. the act of getting money together, or of making someone pay money which is owed 쑗 tax collection or collection of tax 왍 bills for collection bills where payment is due 2. the fetching of goods 쑗 The stock is in the warehouse awaiting collection. 왍 to hand something in for collection to leave something for someone to come and collect collection charge /kəlekʃən tʃɑd$/, collection rate /kəlekʃən ret/ noun a charge for collecting something collections /kəlekʃənz/ plural noun money which has been collected collector /kəlektə/ noun a person who makes people pay money which is owed 쑗 He works as a debt collector. colon /kəυlɒn/ noun a unit of currency used in Costa Rica and El Salvador column /kɒləm/ noun a series of numbers arranged one underneath the other 쑗 to add up a column of figures 쑗 Put the total at the bottom of the column. combine /kɒmban/ noun a large financial or commercial group 쑗 a German industrial combine COMECON /kɒmikɒn/ noun formerly, an economic alliance of countries in Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and the USSR, and also including Cuba, Vietnam and Mongolia. Full form Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

COMEX abbreviation New York Commodity Exchange

COMIT index noun the index of prices on the Milan Stock Exchange

commerce /kɒm%s/ noun the buy-

ing and selling of goods and services commercial /kəm%ʃ(ə)l/ adjective 1. referring to business 2. profitable 왍 not a commercial proposition not likely to make a profit commercial aircraft /kəm%ʃ(ə)l eəkrɑft/ noun an aircraft used to carry cargo or passengers for payment commercial attaché /kəm%ʃ(ə)l ətʃe/ noun a diplomat whose job is

commercial bank

68 Commissioner of Inland Revenue

to promote the commercial interests of his or her country commercial bank /kəm%ʃ(ə)l bŋk/ noun a bank which offers banking services to the public, as opposed to a merchant bank commercial bill /kəm%ʃ(ə)l bl/ noun a bill of exchange issued by a company (a trade bill) or accepted by a bank (a bank bill) (as opposed to Treasury bills which are issued by the government) commercial directory /kəm%ʃ(ə)l darekt(ə)ri/ noun a book which lists all the businesses and business people in a town commercial district /kəm%ʃ(ə)l dstrkt/ noun the part of a town where offices and shops are located commercial failure /kəm%ʃ(ə)l feljə/ noun a financial collapse or bankruptcy commercialisation /kəm%ʃ(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, commercialization noun the act of making something into a business run for profit 쑗 the commercialisation of museums commercialise /kəm%ʃəlaz/, commercialize verb to make something into a business 쑗 The holiday town has become unpleasantly commercialised. commercial law /kəm%ʃ(ə)l lɔ/ noun the laws regarding business commercial lawyer /kəm%ʃ(ə)l lɔjə/ noun a person who specialises in company law or who advises companies on legal problems commercially /kəm%ʃ(ə)li/ adverb in a business way 왍 not commercially viable not likely to make a profit commercial mortgage /kəm%ʃ(ə)l mɔd$/ noun a mortgage on commercial property, such as offices, shops and factories

commercial mortgage-backed securities /kəm%ʃ(ə)l mɔd$

bkt skjυərtiz/ plural noun shares which are backed by the security of a commercial mortgage. Abbreviation

CMBS

commercial

paper

/kəm%ʃ(ə)l

pepə/ noun an IOU issued by a company to raise a short-term loan. Abbreviation CP

commercial port /kəm%ʃ(ə)l pɔt/

noun a port which has only goods traffic and no passengers commercial property /kəm%ʃ(ə)l prɒpəti/ noun a building, or buildings, used as offices or shops commercial value /kəm%ʃ(ə)l vlju/ noun the value that a thing would have if it were offered for sale 왍 ‘sample only – of no commercial value’ these goods are intended only as a sample and would not be worth anything if sold commingling /kəmŋlŋ/ noun US the action of mixing financial information from different sources so that no single source can be identified, as when the difference between personal financial information and company financial information is blurred commission /kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. money paid to a salesperson or agent, usually a percentage of the sales made 쑗 She gets 10% commission on everything she sells. 쑗 He is paid on a commission basis. 왍 he charges 10% commission he asks for 10% of sales as his payment 2. a group of people officially appointed to examine some problem 쑗 He is the chairman of the government commission on export subsidies. 쑗 The government has appointed a commission of inquiry to look into the problems of small exporters. commission agent /kəmʃ(ə)n ed$ənt/ noun an agent who is paid a percentage of sales commission broker /kəmʃ(ə)n brəυkə/ noun a stockbroker who works for a commission

Commission des Opérations de Bourse noun the body which supervises the French Stock Exchanges (the equivalent of the British SIB or the American SEC). Abbreviation COB commissioner /kəmʃ(ə)nə/ noun an important official appointed by a government or other authority, or a member of a commission

Commissioner of Inland Reve/kəmʃ(ə)nə əv nlənd nue

revenju/ noun a person appointed officially to supervise the collection of taxes, including income tax, capital gains tax and corporation tax, but not VAT

commission house

commute

commission house /kəmʃ(ə)n

Common

Commission of the European Community /kəmʃ(ə)n əv ði

the EU to protect farmers in EU countries by paying subsidies to fix the prices of farm produce. Abbreviation

haυs/ noun a firm which buys or sells (usually commodities) for clients, and charges a commission for this service jυərəpiən kəmjunti/ noun same as European Commission commission rep /kəmʃ(ə)n rep/ noun a representative who is not paid a salary but receives a commission on sales commission sale /kəmʃ(ə)n sel/ noun a sale where the salesperson is paid a commission commit /kəmt/ verb 왍 to commit yourself to to guarantee something, especially a loan issue, or to guarantee to do something commitment /kəmtmənt/ noun an agreement by an underwriting syndicate to underwrite a Note Issuance Facility commitment fee /kəmtmənt fi/ noun a fee paid to a bank which has arranged a line of credit which has not been fully used commodity /kəmɒdti/ noun something sold in very large quantities, especially a raw material such as a metal or a food such as wheat COMMENT:

Commodities are either traded for immediate delivery (as ‘actuals’ or ‘physicals’), or for delivery in the future (as ‘futures’). Commodity markets deal either in metals (aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, silver and zinc) or in ‘soft’ items, such as cocoa, coffee, sugar and oil.

commodity exchange /kəmɒdti

kstʃend$/ noun a place where commodities are bought and sold commodity futures /kəmɒdti fjutʃəz/ plural noun commodities traded for delivery at a later date 쑗 Silver rose 5% on the commodity futures market yesterday. commodity market /kəmɒdti mɑkt/ noun a place where people buy and sell commodities commodity trader /kəmɒdti tredə/ noun a person whose business is buying and selling commodities common /kɒmən/ adjective belonging to several different people or to everyone

Agricultural

Policy

/kɒmən rkltʃ(ə)rəl pɒlsi/ noun an agreement between members of

CAP

common carrier /kɒmən kriə/

noun a firm which carries goods or passengers, and which anyone can use common dividend /kɒmən dvdend/ noun a dividend payable on common stock common equity /kɒmən ekwti/ noun ordinary shares in a company common law /kɒmən lɔ/ noun a law as laid down in decisions of courts, rather than by statute common ownership /kɒmən əυnəʃp/ noun a situation where a business is owned by the employees who work in it common pricing /kɒmən prasŋ/ noun the illegal fixing of prices by several businesses so that they all charge the same price common seal /kɒmən sil/, company’s seal /kmp(ə)niz sil/ noun a metal stamp for stamping documents with the name of the company to show that they have been approved officially 쑗 to attach the company’s seal to a document common stock /kɒmən stɒk/ noun US ordinary shares in a company, giving shareholders a right to vote at meetings and to receive dividends

Communauté financière africaine full form of CFA Communauté Française du Pacifique full form of CFP commutation factors /kɒmjυ-

teʃ(ə)n fktəz/ plural noun factors used to calculate the amount of pension to be given up in exchange for a lump sum commute /kəmjut/ verb 1. to travel to work from home each day 쑗 He commutes from the country to his office in the centre of town. 쑗 She spends two hours a day commuting to and from work. 쑗 We have bought a house within commuting distance of London. 2. to change a right into cash

Companies Act ‘Commuting is never business use. A trip to work is personal and not deductible. And making a business phone call or holding a business meeting in your car while you drive will not change that fact’ [Nation’s Business]

Companies Act /kmp(ə)niz kt/

noun an Act of Parliament which regulates the workings of companies, stating the legal limits within which companies may do their business

Companies Registration Office /kmp(ə)niz red$streʃ(ə)n ɒfs/ noun an office of the Registrar of Com-

panies, the official organisation where the records of companies must be deposited, so that they can be inspected by the public. Abbreviation CRO (NOTE: Also called Companies’ House.)

company /kmp(ə)ni/ noun a busi-

ness organisation, a group of people organised to buy, sell or provide a service, usually for profit 왍 to put a company into liquidation to close a company by selling its assets for cash 왍 to set up a company to start a company legally COMMENT: A company can be incorpo-

rated (with memorandum and articles of association) as a private limited company, and adds the initials ‘Ltd’ after its name, or as a public limited company, when its name must end in ‘Plc’. Unincorporated companies are partnerships such as firms of solicitors, architects, accountants, etc., and they add the initials ‘Co.’ after their name.

company car /kmp(ə)ni kɑ/

noun a car which belongs to a company and is lent to an employee to use for business or other purposes company director /kmp(ə)ni darektə/ noun a person appointed by the shareholders to help run a company company doctor /kmp(ə)ni dɒktə/ noun 1. a doctor who works for a company and looks after sick workers 쑗 The staff are all sent to see the company doctor once a year. 2. a specialist businessperson who rescues businesses which are in difficulties company flat /kmp(ə)ni flt/ noun a flat owned by a company and used by members of staff from time to time (NOTE: The US term is company apartment.) company law /kmp(ə)ni lɔ/ noun laws which refer to the way companies work

compensation deal

company

/kmp(ə)ni

pension

scheme

penʃən skim/ noun

same as occupational pension scheme 쑗 He decided to join the company’s pension scheme.

company promoter /kmp(ə)ni

prəməυtə/ noun a person who organises the setting up of a new company company registrar /kmp(ə)ni red$strɑ/ noun the person who keeps the share register of a company company secretary /kmp(ə)ni sekrt(ə)ri/ noun a person who is responsible for a company’s legal and financial affairs comparable /kɒmp(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be compared 쑗 The two sets of figures are not comparable. 왍 which is the nearest company comparable to this one in size? which company is most similar in size to this one? 왍 on a comparable-store basis when comparing similar stores belonging to different companies compare with /kəmpeə wð/ verb to examine two things to see where they are the same and where they differ 쑗 How do the sales this year compare with last year’s? 쑗 Compared with the previous month, last month was terrific. compensate /kɒmpənset/ verb to give someone money to make up for a loss or injury 쑗 In this case we will compensate a manager for loss of commission. 쑗 The company will compensate the employee for the burns suffered in the accident. (NOTE: You compensate someone for something.)

compensating /kɒmpənset

balance

bləns/ noun the amount of money which a customer has to keep in a bank account in order to get free services from the bank compensation /kɒmpənseʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. 왍 compensation for damage payment for damage done 왍 compensation for loss of office payment to a director who is asked to leave a company before their contract ends 왍 compensation for loss of earnings payment to someone who has stopped earning money or who is not able to earn money 2. US a salary compensation deal /kɒmpənseʃ(ə)n dil/ noun a deal where an exporter is paid (at least in part) in

compensation fund

goods from the country to which he is exporting compensation fund /kɒmpənseʃ(ə)n fnd/ noun a fund operated by the Stock Exchange to compensate investors for losses suffered when members of the Stock Exchange default

compensation

package

/kɒmpənseʃ(ə)n pkd$/ noun the

salary, pension and other benefits offered with a job ‘…golden parachutes are liberal compensation packages given to executives leaving a company’ [Publishers Weekly]

compensatory /kɒmpənset(ə)ri/

adjective which something

compensatory

compensates

for

financing

/kɒmpənset(ə)ri fannsŋ/ noun

finance from the IMF to help a country in difficulty compete /kəmpit/ verb 왍 to compete with someone or with a company to try to do better than another person or another company 쑗 We have to compete with cheap imports from the Far East. 쑗 They were competing unsuccessfully with local companies on their home territory. 왍 the two companies are competing for a market share or for a contract each company is trying to win a larger part of the market, trying to win the contract

competence

framework

/kɒmpt(ə)ns fremw%k/ noun the

set of duties or tasks performed as part of a job with the standards which should be achieved in these duties competing /kəmpitŋ/ adjective which competes 왍 competing firms firms which compete with each other 왍 competing products products from different companies which have the same use and are sold in the same markets at similar prices competition /kɒmpətʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a situation where companies or individuals are trying to do better than others, e.g. trying to win a larger share of the market, or to produce a better or cheaper product or to control the use of resources 왍 keen competition strong competition 쑗 We are facing keen competition from European manufacturers. 2. 왍 the competition companies which are trying to compete with your product

complete 쑗

We have lowered our prices to beat the competition. 쑗 The competition have brought out a new range of products. ‘…profit margins in the industries most exposed to foreign competition are worse than usual’ [Sunday Times] ‘…competition is steadily increasing and could affect profit margins as the company tries to retain its market share’ [Citizen (Ottawa)]

competitive /kəmpettv/ adjective

1. involving competition 2. intended to

compete with others, usually by being cheaper or better 왍 competitive price a low price aimed to compete with a rival product 왍 competitive product a product made or priced to compete with existing products ‘…the company blamed fiercely competitive market conditions in Europe for a £14m operating loss last year’ [Financial Times]

competitive bid /kəmpettv bd/

noun a method of auctioning new securities, where various underwriters offer the stock at competing prices competitive devaluation /kəmpettv divljueʃ(ə)n/ noun a devaluation of a currency to make a country’s goods more competitive on the international markets competitively /kəmpettvli/ adverb 왍 competitively priced sold at a low price which competes with the price of similar products from other companies competitiveness /kəmpettvnəs/ noun the fact of being competitive ‘…farmers are increasingly worried by the growing lack of competitiveness for their products on world markets’ [Australian Financial Review]

competitive pricing /kəmpettv

prasŋ/ noun the practice of putting low prices on goods so as to compete with other products competitive products /kəmpettv prɒdkts/ plural noun products made to compete with existing products competitor /kəmpettə/ noun a person or company that is competing with another 쑗 Two German firms are our main competitors. ‘…sterling labour costs continue to rise between 3% and 5% a year faster than in most of our competitor countries’ [Sunday Times]

complete /kəmplit/ verb to sign a

contract for the sale of a property and to

completion

exchange it with the other party, so making it legal completion /kəmpliʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of finishing something 왍 completion of a contract the act of signing a contract for the sale of a property whereby the buyer pays and the seller transfers ownership to the buyer completion date /kəmpliʃ(ə)n det/ noun a date when something will be finished compliance /kəmplaəns/ noun agreement to do what is ordered compliance department /kəmplaəns dpɑtmənt/ noun a department in a stockbroking firm which makes sure that the Stock Exchange rules are followed and that confidentiality is maintained in cases where the same firm represents rival clients compliance officer /kəmplaəns ɒfsə/ noun an employee of a financial organisation whose job is to make sure that the organisation complies with the regulations governing its business comply /kəmpla/ verb to agree to do what is ordered (NOTE: complies – complying – complied) 왍 to comply with a court order to obey an order given by a court composite /kɒmpəzt/ adjective made up a various parts joined together composite index /kɒmpəzt ndeks/ noun an index made from various indices composition /kɒmpəzʃ(ə)n/ noun an agreement between a debtor and creditors, where the debtor settles a debt by repaying only part of it compound /kəmpaυnd/ verb 1. to agree with creditors to settle a debt by paying part of what is owed 2. to add to 쑗 The interest is compounded daily. compounded /kəmpaυndd/ adjective added together

compounded

annual

return

/kəmpaυndd njuəl rt%n/ noun a

net return on an investment, calculated after adding interest and deducting tax compounded interest rate /kəmpaυndd ntrəst ret/ noun an interest rate showing the effect of adding the interest to the capital compounding method /kəmpaυndŋ meθəd/ noun the method

computer used when compounding interest (daily, monthly, quarterly or annually). Abbreviation CM compound interest /kɒmpaυnd ntrəst/ noun interest which is added to the capital and then earns interest itself

comprehensive

insurance

/kɒmprhensv nʃυərəns/, comprehensive policy /kɒmprhensv pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy which

covers you against all risks which are likely to happen compromise /kɒmprəmaz/ noun an agreement between two sides, where each side gives way a little 쑗 Management offered £5 an hour, the union asked for £9, and a compromise of £7.50 was reached. 쐽 verb to reach an agreement by giving way a little 쑗 He asked £15 for it, I offered £7 and we compromised on £10. comptroller /kəntrəυlə/ noun a financial controller

Comptroller of the Currency /kən trəυlə əv θə krənsi/ noun an

official of the US government responsible for the regulation of US national banks (that is, banks which are members of the Federal Reserve) compulsory /kəmplsəri/ adjective which is forced or ordered compulsory liquidation /kəmplsəri lkwdeʃ(ə)n/ noun liquidation which is ordered by a court compulsory purchase /kəmplsəri p%tʃs/ noun the purchase of an annuity with the fund built up in a personal pension scheme compulsory winding up /kəmplsəri wandŋ p/ noun liquidation which is ordered by a court computable /kəmpjutəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be calculated computation /kɒmpjυteʃ(ə)n/ noun a calculation

computational

/kɒmpjυteʃ(ə)nəl

error

erə/ noun a mistake made in calculating compute /kəmpjut/ verb to calculate, to do calculations computer /kəmpjutə/ noun an electronic machine which calculates or stores information and processes it automatically

computer bureau

bureau /kəmpjutə bjυərəυ/ noun an office which offers to do work on its computers for companies which do not own their own computers computer department /kəmpjutə dpɑtmənt/ noun a department in a company which manages the company’s computers computer error /kəmpjutər erə/ noun a mistake made by a computer computer file /kəmpjutə fal/ noun a section of information on a computer, e.g. the payroll, list of addresses or list of customer accounts computerise /kəmpjutəraz/, computerize verb to change something from a manual system to one using computers 쑗 We have computerised all our records. 쑗 Stock control is now completely computerised. computerised /kəmpjutərazd/, computerized adjective carried out by computers 쑗 a computerised invoicing or filing system computer language /kəmpjutə lŋwd$/ noun a system of signs, letters and words used to instruct a computer computer listing /kəmpjutə lstŋ/ noun a printout of a list of items taken from data stored in a computer computer magazine /kəmpjutə məzin/ noun a magazine with articles on computers and programs computer manager /kəmpjutə mnd$ə/ noun a person in charge of a computer department computer model /kəmpjutə mɒd(ə)l/ noun a system for calculating investment opportunities, used by fund managers to see the right moment to buy or sell computer program /kəmpjutə prəυrm/ noun instructions to a computer telling it to do a particular piece of work 쑗 to buy a graphics program 쑗 The accounts department is running a new payroll program. computer programmer /kəmpjutə prəυrmə/ noun a person who writes computer programs computer programming /kəmpjutə prəυrmŋ/ noun the work of writing programs for computers computer

concessionaire /kəmpjutə ridəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be read and understood by a computer 쑗 computer-readable codes computer run /kəmpjutə rn/ noun a period of work done by a computer computer services /kəmpjutə s%vsz/ plural noun work using a computer, done by a computer bureau computer system /kəmpjutə sstəm/ noun a set of programs, commands, etc., which run a computer computer time /kəmpjutə tam/ noun the time when a computer is being used, paid for at an hourly rate computing /kəmpjutŋ/ noun the operating of computers computing speed /kəmpjutŋ spid/ noun the speed at which a computer calculates concealment of assets /kənsilmənt əv sets/ noun the act of hiding assets so that creditors do not know they exist concentration /kɒnsəntreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the action of grouping a large number of things together. Also called market concentration 2. the action of a bank in lending too much to one single sector of the economy (NOTE: It is gen-

computer-readable

erally thought that banks should not make more than 10% of their loans to a single sector.) concern /kəns%n/ noun a business

or company 왍 sold as a going concern sold as an actively trading company concert /kɒnsət/ noun 왍 to act in concert (of several people) to work together to achieve an aim concert party /kɒnsət pɑti/ noun an arrangement where several people or companies work together in secret (usually to acquire another company through a takeover bid) concession /kənseʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the right to use someone else’s property for business purposes 2. the right to be the only seller of a product in a place 쑗 She runs a jewellery concession in a department store. 3. an allowance, such as a reduction of tax or price concessionaire /kənseʃəneə/ noun a person or business that has the

concessionary fare

right to be the only seller of a product in a place concessionary fare /kənseʃ(ə)nəri feə/ noun a reduced fare for some types of passenger (such as pensioners, students or employees of a transport company) conciliation /kənslieʃ(ə)n/ noun the practice of bringing together the parties in a dispute with an independent third party, so that the dispute can be settled through a series of negotiations condition /kəndʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. something which has to be carried out as part of a contract or which has to be agreed before a contract becomes valid 왍 on condition that provided that 쑗 They were granted the lease on condition that they paid the legal costs. 2. a general state or the general way of life in a certain place 쑗 item sold in good condition 쑗 Working in unhealthy cond 쑗 The union has complained of the bad working conditions in the factory. 쑗 What was the condition of the car when it was sold? 쑗 Adverse trading conditions affected our profits. conditional /kəndʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective provided that specific conditions are taken into account 왍 to give a conditional acceptance to accept, provided that specific things happen or that specific terms apply conditionality /kəndʃ(ə)nlti/ noun the fact of having conditions attached conditional offer /kəndʃ(ə)nəl ɒfə/ noun an offer to buy provided that specific terms apply conditions of employment /kəndʃ(ə)nz əv mplɔmənt/ plural noun the terms of a contract of employment conditions of sale /kəndʃ(ə)nz əv sel/ plural noun agreed ways in which a sale takes place, e.g. discounts or credit terms condominium /kɒndəmniəm/ noun US a system of ownership, where a person owns an apartment in a building, together with a share of the land, stairs, roof, etc.

conference

proceedings

/kɒnf(ə)rəns prəsidŋz/ plural noun

a written report of what has taken place at a conference

conservatively

confidential report /kɒnfdenʃəl

rpɔt/ noun a secret document which must not be shown to other people confirm /kənf%m/ verb 1. to say again that something agreed before is correct 쑗 to confirm a hotel reservation or a ticket or an agreement or a booking 쑗 They wrote to confirm the details of the contract. 2. to say that letters of credit from foreign purchasers are agreed, and that the sellers will be paid for orders placed confirmation /kɒnfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of writing to confirm the details of a transaction or agreement 2. an agreement that orders from foreign purchasers will be paid confiscation /kɒnfskeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taking away someone’s possessions as a punishment conflict of interest /kɒnflkt əv ntrəst/ noun a situation where a person or firm may profit personally from decisions taken in an official capacity conglomerate /kənlɒmərət/ noun a group of subsidiary companies linked together and forming a group, each making very different types of products consensus /kənsensəs/ noun an opinion which most people agree on 쑗 management by consensus 왍 the Wall Street consensus the general opinion among analysts on Wall Street consequential /kɒnskwenʃəl/ adjective which follows as a consequence

consequential

loss

/kɒnskwenʃəl lɒs/ noun loss which

occurs as the result of some other loss. Also called indirect loss conservative /kəns%vətv/ adjective careful, not overestimating 쑗 His forecast of expenditure was very conservative or He made a conservative forecast of expenditure. 왍 a conservative estimate a calculation which probably underestimates the final figure 쑗 Their turnover has risen by at least 20% in the last year, and that is probably a conservative estimate. ‘…we are calculating our next budget income at an oil price of $15 per barrel. We know it is a conservative projection, but we do not want to come in for a shock should prices dive at any time during the year’ [Lloyd’s List]

conservatively /kəns%vətvli/ adverb not overestimating 쑗 The total

conservator sales are conservatively estimated at £2.3m. conservator /kəns%vətər/ noun US an official appointed by a court to manage a person’s affairs consider /kənsdə/ verb to think seriously about something 왍 to consider the terms of a contract to examine a contract and discuss whether the terms are acceptable consideration /kənsdəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. serious thought 쑗 We are giving consideration to moving the head office to Scotland. 2. something valuable exchanged as part of a contract consign /kənsan/ verb 왍 to consign goods to someone to send goods to someone for them to use or to sell for you consignation /kɒnsaneʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of consigning consignee /kɒnsani/ noun a person who receives goods from someone for their own use or to sell for the sender consignment /kənsanmənt/ noun 1. the sending of goods to someone who will sell them for you 왍 goods on consignment goods kept for another company to be sold on their behalf for a commission 2. a group of goods sent for sale 쑗 A consignment of goods has arrived. 쑗 We are expecting a consignment of cars from Japan. ‘…some of the most prominent stores are gradually moving away from the traditional consignment system, under which manufacturers agree to repurchase any unsold goods, and in return dictate prices and sales strategies and even dispatch staff to sell the products’ [Nikkei Weekly]

consignment note /kənsanmənt

nəυt/ noun a note saying that goods have been sent consignor /kənsanə/ noun a person who consigns goods to someone COMMENT: The goods remain the prop-

erty of the consignor until the consignee sells or pays for them.

consolidate /kənsɒldet/ verb 1. to

include the accounts of several subsidiary companies as well as the holding company in a single set of accounts 2. to group goods together for shipping 3. to remain at the same level for some time, before moving up again

consular invoice

accounts /kənsɒldetd əkaυnts/ plural noun accounts where the financial position of several different companies (i.e. a holding company and its subsidiaries) are recorded together

consolidated

balance

sheet

/kənsɒldetd bləns ʃit/ noun a

balance sheets of subsidiary companies grouped together into the balance sheet of the parent company consolidated fund /kənsɒldetd fnd/ noun money in the Exchequer which comes from tax revenues and is used to pay for government expenditure consolidated shipment /kənsɒldetd ʃpmənt/ noun goods from different companies grouped together into a single shipment consolidated stock /kənsɒldetd stɒk/ noun full form of consols

/kənsɒldeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the grouping together of goods for shipping 2. taking profits from speculative investments and investing them safely in blue-chip companies consols /kɒnsɒlz/ plural noun government bonds which pay interest but do not have a maturity date consortium /kənsɔtiəm/ noun a group of companies which work together 쑗 A consortium of Canadian companies or A Canadian consortium has tendered for the job. (NOTE: The plural is consortia.)

consolidation

‘…the consortium was one of only four bidders for the £2 billion contract to run the lines, seen as potentially the most difficult contract because of the need for huge investment’ [Times]

constructive notice /kənstrktv

nəυts/ noun 1. knowledge which the law says a person has of something (whether or not the person actually has it) because certain information is available to him if he makes reasonable inquiry 2. US a printed notice published in a newspaper to inform the public that something has taken place consular invoice /kɒnsjυlə nvɔs/ noun an invoice stamped by a consul to show that goods being imported have correct documentation and are being shipped legally

consult

consult /kənslt/ verb to ask an ex-

pert for advice 쑗 We consulted our accountant about our tax. consultancy /kənsltənsi/ noun the act of giving specialist advice 쑗 a consultancy firm 쑗 She offers a consultancy service. consultant /kənsltənt/ noun a specialist who gives advice 쑗 an engineering consultant 쑗 a management consultant 쑗 a tax consultant consulting /kənsltŋ/ adjective giving specialist advice 쑗 a consulting engineer consulting actuary /kənsltŋ ktjuəri/ noun an independent actuary who advises large pension funds consumable goods /kənsjuməb(ə)l υdz/, consumables /kənsjuməb(ə)lz/ plural noun goods which are bought by members of the public and not by companies. Also called consumer goods consumer /kənsjumə/ noun a person or company that buys and uses goods and services 쑗 Gas consumers are protesting at the increase in prices. 쑗 The factory is a heavy consumer of water. consumer bank /kənsjumə bŋk/ noun same as retail bank consumer council /kənsjumə kaυns(ə)l/ noun a group representing the interests of consumers consumer credit /kənsjumə kredt/ noun the credit given by shops, banks and other financial institutions to consumers so that they can buy goods (NOTE: Lenders have to be licensed under the Consumer Credit Act, 1974. The US term is installment credit.) Consumer Credit Act, 1974 /kənsjumə kredt kt/ noun an Act of

Parliament which licenses lenders, and requires them to state clearly the full terms of loans which they make, including the APR

Consumer Credit Counselling Service /kənsjumə kredt

kaυnsəlŋ s%vs/ noun a service which advises people about problems with items bought on credit consumer durables /kənsjumə djυərəb(ə)lz/ plural noun items which are bought and used by the public, e.g.

contango washing cookers

machines,

refrigerators

goods /kənsjumə υdz/ plural noun same as consum-

consumer able goods

consumer lease /kənsjumə lis/

noun a lease for the use or purchase of an item of equipment to be used in the home consumer panel /kənsjumə pn(ə)l/ noun a group of consumers who report on products they have used so that the manufacturers can improve them or use what the panel says about them in advertising Consumer Price Index /kənsjumə pras ndeks/ noun an American index showing how prices of consumer goods have risen over a period of time, used as a way of measuring inflation and the cost of living. Abbreviation CPI (NOTE: The UK term is retail prices index.) ‘…analysis of the consumer price index for the first half of the year shows that the rate of inflation went down by about 12.9 per cent’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

consumer protection /kənsjumə

prətekʃən/ noun the activity of protecting consumers against unfair or illegal traders consumer research /kənsjumə rs%tʃ/ noun research into why consumers buy goods and what goods they may want to buy consumer resistance /kənsjumə rzstəns/ noun a lack of interest by consumers in buying a new product 쑗 The new product met no consumer resistance even though the price was high. consumer society /kənsjumə səsaəti/ noun a type of society where consumers are encouraged to buy goods consumer spending /kənsjumə spendŋ/ noun spending by private households on goods and services ‘…companies selling in the UK market are worried about reduced consumer spending as a consequence of higher interest rates and inflation’ [Business]

contango /kəntŋəυ/ noun 1. the

payment of interest by a stockbroker for permission to carry payment for shares from one account to the next (NOTE: Contango is no longer applied on the London Stock Exchange because of the rolling account system, but it is still

contango day applied on some other exchanges.) 2.

a cash price which is lower than the forward price contango day /kəntŋəυ de/ noun formerly, the day when the rate of contango payments was fixed contested takeover /kəntestd tekəυvə/ noun a takeover bid where the board of the target company does not recommend it to the shareholders and tries to fight it. Also called hostile bid

contingency /kəntnd$ənsi/ noun a

possible state of emergency when decisions will have to be taken quickly 왍 to add on 10% to provide for contingencies to provide for further expenditure which may be incurred contingency fund /kəntnd$ənsi fnd/ noun money set aside in case it is needed urgently contingency plan /kəntnd$ənsi pln/ noun a plan which will be put into action if something happens which no one expects to happen contingent expenses /kəntnd$ənt kspensz/ plural noun expenses which will be incurred only if something happens contingent liability /kəntnd$ənt laəblti/ noun a liability which may or may not occur, but for which provision is made in a company’s accounts, as opposed to ‘provisions’, where money is set aside for an anticipated expenditure contingent policy /kəntnd$(ə)nt pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy which pays out only if something happens (such as if a person named in the policy dies before the person due to benefit) contingent reserves /kəntnd$ənt rz%vz/ plural noun money set aside to cover unexpected payments continuous compounding /kəntnjυəs kəmpaυndŋ/ noun a system where interest is calculated all the time and added to the principal contra /kɒntrə/ verb 왍 to contra an entry to enter a similar amount in the opposite side of an account contra account /kɒntrə əkaυnt/ noun an account which offsets another account, e.g. where a company’s supplier is not only a creditor in that com-

contract pany’s books but also a debtor because it has purchased goods on credit contract noun /kɒntrkt/ 1. a legal agreement between two parties 쑗 to draw up a contract 쑗 to draft a contract 쑗 to sign a contract 왍 the contract is binding on both parties both parties signing the contract must do what is agreed 왍 under contract bound by the terms of a contract 쑗 The firm is under contract to deliver the goods by November. 왍 to void a contract to make a contract invalid 2. 왍 by private contract by private legal agreement 3. an agreement for the supply of a service or goods 쑗 to enter into a contract to supply spare parts 쑗 to sign a contract for £10,000 worth of spare parts 왍 to put work out to contract to decide that work should be done by another company on a contract, rather than by employing members of staff to do it 왍 to award a contract to a company, to place a contract with a company to decide that a company shall have the contract to do work for you 왍 to tender for a contract to put forward an estimate of cost for work under contract 왍 the company is in breach of contract the company has failed to do what was agreed in the contract 4. (Stock Exchange) a deal to buy or sell shares, or an agreement to purchase options or futures 쐽 verb /kəntrkt/ to agree to do some work on the basis of a legally binding contract 쑗 to contract to supply spare parts or to contract for the supply of spare parts 왍 the supply of spare parts was contracted out to Smith Ltd Smith Ltd was given the contract for supplying spare parts 왍 to contract out of an agreement to withdraw from an agreement with the written permission of the other party COMMENT: A contract is an agreement

between two or more parties which creates legal obligations between them. Some contracts are made ‘under seal’, i.e. they are signed and sealed by the parties; most contracts are made orally or in writing. The essential elements of a contract are: (a) that an offer made by one party should be accepted by the other; (b) consideration (i.e. payment of money); (c) the intention to create legal relations. The terms of a contract may be express or implied. A breach of contract by one party

contracted in

entitles the other party to sue for damages or to ask for something to be done.

contracted in /kəntrktd n/ ad-

jective referring to a member of an occupational or personal pension scheme who is also a member of SERPS contracted out /kəntrktd aυt/ adjective referring to a member of an occupational or personal pension scheme who is not a member of SERPS contract for deed /kɒntrkt fə did/ noun US a written agreement showing the terms of the sale of a property, where the title is only transferred to the purchaser after he has made a stated number of monthly payments contracting party /kəntrktŋ pɑti/ noun a person or company that signs a contract contract law /kɒntrkt lɔ/ noun laws relating to private agreements contract note /kɒntrkt nəυt/ noun a note showing that shares have been bought or sold but not yet paid for, also including the commission

contract

employment

/kɒntrkt əv mplɔmənt/ noun a

contract between an employer and an employee stating all the conditions of work. Also called employment

contract

contractor /kəntrktə/ noun a per-

son or company that does work according to a written agreement contractual /kəntrktʃuəl/ adjective according to a contract 쑗 contractual conditions contractual liability /kəntrktʃuəl laəblti/ noun a legal responsibility for something as stated in a contract contractually /kəntrktjuəli/ adverb according to a contract 쑗 The company is contractually bound to pay our expenses. contractual obligation /kəntrktʃuəl ɒbleʃ(ə)n/ noun something that a person is legally forced to do through having signed a contract to do 왍 to fulfil your contractual obligations to do what you have agreed to do in a contract 왍 he is under no contractual obligation to buy he has signed no agreement to buy

control

savings /kəntrktʃuəl sevŋs/ plural noun savings in the form of regular payments into long-term investments such as pension schemes contract work /kɒntrkt w%k/ noun work done according to a written agreement contra entry /kɒntrə entri/ noun an entry made in the opposite side of an account to make an earlier entry worthless, i.e. a debit against a credit contrarian /kɒntreəriən/ adjective going against a trend contrarian research /kɒntreəriən rs%tʃ/ noun research that shows you should buy shares against the current trend contrarian stockpicking /kɒntreəriən stɒkpkŋ/ noun choosing stocks and shares against the trend of the market contribute /kəntrbjut/ verb to give money or add to money 쑗 We agreed to contribute 10% of the profits. 쑗 They had contributed to the pension fund for 10 years. contribution /kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun money paid to add to a sum contribution of capital /kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n əv kpt(ə)l/ noun money paid to a company as additional capital contributor /kəntrbjυtə/ noun a person who gives money contributor of capital /kəntrbjυtər əv kpt(ə)l/ noun a person who contributes capital contributory /kəntrbjυt(ə)ri/ adjective which helps to cause 쑗 Falling exchange rates have been a contributory factor in the company’s loss of profits. contractual

contributory pension scheme /kəntrbjυt(ə)ri penʃən skim/ noun

a scheme where the worker pays a proportion of his or her salary into the pension fund control /kəntrəυl/ noun 1. the power or ability to direct something 쑗 The company is under the control of three shareholders. 쑗 Top management exercises tight control over spending. 왍 to gain control of a business to buy more than 50% of the shares so that you can direct the business 2. the act of restrict-

control key ing or checking something or making sure that something is kept in check 왍 under control kept in check 쑗 Expenses are kept under tight control. 쑗 The company is trying to bring its overheads back under control. 왍 out of control not kept in check 쑗 Costs have got out of control. 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to control a company to be able to direct the business of a company, because you own more than 50% of the shares 쑗 The business is controlled by a company based in Luxembourg. 쑗 The company is controlled by the majority shareholder. 2. to make sure that something is kept in check or is not allowed to develop 쑗 The government is fighting to control inflation or to control the rise in the cost of living. (NOTE: controlling – controlled)

control key /kəntrəυl ki/ noun a

key on a computer which works part of a program controlled /kəntrəυld/ adjective ruled or kept in check controlled economy /kəntrəυld kɒnəmi/ noun an economy where most business activity is directed by orders from the government controller /kəntrəυlə/ noun 1. a person who controls something (especially the finances of a company) 2. US the chief accountant in a company controlling interest /kəntrəυlŋ ntrəst/ noun 왍 to have a controlling interest in a company to own more than 50% of the shares so that you can direct how the company is run convergence /kənv%d$əns/ noun 1. a situation where the economic factors applying in two countries move closer together, e.g. when basic interest rates, or budget deficits become more and more similar 2. a situation where the price of a commodity on the futures market moves towards the spot price as settlement date approaches conversion /kənv%ʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a change 2. the action of changing convertible loan stock into ordinary shares conversion discount /kənv%ʃ(ə)n dskaυnt/, conversion premium /kənv%ʃ(ə)n primiəm/ noun the difference between the price of convertible stock and the ordinary shares into which they are to be converted

convertible loan stock (NOTE: If the convertible stock is cheaper, the difference is a conversion premium; if the stock is dearer, the difference is a conversion discount.) conversion issue /kənv%ʃ(ə)n ʃu/ noun an issue of new bonds

(called ‘conversion bonds’) timed to coincide with the date of maturity of older bonds, with the intention of persuading investors to reinvest conversion of funds /kənv%ʃ(ə)n əv fndz/ noun the act of using money which does not belong to you for a purpose for which it is not supposed to be used conversion period /kənv%ʃ(ə)n pəriəd/ noun a time during which convertible loan stock may be changed into ordinary shares conversion price /kənv%ʃ(ə)n pras/, conversion rate /kənv%ʃ(ə)n ret/ noun 1. a price at which preference shares are converted into ordinary shares 2. a rate at which a currency is changed into a foreign currency conversion value /kənv%ʃ(ə)n vlju/ noun a value of convertible stock, including the extra value of the ordinary shares into which they may be converted convert /kənv%t/ verb 1. to change money of one country for money of another 쑗 We converted our pounds into Swiss francs. 2. 왍 to convert funds to your own use to use someone else’s money for yourself convertibility /kənv%təbləti/ noun the ability of a currency to be exchanged for another easily convertible ARM /kənv%təb(ə)l e ɑr em/ noun US an adjustable rate mortgage that can converted to a fixed rate mortgage convertible currency /kənv%təb(ə)l krənsi/ noun a currency which can easily be exchanged for another convertible debenture /kənv%təb(ə)l dbentʃə/ noun a debenture or loan stock which can be exchanged for ordinary shares at a later date convertible loan stock /kənv%təb(ə)l ləυn stɒk/ noun money

convertibles lent to a company which can be converted into shares at a later date convertibles /kənv%təb(ə)lz/ plural noun corporate bonds or preference shares which can be converted into ordinary shares at a set price on set dates conveyance /kənveəns/ noun a legal document which transfers a property from the seller to the buyer conveyancer /kənveənsə/ noun a person who draws up a conveyance conveyancing /kənveənsŋ/ noun the work of legally transferring a property from a seller to a buyer COO abbreviation chief operating officer cooling-off period /kulŋ ɒf pəriəd/ noun (during an industrial dispute) a period when negotiations have to be carried on and no action can be taken by either side cooperative /kəυɒp(ə)rətv/ adjective where the profits are shared among the workers cooperative bank /kəυɒp(ə)rətv bŋk/ noun a bank which is owned by its members, who deposit money or who borrow money as loans cooperative society /kəυ ɒp(ə)rətv səsaəti/ noun an organisation where customers and workers are partners and share the profits copper /kɒpə/ noun a metal which is traded on commodity exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange coproperty /kəυprɒpəti/ noun ownership of property by two or more people together coproprietor /kəυprəpraətə/ noun a person who owns a property with another person or several other people copyright /kɒpirat/ noun a legal right which protects the creative work of writers and artists and prevents others from copying or using it without authorisation, and which also applies to such things as company logos and brand names copyright notice /kɒpirat nəυts/ noun a note in a book showing who owns the copyright and the date of ownership cordoba /kɔdəbə/ noun a unit of currency used in Nicaragua

corporate planning

corner /kɔnə/ noun 1. place where two streets or two walls join 쑗 The Post Office is on the corner of the High Street and London Road. 2. a situation where one person or a group controls the supply of a certain commodity 쑗 The syndicate tried to create a corner in the silver market. 쐽 verb 왍 to corner the market to own most or all of the supply of a commodity and so control the price 쑗 The syndicate tried to corner the market in silver. corner shop /kɔnə ʃɒp/ noun a small privately owned general store corp abbreviation US corporation corporate /kɔp(ə)rət/ adjective 1. referring to corporations or companies, or to a particular company as a whole 2. referring to business in general 쑗 corporate America 쑗 corporate Britain ‘…the prime rate is the rate at which banks lend to their top corporate borrowers’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…if corporate forecasts are met, sales will exceed $50 million next year’ [Citizen (Ottawa)]

corporate bond /kɔp(ə)rət bɒnd/

noun a loan stock officially issued by a company to raise capital, usually against the security of some of its assets (NOTE: The company promises to pay a certain amount of interest on a set date every year until the redemption date, when it repays the loan.) corporate finance /kɔp(ə)rət fanns/ noun the financial affairs of

companies

corporate

governance

/kɔp(ə)rət v(ə)nəns/ noun a the-

ory of the way companies should be run corporate image /kɔp(ə)rət md$/ noun an idea which a company would like the public to have of it corporate loan /kɔp(ə)rət ləυn/ noun a loan issued by a corporation corporate name /kɔp(ə)rət nem/ noun the name of a large corporation corporate plan /kɔp(ə)rət pln/ noun a plan for the future work of a whole company corporate planning /kɔp(ə)rət plnŋ/ noun 1. the process of planning the future work of a whole company 2. planning the future financial state of a group of companies

corporate profits

profits /kɔp(ə)rət prɒfts/ plural noun the profits of a corporation

corporate

‘…corporate profits for the first quarter showed a 4 per cent drop from last year’ [Financial Times]

raider /kɔp(ə)rət redə/ noun a person or company which buys a stake in another company before making a hostile takeover bid corporate resolution /kɔp(ə)rət rezəluʃ(ə)n/ noun a document signed by the officers of a corporation, naming those persons who can sign cheques, withdraw cash and have access to the corporation’s bank account corporate secretary /kɔp(ə)rət sekrət(ə)ri/ noun a person responsible for the corporation’s legal and financial affairs corporate spinoffs /kɔp(ə)rət spnɒfs/ plural noun small companies which have been split off from larger organisations corporate taxpayers /kɔp(ə)rət tkspeəz/ plural noun companies that pay tax corporation /kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a large company 2. US a company which is incorporated in the United States 3. a municipal authority corporate

COMMENT: A corporation is formed by

registration with the Registrar of Companies under the Companies Act (in the case of public and private companies) or other Acts of Parliament (in the case of building societies and charities).

corporation

income

tax

/kɔpəreʃ(ə)n nkm tks/ noun a

tax on profits made by incorporated companies corporation loan /kɔpəreʃ(ə)n ləυn/ noun a loan issued by a local authority corporation tax /kɔpəreʃ(ə)n tks/ noun a tax on profits and capital gains made by companies, calculated before dividends are paid. Abbreviation CT

correction /kərekʃən/ noun 1. an act

of making something correct 쑗 She made some corrections to the text of the speech. 2. a change in the valuation of something that is thought to be overvalued or undervalued which results in its being more realistically valued

cost centre ‘…there were fears in October that shares were overvalued and bears were ready to enter the market. This only proved to be a small correction’ [Investors Chronicle]

/kɒrspɒndənt/ noun a journalist who writes articles for a newspaper on specialist subjects 쑗 He is the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. correspondent bank /kɒrspɒndənt bŋk/ noun a bank which acts as an agent for a foreign bank cost /kɒst/ noun 1. the amount of money which has to be paid for something 쑗 What is the cost of a first class ticket to New York? 쑗 Computer costs are falling each year. 쑗 We cannot afford the cost of two cars. 왍 to cover costs to produce enough money in sales to pay for the costs of production 쑗 The sales revenue barely covers the costs of advertising or the advertising costs. 왍 to sell at cost to sell at a price which is the same as the cost of manufacture or the wholesale cost 2. 왍 cost of borrowing Same as borrowing costs 쐽 verb 1. to have as its price 쑗 How much does the machine cost? 쑗 This cloth costs £10 a metre. 2. 왍 to cost a product to calculate how much money will be needed to make a product, and so work out its selling price

correspondent

cost,

insurance,

and

freight

/kɒst nʃυərəns ən fret/ noun the

estimate of a price, which includes the cost of the goods, the insurance, and the transport charges. Abbreviation CIF,

c.i.f.

cost accountant /kɒst əkaυntənt/

noun an accountant who gives managers information about their business costs cost accounting /kɒst əkaυntŋ/ noun the process of preparing special accounts of manufacturing and sales costs cost analysis /kɒst ənləss/ noun the process of calculating in advance what a new product will cost cost-benefit analysis /kɒst benft ənləss/ noun the process of comparing the costs and benefits of various possible ways of using available resources. Also called benefit-cost analysis

cost centre /kɒst sentə/ noun 1. a

person or group whose costs can be

cost-cutting itemised and to which costs can be allocated in accounts 2. a unit, a process, or an individual that provides a service needed by another part of an organisation and whose cost is therefore accepted as an overhead of the business

cost-cutting /kɒst ktŋ/ adjective

intended to reduce costs 쑗 We have taken out the second telephone line as a cost-cutting exercise. 쐽 noun the process of reducing costs 쑗 As a result of cost-cutting, we have had to make three secretaries redundant. cost-effective /kɒst fektv/ adjective which gives good value when compared with the original cost 쑗 We find advertising in the Sunday newspapers very cost-effective. cost-effectiveness /kɒst fektvnəs/, cost efficiency noun the quality of being cost-effective 쑗 Can we calculate the cost-effectiveness of air freight against shipping by sea? cost factor /kɒst fktə/ noun the problem of cost cost-income ratio /kɒst nkm reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio between the costs involved in running a business and the income the business produces costing /kɒstŋ/ noun a calculation of the manufacturing costs, and so the selling price, of a product 쑗 The costings give us a retail price of $2.95. 쑗 We cannot do the costing until we have details of all the production expenditure. costly /kɒstl/ adjective costing a lot of money, or costing too much money 쑗 Defending the court case was a costly process. 쑗 The mistakes were time-consuming and costly. cost of capital /kɒst əv kpt(ə)l/ noun interest paid on the capital used in operating a business cost of living /kɒst əv lvŋ/ noun money which has to be paid for basic items such as food, heating or rent 쑗 to allow for the cost of living in the salary adjustments cost-of-living allowance /kɒst əv lvŋ əlaυəns/ noun an addition to normal salary to cover increases in the cost of living (NOTE: The US term is COLA.)

counselling

cost-of-living bonus /kɒst əv

lvŋ bəυnəs/ noun money paid to meet an increase in the cost of living cost-of-living increase /kɒst əv lvŋ nkris/ noun an increase in salary to allow it to keep up with the increased cost of living cost-of-living index /kɒst əv lvŋ ndeks/ noun a way of measuring the cost of living which is shown as a percentage increase on the figure for the previous year. It is similar to the consumer price index, but includes other items such as the interest on mortgages. cost of sales /kɒst əv selz/ noun all the costs of a product sold, including manufacturing costs and the staff costs of the production department, before general overheads are calculated. Also called cost of goods sold cost plus /kɒst pls/ noun a system of calculating a price, by taking the cost of production of goods or services and adding a percentage to cover the supplier’s overheads and margin 쑗 We are charging for the work on a cost plus basis. cost price /kɒst pras/ noun a selling price which is the same as the price, either the manufacturing price or the wholesale price, which the seller paid for the item cost-push inflation /kɒst pυʃ nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation caused by increased wage demands and increased raw materials costs, which lead to higher prices, which in turn lead to further wage demands. Also called cost inflation

costs /kɒsts/ plural noun the expenses

involved in a court case 쑗 The judge awarded costs to the defendant. 쑗 Costs of the case will be borne by the prosecution. 왍 to pay costs to pay the expenses of a court case council /kaυnsəl/ noun an official group chosen to run something or to advise on a problem

Council of Mortgage Lenders /kaυnsəl əv mɔd$ lendəz/ noun

an organisation which represents companies which provide mortgage lending to the residential market counselling /kaυnsəlŋ/ noun the act of giving professional advice to others on personal matters 쑗 An office is

count being set up for counselling employees who have professional or social problems. 쑗 Counselling helps employees get accustomed to their new environment, by offering advice and guidance. (NOTE: The US spelling is counseling.)

count /kaυnt/ verb 1. to add figures

together to make a total 쑗 He counted up the sales for the six months to December. 2. to include something 쑗 Did you count my trip to New York as part of my sales expenses? counter- /kaυntə/ prefix against counterbid /kaυntəbd/ noun a higher bid in reply to a previous bid 쑗 When I bid £20 she put in a counterbid of £25. counter-claim /kaυntə klem/ noun a claim for damages made in reply to a previous claim 쑗 Jones claimed £25,000 in damages against Smith, and Smith entered a counter-claim of £50,000 for loss of office. 쑗 The union negotiators entered a counter-claim for a reduction in work hours. 쐽 verb to put in a counter-claim for something 쑗 Jones claimed £25,000 in damages and Smith counter-claimed £50,000 for loss of office. counterfeit /kaυntəft/ adjective referring to false or imitation money 쑗 Shops in the area have been asked to look out for counterfeit £20 notes. 쐽 verb to make imitation money counterfoil /kaυntəfɔl/ noun a slip of paper kept after writing a cheque, an invoice or a receipt, as a record of the deal which has taken place countermand /kaυntəmɑnd/ verb to say that an order must not be carried out 쑗 to countermand an order counter-offer /kaυntər ɒfə/ noun a higher or lower offer made in reply to another offer 쑗 Smith Ltd made an offer of £1m for the property, and Blacks replied with a counter-offer of £1.4m. ‘…the company set about paring costs and improving the design of its product. It came up with a price cut of 14%, but its counter-offer – for an order that was to have provided 8% of its workload next year – was too late and too expensive’ [Wall Street Journal]

counterparty /kaυntəpɑti/ noun the other party in a deal

coupon security

counterpurchase /kaυntəp%tʃs/

noun an international trading deal, where a company agrees to use money received on a sale to purchase goods in the country where the sale was made countersign /kaυntəsan/ verb to sign a document which has already been signed by someone else 쑗 All our cheques have to be countersigned by the finance director. 쑗 The sales director countersigns all my orders. countertrade /kaυntətred/ noun a trade which does not involve payment of money, but something such as a barter or a buy-back deal instead countervailing duty /kaυntəvelŋ djuti/ noun a duty imposed by a country on imported goods, where the price of the goods includes a subsidy from the government in the country of origin. Also called anti-dumping duty counting house /kaυntŋ haυs/ noun a department dealing with cash (dated ) count on /kaυnt ɒn/ verb to expect something to happen or to be given to you 쑗 They are counting on getting a good response from the TV advertising. 쑗 Do not count on a bank loan to start your business. country bank /kntri bŋk/ noun US a bank based in a town which has no office of the Federal Reserve country broker /kntri brəυkə/ noun a broking firm which is not based in London (NOTE: Country brokers are .

often independently run and charge lower commission than larger London firms.) coupon /kupɒn/ noun 1. a piece of paper used in place of money 2. a piece of paper which replaces an order form 3.

a slip of paper attached to a government bond certificate which can be cashed to provide the annual interest coupon ad /kupɒn d/ noun an advertisem*nt with a form attached, which you cut out and return to the advertiser with your name and address for further information coupon security /kupɒn skjυərti/ noun a government security which carries a coupon and pays interest, as opposed to one which pays no interest but is sold at a discount to its face value

covenant

covenant /kvənənt/ noun a legal contract 쐽 verb to agree to pay a sum of money each year by contract 쑗 to covenant to pay £10 per annum cover /kvə/ noun 1. the proportion of a target audience reached by advertising 2. the protection guaranteed by insurance 왍 to operate without adequate cover to operate without being protected by enough insurance 왍 to ask for additional cover to ask the insurance company to increase the amount for which you are insured 3. an amount of money large enough to guarantee that something can be paid for 쑗 Do you have sufficient cover for this loan? 쐽 verb 1. to provide protection by insurance against something 쑗 The insurance covers fire, theft and loss of work. 왍 the damage was covered by the insurance the damage was of a kind that the insurance policy protects against or the insurance company paid enough money to enable the damage to be repaired 왍 to be fully covered to have insurance against all risks 2. to have, earn or provide enough money to pay for something 쑗 We do not make enough sales to cover the expense of running the shop. 쑗 Breakeven point is reached when sales cover all costs. 왍 to cover a position to have enough money to be able to pay for a forward purchase 3. to ask for security against a loan which you are making ‘…three export credit agencies have agreed to provide cover for large projects in Nigeria’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

coverage /kv(ə)rd$/ noun US protection guaranteed by insurance 쑗 Do you have coverage against fire damage?

‘…from a PR point of view it is easier to get press coverage when you are selling an industry and not a brand’ [PR Week]

covered bear /kvəd beə/ noun a

bear who holds the stock which he or she is selling covering letter /kvərŋ letə/, covering note /kvərŋ nəυt/ noun a letter or note sent with documents to say why you are sending them 쑗 He sent a covering letter with his curriculum vitae, explaining why he wanted the job. 쑗 The job advertisem*nt asked for a CV and a covering letter. cover note /kvə nəυt/ noun a letter from an insurance company giving de-

credere tails of an insurance policy and confirming that the policy exists CP abbreviation commercial paper CPI abbreviation Consumer Price Index crash /krʃ/ noun a financial collapse 쑗 The financial crash caused several bankruptcies. 쑗 He lost all his money in the crash of 1929. 쐽 verb to collapse financially 쑗 The company crashed with debts of over £1 million. crawling peg /krɔlŋ pe/ noun a method of controlling exchange rates, allowing them to move up or down slowly create /kriet/ verb to make something new 쑗 By acquiring small unprofitable companies he soon created a large manufacturing group. 쑗 The government scheme aims at creating new jobs for young people. ‘…he insisted that the tax advantages he directed towards small businesses will help create jobs and reduce the unemployment rate’ [Toronto Star]

creation /krieʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of making something creative /krietv/ noun someone who works in the conceptual or artistic side of a business ‘…agencies are being called on to produce great creative work and at the same time deliver value for money’ [Marketing Week]

creative accountancy /krietv əkaυntənsi/, creative accounting /krietv əkaυntŋ/ noun an adaptation of a company’s figures to present a better picture than is correct, usually intended to make a company more attractive to a potential buyer, or done for some other reason which may not be strictly legal COMMENT: Creative accounting is the

term used to cover a number of accounting practices which, although legal, may be used to mislead banks, investors and shareholders about the profitability or liquidity of a business.

financing /krietv fannsŋ/ noun finding methods of financing a commercial project that are different from the normal methods of raising money credere /kredəri/ noun 쒁 del creative

credere agent

credit

credit /kredt/ noun 1. a period of time allowed before a customer has to pay a debt incurred for goods or services 쑗 to give someone six months’ credit 쑗 to sell on good credit terms 왍 on credit without paying immediately 쑗 to live on credit 쑗 We buy everything on sixty days credit. 쑗 The company exists on credit from its suppliers. 2. an amount entered in accounts to show a decrease in assets or expenses or an increase in liabilities, revenue or capital. In accounts, credits are entered in the right-hand column. 쑗 to enter £100 to someone’s credit 쑗 to pay in £100 to the credit of Mr Smith Compare debit 왍 account in credit an account where the credits are higher than the debits 쐽 verb to put money into someone’s account, or to note money received in an account 쑗 to credit an account with £100 or to credit £100 to an account credit account /kredt əkaυnt/ noun an account which a customer has with a shop which allows him or her to buy goods and pay for them later credit balance /kredt bləns/ noun a balance in an account showing that more money has been received than is owed 쑗 The account has a credit balance of £100. credit bank /kredt bŋk/ noun a bank which lends money credit bureau /kredt bjυərəυ/ noun same as credit-reference agency

credit card /kredt kɑd/ noun a

plastic card which allows you to borrow money and to buy goods without paying for them immediately (you pay the credit card company at a later date) credit card holder /kredt kɑd həυldə/ noun 1. a person who has a credit card 2. a plastic wallet for keeping credit cards credit card issuer /kredt kɑd ʃuə/ noun a bank or other financial institution that issues credit cards credit card sale /kredt kɑd sel/ noun the act of selling where the buyer uses a credit card to pay credit column /kredt kɒləm/ noun the right-hand column in accounts showing money received credit control /kredt kəntrəυl/ noun a check that customers pay on

credit-reference agency time and do not owe more than their credit limit credit entry /kredt entri/ noun an entry on the credit side of an account credit facilities /kredt fəsltiz/ plural noun an arrangement with a bank or supplier to have credit so as to buy goods credit freeze /kredt friz/ noun a period when lending by banks is restricted by the government credit history /kredt hst(ə)ri/ noun a record of how a potential borrower has repaid his or her previous debts credit limit /kredt lmt/ noun the largest amount of money which a customer can borrow 왍 he has exceeded his credit limit he has borrowed more money than he is allowed to credit line /kredt lan/ noun an overdraft, the amount by which a person can draw money from an account with no funds, with the agreement of the bank 왍 to open a credit line or line of credit to make credit available to someone credit note /kredt nəυt/ noun a note showing that money is owed to a customer 쑗 The company sent the wrong order and so had to issue a credit note. Abbreviation C/N creditor /kredtə/ noun a person or company that is owed money, i.e. a company’s creditors are its liabilities creditor nation /kredtə neʃ(ə)n/ noun a country which has lent money to another. Compare debtor nation creditors’ committee /kredtəz kəmti/ noun a group of creditors of a corporation which is being reorganised under Chapter 11, who meet officials of the corporation to discuss the progress of the reorganisation creditors’ meeting /kredtəz mitŋ/ noun a meeting of all the people to whom an insolvent company owes money, to decide how to obtain the money owed credit rating /kredt retŋ/ noun an amount which a credit agency feels a customer will be able to repay credit-reference agency /kredt refər(ə)ns ed$ənsi/ noun a company

credit references used by businesses and banks to assess the creditworthiness of people credit references /kredt refər(ə)nsz/ plural noun details of persons, companies or banks who have given credit to a person or company in the past, supplied as references when opening a credit account with a new supplier credit refusal /kredt rfjuz(ə)l/ noun a decision not to give someone credit (NOTE: Anyone who has been refused credit can ask to see the reasons for the decision.) credit risk /kredt rsk/ noun a risk

that a borrower may not be able to repay a loan credit scoring /kredt skɔrŋ/ noun a calculation made when assessing the creditworthiness of someone or something credit-shelter trust /kredt ʃeltə trst/ noun money put in trust in order to escape federal estate tax COMMENT: This type of trust is where

someone leaves half his estate to his wife and puts the other half into a trust. After his death, his wife can continue to enjoy the income from the trust, and when she dies her estate and also the trust pass to her heirs tax free.

credit side /kredt sad/ noun the

right-hand column of accounts showing money received credit squeeze /kredt skwiz/ noun a period when lending by the banks is restricted by the government Crédit Suisse Index /kredt swis ndeks/ noun an index of prices on the Zurich stock exchange credit threshold /kredt θreʃhəυld/ noun a limit for credit allowed to a customer credit transfer /kredt trnsf%/ noun an act of moving money from one account to another credit union /kredt junjən/ noun a group of people who pay in regular deposits or subscriptions which earn interest and are used to make loans to other members of the group creditworthiness /kredtw%ðinəs/ noun the ability of a customer to pay for goods bought on credit

cross

creditworthy /kredtw%ði/ adjective having enough money to be able to buy goods on credit 쑗 We will do some checks on her to see if she is creditworthy. criminal action /krmn(ə)l kʃən/ noun a court case brought by the state against someone who is charged with a crime criminal law /krmn(ə)l lɔ/ noun laws relating to crime criminal record /krmn(ə)l rekɔd/ noun same as police record crisis /krass/ noun a serious economic situation where decisions have to be taken rapidly 쑗 a banking crisis 쑗 The government stepped in to try to resolve the international crisis. 쑗 Withdrawals from the bank have reached crisis level. 왍 to take crisis measures to take severe measures rapidly to stop a crisis developing crisis management /krass mnd$mənt/ noun 1. management of a business or a country’s economy during a period of crisis 2. actions taken by an organisation to protect itself when unexpected events or situations occur that could threaten its success or continued operation (NOTE: Crisis situations may result from external factors such as the development of a new product by a competitor or changes in legislation, or from internal factors such as a product failure or faulty decision-making, and often involve the need to make quick decisions on the basis of uncertain or incomplete information.) CRO abbreviation Companies Registration Office crore /krɔ/ noun (in India) ten million (NOTE: One crore equals 100 lakh.) ‘…the company clocked a sales turnover of Rs.7.09 crore and earned a profit after tax of Rs.10.39 lakh on an equity base of Rs.14 lakh’ [Business India] ‘…the turnover for the nine months ended December 31 registered a 6.26 per cent increase to Rs. 87.91 crores from Rs. 82.73 crores in the corresponding period last year’ [The Hindu]

cross /krɒs/ verb 왍 to cross a cheque to write two lines across a cheque to show that it has to be paid into a bank COMMENT: Crossed cheques have the

words ‘A/C payee’ printed in the space between the two vertical lines: all British

cross-border cheques are now printed in this way. This means that the cheque can only be paid into a bank, and only into the account of the person whose name is written on it – it cannot be endorsed to a third party.

cross-border /krɒs bɔdə/ adjective

from one country to another, covering several countries cross-border capital flows /krɒs bɔdə kpt(ə)l fləυz/ plural noun movements of capital from one country to another cross-border listing /krɒs bɔdə lstŋ/ noun the listing of a security on stock exchanges in more than one country crossed cheque /krɒst tʃek/ noun a cheque with two lines across it showing that it can only be deposited at a bank and not exchanged for cash cross holding /krɒs həυldŋ/ noun a situation where two companies own shares in each other in order to stop either from being taken over 쑗 The two companies have protected themselves from takeover by a system of cross holdings. cross out /krɒs aυt/ verb to put a line through something which has been written 쑗 She crossed out £250 and put in £500. cross rate /krɒs ret/ noun an exchange rate between two currencies expressed in a third currency cross-selling /krɒs selŋ/ noun the act of selling insurance or other financial services at the same time as a mortgage crowding out /kraυdŋ aυt/ noun a situation where there is little money for private companies to borrow, because the government’s borrowings are very heavy crown /kraυn/ noun a word used in English to refer to the units of currency of several countries, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, crown jewels /kraυn d$uəlz/ plural noun the most valuable assets of a company (the reason why other companies may want to make takeover bids) crude petroleum /krud pətrəυliəm/ noun raw petroleum which has not been processed

currency basket

cum /km/ preposition with cum all /km ɔl/ adverb including all entitlements

cum coupon /km kupɒn/ adverb

with a coupon attached or before interest due on a security is paid cum dividend /km dvdend/, cum div /km dv/ adverb including the next dividend still to be paid cum rights /km rats/ adverb sold with the right to purchase new shares in a rights issue cumulative /kjumjυlətv/ adjective added to regularly over a period of time cumulative interest /kjumjυlətv ntrəst/ noun the interest which is added to the capital each year

cumulative

preference

/kjumjυlətv pref(ə)rəns ʃeə/, cumulative preferred stock /kjumjυlətv prf%d stɒk/ noun a

preference share which will have the dividend paid at a later date even if the company is not able to pay a dividend in the current year curb exchange /k%b kstʃend$/ same as American Stock Exchange currency /krəns/ noun 1. money in coins and notes which is used in a particular country 2. a foreign currency, the currency of another country (NOTE: Cur-

rency has no plural when it refers to the money of one country: He was arrested trying to take currency out of the country.) ‘…today’s wide daily variations in exchange rates show the instability of a system based on a single currency, namely the dollar’ [Economist] ‘…the level of currency in circulation increased to N4.9 billion in the month of August’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

backing /krənsi bkŋ/ noun gold or government securities which maintain the strength of a currency currency band /krənsi bnd/ noun the exchange rate levels between which a currency is allowed to move without full devaluation currency basket /krənsi bɑskt/ noun a group of currencies, each of which is weighted, calculated together as a single unit against which another currency can be measured currency

currency clause

currency clause /krənsi clɔz/

noun a clause in a contract which avoids problems of payment caused by changes in exchange rates, by fixing the exchange rate for the various transactions covered by the contract

currency conversion systems /krənsi kənv%ʃ(ə)n sstəmz/ plural noun computer software used to con-

vert accounts from one currency to another automatically currency futures /krənsi fjutʃəz/ plural noun purchases of foreign currency for delivery at a future date currency movements /krənsi muvmənts/ plural noun changes in exchange rates between countries currency note /krənsi nəυt/ noun a bank note currency reserves /krənsi rz%vz/ noun foreign money held by a government to support its own currency and to pay its debts currency swap /krənsi swɒp/ noun an agreement to use a certain currency for payments under a contract in exchange for another currency (the two companies involved can each buy one of the currencies at a more favourable rate than the other) current /krənt/ adjective referring to the present time 쑗 the current round of wage negotiations ‘…crude oil output plunged during the past month and is likely to remain at its current level for the near future’ [Wall Street Journal]

current account /krənt əkaυnt/

noun 1. an account in an bank from which the customer can withdraw money when he or she wants. Current accounts do not always pay interest. 쑗 to pay money into a current account Also called cheque account (NOTE: The US term is checking account.) 2.

an account of the balance of payments of a country relating to the sale or purchase of raw materials, goods and invisibles 왍 current account balance of payments a record of imports and exports, payments for services, and invisibles, etc. ‘…a surplus in the current account is of such vital importance to economists and currency traders because the more Japanese goods that are exported, the more dollars overseas

custodian customers have to pay for these products. That pushes up the value of the yen’ [Nikkei Weekly] ‘…customers’ current deposit and current accounts also rose to $655.31 million at the end of December’ [Hongkong Standard]

current assets /krənt sets/ plu-

ral noun the assets used by a company in its ordinary work, e.g. materials, finished goods, cash and monies due, and which are held for a short time only current balance /krənt bləns/ noun the balance in an account at the start of a day’s trading. Also called ledger account

current cost accounting /krənt

kɒst əkaυntŋ/ noun a method of accounting which notes the cost of replacing assets at current prices, rather than valuing assets at their original cost. Abbreviation CCA current liabilities /krənt laəbltiz/ plural noun the debts which a company has to pay within the next accounting period. In a company’s annual accounts, these would be debts which must be paid within the year and are usually payments for goods or services received. current price /krənt pras/ noun today’s price current rate of exchange /krənt ret əv kstʃend$/ noun today’s rate of exchange current yield /krənt jild/ noun a dividend calculated as a percentage of the current price of a share on the stock market curve /k%v/ noun a line which is not straight, e.g. a line on a graph 쑗 The graph shows an upward curve. cushion /kυʃ(ə)n/ noun money which allows a company to pay interest on its borrowings or to survive a loss 쑗 We have sums on deposit which are a useful cushion when cash flow is tight. custodial /kstəυdiəl/ adjective referring to custody, to holding valuable items for someone custodial account /kstəυdiəl əkaυnt/ noun an account in which money is held for someone, usually a child, by a custodian custodian /kstəυdiən/ noun a person or company that looks after valuable items for someone, in particular money or other assets belonging to a child

custody

custody /kstədi/ noun control of a thing under the law, as when holding valuables or share certificates in safekeeping for someone custom /kstəm/ noun 1. the use of a shop by regular shoppers 왍 to lose someone’s custom to do something which makes a regular customer go to another shop 2. a thing which is usually done 쑗 It is the custom of the book trade to allow unlimited returns for credit. 왍 the customs of the trade the general way of working in a trade custom-built /kstəm blt/ adjective made specially for one customer 쑗 He drives a custom-built Rolls Royce. customer /kstəmə/ noun a person or company that buys goods 쑗 The shop was full of customers. 쑗 Can you serve this customer first please? 쑗 She’s a regular customer of ours. (NOTE: The customer may not be the consumer or end user of the product.) ‘…unless advertising and promotion is done in the context of an overall customer orientation, it cannot seriously be thought of as marketing’ [Quarterly Review of Marketing]

customer appeal /kstəmər əpil/

noun what attracts customers to a product

customer

identification

file

/kstəmər adentfkeʃ(ə)n fal/ noun US a computer record which a

bank keeps on each customer, containing information about the customer’s credit rating. Abbreviation CIF

customer service department /kstəmə s%vs dpɑtmənt/ noun

a department which deals with customers and their complaints and orders customise /kstəmaz/, customize verb to change something to fit the special needs of a customer 쑗 We use customised computer terminals. customs /kstəmz/ plural noun the government department which organises the collection of taxes on imports, or an office of this department at a port or airport 쑗 He was stopped by customs. 쑗 Her car was searched by customs. 왍 to go through customs to pass through the area of a port or airport where customs officials examine goods 왍 to take something through customs to carry something illegal through a customs area without declaring it 왍 the crates had to go through a customs examination the

customs union crates had to be examined by customs officials customs barrier /kstəmz briə/ noun customs duty intended to make trade more difficult customs broker /kstəmz brəυkə/ noun a person or company that takes goods through customs for a shipping company customs clearance /kstəmz klərəns/ noun 1. the act of passing goods through customs so that they can enter or leave the country 2. a document given by customs to a shipper to show that customs duty has been paid and the goods can be shipped 쑗 to wait for customs clearance customs declaration /kstəmz dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun a statement showing goods being imported on which duty will have to be paid 쑗 to fill in a customs declaration form customs duty /kstəmz djuti/ noun a tax on goods imported into a country customs entry point /kstəmz entri pɔnt/ noun a place at a border between two countries where goods are declared to customs customs examination /kstəmz zmneʃ(ə)n/ noun an inspection of goods or baggage by customs officials customs formalities /kstəmz fɔmltiz/ plural noun a declaration of goods by the shipper and examination of them by customs customs officer /kstəmz ɒfsə/ noun a person working for the Customs and Excise Department customs official /kstəmz əfʃ(ə)l/ noun a person working for the Customs and Excise Department customs seal /kstəmz sil/ noun a seal attached by a customs officer to a box, to show that the contents have not passed through customs customs tariff /kstəmz trf/ noun a list of taxes to be paid on imported goods customs union /kstəmz junjən/ noun an agreement between several countries that goods can travel between them, without paying duty, while goods

cut

from other countries have to pay special duties cut /kt/ noun 1. the sudden lowering of a price, salary or the number of jobs 쑗 price cuts or cuts in prices 왍 he took a cut in salary, he took a salary cut he accepted a lower salary 2. a share in a payment 쑗 She introduces new customers and gets a cut of the sales rep’s commission. 쐽 verb 1. to lower something suddenly 쑗 We are cutting prices on all our models. 쑗 We have taken out the second telephone line in order to try to cut costs. 왍 to cut (back) production to reduce the quantity of products made 2. to reduce the number of something 왍 to cut jobs to reduce the number of jobs by making people redundant 왍 he cut his losses he stopped doing something which was creating a loss ‘…state-owned banks cut their prime rates a percentage point to 11%’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…the US bank announced a cut in its prime from 10½ per cent to 10 per cent’ [Financial Times]

cutback /ktbk/ noun a reduction 쑗

cutbacks in government spending cut down on /kt daυn ɒn/ verb to reduce suddenly the amount of something used 쑗 The government is cutting down on welfare expenditure. 쑗 The office is trying to cut down on electricity consumption. 쑗 We have installed networked computers to cut down on paperwork. cut in /kt n/ verb 왍 to cut someone in on a deal to give someone a share in the profits of a deal (informal ) .

cyclical stocks

cutoff date /ktɒf det/ noun a date

when something is stopped, such as the final date for receiving applications for shares, or the date when the current trading account ends and the next account begins cut-price /kt pras/ adjective sold at a cheaper price than usual 쑗 He made his money selling cut-price goods in the local market. 쑗 You can get cut-price petrol in some petrol stations near the border. cut-price store /kt pras stɔ/ noun a store selling cut-price goods cut-throat competition /kt θrəυt kɒmpətʃ(ə)n/ noun sharp competition which cuts prices and offers high discounts CWO abbreviation cash with order cycle /sak(ə)l/ noun a period of time during which something leaves its original position and then returns to it cyclical /sklk(ə)l/ adjective which happens in cycles ‘…consumer cyclicals such as general retailers should in theory suffer from rising interest rates. And food retailers in particular have cyclical exposure without price power’ [Investors Chronicle]

cyclical factors /sklk(ə)l fktəz/

plural noun the way in which a trade cycle affects businesses cyclical stocks /sklk(ə)l stɒks/ plural noun shares in companies which move in a regular pattern (such as shares in a turkey producer might rise in the period before Christmas)

D daily /deli/ adjective done every day 왍 daily interest, interest calculated

daily or on a daily basis a rate of interest calculated each day and added to the principal daily consumption /deli kənsmpʃən/ noun an amount used each day daily sales returns /deli selz/ plural noun reports of sales made each day Daimyo bond /damjəυ bɒnd/ noun a Japanese bearer bond which can be cleared through European clearing houses dalasi /dəlɑsi/ noun a unit of currency used in the Gambia damp down /dmp daυn/ verb to reduce 쑗 to damp down demand for domestic consumption of oil danger money /dend$ə mni/ noun extra money paid to employees in dangerous jobs 쑗 The workforce has stopped work and asked for danger money. 쑗 He decided to go to work on an oil rig because of the danger money offered as an incentive. data /detə/ noun information available on computer, e.g. letters or figures 쑗 All important data on employees was fed into the computer. 쑗 To calculate the weekly wages, you need data on hours worked and rates of pay. (NOTE: takes a singular or plural verb)

data acquisition /detə kw-

zʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of gathering information about a subject data bank /detə bŋk/ noun a store of information in a computer database /detəbes/ noun a set of data stored in an organised way in a computer system 쑗 We can extract the lists of potential customers from our database.

data capture /detə kptʃə/, data entry /detə entri/ noun same as data acquisition data mining /detə manŋ/ noun

the use of advanced software to search online databases and identify statistical patterns or relationships in the data that may be commercially useful data processing /detə prəυsesŋ/ noun the act of selecting and examining data in a computer to produce information in a special form Datastream /detəstrim/ noun a data system available online, giving information about securities, prices, stock exchange transactions, etc. date /det/ noun 1. the number of the day, month and year 쑗 I have received your letter of yesterday’s date. 왍 date of receipt the date when something is received 2. 왍 to date up to now 왍 interest to date interest up to the present time 쐽 verb to put a date on a document 쑗 The cheque was dated March 24th. 쑗 You forgot to date the cheque. 왍 to date a cheque forward to put a later date than the present one on a cheque dated /detd/ adjective 1. with a date written on it 쑗 Thank you for your letter dated June 15th. 2. out-of-date 쑗 The unions have criticised management for its dated ideas. date draft /det drɑft/ noun a draft which has a certain maturity date date of bill /det əv bl/ noun a date when a bill will mature date of record /det əv rekɔd/ noun the date when a shareholder must be registered to qualify for a dividend date stamp /det stmp/ noun a stamp with rubber figures which can be moved, used for marking the date on documents

dawn raid

dawn raid /dɔn red/ noun a sudden planned purchase of a large number of a company’s shares at the beginning of a day’s trading (NOTE: Up to 15% of a company’s shares may be bought in this way, and the purchaser must wait for seven days before purchasing any more shares. Sometimes a dawn raid is the first step towards a takeover of the target company.) DAX index noun an index of prices on

the Frankfurt stock exchange. Full form Deutsche Aktien index day /de/ noun 1. a period of 24 hours 쑗

There are thirty days in June. 쑗 The first day of the month is a public holiday. 왍 days of grace the time given to a debtor to repay a loan, to pay the amount purchased using a credit card, or to pay an insurance premium 쑗 Let’s send the cheque at once since we have only five days of grace left. 쑗 Because the shopowner has so little cash available, we will have to allow him additional days of grace. 왍 three clear days three whole working days 쑗 to give ten clear days’ notice 쑗 Allow four clear days for the cheque to be paid into the bank. 2. a period of work from morning to night 왍 she took two days off she did not come to work for two days 왍 she works three days on, two days off she works for three days, then has two days’ holiday 왍 to work an eight-hour day to spend eight hours at work each day 3. one of the days of the week day book /de bυk/ noun a book with an account of sales and purchases made each day day order /de ɔdə/ noun an order to a stockbroker to buy or sell on a certain day day release /de rlis/ noun an arrangement where a company allows a worker to go to college to study for one or two days each week 쑗 The junior sales manager is attending a day release course. day shift /de ʃft/ noun a shift worked during the daylight hours (from early morning to late afternoon) day trader /de tredə/ noun a person who buys shares and sells them within the same day day work /de w%k/ noun work done during a day

dealing

DCF abbreviation discounted cash flow dead /ded/ adjective not working dead account /ded əkaυnt/ noun

an account which is no longer used dead-cat bounce /ded kt baυns/ noun a slight rise in a share price after a sharp fall, showing that some investors are still interested in buying the share at the lower price, although further sharp falls will follow deadline /dedlan/ noun the date by which something has to be done 왍 to meet a deadline to finish something in time 왍 to miss a deadline to finish something later than it was planned 쑗 We’ve missed our October 1st deadline. deadlock /dedlɒk/ noun a point where two sides in a dispute cannot agree 쑗 The negotiations have reached deadlock or a deadlock. 왍 to break a deadlock to find a way to start discussions again after being at a point where no agreement was possible 쐽 verb to be unable to agree to continue negotiations 왍 talks have been deadlocked for ten days after ten days the talks have not produced any agreement dead loss /ded lɒs/ noun a total loss 쑗 The car was written off as a dead loss. deal /dil/ noun a business agreement, affair or contract 쑗 The sales director set up a deal with a Russian bank. 쑗 The deal will be signed tomorrow. 쑗 They did a deal with an American airline. 왍 to call off a deal to stop an agreement 쑗 When the chairman heard about the deal he called it off. 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to deal with to organise something 쑗 Leave it to the filing clerk – he’ll deal with it. 왍 to deal with an order to work to supply an order 2. to buy and sell 왍 to deal with someone to do business with someone 왍 to deal in leather or options to buy and sell leather or options 왍 he deals on the Stock Exchange his work involves buying and selling shares on the Stock Exchange for clients dealer /dilə/ noun 1. a person who buys and sells 쑗 a used-car dealer 2. a person or firm that buys or sells on their own account, not on behalf of clients dealer bank /dilər bŋk/ noun a bank which deals on the stock exchange or which deals in government securities dealing /dilŋ/ noun 1. the business of buying and selling on the Stock Ex-

dealing floor change, commodity markets or currency markets 왍 dealing for or within the account buying shares and selling the same shares during an account, which means that the dealer has only to pay the difference between the price of the shares bought and the price obtained for them when they are sold 2. the business of buying and selling goods 왍 to have dealings with someone to do business with someone dealing floor /dilŋ flɔ/ noun 1. an area of a broking house where dealing in securities is carried out by phone, using monitors to display current prices and stock exchange transactions 2. a part of a stock exchange where dealers trade in securities dealing-only broker /dilŋ əυnli brəυkə/ noun a broker who buys and sells shares for clients, but does not provide any advice and does not manage portfolios (as opposed to a full-service broker) dear /də/ adjective expensive, costing a lot of money 쑗 Property is very dear in this area. dear money /də mni/ noun money which has to be borrowed at a high interest rate, and so restricts expenditure by companies. Also called tight money

death benefit /deθ benft/ noun

insurance benefit paid to the family of someone who dies in an accident at work death duty /deθ djuti/ noun US a tax paid on the property left by a dead person. Also called death tax (NOTE: The UK term is inheritance tax.)

death in service /deθ n s%vs/

noun an insurance benefit or pension paid when someone dies while employed by a company death tax /deθ tks/ noun same as death duty debenture /dbentʃə/ noun agreement to repay a debt with fixed interest using the company’s assets as security 쑗 The bank holds a debenture on the company. COMMENT: In the UK, debentures are al-

ways secured on the company’s assets. In the USA, debenture bonds are not secured.

debits and credits

debenture bond /dbentʃə bɒnd/

noun US 1. a certificate showing that a debenture has been issued 2. an unsecured loan debenture capital /dbentʃə kpt(ə)l/ noun a capital borrowed by a company, using its fixed assets as security debenture holder /dbentʃə həυldə/ noun a person who holds a debenture for money lent debenture stock /dbentʃə stɒk/ noun a capital borrowed by a company, using its fixed assets as security debit /debt/ noun an amount entered in accounts which shows an increase in assets or expenses or a decrease in liabilities, revenue or capital. In accounts, debits are entered in the left-hand column. Compare credit 쐽 verb 왍 to debit an account to charge an account with a cost 쑗 His account was debited with the sum of £25. debitable /debtəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be debited debit balance /debt bləns/ noun a balance in an account showing that more money is owed than has been received 쑗 Because of large payments to suppliers, the account has a debit balance of £1,000. debit bureau /debt bjυərəυ/ noun a centralised system for checking a customer’s credit rating when he or she presents a cheque as payment debit card /debt kɑd/ noun a plastic card, similar to a credit card, but which debits the holder’s account immediately through an EPOS system debit column /debt kɒləm/ noun the left-hand column in accounts showing the money paid or owed to others debit entry /debt entri/ noun an entry on the debit side of an account debit interest /debt ntrəst/ noun an interest on debts, such as overdrafts debit note /debt nəυt/ noun a note showing that a customer owes money 쑗 We undercharged Mr Smith and had to send him a debit note for the extra amount. debits and credits /debts ən kredts/ plural noun money which a company owes and money it receives, or figures which are entered in the ac-

debit side counts to record increases or decreases in assets, expenses, liabilities, revenue or capital debit side /debt sad/ noun a left-hand column of accounts showing money owed or paid to others debt /det/ noun money owed for goods or services 쑗 The company stopped trading with debts of over £1 million. 왍 to be in debt to owe money 왍 he is in debt to the tune of £250,000 he owes £250,000 왍 to get into debt to start to borrow more money than you can pay back 왍 the company is out of debt the company does not owe money any more 왍 to pay back a debt to pay all the money owed 왍 to pay off a debt to finish paying money owed 왍 to reschedule a debt to arrange for the repayment of a debt to be put off to a later date 왍 to service a debt to pay interest on a debt 쑗 The company is having problems in servicing its debts. 왍 debts due money owed which is due for repayment debt collection /det kəlekʃən/ noun the act of collecting money which is owed debt collection agency /det kəlekʃən ed$ənsi/ noun a company which collects debts for other companies for a commission debt collector /det kəlektə/ noun a person who collects debts debt-convertible bond /det kənv%tb(ə)l bɒnd/ noun a floating-rate bond which can be converted to a fixed rate of interest. 쏡 droplock bond debt counselling /det kaυnsəlŋ/ noun the work of advising people who are in debt of the best ways to arrange their finances so as to pay off their debts debt instrument /det nstrυmənt/ noun a document by which someone promises to repay a debt (NOTE: Debt instruments include such things as IOUs, CDs and bank notes.) debtor /detə/ noun a person who

owes money

debtor nation /detə neʃ(ə)n/ noun

a country whose foreign debts are larger than money owed to it by other countries ‘…the United States is now a debtor nation for the first time since 1914, owing more to foreigners than it is owed itself’ [Economist]

declaration of bankruptcy

debtor side /detə sad/ noun the debit side of an account

debt-service ratio /det s%vs

reʃiəυ/ noun the debts of a company shown as a percentage of its equity debt servicing /det s%vsŋ/ noun the payment of interest on a debt debt swap /det swɒp/ noun a method of reducing exposure to a long-term Third World debt by selling it at a discount to another bank decelerate /diseləret/ verb to slow down deciding factor /dsadŋ fktə/ noun the most important factor which influences a decision 쑗 A deciding factor in marketing our range of sports goods in the country was the rising standard of living there. decile /desal/ noun one of a series of nine figures below which one tenth or several tenths of the total fall decimal /desm(ə)l/ noun 왍 correct to three places of decimals correct to three figures after the decimal point (e.g. 3.485) decimalisation /desm(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, decimalization noun the process of changing to a decimal system decimalise /desm(ə)laz/, decimalize verb to change something to a decimal system decimal point /desm(ə)l pɔnt/ noun a dot which indicates the division between the whole unit and its smaller parts (such as 4.75) COMMENT: The decimal point is used in

the UK and USA. In most European countries a comma is used to indicate a decimal, so 4,75% in Germany means 4.75% in the UK

system /desm(ə)l sstəm/ noun a system of mathematics based on the number 10 decision-maker /ds$(ə)n mekə/ noun a person who takes decisions declaration /dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun an official statement decimal

declaration

bankruptcy

/dekləreʃ(ə)n əv bŋkrptsi/ noun

an official statement that someone is bankrupt

declaration of income

declaration

income

/dekləreʃ(ə)n əv nkm/ noun same as income tax return declare /dkleə/ verb to make an offi-

cial statement of something, or announce something to the public 쑗 to declare someone bankrupt 쑗 The company declared an interim dividend of 10p per share. 왍 to declare goods to customs to state that you are importing goods which are liable to duty 쑗 Customs officials asked him if he had anything to declare. 왍 to declare an interest to state in public that you own shares in a company being discussed or that you are related to someone who can benefit from your contacts declared /dkleəd/ adjective which has been made public or officially stated declared value /dkleəd vlju/ noun the value of goods entered on a customs declaration decline /dklan/ noun 1. a gradual fall 쑗 the decline in the value of the dollar 쑗 a decline in buying power 쑗 The last year has seen a decline in real wages. 2. the final stage in the life cycle of a product when the sales and profitability are falling off and the product is no longer worth investing in 쐽 verb to fall slowly or decrease 쑗 Shares declined in a weak market. 쑗 New job applications have declined over the last year. 쑗 The economy declined during the last government. 쑗 The purchasing power of the pound declined over the decade. ‘Saudi oil production has declined by three quarters to around 2.5m barrels a day’ [Economist] ‘…this gives an average monthly decline of 2.15 per cent during the period’ [Business Times (Lagos)] ‘…share prices disclosed a weak tendency right from the onset of business and declined further, showing losses over a broad front’ [The Hindu]

decrease noun /dikris/ a fall or re-

duction 쑗 The decrease in the prices of consumer goods is reflected in the fall in the cost of living. 쑗 Exports have registered a decrease. 쑗 Sales show a 10% decrease on last year. 쐽 verb /dkris/ to fall or to become less 쑗 Imports are decreasing. 쑗 The value of the pound has decreased by 5%. deduct /ddkt/ verb to take money away from a total 쑗 to deduct £3 from

deep discounted rights issue the price 쑗 to deduct a sum for expenses 쑗 After deducting costs the gross margin is only 23%. 쑗 Expenses are still to be deducted. 왍 tax deducted at source tax which is removed from a salary, interest payment or dividend payment on shares before the money is paid deductible /ddktb(ə)l/ adjective which can be deducted 왍 these expenses are not tax-deductible tax has to be paid on these expenses deduction /ddkʃən/ noun the removing of money from a total, or the amount of money removed from a total 쑗 Net salary is salary after deduction of tax and social security. 쑗 The deduction from his wages represented the cost of repairing the damage he had caused to the machinery. 왍 deductions from salary or salary deductions or deductions at source money which a company removes from salaries to give to the government as tax, national insurance contributions, etc. deed /did/ noun a legal document or written agreement deed of assignment /did əv əsanmənt/ noun a document which legally transfers a property from a debtor to a creditor deed of covenant /did əv kvənənt/ noun a signed legal agreement by which someone agrees to certain conditions, such as the payment of a certain sum of money each year deed of partnership /did əv pɑtnəʃp/ noun agreement which sets up a partnership deed of transfer /did əv trnsf%/ noun a document which transfers the ownership of shares deep discount /dip dskaυnt/ noun a very large discount ‘…when it needed to make its financial results look good, it shipped a lot of inventory. It did this by offering deep discounts to distributors’ [Forbes]

deep discounted bonds /dip

dskaυntd bɒndz/ plural noun Eurobonds which are issued at a very large discount but which do not produce any interest

deep discounted rights issue

/dip dskaυntd rats/ noun a rights issue where the new shares are priced at

defalcation a very low price compared to their current market value ‘…as the group’s shares are already widely held, the listing will be via an introduction. It will also be accompanied by a deeply discounted £25m rights issue, leaving the company cash positive’ [Sunday Times]

defalcation /diflkeʃ(ə)n/ noun

an illegal use of money by someone who is not the owner but who has been trusted to look after it default /dfɔlt/ noun 1. a failure to carry out the terms of a contract, especially failure to pay back a debt 왍 in default of payment with no payment made 왍 the company is in default the company has failed to carry out the terms of the contract 2. 왍 by default because no one else will act 왍 he was elected by default he was elected because all the other candidates withdrew 쐽 verb to fail to carry out the terms of a contract, especially to fail to pay back a debt 쑗 There was a major financial crisis when the bank defaulted. 왍 to default on payments not to make payments which are due under the terms of a contract defaulter /dfɔltə/ noun a person who defaults defeasance /dfiz(ə)ns/ noun a clause (in a collateral deed) which says that a contract or bond or recognisance will be revoked if something happens or if some act is performed defence /dfens/ noun 1. the action of protecting someone or something against attack 쑗 The merchant bank is organising the company’s defence against the takeover bid. 2. the act of fighting a lawsuit on behalf of a defendant (NOTE: [all senses] The US spelling is defense.)

defence counsel /dfens kaυnsəl/

noun a lawyer who represents the defendant in a lawsuit defence document /dfens dɒkjυmənt/ noun a document published by a company which is the subject of a takeover bid, saying why the bid should be rejected defend /dfend/ verb to fight to protect someone or something that is being attacked 쑗 The company is defending itself against the takeover bid. 쑗 They hired the best lawyers to defend them against the tax authorities. 왍 to defend

deferred tax a lawsuit to appear in court to state your case when accused of something defendant /dfendənt/ noun a person against whom a legal action is taken or who is accused of doing something to harm someone (NOTE: The other side in a case is the claimant.)

takeover /dfendd tekəυvə/ noun same as contested

defended takeover

defensive shares /dfensv ʃeəz/,

defensive stocks /dfensv stɒks/ plural noun shares which are not likely to fall in value because they are in stable market sectors, and which are therefore bought as protection against potential losses in more speculative investments defer /df%/ verb to put back to a later date, to postpone 쑗 We will have to defer payment until January. 쑗 The decision has been deferred until the next meeting. (NOTE: deferring – deferred) deferment /df%mənt/ noun the act of leaving until a later date 쑗 deferment of payment 쑗 deferment of a decision deferral /df%rəl/ noun a postponement, a putting back to a later date 쑗 tax deferral deferred /df%d/ adjective put back to a later date deferred coupon note /df%d kupɒn nəυt/ noun a bond where the interest is not paid immediately, but only after a certain date deferred creditor /df%d kredtə/ noun a person who is owed money by a bankrupt but who is paid only after all other creditors deferred equity /df%d ekwti/ noun a share ownership at a later date (i.e. as part of convertible loan stock) deferred interest bond /df%d ntrəst bɒnd/ noun same as deferred coupon note deferred payment /df%d pemənt/ noun 1. money paid later than the agreed date 2. payment for goods by instalments over a long period deferred shares /df%d ʃeəz/, deferred stock /df%d stɒk/ noun shares which receive a dividend only after all other dividends have been paid deferred tax /df%d tks/ noun a tax which may become payable at some later date

deficiency

deficiency /dfʃ(ə)nsi/ noun a lack

of something, or the amount by which something, e.g. a sum of money, is less than it should be 쑗 There is a £10 deficiency in the petty cash. 왍 to make up a deficiency to put money into an account to balance it deficit /defst/ noun the amount by which spending is higher than income 왍 the accounts show a deficit the accounts show a loss 왍 to make good a deficit to put money into an account to balance it deficit financing /defst fannsŋ/ noun a type of financial planning by a government in which it borrows money to cover the difference between its tax income and its expenditure defined /dfand/ adjective with specific aims defined benefit plan /dfand beneft pln/, defined contribution plan /dfand kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n pln/ noun US a pension plan set up by corporations for their employees deflate /diflet/ verb 왍 to deflate the economy to reduce activity in the economy by cutting the supply of money deflation /difleʃ(ə)n/ noun a general reduction in economic activity as a result of a reduced supply of money and credit, leading to lower prices 쑗 The oil crisis resulted in worldwide deflation. (NOTE: The opposite is inflation.) ‘…the reluctance of people to spend is one of the main reasons behind 26 consecutive months of price deflation, a key economic ill that has led to price wars, depressed the profit margins of state enterprises and hit incomes among the rural population’ [Financial Times]

deflationary /difleʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective which can cause deflation 쑗 The government has introduced some deflationary measures in the budget.

‘…the strong dollar’s deflationary impact on European economies as national governments push up interest rates’ [Duns Business Month]

deflator /difletə/ noun the amount

by which a country’s GNP is reduced to take inflation into account defray /dfre/ verb to provide money to pay costs 쑗 The company agreed to defray the costs of the exhibition. degearing /diərŋ/ noun a reduction in gearing, reducing a company’s

delivery month loan capital in relation to the value of its ordinary shares del credere /del kredər/ noun an amount added to a charge to cover the possibility of not being paid del credere agent /del kredər ed$ənt/ noun an agent who receives a high commission because he or she guarantees payment by customers delinquency /dlŋkwənsi/ noun US the fact of being overdue in payment of an account, an interest payment, etc. delinquent /dlŋkwənt/ adjective US referring to an account or payment of tax which is overdue delist /dilst/ verb to remove a company from a Stock Exchange listing (as when a company is ‘taken private’ when an individual investor buys all the shares) delisting /dilstŋ/ noun an action of removing a company from a Stock Exchange listing deliver /dlvə/ verb to transport goods to a customer 왍 goods delivered free or free delivered goods goods transported to the customer’s address at a price which includes transport costs 왍 goods delivered on board goods transported free to the ship or plane but not to the customer’s warehouse delivered price /dlvəd pras/ noun a price which includes packing and transport delivery /dlv(ə)ri/ noun 1. the transporting of goods to a customer 쑗 allow 28 days for delivery 쑗 parcels awaiting delivery 쑗 free delivery or delivery free 쑗 a delivery date 쑗 Delivery is not allowed for or is not included. 쑗 We have a pallet of parcels awaiting delivery. 왍 to take delivery of goods to accept goods when they are delivered 쑗 We took delivery of the stock into our warehouse on the 25th. 2. a consignment of goods being delivered 쑗 We take in three deliveries a day. 쑗 There were four items missing in the last delivery. 3. the transport of a commodity to a purchaser 4. the transfer of a bill of exchange or other negotiable instrument to the bank which is due to make payment delivery month /dlv(ə)ri mnθ/ noun a month in a futures contract when actual delivery will take place

delivery note

delivery note /dlv(ə)ri nəυt/ noun

a list of goods being delivered, given to the customer with the goods delivery of goods /dlv(ə)ri əv υdz/ noun the transport of goods to a customer’s address delivery order /dlv(ə)ri ɔdə/ noun the instructions given by the customer to the person holding her goods, to tell her where and when to deliver them delivery service /dlv(ə)ri s%vs/ noun a transport service organised by a supplier or a shop to take goods to customers delivery time /dlv(ə)ri tam/ noun the number of days before something will be delivered delivery van /dlv(ə)ri vn/ noun a van for delivering goods to customers delta shares /deltə ʃeəz/, delta securities /deltə skjυərtiz/, delta stocks /deltə stɒks/ noun shares in about 120 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, but not on the SEAQ system because they are very rarely traded demand /dmɑnd/ noun 1. an act of asking for payment 왍 payable on demand which must be paid when payment is asked for 2. the need that customers have for a product or their eagerness to buy it 쑗 There was an active demand for oil shares on the stock market. 쑗 The factory had to cut production when demand slackened. 쑗 The office cleaning company cannot keep up with the demand for its services. 왍 there is not much demand for this item not many people want to buy it 왍 this book is in great demand or there is a great demand for this book many people want to buy it 왍 to meet or fill a demand to supply what is needed 쑗 The factory had to increase production to meet the extra demand. 쐽 verb to ask for something and expect to get it 쑗 She demanded a refund. 쑗 The suppliers are demanding immediate payment of their outstanding invoices. 쑗 The shop stewards demanded an urgent meeting with the managing director. ‘…spot prices are now relatively stable in the run-up to the winter’s peak demand’ [Economist] ‘…the demand for the company’s products remained strong throughout the first six months

demutualise of the year with production and sales showing significant increases’ [Business Times (Lagos)] ‘…growth in demand is still coming from the private rather than the public sector’ [Lloyd’s List]

demand bill /dmɑnd bl/ noun a

bill of exchange which must be paid when payment is asked for demand deposit /dmɑnd dpɒzt/ noun US money in a deposit account which can be taken out when you want it by writing a cheque demand draft /dmɑnd drɑft/ noun a draft which is to be paid immediately demand-led inflation /dmɑnd led nfleʃ(ə)n/, demand-pull inflation /dmɑnd pυl nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation caused by rising demand which cannot be met demand note /dmɑnd nəυt/ noun a promissory note which must be paid when it is presented demand price /dmɑnd pras/ noun the price at which a quantity of goods will be bought demerge /dim%d$/ verb to separate a company into several separate parts demerger /dim%d$ə/ noun the separation of a company into several separate parts (especially used of companies which have grown by acquisition) demise /dmaz/ noun 1. a death 쑗 On his demise the estate passed to his daughter. 2. the act of granting a property on a lease demonetisation /dimntazeʃ(ə)n/, demonetization noun the act of stopping a coin or note being used as money demonetise /dimntaz/, demonetize verb to stop a coin or note being used as money demurrage /dmrd$/ noun money paid to a customer when a shipment is delayed at a port or by customs demutualisation /dimjutjuəlazeʃ(ə)n/, demutualization noun of the process by which a mutual society, such as building society, becomes a publicly owned corporation demutualise /dimjutjuəlaz/, demutualize verb to stop having mutual status, by becoming a Plc and

denomination

selling shares to the general public on the stock market denomination /dnɒmneʃ(ə)n/ noun a unit of money (on a coin, banknote or stamp) 쑗 We collect coins of all denominations for charity. 쑗 Small denomination notes are not often counterfeited. department /dpɑtmənt/ noun 1. a specialised section of a large organisation 쑗 Trainee managers work for a while in each department to get an idea of the organisation as a whole. 2. a section of a large store selling one type of product 쑗 You will find beds in the furniture department. 3. a section of the British government containing several ministries departmental /dipɑtment(ə)l/ adjective referring to a department

departmental

manager

/dipɑtment(ə)l mnd$ə/ noun the

manager of a department

Department for Work and Pensions /dpɑtmənt fə w%k ən

penʃənz/ noun a British government department responsible for services to people of working age, pensioners and families. Abbreviation DWP

Department of Trade and Industry /dpɑtmənt əv tred ənd

ndəstri/ noun a British government department which deals with areas such as commerce, international trade and the stock exchange. Abbreviation DTI department store /dpɑtmənt stɔ/ noun a large store with separate sections for different types of goods deposit /dpɒzt/ noun 1. money placed in a bank for safe keeping or to earn interest 왍 deposit at 7 days’ notice money deposited which you can withdraw by giving seven days’ notice 2. money given in advance so that the thing which you want to buy will not be sold to someone else 쑗 to pay a deposit on a watch 쑗 to leave £10 as deposit 쐽 verb 1. to put documents somewhere for safe keeping 쑗 to deposit shares with a bank 쑗 We have deposited the deeds of the house with the bank. 쑗 He deposited his will with his solicitor. 2. to put money into a bank account 쑗 to deposit £100 in a current account deposit account /dpɒzt əkaυnt/ noun a bank account which pays interest

depreciate but on which notice has to be given to withdraw money depositary /dpɒztəri/ noun US a person or corporation which can place money or documents for safekeeping with a depository. 쏡 American Depositary Receipt (NOTE: Do not confuse with depository.) deposit multiplier /dpɒzt mltplaə/ noun a factor by which a

bank can increase deposits as a ratio of its reserves depositor /dpɒztə/ noun a person who deposits money in a bank, building society, etc. depository /dpɒzt(ə)ri/ noun a person or company with whom money or documents can be deposited (NOTE: Do not confuse with depositary.)

deposit slip /dpɒzt slp/ noun a

piece of paper stamped by the cashier to prove that you have paid money into your account deposit-taking institution /dpɒzt tekŋ nsttjuʃ(ə)n/, depository institution /dpɒzt(ə)ri nsttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun an institution such as a building society, bank or friendly society, which is licensed to receive money on deposit from private individuals and to pay interest on it depreciate /dpriʃiet/ verb 1. to reduce the value of assets in accounts 쑗 We depreciate our company cars over three years. 2. to lose value 쑗 a share which has depreciated by 10% over the year 쑗 The pound has depreciated by 5% against the dollar. ‘…this involved reinvesting funds on items which could be depreciated against income for three years’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…buildings are depreciated at two per cent per annum on the estimated cost of construction’ [Hongkong Standard] ‘…the euro’s downward drift sparked alarmed reactions from the European Central Bank which has seen the new currency depreciate by almost 15% since its launch’ [Times] COMMENT: Various methods of depreci-

ating assets are used, such as the ‘straight line method’, where the asset is depreciated at a constant percentage of its cost each year and the ‘reducing balance method’, where the asset is depreciated at a constant percentage which is applied to the cost of the asset after each

depreciation

100

of the previous years’ depreciation has been deducted.

depreciation /dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a loss of value 쑗 a share which has

shown a depreciation of 10% over the year 쑗 the depreciation of the pound against the dollar 2. a reduction in value, writing down the capital value of an asset over a period of time in a company’s accounts depreciation rate /dpriʃieʃ(ə)n ret/ noun the rate at which an asset is depreciated each year in the company accounts depress /dpres/ verb to reduce something 쑗 Reducing the money supply has the effect of depressing demand for consumer goods. depressed area /dprest eəriə/ noun a part of a country suffering from depression depressed market /dprest mɑkt/ noun a market where there are more goods than customers depression /dpreʃ(ə)n/ noun a period of economic crisis with high unemployment and loss of trade 쑗 The country entered a period of economic depression. dept abbreviation department deregulate /direjυlet/ verb to remove government controls from an industry 쑗 The US government deregulated the banking sector in the 1980s. deregulation /direjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the reduction of government control over an industry 쑗 the deregulation of the airlines ‘…after the slump in receipts last year that followed liner shipping deregulation in the US, carriers are probably still losing money on their transatlantic services. But with a possible contraction in capacity and healthy trade growth, this year has begun in a much more promising fashion than last’ [Lloyd’s List]

derivative instruments /drvətv

nstrυmənts/, derivatives /drvətvz/ plural noun any forms of traded security, such as option contracts, which are derived from ordinary bonds and shares, exchange rates or stock market indices COMMENT: Derivatives traded on stock

exchanges or futures exchanges include options on futures or exchange rates or interest rate. While they can be seen as a

develop way of hedging against possible swings in exchange rates or commodity prices, they can also produce huge losses if the market goes against the trader.

descending tops /dsendŋ tɒps/

plural noun a term used by chartists to refer to a falling market, where each peak is lower than the one before designate adjective /deznət/ appointed to a job but not yet working 쑗 the chairman designate (NOTE: always follows a noun) 쐽 verb /deznet/ to appoint someone to a post designer /dzanə/ adjective expensive and fashionable 쑗 designer jeans desk /desk/ noun 1. a writing table in an office, usually with drawers for stationery 쑗 a desk diary 쑗 a desk drawer 쑗 a desk light 왍 a three-drawer desk desk with three drawers 2. a section of a newspaper desk pad /desk pd/ noun a pad of paper kept on a desk for writing notes destabilise /disteblaz/, destabilize verb to make something less stable 쑗 The comments by the speculators were aimed at destabilising the country’s economy. destabilising /disteblazŋ/, destabilizing adjective which makes something less stable detailed account /diteld əkaυnt/ noun an account which lists every item determine /dt%mn/ verb to fix, arrange or decide 쑗 to determine prices or quantities 쑗 conditions still to be determined Deutsches Bundesbank noun the German central bank, based in Frankfurt Deutschmark /dɔtʃmɑk/ noun a unit of currency used before the euro in Germany (NOTE: When used with a figure, usually written DM before the figure: DM250 (say ‘two hundred and fifty Deutschmarks’).) devaluation /divljueʃ(ə)n/ noun a reduction in the value of a currency against other currencies 쑗 the devaluation of the rand devalue /divlju/ verb to reduce the value of a currency against other currencies 쑗 The pound has been devalued by 7%. develop /dveləp/ verb 1. to plan and produce 쑗 to develop a new product 2.

developing country

101

to plan and build an area 쑗 to develop an industrial estate developing country /dveləpŋ kntri/, developing nation /dveləpŋ neʃ(ə)n/ noun a country which is not fully industrialised development /dveləpmənt/ noun the work of planning the production of a new product and constructing the first prototypes 쑗 We spend a great deal on research and development. development area /dveləpmənt eəriə/, developement zone /dveləpmənt zəυn/ noun an area which has been given special help from a government to encourage businesses and factories to be set up there deviate /diviet/ verb to turn away from what is normal or usual deviation /divieʃ(ə)n/ noun a change of route or strategy 쑗 Advertising in the tabloids will mean a deviation from our normal marketing strategy. devise /dvaz/ noun the act of giving freehold land to someone in a will (NOTE: Giving of other types of property is a bequest). dial /daəl/ verb to call a telephone

number on a telephone 쑗 to dial a number 쑗 to dial the operator 왍 to dial direct to contact a phone number without asking the operator to do it for you 쑗 You can dial New York direct from London. differential /dfərenʃəl/ adjective which shows a difference 쐽 noun 왍 to erode wage differentials to reduce differences in salary gradually differential tariffs /dfərenʃəl trfs/ plural noun different tariffs for different classes of goods as, e.g., when imports from certain countries are taxed more heavily than similar imports from other countries difficulty /dfk(ə)lti/ noun a problem, or trouble in doing something 쑗 They had a lot of difficulty selling into the European market. 쑗 We have had some difficulties with customs over the export of computers. digit /dd$t/ noun a single number 쑗 a seven-digit phone number digital /dd$t(ə)l/ adjective converted into a form that can be processed by computers and accurately reproduced

dip

digital cash /dd$t(ə)l kʃ/ noun a form of digital money that can be used like physical cash to make online purchases and is anonymous because there is no way of obtaining information about the buyer when it is used digital money /dd$t(ə)l mni/ noun a series of numbers that has a value equivalent to a sum of money in a physical currency digital wallet /dd$t(ə)l wɒlt/ noun a piece of personalised software on the hard drive of a user’s computer that contains, in coded form, such items as credit card information, digital cash, a digital identity certificate, and standardised shipping information, and can be used when paying for a transaction electronically. Also called e-purse, electronic purse

diligence /dld$əns/ noun

쒁 due

diligence

dilute /dalut/ verb to make less

valuable 쑗 Conversion of the loan stock will dilute the assets per share by 5%. dilution levy /daluʃ(ə)n levi/ noun an extra charge levied by fund managers on investors buying or selling units in a fund, to offset any potential effect on the value of the fund of such sales or purchases dilution of shareholding /daluʃ(ə)n əv ʃeəhəυldŋ/ noun a situation where the ordinary share capital of a company has been increased, but without an increase in the assets so that each share is worth less than before (NOTE: The US term is stockholding.)

dime /dam/ noun US ten cent coin (informal ) .

diminish /dmnʃ/ verb to become

smaller 쑗 Our share of the market has diminished over the last few years. dinar /dinɑ/ noun a unit of currency used in some European countries (including Bosnia, Macedonia and Serbia) and in many Arabic countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Tunisia, South Yemen and Sudan dip /dp/ noun a sudden small fall 쑗 Last year saw a dip in the company’s performance. 쐽 verb to fall in price 쑗 Shares dipped sharply in yesterday’s trading. (NOTE: dipping – dipped)

direct

102

direct /darekt/ verb to manage or or-

ganise something 쑗 He directs our South-East Asian operations. 쑗 She was directing the development unit until last year. 쐽 adjective straight or without interference 쐽 adverb with no third party involved 쑗 We pay income tax direct to the government. 왍 to dial direct to contact a phone number yourself without asking the operator to do it for you 쑗 You can dial New York direct from London if you want. direct action /darekt kʃən/ noun a strike or go-slow by a workforce direct business /darekt bzns/ noun insurance business transacted between an insurance company and the person taking out the insurance (without going through a broker) direct cost /darekt kɒst/ noun a cost which can be directly related to the making of a product, i.e. its production cost direct debit /darekt debt/ noun a system where a customer allows a company to charge costs to his or her bank account automatically and where the amount charged can be increased or decreased with the agreement of the customer 쑗 I pay my electricity bill by direct debit. direction /darekʃən/ noun 1. the process of organising or managing 쑗 He took over the direction of a multinational group. 2. 왍 directions for use instructions showing how to use something directive /darektv/ noun an order or command to someone to do something (especially an order from the Council of Ministers or Commission of the European Union referring to a particular problem in certain countries) 쑗 The Commission issued a directive on food prices. directly /darektl/ adverb with no third party involved 쑗 We deal directly with the manufacturer, without using a wholesaler. direct mail /darekt mel/ noun the practice of selling a product by sending publicity material to possible buyers through the post 쑗 These calculators are only sold by direct mail. 쑗 The company runs a successful direct-mail operation.

Director of the Budget ‘…all of those who had used direct marketing techniques had used direct mail, 79% had used some kind of telephone technique and 63% had tried off-the-page selling’ [Precision marketing]

direct-mail advertising /darekt

mel dvətazŋ/ noun advertising by sending leaflets to people through the post direct mailing /darekt melŋ/ noun the sending of publicity material by post to possible buyers director /darektə/ noun 1. a senior employee appointed by the shareholders to help run a company, who is usually in charge of one or other of its main functions, e.g. sales or human relations, and usually, but not always, a member of the board of directors 왍 directors’ salaries salaries of directors (which have to be listed in the company’s profit and loss account) 2. the person who is in charge of a project, an official institute or other organisation 쑗 the director of the government research institute 쑗 She was appointed director of the trade association. ‘…the research director will manage and direct a team of business analysts reporting on the latest developments in retail distribution throughout the UK’ [Times] COMMENT: Directors are elected by

shareholders at the AGM, though they are usually chosen by the chairman or chief executive. A board will consist of a chairman (who may be non-executive), a chief executive or managing director and a series of specialist directors in charge of various activities of the company (such as a finance director, production director or sales director). The company secretary will attend board meetings, but need not be a director. Apart from the executive directors, who are in fact employees of the company, there may be several non-executive directors, appointed either for their expertise and contacts, or as representatives of important shareholders such as banks. The board of an American company may be made up of a large number of non-executive directors and only one or two executive officers. A British board has more executive directors.

directorate /darekt(ə)rət/ noun a group of directors

Director of the Budget /darektə

əv ðə bd$t/ noun the member of a government in charge of the preparation of the budget

director’s fees

103

director’s fees /darektəz fiz/ plural noun money paid to a director for attendance at board meetings directorship /darektəʃp/ noun the post of director 쑗 She was offered a directorship with Smith Ltd. ‘…what benefits does the executive derive from his directorship? In the first place compensation has increased sharply in recent years’ [Duns Business Month]

directors’ report /darektəz r-

pɔt/ noun the annual report from the board of directors to the shareholders directory /darekt(ə)ri/ noun 1. a reference book containing information on companies and their products 2. a list of people or businesses with information about their addresses and telephone numbers direct paper /darekt pepə/ noun a financial paper sold direct to investors direct placement /darekt plesmənt/ noun US the act of placing new shares directly with purchasers, without going through a broker direct selling /darekt selŋ/ noun the work of selling a product direct to the customer without going through a shop direct sends /darekt sendz/ plural noun US cheques sent directly to a drawee bank to be cleared, without going through the clearing house process direct share ownership /darekt ʃeə əυnəʃp/ noun the ownership of shares by private individuals, buying or selling through brokers, and not via holdings in unit trusts direct tax /darekt tks/ noun a tax (such as income tax) paid directly to the government direct taxation /darekt tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun a tax, such as income tax which is paid direct to the government 쑗 The government raises more money by direct taxation than by indirect. dirham /dərm/ noun a unit of currency used in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates dirty float /d%ti fləυt/ noun a process of floating a currency, where the government intervenes to regulate the exchange rate

discount

disallow /dsəlaυ/ verb not to accept

a claim for insurance 쑗 He claimed £2,000 for fire damage, but the claim was disallowed. disburse /dsb%s/ verb to pay money disbursem*nt /dsb%smənt/ noun the payment of money discharge noun /dstʃɑd$/ 1. a payment of debt 왍 in full discharge of a debt as full payment of a debt 2. 왍 in discharge of her duties as director while carrying out her duties as director 쐽 verb /dstʃɑd$/ 1. 왍 to discharge a bankrupt to release someone from bankruptcy because they have has paid their debts 2. to dismiss an employee 쑗 to discharge an employee for negligence discharged bankrupt /dstʃɑd$d bŋkrpt/ noun a person who has been released from being bankrupt because his or her debts have been paid

discharge

bankruptcy

/dstʃɑd$ n bŋkrptsi/, discharge of bankruptcy noun the legal

process of being released from bankruptcy after paying your debts disciplinary procedure /dsplnəri prəsid$ə/ noun a way of warning a worker officially that he or she is breaking rules or is working badly disclaimer /dsklemə/ noun a legal refusal to accept responsibility disclose /dskləυz/ verb to tell something that was previously unknown to other people or secret 쑗 The bank has no right to disclose details of my account to the tax office. disclosure /dskləυ$ə/ noun the act of telling something that was previously unknown to other people or secret 쑗 The disclosure of the takeover bid raised the price of the shares. disclosure of shareholding /dskləυ$ər əv ʃeəhəυldŋ/ noun the act of making public the fact that someone owns shares in a company discount noun /dskaυnt/ 1. the percentage by which the seller reduces the full price for the buyer 쑗 to give a discount on bulk purchases 왍 to sell goods at a discount or at a discount price to sell goods below the normal price 왍 10% discount for cash or 10% cash discount you pay 10% less if you pay in

discountable

104

cash 2. the amount by which something is sold for less than its value 왍 currency at a discount a currency whose future value is less than its spot value 왍 shares which stand at a discount shares which are lower in price than their asset value or their par value 쐽 verb /dskaυnt/ 1. to reduce prices to increase sales 2. 왍 to discount bills of exchange to buy or sell bills of exchange for less than the value written on them in order to cash them later 3. to react to something which may happen in the future (such as a possible takeover bid or currency devaluation) 왍 shares are discounting a rise in the dollar shares have risen in advance of a rise in the dollar price ‘…pressure on the Federal Reserve Board to ease monetary policy and possibly cut its discount rate mounted yesterday’ [Financial Times] ‘…banks refrained from quoting forward US/Hongkong dollar exchange rates as premiums of 100 points replaced the previous day’s discounts of up to 50 points’ [South China Morning Post]

discountable /dskaυntəb(ə)l/ ad-

jective which can be discounted 쑗 These bills are not discountable. discount broker /dskaυnt brəυkə/ noun a broker who charges a lower commission than other brokers

discounted

cash

flow

/dskaυntd kʃ fləυ/ noun the

calculation of the forecast return on capital investment by discounting future cash flows from the investment, usually at a rate equivalent to the company’s minimum required rate of return. Abbreviation DCF COMMENT: Discounting is necessary be-

cause it is generally accepted that money held today is worth more than money to be received in the future. The effect of discounting is to reduce future income or expenses to their ‘present value’. Once discounted, future cash flows can be compared directly with the initial cost of a capital investment which is already stated in present value terms. If the present value of income is greater than the present value of costs, the investment can be said to be worthwhile.

value /dskaυntd vlju/ noun the difference between the face value of a share and its lower market price discounted

discretionary

discounter /dskaυntə/ noun a per-

son or company that discounts bills or invoices, or sells goods at a discount ‘…invoice discounting is an instant finance raiser. Cash is advanced by a factor or discounter against the value of invoices sent out by the client company. Debt collection is still in the hands of the client company, which also continues to run its own bought ledger’ [Times] ‘…a 100,000 square-foot warehouse generates ten times the volume of a discount retailer; it can turn its inventory over 18 times a year, more than triple a big discounter’s turnover’ [Duns Business Month]

discount house /dskaυnt haυs/

noun 1. a financial company which specialises in discounting bills 2. a shop which specialises in selling cheap goods bought at a high discount discount market /dskaυnt mɑkt/ noun a market for borrowing and lending money, through Treasury bills, certificates of deposit, etc. discount points /dskaυnt pɔnts/ plural noun US extra payments made to a lender to produce a reduction in the interest rate on a mortgage discount price /dskaυnt pras/ noun the full price less a discount discount rate /dskaυnt ret/ noun the percentage taken when a bank buys bills discount store /dskaυnt stɔ/ noun a shop which specialises in cheap goods bought at a high discount discount window /dskaυnt wndəυ/ noun US a way in which the Federal Reserve grants loans to a bank by giving advances on the security of Treasury bills which the bank is holding discrepancy /dskrepənsi/ noun a situation where figures are not correct discrete compounding /dskrit kɒmpaυndŋ/ noun a system where interest is calculated at certain times, such as the end of a month or year, and then added to the principal discretion /dskreʃ(ə)n/ noun the ability to decide what should be done 왍 I leave it to your discretion I leave it for you to decide what to do 왍 at the discretion of someone according to what someone decides 쑗 Membership is at the discretion of the committee. discretionary /dskreʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective which can be done if someone wants 왍 the minister’s discretionary

discretionary account

105

powers powers which the minister could use if he or she thought it necessary 왍 on a discretionary basis referring to a way of managing a client’s funds, where the fund manager uses his discretion to do as he wants, without the client giving him any specific instructions

account /dskreʃ(ə)n(ə)ri əkaυnt/ noun a client’s account with a stockbroker, where the broker invests and sells at his own discretion without the client needing to give him specific instructions discretionary client /dskreʃ(ə)n(ə)ri klaənt/ noun a client whose funds are managed on a discretionary basis discretionary funds /dskreʃ(ə)n(ə)ri fndz/ plural noun funds managed on a discretionary basis diseconomies of scale /dskɒnəmiz əv skel/ plural noun a situation where increased production leads to a higher production cost per unit or average production cost discretionary

COMMENT: After having increased pro-

duction using the existing workforce and machinery, giving economies of scale, the company finds that in order to increase production further it has to employ more workers and buy more machinery, leading to an increase in unit cost.

/dsnfrntʃaz/ verb to take away someone’s right to vote 쑗 The company has tried to disenfranchise the ordinary shareholders. disequilibrium /dsikwlbriəm/ noun an imbalance in the economy when supply does not equal demand or a country’s balance of payments is in deficit dishonour /dsɒnə/ verb (NOTE: The US spelling is dishonor.) 왍 to dishonour a bill not to pay a bill dishonoured cheque /dsɒnəd tʃek/ noun a cheque which the bank will not pay because there is not enough money in the account to pay it disinflation /dsnfleʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of reducing inflation in the economy by increasing tax and reducing the level of money supply. Compare deflation

disenfranchise

disqualification

disinflationary /dsnfleʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective which reduces the level of inflation in the economy disintermediation /dsntəmidieʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the removal of any intermediaries from a process so that, e.g., lenders lend money direct to borrowers 2. a situation where investors remove their money from deposit accounts and invest directly in the stock market disinvest /dsnvest/ verb 1. to reduce investment by not replacing capital assets when they wear out 2. to reduce investment by selling shares disinvestment /dsnvestmənt/ noun 1. a reduction in capital assets by not replacing them when they wear out 2. a process of reducing investments by selling shares disk /dsk/ noun a round flat object, used to store information in computers disk drive /dsk drav/ noun a part of a computer which makes a disk spin round in order to read it or store information on it diskette /dsket/ noun a small floppy disk 쑗 He sent a diskette of the accounts to his accountant. dismissal procedures /dsms(ə)l prəsid$əz/ plural noun the correct way to dismiss someone, following the rules in the contract of employment dispatch note /dsptʃ nəυt/ noun a note saying that goods have been sent disposable personal income /dspəυzəb(ə)l p%s(ə)nəl nkm/ noun the income left after tax and national insurance have been deducted (also called ‘take-home’ pay) disposal /dspəυz(ə)l/ noun a sale 쑗 a disposal of securities 쑗 The company has started a systematic disposal of its property portfolio. 왍 lease or business for disposal a lease or business for sale dispose /dspəυz/ verb 왍 to dispose of to get rid of or to sell, especially cheaply 쑗 to dispose of excess stock 쑗 to dispose of excess equipment 쑗 He is planning to dispose of his business in the new year. disqualification /dskwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of making someone disqualified to do something ‘Even ‘administrative offences’ can result in disqualification. A person may be disqualified

disqualify

106

for up to five years following persistent breach of company legislation in terms of failing to file returns, accounts and other documents with the Registrar’ [Accountancy]

disqualify /dskwɒlfa/ verb to

make a person unqualified to do something, such as to be a director of a company dissolution /dsəluʃ(ə)n/ noun the ending (of a partnership) dissolve /dzɒlv/ verb to bring to an end 쑗 to dissolve a partnership distrain /dstren/ verb to seize goods to pay for debts distress /dstres/ noun the act of taking someone’s goods to pay for debts distressed companies /dstrest kmp(ə)niz/ plural noun companies which may go into liquidation, and whose shares are seen as a speculative buy distress merchandise /dstres m%tʃəndas/ noun US goods sold cheaply to pay a company’s debts distress sale /dstres sel/ noun a sale of goods at low prices to pay a company’s debts distress securities fund /dstres skjυərtiz fnd/ noun a type of fund which invests in companies where there may be a major problems distributable profits /dstrbjυtəb(ə)l prɒfts/ plural noun profits which can be distributed to shareholders as dividends if the directors decide to do so distribute /dstrbjut/ verb 1. to share out dividends 쑗 Profits were distributed among the shareholders. 2. to send out goods from a manufacturer’s warehouse to retail shops 쑗 Smith Ltd distributes for several smaller companies. 쑗 All orders are distributed from our warehouse near Oxford. distributed profits /dstrbjυtd prɒfts/ plural noun profits passed to shareholders in the form of dividends distribution /dstrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of sending goods from the manufacturer to the wholesaler and then to retailers 쑗 Stock is held in a distribution centre which deals with all order processing. 쑗 Distribution costs have risen sharply over the last 18 months. 쑗 She

divest

has several years’ experience as distribution manager. ‘British distribution companies are poised to capture a major share of the European market’ [Management News]

channel /dstrbjuʃ(ə)n tʃn(ə)l/ noun the route by which a product or service reaches a customer after it leaves the producer or supplier (NOTE: A distribution channel distribution

usually consists of a chain of intermediaries, for example wholesalers and retailers, that is designed to move goods from the point of production to the point of consumption in the most efficient way.) ‘…there is evidence that distribution channels are supply driven’ [Quarterly Review of Marketing]

network /dstrbjuʃ(ə)n netw%k/ noun a series of points or small warehouses from which goods are sent all over a country

distribution

income

/dstrbjuʃ(ə)n əv nkm/ noun

payment of dividends to shareholders distribution slip /dstrbjuʃ(ə)n slp/ noun a paper attached to a document or to a magazine, showing all the people in an office who should read it distributive trades /dstrbjυtv tredz/ plural noun all businesses involved in the distribution of goods distributor /dstrbjυtə/ noun a company which sells goods for another company which makes them 왍 a network of distributors a number of distributors spread all over a country distributorship /dstrbjυtəʃp/ noun the position of being a distributor for a company diversification /dav%sfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of adding another quite different type of business to a firm’s existing trade diversify /dav%sfa/ verb 1. to add new types of business to existing ones 쑗 The company is planning to diversify into new products. 2. to invest in different types of shares or savings so as to spread the risk of loss divest /davest/ verb 왍 to divest oneself of something to get rid of something 쑗 The company had divested itself of its US interests.

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107

divestiture /davesttʃə/ noun a sale of an asset

dividend /dvdend/ noun a percentage of profits paid to shareholders 왍 to

raise or increase the dividend to pay out a higher dividend than in the previous year 왍 to maintain the dividend to keep the same dividend as in the previous year 왍 to omit or pass the dividend to pay no dividend 왍 the dividend is covered four times the profits are four times the dividend 왍 the shares are quoted ex dividend the share price does not include the right to the dividend COMMENT: The dividend is calculated as

the proportion of profits a company can pay to its shareholders after tax has been paid, always keeping some of the profit back to reinvest in the company’s products or activities. Large companies usually pay dividends twice a year, once after the half-year results have been declared (called the ‘interim dividend’) and gain when the final results are published.

dividend check /dvdend tʃek/

noun US same as dividend warrant dividend cover /dvdend kvə/ noun the ratio of profits to dividends paid to shareholders dividend forecast /dvdend fɔkɑst/ noun a forecast of the amount of an expected dividend dividend payout /dvdend peaυt/ noun money paid as dividends to shareholders dividend per share /dvdend pə ʃeə/ noun an amount of money paid as dividend for each share held dividend warrant /dvdend wɒrənt/ noun a cheque which makes payment of a dividend (NOTE: The US term is dividend check.) dividend yield /dvdend jild/ noun a dividend expressed as a percentage of the current market price of a share divisional headquarters /dv$(ə)nəl hedkwɔtez/ plural noun the main office of a division of a company DJIA abbreviation Dow Jones Industrial Average DM, D-mark abbreviation Deutschmark

dollar

dock dues /dɒk djuz/ plural noun a

payment which a ship makes to the harbour authorities for the right to use the harbour doctor /dɒktə/ noun a specialist who examines people when they are sick to see how they can be made well 쑗 The staff are all sent to see the company doctor once a year. document /dɒkjυmənt/ noun a paper, especially an official paper, with written information on it 쑗 He left a file of documents in the taxi. 쑗 She asked to see the documents relating to the case. documentary /dɒkjυment(ə)ri/ adjective in the form of documents 쑗 documentary evidence

documentary

credit

documentary

proof

/dɒkjυment(ə)ri

kredt/ noun a credit document used in export trade, when a bank issues a letter of credit against shipping documents

/dɒkjυment(ə)ri pruf/ noun a proof

in the form of a document

/dɒkjυmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun all the documents referring to something 쑗 Please send me the complete documentation concerning the sale.

documentation

document

image

processing

/dɒkjυmənt md$ prəυsesŋ/ noun

a system for scanning documents, such as cheques, and storing the information in a retrieval system

documents against acceptance /dɒkjυmənts əenst əkseptəns/ noun 1. an arrangement whereby buyers

receive documents for the goods on their acceptance of a bill of exchange 2. a note to a bank to instruct it that documents attached to a draft should be given to the drawee when the draft is accepted

do-it-yourself

conveyancing

/du t jəself kənveənsŋ/ noun the

drawing up of a legal conveyance by the person selling a property, without the help of a lawyer dole queue /dəυl kju/ noun a line of people waiting to collect their unemployment money (NOTE: The US term is dole line.)

dollar /dɒlə/ noun a unit of currency

used in the US and other countries, such

dollar area

108

as Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, Hong Kong, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore and Zimbabwe 쑗 The US dollar rose 2%. 쑗 They sent a cheque for fifty Canadian dollars. 쑗 It costs six Australian dollars. 왍 a five dollar bill a banknote for five dollars dollar area /dɒlər eəriə/ noun an area of the world where the US dollar is the main trading currency dollar balances /dɒlə blənsz/ noun a country’s trade balances expressed in US dollars dollar cost averaging /dɒlər kɒst v(ə)rd$ŋ/ noun 쒁 pound-cost averaging

dollar crisis /dɒlə krass/ noun a

fall in the exchange rate for the US dollar dollar gap /dɒlə p/ noun a situation where the supply of US dollars is not enough to satisfy the demand for them from overseas buyers dollar millionaire /dɒlə mljəneə/ noun a person who has more than one million dollars dollar stocks /dɒlə stɒkz/ plural noun shares in US companies domestic /dəmestk/ adjective referring to the home market or the market of the country where the business is situated 쑗 Domestic sales have increased over the last six months. domestic consumption /dəmestk kənsmpʃən/ noun use in the home country 쑗 Domestic consumption of oil has fallen sharply. domestic demand deflator /dəmestk dmɑnd difletə/ noun a figure used to remove inflation from the calculations for domestic demand domestic interest rates /dəmestk ntrəst rets/ plural noun interest rates payable in a local currency on deposits placed in that country domestic market /dəmestk mɑkt/ noun the market in the country where a company is based 쑗 They produce goods for the domestic market. domestic production /dəmestk prədkʃən/ noun the production of goods for use in the home country domestic sales /dəmestk selz/ noun sales in the home country

double taxation

domicile /dɒmsal/ noun the coun-

try where someone lives or where a company’s office is registered 쐽 verb 왍 she is domiciled in Denmark she lives in Denmark officially 왍 bills domiciled in France bills of exchange which have to be paid in France dong /dɒŋ/ noun a unit of currency used in Vietnam donor /dəυnə/ noun a person who gives, especially someone who gives money door-to-door salesman /dɔ tə dɔ selzmən/ noun a man who goes from one house to the next, asking people to buy something dormant /dɔmənt/ adjective no longer active or no longer operating dormant account /dɔmənt əkaυnt/ noun 1. a bank account which is no longer used 2. a past customer who is no longer buying 쑗 Let’s re-establish contact with some of our dormant accounts. 쑗 All the old reports on dormant accounts have been filed away. double /db(ə)l/ adjective twice as large or two times the size 쑗 Their turnover is double ours. 왍 to be on double time to earn twice the usual wages for working on Sundays or other holidays 왍 in double figures with two figures, from 10 to 99 쑗 Inflation is in double figures. 쑗 We have had double-figure inflation for some years. 쐽 verb to become twice as big, or make something twice as big 쑗 We have doubled our profits this year or our profits have doubled this year. 쑗 The company’s borrowings have doubled. double-digit /db(ə)l dd$t/ adjective more than 10 and less than 100

double-entry

bookkeeping

/db(ə)l entri bυkkipŋ/ noun a

system of bookkeeping where both debit and credit entries are recorded in the accounts at the same time (e.g., when a sale is credited to the sales account the purchaser’s debt is debited to the debtors account) double option /db(ə)l ɒpʃ(ə)n/ noun an option to buy or sell at a certain price in the future (a combination of call and put options) double taxation /db(ə)l tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taxing the same income twice

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109

doubtful /daυtf(ə)l/ adjective which is not certain

doubtful loan /daυtf(ə)l ləυn/ noun

a loan which may never be repaid Dow 30 /daυ θ%ti/ noun same as

Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow Jones Average /daυ d$əυnz v(ə)rd$/ noun same as Dow Jones Industrial Average Dow Jones Index /daυ d$əυnz ndeks/ noun any of several indices

published by the Dow Jones Co., based on prices on the New York Stock Exchange.

downmarket the company has decided to make products which appeal to a wider section of the public down payment /daυn pemənt/ noun a part of a total payment made in advance 쑗 We made a down payment of $100. downside factor /daυnsad fktə/, downside potential /daυnsad pətenʃ(ə)l/ noun the possibility of making a loss in an investment downside risk /daυnsad rsk/ noun a risk that an investment will fall in value (NOTE: The opposite is upside

COMMENT: The main index is the Dow

potential.)

Jones Industrial Average (see below). Other Dow Jones indexes are the Dow Jones 20 Transportation Average; Dow Jones 15 Utility Average; Dow Jones 65 Composite Average (formed of the Industrial average the Transportation Average and the Utility Average taken together and averaged); also the Dow Jones Global-US Index is a capitalisation weighted index based on June 30, 1982 = 100. A new European-based index is the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 Index, comprising fifty blue-chip companies from various European countries.

downstream /daυnstrim/ adjective

Dow Jones Industrial Average /daυ d$əυnz ndstrəl v(ə)rd$/ noun an index of share prices on the

New York Stock Exchange, based on a group of thirty major corporations 쑗 The Dow Jones Average rose ten points. 쑗 General optimism showed in the rise on the Dow Jones Average. Abbreviation DJIA down /daυn/ adverb, preposition in a lower position or to a lower position 쑗 The inflation rate is gradually coming down. 쑗 Shares are slightly down on the day. 쑗 The price of petrol has gone down. 왍 to pay money down to pay a deposit 쑗 They paid £50 down and the rest in monthly instalments. downgrade /daυnred/ verb to reduce the forecast for a share down market /daυn mɑkt/ noun a stock market which is falling or is at its lowest level downmarket /daυnmɑkt/ adverb, adjective cheaper or appealing to a less wealthy section of the population 쑗 The company has adopted a downmarket image. 왍 the company has decided to go

referring to the operations of a company at the end of a process (such as selling petrol through garages considered as an operation of a petroleum company). Compare upstream downswing /daυnswŋ/ noun a downward movement of share prices (NOTE: The opposite is upswing.) downtick /daυntk/ noun US a price

of stock sold which is lower than the price of the previous sale down time /daυn tam/ noun 1. the time when a machine is not working or not available because it is broken or being mended 2. time when a worker cannot work because machines have broken down or because components are not available downtown /daυntaυn/ adjective, adverb, noun (in) the central business district of a town 쑗 His office is in downtown New York. 쑗 She works in a downtown store. 쑗 They established a business downtown. down trend /daυn trend/ noun a falling trend in prices 쑗 The price per chip has been in a long-term down trend. downturn /daυnt%n/ noun the movement towards lower prices, sales or profits 쑗 a downturn in the market price 쑗 The last quarter saw a downturn in the economy. dozen /dz(ə)n/ noun a twelve 쑗 to sell in sets of one dozen 왍 cheaper by the dozen the product is cheaper if you buy twelve at a time Dr abbreviation drachma

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110

drachma /drkmə/ noun a former unit of currency in Greece (NOTE: Usually written Dr before a figure: Dr22bn.)

draft /drɑft/ noun 1. an order for

money to be paid by a bank 쑗 We asked for payment by banker’s draft. 왍 to make a draft on a bank to ask a bank to pay money for you 2. a first rough plan or document which has not been finished 쑗 A draft of the contract or The draft contract is waiting for the MD’s comments. 쑗 He drew up the draft agreement on the back of an envelope. 쐽 verb to make a first rough plan of a document 쑗 to draft a letter 쑗 to draft a contract 쑗 The contract is still being drafted or is still in the drafting stage. drafter /drɑftə/ noun a person who makes a draft 쑗 the drafter of the agreement drafting /drɑftŋ/ noun an act of preparing the draft of a document 쑗 The drafting of the contract took six weeks. drain /dren/ noun a gradual loss of money flowing away 쑗 The costs of the London office are a continual drain on our resources. 쐽 verb to remove something gradually 쑗 The expansion plan has drained all our profits. 쑗 The company’s capital resources have drained away. draw /drɔ/ verb 1. to take money away 쑗 to draw money out of an account 왍 to draw a salary to have a salary paid by the company 쑗 The chairman does not draw a salary. 2. to write a cheque 쑗 He paid the invoice with a cheque drawn on an Egyptian bank. (NOTE: drawing – drew – has drawn)

drawback /drɔbk/ noun 1. some-

thing which is not convenient or which is likely to cause problems 쑗 One of the main drawbacks of the scheme is that it will take six years to complete. 2. a rebate on customs duty for imported goods when these are then used in producing exports draw down /drɔ daυn/ verb to draw money which is available under a credit agreement drawdown /drɔdaυn/ noun the act of drawing money which is available under a credit agreement

drop

drawee /drɔi/ noun the person or bank asked to make a payment by a drawer drawer /drɔə/ noun the person who writes a cheque or a bill asking a drawee to pay money to a payee 왍 the bank returned the cheque to drawer the bank would not pay the cheque because the person who wrote it did not have enough money in the account to pay it drawing account /drɔŋ əkaυnt/ noun a current account, or any account from which the customer may take money when he or she wants drawing rights /drɔŋ rats/ noun a right of a member country of the IMF to borrow money from the fund in a foreign currency. 쏡 special drawing rights

draw up /drɔ p/ verb to write a legal document 쑗 to draw up a contract or an agreement 쑗 to draw up a company’s articles of association dressing up /dresŋ p/ noun US same as window dressing drift /drft/ noun gradual movement without any control 쐽 verb to move gradually in a particular direction 쑗 Shares drifted lower in a dull market. 쑗 Strikers are drifting back to work. drive /drav/ noun an energetic way of doing things 쐽 verb 왍 to drive a company out of business to force a company into liquidation 쑗 The company was almost driven out of business a few years ago. driver /dravə/ noun something or someone that provides an impetus for something to happen drop /drɒp/ noun a fall 쑗 a drop in sales 쑗 Sales show a drop of 10%. 쑗 The drop in prices resulted in no significant increase in sales. 쐽 verb to fall 쑗 Sales have dropped by 10% or have dropped 10%. 쑗 The pound dropped three points against the dollar. ‘…while unemployment dropped by 1.6 per cent in the rural areas, it rose by 1.9 per cent in urban areas during the period under review’ [Business Times (Lagos)] ‘…corporate profits for the first quarter showed a 4 per cent drop from last year’s final three months’ [Financial Times] ‘…since last summer American interest rates have dropped by between three and four percentage points’ [Sunday Times]

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111

droplock bond /drɒplɒk bɒnd/

noun a floating rate bond which will convert to a fixed rate of interest if interest rates fall to a certain point. 쏡 debt-convertible bond drop ship /drɒp ʃp/ verb to deliver a large order direct to a customer drop shipment /drɒp ʃpmənt/ noun the delivery of a large order from the manufacturer direct to a customer’s shop or warehouse without going through an agent or wholesaler dry goods /dra υdz/ plural noun cloth, clothes and household goods DTI abbreviation Department of Trade and Industry dual /djuəl/ adjective referring to two things at the same time dual control /djuəl kəntrəυl/ noun a system where two people have to sign a cheque, or validate a transaction, or have keys to a safe, etc. dual currency bond /djuəl krənsi bɒnd/ noun a bond which is paid for in one currency but which is repayable in another on redemption dual listing /djuəl lstŋ/ noun the listing of a share on two stock exchanges dual pricing /djuəl prasŋ/ noun the fact of giving different prices to the same product depending on the market in which it is sold duck /dk/ 쒁 lame duck dud /dd/ noun, adjective referring to a coin or banknote which is false or not good, or something which does not do what it is supposed to do (informal ) 쑗 The £50 note was a dud. dud cheque /dd tʃek/ noun a cheque which cannot be cashed because the person writing it has not enough money in the account to pay it due /dju/ adjective 1. owed 쑗 a sum due from a debtor 왍 to fall or become due to be ready for payment 왍 bill due on May 1st a bill which has to be paid on May 1st 왍 balance due to us the amount owed to us which should be paid 2. correct and appropriate in the situation 왍 in due form written in the correct legal form 쑗 a receipt in due form 쑗 a contract drawn up in due form 왍 after due consideration of the problem after thinking seriously about the problem .

duplicate ‘…many expect the US economic indicators for April, due out this Thursday, to show faster economic growth’ [Australian Financial Review]

due diligence /dju dld$əns/

noun 1. an examination of the accounts of a company before it is taken over to see if there are any problems which have not been disclosed 2. the duty of an official such as a bank manager not to act in an irresponsible way dues /djuz/ plural noun orders taken but not supplied until new stock arrives 왍 to release dues to send off orders which had been piling up while a product was out of stock 쑗 We have recorded thousands of dues for that item and our supplier cannot supply it. dull /dl/ adjective not exciting, not full of life dull market /dl mɑkt/ noun a market where little business is done dullness /dlnəs/ noun the fact of being dull 쑗 the dullness of the market dump /dmp/ verb 왍 to dump goods on a market to get rid of large quantities of excess goods cheaply in an overseas market ‘…a serious threat lies in the 400,000 tonnes of subsidized beef in European cold stores. If dumped, this meat will have disastrous effects in Pacific Basin markets’ [Australian Financial Review]

dumping /dmpŋ/ noun the act of getting rid of excess goods cheaply in an overseas market 쑗 The government has passed anti-dumping legislation. 쑗 Dumping of goods on the European market is banned. 왍 panic dumping of sterling a rush to sell sterling at any price because of possible devaluation Dun & Bradstreet /dn ən brdstrit/ noun an organisation which produces reports on the financial rating of companies, and also acts as a debt collection agency. Abbreviation D&B

duplicate noun /djuplkət/ a copy

쑗 He sent me the duplicate of the contract. 왍 in duplicate with a copy 쑗 to print an invoice in duplicate 왍 receipt in duplicate two copies of a receipt 쐽 verb /djuplket/ 왍 to duplicate with another (of a bookkeeping entry) to repeat another entry or to be the same as another entry

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112

duplication /djuplkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of doing something that is already being done in the same way by somebody else, copying 왍 duplication of work the fact of doing the same work twice unnecessarily Dutch /dtʃ/ adjective referring to the Netherlands Dutch auction /dtʃ ɔkʃən/ noun an auction where the auctioneer offers an item for sale at a high price and then gradually reduces the price until someone makes a bid dutiable goods /djutiəb(ə)l υdz/ plural noun goods on which a customs duty has to be paid duty /djuti/ noun 1. a tax which has to be paid 쑗 Traders are asking the government to take the duty off alcohol or to put a duty on cigarettes. 왍 goods which are liable to duty goods on which cus-

duty-paid goods

toms or excise tax has to be paid 2. work which has to be done ‘Canadian and European negotiators agreed to a deal under which Canada could lower its import duties on $150 million worth of European goods’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)] ‘…the Department of Customs and Excise collected a total of N79m under the new advance duty payment scheme’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

duty-free /djuti fri/ adjective, ad-

verb sold with no duty to be paid 쑗 He bought a duty-free watch at the airport. 쑗 He bought the watch duty-free. duty-free shop /djuti fri ʃɒp/ noun a shop at an airport or on a ship where goods can be bought without paying duty duty of care /djuti əv keə/ noun a duty which every person has not to act in a negligent way duty-paid goods /djuti ped υdz/ plural noun goods where the duty has been paid

E e. & o.e. abbreviation errors and omissions excepted early /%l/ adjective, adverb before the usual time 쑗 The mail arrived early. 왍 to take early retirement to retire from work before the usual age 쐽 adjective at the beginning of a period of time 쑗 He took an early flight to Paris. early closing day /%li kləυzŋ de/ noun a weekday, usually Wednesday or Thursday, when some shops close in the afternoon early withdrawal /%li wðdrɔəl/ noun the act of withdrawing money from a deposit account before the due date 쑗 Early withdrawal usually incurs a penalty. early withdrawal penalty /%li wðdrɔəl penəlti/ noun a penalty which a depositor pays for withdrawing money early from an account earmark /əmɑk/ verb 1. to reserve for a special purpose 쑗 to earmark funds for a project 쑗 The grant is earmarked for computer systems development. 2. to link a tax to a particular service, such as earmarking road taxes for the upkeep of roads earn /%n/ verb 1. to be paid money for working 쑗 to earn £100 a week 쑗 Our agent in Paris certainly does not earn his commission. 쑗 Her new job is more of a transfer than a promotion, since she doesn’t earn any more. 쑗 How much do you earn in your new job? 2. to produce interest or dividends 쑗 a building society account which earns interest at 10% 쑗 What level of dividend do these shares earn? earned income /%nd nkm/ noun income from wages, salaries, pensions, fees, rental income, etc. (as opposed to ‘unearned’ income from investments)

earner /%nə/ noun a person who earns money 왍 a nice little earner a business that produces a good income

earnest /%nst/ noun money paid as

an initial payment by a buyer to a seller, to show commitment to the contract of sale earning capacity /%nŋ kəpsti/ noun the amount of money someone should be able to earn earning potential /%nŋ pətenʃəl/ noun 1. the amount of money which someone should be able to earn 2. the amount of dividend which a share is capable of earning earning power /%nŋ paυə/ noun the amount of money someone should be able to earn 쑗 She is such a fine designer that her earning power is very large. earnings /%nŋz/ plural noun 1. salary, wages, dividends or interest received 쑗 High earnings in top management reflect the heavy responsibilities involved. 쑗 The calculation is based on average earnings over three years. 왍 compensation for loss of earnings payment to someone who has stopped earning money or who is not able to earn money 2. money which is earned in interest or dividend 3. the profit made by a company ‘…the US now accounts for more than half of our world-wide sales. It has made a huge contribution to our earnings turnaround’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…last fiscal year the chain reported a 116% jump in earnings, to $6.4 million or $1.10 a share’ [Barrons]

earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation

/%nŋz bfɔ ntrəst tksz dpriʃieʃ(ə)n ənd əmɔtazeʃ(ə)n/ plural noun revenue received by a com-

earnings cap

114

pany in its usual business before various deductions are made. Abbreviation EBITDA

earnings cap /%nŋz kp/ noun the

upper limit on the amount of salary that can be taken into account when calculating pensions earnings credit /%nŋz kredt/ noun an allowance which reduces bank charges on checking accounts earnings drift /%nŋz drft/ noun a situation where an increase in pay is greater than that of officially negotiated rates 쑗 The earnings drift is caused by a sudden increased demand for a certain class of employee. Also called salary drift, wage drift

earnings growth /%nŋz rəυθ/

noun an increase in profit per share earnings number /%nŋz nmbə/ noun profits expressed as a percentage earnings performance /%nŋz pəfɔməns/ noun a way in which shares earn dividends earnings per share /%nŋz pə ʃeə/ plural noun the money earned in dividends per share, shown as a percentage of the market price of one share. Abbreviation EPS earnings projection /%nŋz prəd$ekʃən/ noun a forecast of earnings per share

earnings-related

contributions

/%nŋz rletd kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun contributions to social

security which rise as the worker’s earnings rise earnings-related pension /%nŋz rletd penʃən/ noun a pension which is linked to the size of a person’s salary earnings season /%nŋz siz(ə)n/ noun the time of year when major companies declare their results for the previous period 쑗 the quarterly ritual known as earnings season earnings yield /%nŋz jild/ noun the money earned in dividends per share as a percentage of the current market price of the share EASDAQ noun an independent European stock market, based in Brussels and London, trading in companies with European-wide interests

e-cheque

ease /iz/ verb to fall a little

쑗 The share index eased slightly today. 쐽 noun a slight fall in prices East Caribbean dollar /ist krbiən dɒlə/ noun a unit of currency used in Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Lucia and St Vincent easy /izi/ adjective 1. not difficult 2. referring to a market where few people are buying, so prices are lower than they were before 쑗 The Stock Exchange was easy yesterday. 왍 share prices are easier prices have fallen slightly easy money /izi mni/ noun 1. money which can be earned with no difficulty 2. a loan available on easy repayment terms easy money policy /izi mni pɒlsi/ noun a government policy of expanding the economy by making money more easily available (through lower interest rates and easy access to credit) easy terms /izi t%mz/ plural noun financial terms which are not difficult to accept 쑗 The shop is let on very easy terms. EBA abbreviation Euro Banking Association EBITDA abbreviation earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization EBRD abbreviation European Bank for Reconstruction and Development e-business /i bzns/ noun a general term that refers to any type of business activity on the Internet, including marketing, branding and research 쑗 E-business is a rising part of the economy. ‘…the enormous potential of e-business is that it can automate the link between suppliers and customers’ [Investors Chronicle]

EC abbreviation European Community (NOTE: now called the European Union) e-cash /i kʃ/ noun same as digital cash ECB abbreviation European Central

Bank

ECGD abbreviation Export Credit Guarantee Department

e-cheque /i tʃek/, echeque noun same as electronic cheque

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115

e-commerce /i kɒm%s/ noun a

general term that is normally used to refer to the process of buying and selling goods over the Internet ‘…the problem is that if e-commerce takes just a 3 per cent slice of the market that would be enough to reduce margins to ribbons’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the new economy requires new company structures. He believes that other blue-chip organizations are going to find that new set-ups would be needed to attract and retain the best talent for e-commerce’ [Times]

econometrics /kɒnəmetrks/ plu-

ral noun the study of the statistics of economics, using computers to analyse these statistics and make forecasts using mathematical models economic /ikənɒmk/ adjective 1. which provides enough money to make a profit 쑗 The flat is let at an economic rent. 쑗 It is hardly economic for the company to run its own warehouse. 2. referring to the financial state of a country 쑗 economic planning 쑗 economic trends 쑗 Economic planners are expecting a comsumer-led boom. 쑗 The government’s economic policy is in ruins after the devaluation. 쑗 The economic situation is getting worse. 쑗 The country’s economic system needs more regulation. ‘…each of the major issues on the agenda at this week’s meeting is important to the government’s success in overall economic management’ [Australian Financial Review]

economical /ikənɒmk(ə)l/ adjec-

tive which saves money or materials or which is cheap 쑗 This car is very economical. 왍 economical car a car which does not use much petrol 왍 an economical use of resources the fact of using resources as carefully as possible economic crisis /ikənɒmk krass/, economic depression /ikənɒmk dpreʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation where a country is in financial collapse 쑗 The government has introduced import controls to solve the current economic crisis. economic cycle /ikənɒmk sak(ə)l/ noun a period during which trade expands, then slows down and then expands again

economic

development

/ikənɒmk dveləpmənt/ noun the

expansion of the commercial and financial situation 쑗 The government has of-

economic value added

fered tax incentives to speed up the economic development of the region. 쑗 Economic development has been relatively slow in the north, compared with the rest of the country.

economic

environment

/ikənɒmk nvarənmənt/ noun the

general situation in the economy

economic forecaster /ikənɒmk

fɔkɑstə/ noun a person who says how he thinks a country’s economy will perform in the future economic growth /ikənɒmk rəυθ/ noun the rate at which a country’s national income grows economic indicator /ikənɒmk ndketəz/ noun various statistics, e.g. for the unemployment rate or overseas trade, which show how the economy is going to perform in the short or long term economic model /ikənɒmk mɒd(ə)l/ noun a computerised plan of a country’s economic system, used for forecasting economic trends economic planning /ikənɒmk plnŋ/ noun the process of planning the future financial state of the country for the government economics /ikənɒmks/ noun the study of the production, distribution, selling and use of goods and services 쐽 plural noun the study of financial structures to show how a product or service is costed and what returns it produces 쑗 I do not understand the economics of the coal industry. (NOTE: takes a singular verb) ‘…believers in free-market economics often find it hard to sort out their views on the issue’ [Economist]

economic sanctions /ikənɒmk

sŋkʃ(ə)ns/ plural noun restrictions on trade with a country in order to influence its political situation or in order to make its government change its policy 쑗 to impose economic sanctions on a country economic slowdown /ikənɒmk sləυdaυn/ noun a general reduction in a country’s economic activity economic stagnation /ikənɒmk stneʃ(ə)n/ noun a lack of expansion in the economy

economic

value

added

/ikənɒmk vlju dd/ noun the

economies of scale

116

difference between a company’s profit and the cost of its capital. A company does not have simply to make a profit from its business – it has to make enough profit to cover the cost of its capital, including equity invested by shareholders. Abbreviation EVA

economies of scale /kɒnəmiz əv skel/ plural noun a situation in which a product is made more profitable by manufacturing it in larger quantities so that each unit costs less to make. Compare diseconomies of scale economist /kɒnəmst/ noun a person who specialises in the study of economics 쑗 Government economists are forecasting a growth rate of 3% next year. 쑗 An agricultural economist studies the economics of the agriculture industry. economy /kɒnəm/ noun 1. an action which is intended to stop money or materials from being wasted, or the quality of being careful not to waste money or materials 왍 to introduce economies or economy measures into the system to start using methods to save money or materials 2. the financial state of a country, or the way in which a country makes and uses its money 쑗 The country’s economy is in ruins. ‘…the European economies are being held back by rigid labor markets and wage structures, huge expenditures on social welfare programs and restrictions on the free movement of goods’ [Duns Business Month]

economy car /kɒnəmi kɑ/ noun a car which does not use much petrol

economy class /kɒnəmi klɑs/

noun a lower-quality, less expensive way of travelling 쑗 I travel economy class because it is cheaper. 쑗 I always travels first class because tourist class is too uncomfortable. economy drive /kɒnəmi drav/ noun a vigorous effort to save money or materials economy measure /kɒnəmi me$ə/ noun an action to save money or materials economy size /kɒnəmi saz/ noun a large size or large packet which is cheaper than normal ECP abbreviation European Commercial Paper

effective control

ecu, ECU abbreviation European Currency Unit EDI abbreviation electronic data interchange editorial board /edtɔriəl bɔd/ noun a group of editors on a newspaper or other publication EDP abbreviation electronic data processing Education IRA /edjυkeʃ(ə)n arə/ noun US an account in which people can contribute up to $500 annually for the education of a child or a grandchild under the age of 18. These contributions are not tax-deductible but can grow tax-free. There is no tax on withdrawals as long as the child uses them (by the time he or she is 30) to pay for higher education. Full form Education Individual Retirement Account

EEA abbreviation European Economic Area

EEC abbreviation European Economic Community (NOTE: now called the European Union (EU)) effect /fekt/ noun 1. a result 쑗 The

effect of the pay increase was to raise productivity levels. 2. operation 왍 terms of a contract which take effect or come into effect from January 1st terms which start to operate on January 1st 왍 prices are increased 10% with effect from January 1st new prices will apply from January 1st 왍 to remain in effect to continue to be applied 3. meaning 왍 a clause to the effect that a clause which means that 왍 we have made provision to this effect we have put into the contract terms which will make this work 쐽 verb to carry out 왍 to effect a payment to make a payment 왍 to effect customs clearance to clear something through customs 왍 to effect a settlement between two parties to bring two parties together and make them agree to a settlement effective /fektv/ adjective 1. actual, as opposed to theoretical 2. 왍 a clause effective as from January 1st a clause which starts to be applied on January 1st effective control /fektv kəntrəυl/ noun a situation where someone owns a large number of shares in a company, but less than 50%, and so in effect controls the company because no other

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single shareholder can outvote him or her effective date /fektv det/ noun the date on which a rule or contract starts to be applied, or on which a transaction takes place effective demand /fektv dmɑnd/ noun the actual demand for a product which can be paid for effective exchange rate /fektv kstʃend$ ret/ noun a rate of exchange for a currency calculated against a basket of currencies effectiveness /fektvnəs/ noun the quality of working successfully or producing results 쑗 I doubt the effectiveness of television advertising. 쑗 His effectiveness as a manager was due to his quick grasp of detail. 쏡 cost-effectiveness

effective price /fektv pras/

noun a share price which has been adjusted to allow for a rights issue effective rate /fektv ret/ noun a real interest rate on a loan or deposit (i.e. the APR) effective yield /fektv jild/ noun an actual yield shown as a percentage of the price paid after adjustments have been made effectual /fektʃuəl/ adjective which produces a correct result efficiency /fʃ(ə)nsi/ noun the ability to work well or to produce the right result or the right work quickly 쑗 a business efficiency exhibition 쑗 The bus system is run with a high degree of efficiency. 쑗 We called in an efficiency expert to report on ways of increasing profitability. ‘…increased control means improved efficiency in purchasing, shipping, sales and delivery’ [Duns Business Month]

efficient /fʃ(ə)nt/ adjective able to work well or to produce the right result quickly 쑗 the efficient working of a system 쑗 An efficient assistant is invaluable. 쑗 An efficient new machine would save time. efficiently /fʃ(ə)ntli/ adverb in an efficient way 쑗 She organised the sales conference very efficiently. efficient-market theory /fʃ(ə)nt mɑkt θəri/ noun a theory that the prices operating in a certain market re-

electronic business

flect all known information about the market and therefore make it impossible for abnormal profits to be made 쑗 the efficient working of a system 쑗 he needs an efficient secretary to look after him efflux /eflks/ noun flowing out 쑗 the efflux of capital to North America EFT abbreviation electronic funds transfer EFTA abbreviation European Free Trade Association EFTPOS abbreviation electronic funds transfer at a point of sale EGM abbreviation extraordinary general meeting EIB abbreviation European Investment Bank EIRIS abbreviation ethical investment research service EIS abbreviation Enterprise Investment Scheme elastic /lstk/ adjective which can expand or contract easily because of small changes in price elasticity /lststi/ noun the ability to change easily in response to a change in circ*mstances 왍 elasticity of supply and demand changes in supply and demand of an item depending on its market price elect /lekt/ verb to choose someone by a vote 쑗 to elect the officers of an association 쑗 She was elected president of the staff club. -elect /lekt/ suffix referring to a person who has been elected but has not yet started the term of office election /lekʃən/ noun the act of electing someone 쑗 the election of officers of an association 쑗 the election of directors by the shareholders electric utility stocks /lektrk jutlti stɒks/ plural noun shares in electricity companies electronic /elektrɒnk/ adjective referring to computers and electronics electronic banking /elektrɒnk bŋkŋ/ noun the use of computers to carry out banking transactions, such as withdrawals through cash dispensers or transfer of funds at point of sale electronic business /elektrɒnk bzns/ noun same as e-business

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118

electronic cash /elektrɒnk kʃ/ noun same as digital cash

cheque /elektrɒnk tʃek/ noun an electronic cheque, which a person writes and sends via a computer and the Internet electronic commerce /elektrɒnk kɒm%s/ noun same as e-commerce electronic

electronic

data

interchange

/elektrɒnk detə ntətʃend$/ noun

a standard format used when business documents such as invoices and purchase orders are exchanged over electronic networks such as the Internet. Abbreviation EDI

electronic

funds

transfer

/elektrɒnk fndz trnsf%/ noun a

system for transferring money from one account to another electronically (as when using a smart card). Abbreviation

EFT

electronic mail /elektrɒnk mel/

noun same as email 1 electronic purse /elektrɒnk p%s/ noun same as digital wallet electronics /elektrɒnks/ plural noun the scientific study of systems worked by a flow of electrons which are used in manufactured products, such as computers, calculators or telephones 쑗 the electronics industry 쑗 an electronics specialist or expert 쑗 an electronics engineer (NOTE: takes a singular verb) element /elmənt/ noun a basic part or the smallest unit into which something can be divided 쑗 the elements of a settlement 쑗 Work study resulted in a standard time for each job element. eligibility /eld$blti/ noun the fact of being eligible 쑗 The chairman questioned her eligibility to stand for re-election. eligibility date /eld$blti det/ noun the date at which someone becomes eligible for benefits eligible /eld$b(ə)l/ adjective which can be chosen 쑗 She is eligible for re-election. eligible liabilities /eld$b(ə)l laəbltiz/ plural noun liabilities which go into the calculation of a bank’s reserves eliminate /lmnet/ verb to remove 쑗 to eliminate defects in the system 쑗 Using a computer should eliminate all possibility of error. 쑗 We have decided

emergency credit

to eliminate this series of old products from our range. 쑗 Most of the candidates were eliminated after the first batch of tests. elite /lit/ noun a group of the best people elite stock /lit stɒk/ noun a top-quality share email /imel/, e-mail noun 1. a system of sending messages from one computer terminal to another, using a modem and telephone lines 쑗 You can contact me by phone or email if you want. 2. a message sent electronically 쑗 I had six emails from him today. 쐽 verb to send a message from one computer to another, using a modem and telephone lines 쑗 She emailed her order to the warehouse. 쑗 I emailed him about the meeting. embargo /mbɑəυ/ noun a government order which stops a type of trade, such as exports to or other commercial activity with another country 왍 to lay or put an embargo on trade with a country to say that trade with a country must not take place 쑗 The government has put an embargo on the export of computer equipment. 왍 to lift an embargo to allow trade to start again 쑗 The government has lifted the embargo on the export of computers. 왍 to be under an embargo to be forbidden 쐽 verb to stop trade, or not to allow something to be traded 쑗 The government has embargoed trade with the Eastern countries. ‘…the Commerce Department is planning to loosen export controls for products that have been embargoed but are readily available elsewhere in the West’ [Duns Business Month]

embezzle /mbez(ə)l/ verb to use illegally money which is not yours, or which you are looking after for someone 쑗 He was sent to prison for six months for embezzling his clients’ money. embezzlement /mbez(ə)lmənt/ noun the act of embezzling 쑗 He was sent to prison for six months for embezzlement. embezzler /mbez(ə)lə/ noun a person who embezzles emergency /m%d$ənsi/ noun a dangerous situation where decisions have to be taken quickly emergency credit /m%d$ənsi kredt/ noun credit given by the Fed-

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119

eral Reserve to an organisation which has no other means of borrowing emerging /m%d$ŋ/ adjective which is beginning to appear and grow emerging country /m%d$ŋ kntri/ noun a country which is developing rapidly emerging growth fund /m%d$ŋ rəυθ fnd/ noun growth fund that invests in emerging markets emerging market /m%d$ŋ mɑkt/ noun a new market, as in South-East Asia or Eastern Europe, which is developing fast and is seen as potentially profitable to fund managers emoluments /mɒljυmənts/ plural noun pay, salary or fees, or the earnings of directors who are not employees (NOTE: US English uses the singular emolument.) e-money /i mni/ noun same as digital money COMMENT: This normally refers to either

credit card payments or virtual tokens or a virtual credit card or a micropayment.

employ /mplɔ/ verb to give someone regular paid work 왍 to employ twenty staff to have twenty people working for you 왍 to employ twenty new staff to give work to twenty new people ‘70 per cent of Australia’s labour force was employed in service activity’ [Australian Financial Review]

employed /mplɔd/ adjective 1. in regular paid work 왍 he is not gainfully employed he has no regular paid work

2. referring to money used profitably 쐽 plural noun people who are working 쑗

the employers and the employed 왍 the self-employed people who work for themselves employee /mplɔi/ noun a person employed by another 쑗 Employees of the firm are eligible to join a profit-sharing scheme. 쑗 Relations between management and employees are good. 쑗 The company has decided to take on new employees. ‘…companies introducing robotics think it important to involve individual employees in planning their introduction’ [Economist]

buyout /mplɔi baaυt/ noun a purchase of a company by its employees employee

encash

employee share ownership plan

/mplɔi ʃeə əυnəʃp pln/, employee share ownership programme /mplɔi ʃeər əυnəʃp prəυrm/, employee share scheme /mplɔi ʃeə skim/ noun a plan which allows

employees to obtain shares in the company for which they work (though tax may be payable if the shares are sold to employees at a price which is lower than the current market price). Abbreviation ESOP

employer /mplɔə/ noun a person or company that has regular workers and pays them employer’s contribution /mplɔəz kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun money paid by an employer towards an employee’s pension employers’ liability insurance

/mplɔəz laəblti nʃυərəns/ noun insurance to cover accidents

which may happen at work, and for which the company may be responsible employment /mplɔmənt/ noun regular paid work 왍 to be without employment to have no work 왍 to find someone alternative employment to find another job for someone ‘…the blue-collar unions are the people who stand to lose most in terms of employment growth’ [Sydney Morning Herald]

employment agency /mplɔmənt ed$ənsi/ noun an office which finds jobs for staff employment office /mplɔmənt ɒfs/ noun an office which finds jobs for people employment tribunal /mplɔmənt trabjunəl/ noun a government body responsible for dealing with disputes between employees and employers empower /mpaυə/ verb to give someone the power to do something 쑗 She was empowered by the company to sign the contract. 쑗 Her new position empowers her to hire and fire at will. EMS abbreviation European Monetary System EMU abbreviation Economic Monetary Union encash /nkʃ/ verb to cash a cheque, to exchange a cheque for cash

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120

encashable /nkʃəb(ə)l/ adjective

which can be cashed encashment /nkʃmənt/ noun an act of exchanging for cash encryption /nkrpʃən/ noun a conversion of plain text to a secure coded form by means of a cipher system encumbrance /nkmbrəns/ noun a liability, such as a mortgage or charge, which is attached usually to a property or land end /end/ noun the final point or last part 쑗 at the end of the contract period 왍 at the end of six months after six months have passed 쐽 verb to finish 쑗 The distribution agreement ends in July. 쑗 The chairman ended the discussion by getting up and walking out of the room. endorse /ndɔs/ verb to say that a product is good 왍 to endorse a bill or a cheque to sign a bill or cheque on the back to show that you accept it COMMENT: By endorsing a cheque (i.e.

signing it on the back), a person whose name is on the front of the cheque is passing ownership of it to another party, such as the bank, which can then accept it and pay him cash for it. If a cheque is deposited in an account, it does not need to be endorsed. Cheques can also be endorsed to another person: a cheque made payable to Mr A. Smith can be endorsed by Mr Smith on the back, with the words: ‘Pay to Brown Ltd’, and then his signature. This has the effect of making the cheque payable to Brown Ltd, and to no one else. Most cheques are now printed as crossed cheques with the words ‘A/C Payee’ printed in the space between the two vertical lines. These cheques can only be paid to the person whose name is written on the cheque and cannot be endorsed.

endorsee /endɔsi/ noun a person

whose name is written on a bill or cheque as having the right to cash it endorsem*nt /ndɔsmənt/ noun 1. the act of endorsing 2. a signature on a document which endorses it 3. a note on an insurance policy which adds conditions to the policy endorser /ndɔsə/ noun a person who endorses a bill or cheque which is then paid to him or her endowment /ndaυmənt/ noun the act of giving money to provide a regular income

engage

assurance /ndaυmənt əʃυərəns/, endowment insurance /ndaυmənt nʃυərəns/ noun an insurance policy where a sum of money is paid to the insured person on a certain date or to his heirs if he dies before that date endowment mortgage /ndaυmənt mɔd$/ noun a mortgage backed by an endowment policy endowment

COMMENT: The borrower pays interest

on the mortgage in the usual way, but does not repay the capital. Instead, he or she takes out an endowment assurance (a life insurance) policy, which is intended to cover the total capital sum borrowed. When the assurance matures, the capital is in theory paid off, though this depends on the performance of the investments made by the company providing the endowment assurance and the actual yield of the policy may be less or more than the sum required. A mortgage where the borrower repays both interest and capital is called a ’repayment mortgage’.

endowment policy /ndaυmənt pɒlsi/ noun same as endowment assurance end product /end prɒdkt/ noun a

manufactured product resulting from a production process end user /end juzə/ noun a person who actually uses a product energy /enəd$i/ noun power produced from electricity, petrol or a similar source 쑗 We try to save energy by switching off the lights when the rooms are empty. 쑗 If you reduce the room temperature to eighteen degrees, you will save energy. energy shares /enəd$i ʃeəz/ plural noun shares in companies which provide energy enforce /nfɔs/ verb to make sure something is done or that a rule is obeyed 쑗 to enforce the terms of a contract enforcement /nfɔsmənt/ noun the act of making sure that something is obeyed 쑗 enforcement of the terms of a contract engage /ned$/ verb 1. to arrange to employ workers or advisors 쑗 If we increase production we will need to engage more machinists. 쑗 He was engaged as a temporary replacement for

engagement

121

the marketing manager who was ill. 쑗 The company has engaged twenty new sales representatives. 왍 to engage someone to do something to make someone do something legally 쑗 The contract engages us to a minimum annual purchase. 2. 왍 to be engaged in to be busy with 쑗 He is engaged in work on computers. 쑗 The company is engaged in trade with Africa.

engagement /ned$mənt/ noun an agreement to do something 왍 to

break an engagement to do something not to do what you have legally agreed 쑗 Our agents broke their engagement not to sell our rivals’ products. entail /ntel/ noun a legal condition which passes ownership of a property only to certain persons 쐽 verb to involve 쑗 Itemising the sales figures will entail about ten days’ work. enter /entə/ verb to write 쑗 to enter a name on a list 쑗 The clerk entered the interest in my bank book. 쑗 She entered a competition for a holiday in Greece. 쑗 They entered the sum in the ledger. 왍 to enter a bid for something to offer (usually in writing) to buy something 왍 to enter a caveat to warn legally that you have an interest in a case, and that no steps can be taken without your permission entering /entərŋ/ noun the act of writing items in a record enter into /entər ntu/ verb to begin 쑗 to enter into relations with someone 쑗 to enter into negotiations with a foreign government 쑗 to enter into a partnership with a friend 쑗 The company does not want to enter into any long-term agreement. enterprise /entəpraz/ noun 1. a system of carrying on a business 2. a business

Enterprise Investment Scheme /entəpraz nvestmənt skim/ noun

a scheme which provides income and CGT relief for people prepared to risk investing in a single unquoted or AIM-listed trading company. Abbreviation EIS enterprise zone /entəpraz zəυn/ noun an area of the country where businesses are encouraged to develop by offering special conditions such as easy

entry visa

planning permission for buildings or a reduction in the business rate entertain /entəten/ verb to offer such things as meals, hotel accommodation and theatre tickets for the comfort and enjoyment of business visitors entertainment /entətenmənt/ noun the practice of offering meals or other recreation to business visitors entertainment allowance /entətenmənt əlaυəns/ noun money which managers are allowed by their company to spend on meals with visitors entertainment expenses /entətenmənt kspensz/ plural noun money spent on giving meals to business visitors entitle /ntat(ə)l/ verb to give the right to someone to have something 쑗 After one year’s service the employee is entitled to four weeks’ holiday. 왍 he is entitled to a discount he has the right to be given a discount entitlement /ntat(ə)lmənt/ noun a person’s right to something entitlement issue /ntat(ə)lmənt ʃu/ noun a rights issue entrepot port /ɒntrəpəυ pɔt/ noun a town with a large international commercial port dealing in re-exports entrepot trade /ɒntrəpəυ tred/ noun the exporting of imported goods entrepreneur /ɒntrəprən%/ noun a person who directs a company and takes commercial risks entrepreneurial /ɒntrəprən%riəl/ adjective taking commercial risks 쑗 an entrepreneurial decision entry /entri/ noun 1. an item of written information put in an accounts ledger (NOTE: The plural is entries.) 왍 to make an entry in a ledger to write in details of a transaction 왍 to contra an entry to enter a similar amount on the opposite side of the account 2. an act of going in or the place where you can go in 쑗 to pass a customs entry point 쑗 entry of goods under bond entry charge /entri tʃɑd$/ noun money which you have to pay before you go in entry visa /entri vizə/ noun a visa allowing someone to enter a country

environmental shares

122

shares /nvarənmənt(ə)l ʃeəz/ plural noun shares in companies which are seen to be active in the environmental field (stores which sell ‘green’ produce, waste disposal companies, etc.) epos /ipɒs/, EPOS, EPoS abbreviation electronic point of sale EPS abbreviation earnings per share e-purse /i p%s/ noun same as digienvironmental

tal wallet equal /ikwəl/ adjective exactly the

same 쑗 Male and female employees have equal pay. 쐽 verb to be the same as 쑗 Production this month has equalled our best month ever. (NOTE: UK English is equalling – equalled, but the US spelling is equaling – equaled.) equalise /ikwəlaz/, equalize verb

to make equal 쑗 to equalise dividends equally /ikwəli/ adverb so that each has or pays the same, or to the same degree 쑗 Costs will be shared equally between the two parties. 쑗 They were both equally responsible for the disastrous launch.

equal opportunities programme

/ikwəl ɒpətjuntiz prəυrm/ noun a programme to avoid discrimination in employment (NOTE: The US term is affirmative action.) equate /kwet/ verb to reduce to a

standard value

equation /kwe$(ə)n/ noun a set of

mathematical rules applied to solve a problem 쑗 The basic accounting equation is that assets equal liabilities plus equity. equilibrium /ikwlbriəm/ noun the state of balance in the economy where supply equals demand or a country’s balance of payments is neither in deficit nor in excess equities /ekwtiz/ plural noun ordinary shares ‘…in the past three years commercial property has seriously underperformed equities and dropped out of favour as a result’ [Investors Chronicle]

equity /ekwti/ noun 1. the ordinary shares in a company 2. the value of a company which is the property of its shareholders (the company’s assets less its liabilities, not including the ordinary share capital) 3. the value of an asset, such as a house, less any mortgage on it

equity REIT COMMENT: ‘Equity’ (also called ‘capital’

or ‘shareholders’ equity’ or ‘shareholders’ capital’ or ‘shareholders’ funds’) is the current net value of the company including the nominal value of the shares in issue. After several years a company would expect to increase its net worth above the value of the starting capital. ‘Equity capital’ on the other hand is only the nominal value of the shares in issue.

equity accounting /ekwti əkaυntŋ/ noun a method of accounting which puts part of the profits of a subsidiary into the parent company’s books equity capital /ekwti kpt(ə)l/ noun the nominal value of the shares owned by the ordinary shareholders of a company (NOTE: Preference shares are not equity capital. If the company were wound up, none of the equity capital would be distributed to preference shareholders.) equity earnings /ekwti %nŋz/ plural noun profits after tax, which are

available for distribution to shareholders in the form of dividends, or which can be retained in the company for future development equity finance /ekwti fanns/ noun finance for a company in the form of ordinary shares paid for by shareholders equity fund /ekwti fnd/ noun a fund which is invested in equities, not in government securities or other funds equity gearing /ekwti ərŋ/ noun the ratio between a company’s borrowings at interest and its ordinary share capital equity growth fund /ekwti rəυθ fnd/ noun a fund invested in equities, aiming to provide capital growth equity investment fund /ekwti nvestmənt fnd/ noun same as equity fund

equity kicker /ekwti kkə/ noun

US an incentive given to people to lend a company money, in the form of a warrant to share in future earnings (NOTE: The UK term is equity sweetener.) equity of redemption /ekwti əv rdempʃən/ noun a right of a mortgagor to redeem the estate by paying off the principal and interest equity REIT /ekwti rat/ noun a trust which invests in rented property.

equity release

123

Full form equity real estate investment trust equity release /ekwti rlis/ noun

the act of remortgaging a property on which there is currently no mortgage, in order to use it as security for new borrowing equity risk premium /ekwti rsk primiəm/ noun an extra return on equities over the return on bonds, because of the risk involved in investing in equities equity sweetener /ekwti swit(ə)nə/ noun an incentive to encourage people to lend a company money, in the form of a warrant giving the right to buy shares at a later date and at a certain price equivalence /kwvələns/ noun the condition of having the same value or of being the same equivalent /kwvələnt/ adjective 왍 to be equivalent to to have the same value as or to be the same as 쑗 The total dividend paid is equivalent to one quarter of the pretax profits. 쑗 Our managing director’s salary is equivalent to that of far less experienced employees in other organisations. 쐽 noun a person who is the equal of someone else ERDF abbreviation European Regional Development Fund ERM abbreviation exchange rate mechanism erode /rəυd/ verb to wear away gradually 왍 to erode wage differentials to reduce gradually differences in salary between different grades error /erə/ noun a mistake 쑗 He made an error in calculating the total. 쑗 The secretary must have made a typing error. error rate /erə ret/ noun the number of mistakes per thousand entries or per page

errors and omissions excepted /erəz ənd əυmʃ(ə)nz kseptd/ phrase words written on an invoice to

show that the company has no responsibility for mistakes in the invoice. Abbreviation e. & o.e. escalate /eskəlet/ verb to increase steadily escalation /eskəleʃ(ə)n/ noun a steady increase 쑗 an escalation of wage

establishment

demands 쑗 The union has threatened an escalation in strike action. 왍 escalation of prices a steady increase in prices escalation clause /eskəleʃ(ə)n klɔz/ noun same as escalator clause escalator /eskəletə/ noun a moving staircase escalator bond /eskəletə bɒnd/ noun a fixed-rate bond where the rate rises each year escalator clause /eskəletə klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract allowing for regular price increases because of increased costs, or regular wage increases because of the increased cost of living escape /skep/ noun an act of getting away from a difficult situation escape clause /skep klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract which allows one of the parties to avoid carrying out the terms of the contract under certain conditions ESCB abbreviation European System of Central Banks escrow /eskrəυ/ noun an agreement between two parties that something should be held by a third party until certain conditions are fulfilled 왍 in escrow held in safe keeping by a third party 왍 document held in escrow a document given to a third party to keep and to pass on to someone when money has been paid escrow account /eskrəυ əkaυnt/ noun US an account where money is held in escrow until a contract is signed or until goods are delivered escudo /eskjυdəυ/ noun a former unit of currency in Portugal ESOP abbreviation employee share ownership plan establish /stblʃ/ verb to set up or to open 쑗 The company has established a branch in Australia. 쑗 The business was established in Scotland in 1823. 쑗 It is still a young company, having been established for only four years. 왍 to establish oneself in business to become successful in a new business establishment /stblʃmənt/ noun 1. a commercial business 쑗 He runs an important printing establishment. 2. the number of people working in a company 왍 to be on the establishment to be a full-time employee 왍 of-

establishment charges

124

fice with an establishment of fifteen an office with a budgeted staff of fifteen

charges /stblʃmənt tʃɑd$z/ plural noun the cost of people and property in a company’s accounts estate /stet/ noun property left by a dead person estate agency /stet ed$ənsi/ noun an office which arranges for the sale of properties estate agent /stet ed$ənt/ noun a person in charge of an estate agency estate duty /stet djuti/ noun a tax paid on the property left by a dead person (NOTE: now called inheritance establishment

tax)

estate tax /stet tks/ noun US a

federal tax on property left by a dead person estimate noun /estmət/ 1. a calculation of the probable cost, size or time of something 쑗 Can you give me an estimate of how much time was spent on the job? 왍 at a conservative estimate probably underestimating the final figure 쑗 Their turnover has risen by at least 20% in the last year, at a conservative estimate. 왍 these figures are only an estimate these are not the final accurate figures 2. a calculation by a contractor or seller of a service of how much something is likely to cost, given to a client in advance of an order 쑗 You should ask for an estimate before committing yourselves. 쑗 Before we can give the grant we must have an estimate of the total costs involved. 쑗 Unfortunately the final bill was quite different from the estimate. 왍 to put in an estimate to give someone a written calculation of the probable costs of carrying out a job 쑗 Three firms put in estimates for the job. 쐽 verb /estmet/ 1. to calculate the probable cost, size or time of something 쑗 to estimate that it will cost £1m or to estimate costs at £1m 쑗 We estimate current sales at only 60% of last year. 2. 왍 to estimate for a job to state in writing the future costs of carrying out a piece of work so that a client can make an order 쑗 Three firms estimated for the refitting of the offices. estimated /estmetd/ adjective calculated approximately 쑗 estimated

euro

sales 쑗 Costs were slightly more than the estimated figure. estimation /estmeʃ(ə)n/ noun an approximate calculation estimator /estmetə/ noun a person whose job is to calculate estimates for carrying out work estoppel /stɒp(ə)l/ noun a rule of evidence whereby someone is prevented from denying or asserting a fact in legal proceedings ethical /eθk(ə)l/ adjective morally right ethical criteria /eθk(ə)l kratəriə/ plural noun standards used to judge if something is morally right or not ethical fund /eθk(ə)l fnd/ noun a fund which invests in companies which follow certain moral standards, e.g. companies which do not manufacture weapons, or which do not trade with certain countries or which only use environmentally acceptable sources of raw materials ethical index /eθk(ə)l ndeks/ noun an index of shares in companies which follow certain moral standards ethical investment /eθk(ə)l nvestmənt/ noun an investment in companies which follow certain moral standards

Ethical Investment Research Service /eθk(ə)l nvestmənt r-

s%tʃ s%vs/ noun an organisation which does research into companies and recommends those which follow certain standards. Abbreviation EIRIS ethical screening /eθk(ə)l skrinŋ/ noun checking companies against certain moral standards, and removing those which do not conform EU abbreviation European Union 쑗 EU ministers met today in Brussels. 쑗 The USA is increasing its trade with the EU. Eurex /jυəreks/ noun a European derivatives market developed by combining the German Terminbörse and the Swiss Soffex EURIBOR abbreviation European Interbank Offered Rate euro /jυərəυ/ noun a unit of currency adopted as legal tender in several European countries from January 1st, 1999 쑗 Many articles are priced in euros. 쑗

Euro-

125

What’s the exchange rate for the euro?

(NOTE: (NOTE: Written € before numbers: €250: say: ‘two hundred and fifty euros’). The plural is euro or euros.) ‘…cross-border mergers in the European Union have shot up since the introduction of the euro’ [Investors Chronicle] COMMENT: The countries which are

joined together in the European Monetary Union and adopted the euro as their common currency in 1999 are: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. The conversion of these currencies to the euro was fixed on 1st January 1999 at the following rates: Austrian schilling: 13.7603; Belgian & Luxembourg franc: 40.3399; Finnish Markka: 5.94573; French franc: 6.55957; German mark: 1.95583; Irish punt: 0.787564; Italian lira: 1936.27; Dutch guilder: 2.20371; Portuguese escudo: 200.482; Spanish peseta: 166.386. The CFA franc and CFP franc were pegged to the euro at the same time.

Euro- /jυərəυ/ prefix referring to Europe or the European Union

euro account /jυərəυ əkaυnt/

noun a bank account in euros Eurobond /jυərəυbɒnd/ noun a long-term bearer bond issued by an international corporation or government outside its country of origin and sold to purchasers who pay in a eurocurrency (sold on the Eurobond market) Eurocard /jυərəυkɑd/ a cheque card used when writing Eurocheques Eurocheque /jυərəυtʃek/ noun a cheque which can be cashed in any European bank (the Eurocheque system is based in Brussels)

Eurocommercial

paper

/jυərəυtkəm%ʃ(ə)l pepə/ noun a

form of short-term borrowing in eurocurrencies. Abbreviation ECP eurocredit /jυərəυkredt/ noun a large bank loan in a eurocurrency (usually provided by a group of banks to a large commercial undertaking) Eurocurrency /jυərəυkrənsi/ noun any currency used for trade within Europe but outside its country of origin, the eurodollar being the most important 쑗 a Eurocurrency loan 쑗 the Eurocurrency market

European Central Bank

eurodeposit /jυərəυdpɒzt/ noun

a deposit of eurodollars in a bank outside the US Eurodollar /jυərəυdɒlə/ noun a US dollar deposited in a bank outside the US, used mainly for trade within Europe 쑗 a Eurodollar loan 쑗 the Eurodollar markets euroequity /jυərəυekwti/ noun a share in an international company traded on European stock markets outside its country of origin Euroland /jυərəυlnd/ noun the European countries which use the euro as a common currency, seen as a group Euromarket /jυərəυmɑkt/ noun 1. the European Union seen as a potential market for sales 2. the eurocurrency market, the international market for lending or borrowing in eurocurrencies euronote /jυərəυnəυt/ noun a short-term eurocurrency bearer note euro-option /jυərəυ ɒpʃ(ə)n/ noun an option to buy European bonds at a later date Europe /jυərəp/ noun 1. the continent of Europe, the part of the world to the west of Asia, from Russia to Ireland 쑗 Most of the countries of Western Europe are members of the EU. 쑗 Poland is in eastern Europe, and Greece, Spain and Portugal are in southern Europe. 2. the European Union (including the UK) 쑗 Canadian exports to Europe have risen by 25%. European /jυərəpiən/ adjective referring to Europe 쑗 They do business with several European countries.

European struction

Bank for Reconand Development

/jυərəpiən bŋk fə rikənstrktʃ(ə)n ən dveləpmənt/ noun bank, based in London, which channels aid from the EU to Eastern European countries. Abbreviation EBRD

European

Central

Bank

/jυərəpiən sentrəl bŋk/ noun

central bank for most of the countries in the European Union, those which have accepted European Monetary Union and have the euro as their common currency. Abbreviation ECB ‘…the ECB begins with some $300 billion of foreign exchange reserves, far more than any other central bank’ [Investors Chronicle]

European Commercial Paper

126

‘…any change in the European bank’s statutes must be agreed and ratified by all EU member nations’ [The Times]

European

Commercial

Paper

/jυərəpiən kəm%ʃ(ə)l pepə/ noun

a commercial paper issued in eurocurrency. Abbreviation ECP

European

/jυərəpiən

Commission

kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun the main executive body of the EU, made up of members nominated by each member state. Also called Commis-

sion of the European Community

European

Common

Market

/jυərəpiən kɒmən mɑkt/ noun

formerly the name for the European Community, an organisation which links several European countries for the purposes of trade

European

Community

/jυərəpiən kəmjunti/ noun for-

merly, the name of the European Union. Abbreviation EC

European

Currency

Unit

/jυərəpiən krənsi junt/ noun a

monetary unit used within the EU. Abbreviation ECU

European

Economic

Area

/jυərəpiən ikənɒmk eərə/ an area comprising the countries of the EU and the members of EFTA, formed by an agreement on trade between the two organisations. Abbreviation EEA

European Economic Community /jυərəpiən ikənɒmk kə-

mjunti/ noun a grouping of European countries which later became the European Union. Abbreviation EEC. Also called European Community

European Free Trade Association /jυərəpiən fri tred ə-

səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a group of countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) formed to encourage freedom of trade between its members, and linked with the EU in the European Economic Area. Abbreviation EFTA

European Interbank Offered Rate /jυərəpiən ntəbŋk ɒfəd

ret/ noun rate at which European banks offer to lend funds to other banks

European

Investment

European Union

European

Monetary

System

/jυərəpiən mnt(ə)ri sstəm/ noun

system of controlled exchange rates between some of the member countries of the European Union. Abbreviation EMS COMMENT: The EMS now only applies to

countries such as Greece which are members of the EU but not part of the EMU.

European

Monetary

Union

/jυərəpiən mnt(ə)ri junjən/ noun the process by which some of the

member states of the EU joined together to adopt the euro as their common currency on 1st January 1999. Abbreviation EMU

options /jυərəpiən ɒpʃənz/ plural noun an American term for options which can only be exercised on their expiration date European Parliament /jυərəpiən pɑləmənt/ noun the parliament with members (MEPs) from each country of the EU European

European Regional Development Fund /jυərəpiən rid$(ə)nəl

dveləpmənt fnd/ noun fund set up to provide grants to underdeveloped parts of Europe. Abbreviation ERDF

European

Social

Charter

/jυərəpiən səυʃ(ə)l tʃɑtə/ noun a

charter for employees, drawn up by the EU in 1989, by which employees have the right to a fair wage, and to equal treatment for men and women, a safe work environment, training, freedom of association and collective bargaining, provision for disabled workers, freedom of movement from country to country, guaranteed standards of living both for the working population and for retired people. Also called Social Charter European Union /jυərəpiən junjən/ noun (formerly, the European Economic Community (EEC), the Common Market) a group of European countries linked together by the Treaty of Rome in such a way that trade is more free, people can move from one country to another more freely and people can work more freely in other countries of the group

Bank

COMMENT: The European Community

international European bank set up to provide loans to European countries. Abbreviation EIB

was set up in 1957 and changed its name to the European Union when it adopted the Single Market. It has now grown to include fifteen member states. These are:

/jυərəpiən nvestmənt bŋk/ noun

euroyen

127

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom; other countries are negotiating to join. The member states of the EU are linked together by the Treaty of Rome in such a way that trade is more free, money can be moved from one country to another freely, people can move from one country to another more freely and people can work more freely in other countries of the group.

euroyen /jυərəυjen/ noun a Japa-

nese yen deposited in a European bank and used for trade within Europe Eurozone /jυərəυzəυn/ noun the European countries which use the euro as a common currency, seen as a group ‘…the European Central Bank left the door open yesterday for a cut in Eurozone interest rates’ [Financial Times] ‘…a sustained recovery in the euro will require either a sharp slowdown in US growth or a rise in inflation and interest rates in the eurozone beyond that already discounted’ [Investors Chronicle]

EVA abbreviation economic value added

evade /ved/ verb to try to avoid something 왍 to evade tax to try illegally

to avoid paying tax evaluate /vljuet/ verb to calculate a value for something 쑗 to evaluate costs 쑗 We will evaluate jobs on the basis of their contribution to the organisation as a whole. 쑗 We need to evaluate the experience and qualifications of all the candidates. evaluation /vljueʃ(ə)n/ noun the calculation of value evasion /ve$(ə)n/ noun the act of avoiding something event-driven /vent drv(ə)n/ adjective activated by, and designed to profit from, a certain event, such as a merger, bankruptcy or takeover ex prefix /eks/ out of or from 쐽 without ex- /eks/ prefix former 쑗 an ex-director of the company exact /zkt/ adjective strictly correct, not varying in any way from, e.g. not any more or less than, what is stated 쑗 The exact time is 10.27. 쑗 The salesgirl asked me if I had the exact sum, since the shop had no change.

exceptional items

exact interest /zkt ntrəst/

noun an annual interest calculated on the basis of 365 days (as opposed to ordinary interest, calculated on 360 days) exactly /zktli/ adverb not varying in any way from, e.g. not any more or less than, what is stated 쑗 The total cost was exactly £6,500. ex-all /eks ɔl/ adjective referring to a share price where the share is sold without the dividend, rights issue, or any other current issue. Abbreviation xa examination /zmneʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an act of looking at something very carefully to see if it is acceptable 2. a written or oral test to see if someone has passed a course 쑗 He passed his accountancy examinations. 쑗 She came first in the final examination for the course. 쑗 Examinations are given to candidates to test their mathematical ability. examine /zmn/ verb to look at someone or something very carefully 쑗 Customs officials asked to examine the inside of the car. 쑗 The police are examining the papers from the managing director’s safe. examiner /zmnə/ noun 1. a person who examines something to see if it is correct 2. a court-appointed administrator for a company ex-capitalisation /eks kpt(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, ex cap /eks kp/ adjective referring to a share price where the share is sold without a recent scrip issue. Abbreviation xc exceed /ksid/ verb to be more than 쑗 a discount not exceeding 15% 쑗 Last year costs exceeded 20% of income for the first time. 왍 he has exceeded his credit limit he has borrowed more money than he is allowed except /ksept/ preposition, conjunction not including 쑗 VAT is levied on all goods and services except books, newspapers and children’s clothes. 쑗 Sales are rising in all markets except the Far East. excepted /kseptd/ adverb not including exceptional /ksepʃən(ə)l/ adjective different or not usual exceptional items /ksepʃən(ə)l atəmz/ plural noun 1. items which

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128

arise from normal trading but which are unusual because of their size or nature; such items are shown separately in a note to the company’s accounts but not on the face of the P & L account unless they are profits or losses on the sale or termination of an operation, or costs of a fundamental reorganisation or restructuring which have a material effect on the nature and focus of the reporting entity’s operations, or profits or losses on the disposal of fixed assets 2. items in a balance sheet which do not appear there each year and which are included in the accounts before the pre-tax profit is calculated (as opposed to extraordinary items, which are calculated after the pre-tax profit) excess noun, adjective (an amount) which is more than what is allowed 쑗 an excess of expenditure over revenue 쑗 Excess costs have caused us considerable problems. excess capacity /ekses kəpsti/ noun spare capacity which is not being used excessive /ksesv/ adjective too large 쑗 Excessive production costs made the product uneconomic. excess liquidity /ekses lkwdti/ noun cash held by a bank above the normal requirement for that bank excess profit /ekses prɒft/ noun profit which is higher than what is thought to be normal excess profits tax /ekses prɒfts tks/ noun a tax on profits which are higher than what is thought to be normal exchange /kstʃend$/ noun 1. the act of giving one thing for another 2. a market for shares, commodities, futures, etc. 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to exchange something (for something else) to give one thing in place of something else 쑗 He exchanged his motorcycle for a car. 쑗 Goods can be exchanged only on production of the sales slip. 2. to change money of one country for money of another 쑗 to exchange euros for pounds ‘…under the barter agreements, Nigeria will export crude oil in exchange for trucks, food, planes and chemicals’ [Wall Street Journal]

/kstʃend$əb(ə)l/ adjective which can be exchanged exchange control /kstʃend$ kəntrəυl/ noun the control by a gov-

exchangeable

exchange rate

ernment of the way in which its currency may be exchanged for foreign currencies exchange controls /kstʃend$ kəntrəυlz/ plural noun government restrictions on changing the local currency into foreign currency 쑗 The government had to impose exchange controls to stop the rush to buy dollars. 쑗 They say the government is going to lift exchange controls. exchange cross rates /kstʃend$ krɒs rets/ plural noun rates of exchange for two currencies, shown against each other, but in terms of a third currency, often the US dollar. Also called cross rates exchange dealer /kstʃend$ dilə/ noun a person who buys and sells foreign currency exchange dealings /kstʃend$ dilŋz/ plural noun the buying and selling of foreign currency

Exchange Equalisation Account

/kstʃend$ ikwəlazeʃ(ə)n əkaυnt/ noun an account with the Bank of England used by the government when buying or selling foreign currency to influence the sterling exchange rate exchange of contracts /kstʃend$ əv kɒntrkts/ noun the point in the sale of property when the buyer and the seller both sign the contract of sale, which then becomes binding exchange premium /kstʃend$ primiəm/ noun an extra cost above the normal rate for buying a foreign currency exchanger /kstʃend$ə/ noun a person who buys and sells foreign currency exchange rate /kstʃend$ ret/ noun 1. a rate at which one currency is exchanged for another. Also called rate of exchange 2. a figure that expresses how much a unit of one country’s currency is worth in terms of the currency of another country ‘…can free trade be reconciled with a strong dollar resulting from floating exchange rates’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…a draft report on changes in the international monetary system casts doubt on any return to fixed exchange-rate parities’ [Wall Street Journal]

exchange rate mechanism

129

executive share option scheme

exchange rate mechanism /ks-

exclusivity /eksklusvt/ noun the exclusive right to market a product ex coupon /eks kupɒn/ adverb without the interest coupons or after interest has been paid ex dividend /eks dvdend/, ex div /eks dv/ adjective referring to a share price not including the right to receive the next dividend 쑗 The shares went ex dividend yesterday. Abbreviation xd execute /ekskjut/ verb to carry out an order 쑗 Failure to execute orders may lead to dismissal. 쑗 There were many practical difficulties in executing the managing director’s instructions. execution /ekskjuʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the carrying out of a commercial order or contract 2. the carrying out of a legal order or contract

stocks

execution-only

broker

execution-only

service

tʃend$ ret mekənz(ə)m/ noun a method of stabilising exchange rates within the European Monetary System, where currencies could only move up or down within a narrow band (usually 2.25% either way, but for certain currencies widened to 6%) without involving a realignment of all the currencies in the system. Abbreviation ERM Exchequer /kstʃekə/ noun 앳 the Exchequer GB 1. the fund of all money received by the government of the UK from taxes and other revenues 2. the British government’s account with the Bank of England 3. the British government department dealing with public revenue Exchequer stocks /kstʃekə stɒks/ plural noun same as Treasury

excise duty /eksaz djuti/ noun a

tax on goods such as alcohol and petrol which are produced in the country exciseman /eksazmn/ noun a person who works in the Excise Department exclude /ksklud/ verb to keep out, or not to include 쑗 The interest charges have been excluded from the document. 쑗 Damage by fire is excluded from the policy. exclusion /ksklu$(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of not including something 2. an item reported on the tax return but on which no tax is payable exclusion clause /ksklu$(ə)n klɔz/ noun a clause in an insurance policy or warranty which says which items or events are not covered exclusive /ksklusv/ adjective 1. limited to one person or group 왍 to have exclusive right to market a product to be the only person who has the right to market a product 2. 왍 exclusive of not including 쑗 The invoice is exclusive of VAT. exclusive agreement /ksklusv ərimənt/ noun an agreement where a person is made sole agent for a product in a market exclusive of tax /ksklusv əv tks/ adjective not including tax 쑗 All payments are exclusive of tax.

/ekskjuʃ(ə)n əυnli brəυkə/ noun same as dealing-only broker

/ekskjuʃ(ə)n əυnli s%vs/ noun a

service which buys and sells shares for clients, but does not provide any advice and does not manage portfolios executive /zekjυtv/ adjective which puts decisions into action 쐽 noun a person in a business who takes decisions, a manager or director 쑗 sales executives 쑗 a senior or junior executive ‘…one in ten students commented on the long hours which executives worked’ [Employment Gazette] ‘…our executives are motivated by a desire to carry out a project to the best of their ability’ [British Business]

executive committee /zekjυtv

kəmti/ noun a committee which runs a society or a club executive director /zekjυtv darektə/ noun a director who works full-time in the company (as opposed to a ‘non-executive director’) executive powers /zekjυtv paυəz/ plural noun the right to act as director or to put decisions into action 쑗 He was made managing director with full executive powers over the European operation.

executive share option scheme /zekjυtv ʃeər ɒpʃən skim/ noun

a special scheme for senior managers, by which they can buy shares in the

executor

130

company they work for at a fixed price at a later date executor /zekjυtə/ noun a person or firm that sees that the terms of a will are carried out 쑗 He was named executor of his brother’s will. exempt /zempt/ adjective not forced to do something, especially not forced to obey a particular law or rule, or not forced to pay something 쑗 Anyone over 65 is exempt from charges 쑗 He was exempt from military service in his country. 왍 exempt from tax not required to pay tax 쑗 As a non-profit-making organisation we are exempt from tax. 쐽 verb 쑗 Non-profit-making organisations are exempted from tax. 쑗 The government exempted trusts from tax. 왍 to exempt something from tax to free something from having tax paid on it 쑗 Food is exempted from sales tax. ‘Companies with sales under $500,000 a year will be exempt from the minimum-wage requirements’ [Nation’s Business]

exemption /zempʃ(ə)n/ noun the

act of exempting something from a contract or from a tax 왍 exemption from tax or tax exemption the fact of being free from having to pay tax 쑗 As a non-profit-making organisation you can claim tax exemption. exempt securities /zempt skjυərtiz/ plural noun securities, such as municipal bonds, which do not need to be registered with the SEC exercise /eksəsaz/ noun 1. a use of something 왍 exercise of an option using an option, putting an option into action 2. a financial year 쑗 during the current exercise 쐽 verb to use 쑗 The chairwoman exercised her veto to block the motion. 왍 to exercise an option to put an option into action 쑗 He exercised his option to acquire sole marketing rights for the product. exercise date /eksəsaz det/ noun a date when an option can be put into effect exercise price /eksəsaz pras/ noun a price at which an option will be put into effect ex gratia /eks reʃə/ adjective done as a favour

expense

ex gratia payment /eks reʃə

pemənt/ noun a payment made as a gift, with no other obligations exit /ezt/ noun going out or leaving exit charge /ezt tʃɑd$/, exit fee /ezt fi/ noun a charge made when selling units in a unit trust (only some trusts apply this charge) or when selling out of a PEP ex officio /eks əfʃiəυ/ adjective, adverb because of an office held 쑗 The treasurer is ex officio a member or an ex officio member of the finance committee. expand /kspnd/ verb to get bigger, or make something bigger 쑗 an expanding economy 쑗 The company is expanding fast. 쑗 We have had to expand our sales force. expansion /kspnʃən/ noun an increase in size 쑗 The expansion of the domestic market. 쑗 The company had difficulty in financing its current expansion programme. ‘…inflation-adjusted GNP moved up at a 1.3% annual rate, its worst performance since the economic expansion began’ [Fortune] ‘…the businesses we back range from start-up ventures to established businesses in need of further capital for expansion’ [Times]

expect /kspekt/ verb to hope that

something is going to happen 쑗 We are expecting him to arrive at 10.45. 쑗 They are expecting a cheque from their agent next week. 쑗 The house was sold for more than the expected price. ‘…he observed that he expected exports to grow faster than imports in the coming year’ [Sydney Morning Herald] ‘American business as a whole has seen profits well above the levels normally expected at this stage of the cycle’ [Sunday Times]

expenditure /kspendtʃə/ noun the amount of money spent 왍 the company’s current expenditure programme the company’s spending according to the current plan 왍 heavy expenditure on equipment spending large sums of money on equipment expense /kspens/ noun money spent 쑗 It is not worth the expense. 쑗 The expense is too much for my bank balance. 쑗 The likely profits do not justify the expense of setting up the project. 왍 at great expense having spent a lot of money 왍 he furnished the office re-

expense account

131

gardless of expense without thinking how much it cost expense account /kspens əkaυnt/ noun an allowance of money which a business pays for an employee to spend on travelling and entertaining clients in connection with that business 쑗 I’ll put this lunch on my expense account. expenses /kspensz/ plural noun money paid to cover the costs incurred by someone when doing something 쑗 The salary offered is £10,000 plus expenses. 쑗 He has a high salary and all his travel expenses are paid by the company. 왍 all expenses paid with all costs paid by the company 쑗 The company sent him to San Francisco all expenses paid. 왍 to cut down on expenses to reduce spending 왍 legal expenses money spent on fees paid to lawyers expiration /ekspəreʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of coming to an end 쑗 the expiration of an insurance policy 쑗 to repay before the expiration of the stated period 왍 on expiration of the lease when the lease comes to an end expiration date /ekspəreʃ(ə)n det/ noun same as expiry date expire /kspaə/ verb to come to an end 쑗 The lease expires in 2010. 쑗 The option expired last Tuesday. 왍 his passport has expired his passport is no longer valid expiry /kspaəri/ noun the act of coming to an end 쑗 the expiry of an insurance policy expiry date /kspaəri det/ noun 1. a date when something will end 2. the last date on which a credit card can be used export noun /ekspɔt/ /ekspɔt/ the practice or business of sending goods to foreign countries to be sold 쑗 50% of the company’s profits come from the export trade or the export market. 쏡 exports 쐽 verb /kspɔt/ /kspɔt/ to send goods to foreign countries for sale 쑗 50% of our production is exported. 쑗 The company imports raw materials and exports the finished products. exportation /ekspɔteʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of sending goods to foreign countries for sale

Export Credit Guarantee Department /ekspɔt kredt rənti d-

exposure

pɑtmənt/ noun a British government department which insures sellers of exports sold on credit against the possibility of non-payment by the purchasers. Abbreviation ECGD export department /ekspɔt dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of a company which deals in sales to foreign countries export duty /ekspɔt djuti/ noun a tax paid on goods sent out of a country for sale exporter /kspɔtə/ noun a person, company or country that sells goods in foreign countries 쑗 a major furniture exporter 쑗 Canada is an important exporter of oil or an important oil exporter. export house /ekspɔt haυs/ noun a company which specialises in the export of goods manufactured by other companies export licence /ekspɔt las(ə)ns/ noun a government permit allowing something to be exported 쑗 The government has refused an export licence for computer parts. export manager /ekspɔt mnd$ə/ noun the person in charge of an export department in a company 쑗 The export manager planned to set up a sales force in Southern Europe. 쑗 Sales managers from all export markets report to our export manager. export restitution /ekspɔt resttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun (in the EU) subsidies to European food exporters exports /ekspɔts/ plural noun goods sent to a foreign country to be sold 쑗 Exports to Africa have increased by 25%. (NOTE: Usually used in the plural, but the singular form is used before a noun.) expose /kspəυz/ verb 왍 to be ex-

posed to something to be in a position where something might harm you 쑗 The banks are exposed to bad debts in Asia. exposure /kspəυ$ə/ noun the amount of risk which a lender or investor runs 쑗 He is trying to limit his exposure in the property market. COMMENT: Exposure can be the amount

of money lent to a customer (a bank’s exposure to a foreign country) or the amount of money which an investor may lose if his

express

132

investments collapse (his or her exposure in the stock market).

express /kspres/ adjective 1. rapid

or very fast 쑗 an express letter 2. clearly shown in words 쑗 The contract has an express condition forbidding sale in Africa. 쐽 verb 1. to put into words or diagrams 쑗 This chart shows home sales expressed as a percentage of total turnover. 2. to send something very fast 쑗 We expressed the order to the customer’s warehouse. expressly /kspresli/ adverb clearly in words 쑗 The contract expressly forbids sales to the United States. express money transfer /kspres mni trnsf%/ noun a foreign currency payment to an individual or organisation delivered electronically to a bank ex-rights /eks rats/ adjective referring to a share price where the share is sold without a recent rights issue. Abbreviation xr extend /kstend/ verb 1. to offer something 쑗 to extend credit to a customer 2. to make something longer 쑗 Her contract of employment was extended for two years. 쑗 We have extended the deadline for making the appointment by two weeks. extended credit /kstendd kredt/ noun 1. credit allowing the borrower a very long time to pay 쑗 We sell to Australia on extended credit. 2. US an extra long credit used by commercial banks borrowing from the Federal Reserve extension /kstenʃən/ noun 1. a longer time allowed for something than was originally agreed 왍 to get an extension of credit to get more time to pay back 왍 extension of a contract the continuing of a contract for a further period 2. (in an office) an individual telephone linked to the main switchboard 쑗 The sales manager is on extension 53. 쑗 Can you get me extension 21? extensive /kstensv/ adjective very large or covering a wide area 쑗 an extensive network of sales outlets external /kst%n(ə)l/ adjective 1. outside a country (NOTE: The opposite is internal.) 2. outside a company

extraordinary items

external account /kst%n(ə)l əkaυnt/ noun an account in a British bank belonging to someone who is living in another country external audit /kst%n(ə)l ɔdt/ noun 1. an audit carried out by an independent auditor (who is not employed by the company) 2. an evaluation of the effectiveness of a company’s public relations carried out by an outside agency external auditor /kst%n(ə)l ɔdtə/ noun an independent person who audits the company’s accounts external debt /kst%n(ə)l det/ noun money which a company has borrowed from outside sources (such as a bank) as opposed to money raised from shareholders external funds /kst%n(ə)l fndz/ plural noun same as external debt external growth /kst%n(ə)l rəυθ/ noun growth by buying other companies, rather than by expanding existing sales or products (NOTE: The opposite is internal growth or organic growth.) external trade /kst%n(ə)l tred/ noun trade with foreign countries (NOTE: The opposite is internal trade.) extract /ekstrkt/ noun a printed

document which is part of a larger document 쑗 He sent me an extract of the accounts. extraordinaries /kstrɔd(ə)n(ə)riz/ plural noun same as extraordinary items extraordinary /kstrɔd(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective different from normal

Extraordinary General Meeting

/kstrɔd(ə)n(ə)ri d$en(ə)rəl mitŋ/ noun a special meeting of shareholders

to discuss an important matter (such as a change in the company’s articles of association) which cannot wait until the next AGM 쑗 to call an Extraordinary General Meeting Abbreviation EGM extraordinary items /kstrɔd(ə)n(ə)ri atəmz/ plural noun formerly, large items of income or expenditure which did not arise from normal trading and which did not occur every year (they were shown separately in the P&L account, after taxation)

F face value /fes vlju/ noun the

value written on a coin, banknote or share certificate ‘…travellers cheques cost 1% of their face value – some banks charge more for small amounts’ [Sunday Times]

facility /fəslti/ noun 1. something

that allows something to be done something easily 쑗 We offer facilities for payment. 2. the total amount of credit which a lender will allow a borrower facility fee /fəslti fi/ noun a charge made to a borrower by a bank for arranging credit facilities factor /fktə/ noun 1. something which is important, or which is taken into account when making a decision 쑗 The drop in sales is an important factor in the company’s lower profits. 쑗 Motivation was an important factor in drawing up the new pay scheme. 2. 왍 by a factor of ten ten times 3. a person or company which is responsible for collecting debts for companies, by buying debts at a discount on their face value 4. a person who sells for a business or another person and earns a commission 쐽 verb to buy debts from a company at a discount ‘…factors ‘buy’ invoices from a company, which then gets an immediate cash advance representing most of their value. The balance is paid when the debt is met. The client company is charged a fee as well as interest on the cash advanced’ [Times] COMMENT: A factor collects a company’s

debts when due, and pays the creditor in advance part of the sum to be collected, so ‘buying’ the debt.

factor in /fktər n/ verb to add a factor when making calculations

factoring /fktərŋ/ noun the busi-

ness of buying debts from a firm at a discount and then getting the debtors to pay

charges /fktərŋ tʃɑd$z/ plural noun the cost of selling debts to a factor for a commission factors of production /fktəz əv prədkʃən/ plural noun the three things needed to produce a product (land, labour and capital) factory floor /fkt(ə)ri flɔ/ noun the main works of a factory factory gate price /fkt(ə)r et pras/ noun the actual cost of manufacturing goods before any mark-up is added to give profit (NOTE: The factory factoring

gate price includes direct costs such as labour, raw materials and energy, and indirect costs such as interest on loans, plant maintenance or rent.) factory inspectorate /fkt(ə)ri nspekt(ə)rət/ noun all inspectors of

factories

factory price /fkt(ə)ri pras/ noun

a price not including transport from the maker’s factory factory worker /fkt(ə)ri w%kə/ noun a person who works in a factory fail /fel/ verb 1. not to do something which you were trying to do 쑗 The company failed to notify the tax office of its change of address. 쑗 They failed to agree on an agenda for the meeting. 쑗 Negotiations continued until midnight but the two sides failed to come to an agreement. 2. to be unsuccessful 쑗 The prototype failed its first test. 왍 the company failed the company went bankrupt 쑗 He lost all his money when the bank failed. failure /feljə/ noun not doing something which you promised to do 왍 failure to pay a bill not paying a bill fair /feə/ noun same as trade fair 쑗 The computer fair runs from April 1st to 6th. 쐽 adjective reasonable, with equal treatment

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134

fair copy /feə kɒpi/ noun a document

which is written or typed with no changes or mistakes fair deal /feə dil/ noun an arrangement where both parties are treated equally 쑗 The workers feel they did not get a fair deal from the management. fair dealing /feə dilŋ/ noun the legal buying and selling of shares fairly /feəli/ adverb reasonably or equally 쑗 The union representatives put the employees’ side of the case fairly and without argument. fair price /feə pras/ noun a good price for both buyer and seller fair trade /feə tred/ noun an international business system where countries agree not to charge import duties on some items imported from their trading partners fair trading /feə tredŋ/ noun 1. a way of doing business which is reasonable and does not harm the consumer 2. a legal trade in shares or the legal buying and selling of shares fair value /feə vlju/ noun a price paid by a buyer who knows the value of what he is buying to a seller who also knows the value of what he is selling (i.e. neither is cheating the other) fair wear and tear /feə weər ən teə/ noun acceptable damage caused by normal use 쑗 The insurance policy covers most damage but not fair wear and tear to the machine. faith /feθ/ noun 왍 to buy something in good faith to buy something thinking that is of good quality, that it has not been stolen or that it is not an imitation fall /fɔl/ noun a sudden reduction or loss of value 쑗 a fall in the exchange rate 쑗 a fall in the price of gold 쑗 a fall on the Stock Exchange 쑗 Profits showed a 10% fall. 쐽 verb 1. to be reduced suddenly to a lower price or value 쑗 Shares fell on the market today. 쑗 Gold shares fell 10% or fell 45 cents on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 The price of gold fell for the second day running. 쑗 The pound fell against the euro. 2. to happen or to take place 쑗 The public holiday falls on a Tuesday. 왍 payments which fall due payments which are now due to be made ‘…market analysts described the falls in the second half of last week as a technical

false pretences correction to the market’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…for the first time since mortgage rates began falling in March a financial institution has raised charges on homeowner loans’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)] ‘…interest rates were still falling as late as June, and underlying inflation remains below the government’s target of 2.5 per cent’ [Financial Times]

fall away /fɔl əwe/ verb to become

less 쑗 Hotel bookings have fallen away since the tourist season ended. fall back /fɔl bk/ verb to become lower or cheaper after rising in price 쑗 Shares fell back in light trading. fall back on /fɔl bk ɒn/ verb to have to use something kept for emergencies 쑗 to fall back on cash reserves 쑗 The management fell back on the usual old excuses. fall behind /fɔl bhand/ verb to be late in doing something 쑗 They fell behind with their mortgage repayments. fallen angel /fɔlən end$əl/ noun a share that was once in favour, but whose attraction has slipped and whose share price is on the way down falling /fɔlŋ/ adjective which is becoming smaller or dropping in price ‘…falling profitability means falling share prices’ [Investors Chronicle]

falling pound /fɔlŋ paυnd/ noun

the pound when it is losing its value against other currencies fall off /fɔl ɒf/ verb to become lower, cheaper or less 쑗 Sales have fallen off since the tourist season ended. fall out /fɔl aυt/ verb 왍 the bottom has fallen out of the market sales have fallen below what previously seemed to be their lowest point fallout /fɔlaυt/ noun a bad result or collapse false /fɔls/ adjective not true or not correct 쑗 to make a false claim for a product 쑗 to make a false entry in the balance sheet false market /fɔls mɑkt/ noun a market in shares caused by persons or companies conspiring to buy or sell and so influence the share price to their advantage false pretences /fɔls prtensz/ plural noun doing or saying something to cheat someone 쑗 He was sent to

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135

prison for obtaining money by false pretences. false weight /fɔls wet/ noun weight as measured on a shop scales which is wrong and so cheats customers falsification /fɔlsfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of making false entries in accounts falsify /fɔlsfa/ verb to change something to make it wrong 쑗 They were accused of falsifying the accounts. family /fm(ə)li/ noun a group of people, formed of parents and children family company /fm(ə)li kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company where most of the shares are owned by members of a family family firm /fm(ə)li f%m/, family-run firm /fm(ə)li rn f%m/ noun a firm where the shareholders and directors are members of the same family Fannie Mae /fni me/ noun same as Federal National Mortgage Association

FAQ noun an item on a menu which gives answers to questions which people often ask about the website, service or product. Full form frequently asked question FAS abbreviation Federal Accounting

Standards FASIT abbreviation Financial Asset Securitisation Investment Trust fat cat /ft kt/ noun a businessman who earns an enormous salary and bonus (informal ) favourable /fev(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective which gives an advantage (NOTE: The US spelling is favorable.) 왍 on favourable terms on specially good terms 쑗 The shop is let on very favourable terms. .

favourable

balance

trade

/fev(ə)rəb(ə)l bləns əv tred/, favourable trade balance /fev(ə)rəb(ə)l tred bləns/ noun a

situation where a country’s exports are larger than its imports fax /fks/ noun a system for sending the exact copy of a document via telephone lines 쑗 Can you confirm the booking by fax? 쐽 verb to send a message by fax 쑗 The details of the offer were faxed to the brokers this morning.

Federal Deposit Insurance

쑗

I’ve faxed the documents to our New York office. COMMENT: Banks will not accept fax

messages as binding instructions (as for example, a faxed order for money to be transferred from one account to another).

FAZ index noun a daily index of leading industrial shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) FD abbreviation financial director FDI abbreviation foreign direct investment FDIC abbreviation Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation feasibility report /fizəblti rpɔt/ noun a document which says if it is worth undertaking something Fed /fed/ noun US same as Federal Reserve Board (informal ) .

‘…indications of weakness in the US economy were contained in figures from the Fed on industrial production for April’ [Financial Times] ‘…the half-point discount rate move gives the Fed room to reduce the federal funds rate further if economic weakness persists. The Fed sets the discount rate directly, but controls the federal funds rate by buying and selling Treasury securities’ [Wall Street Journal]

federal /fed(ə)rəl/ adjective 1. refer-

ring to a system of government where a group of states are linked together in a federation 2. referring to the central government of the United States 쑗 Most federal offices are in Washington. ‘…federal examiners will determine which of the privately-insured savings and loans qualify for federal insurance’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…since 1978 America has freed many of its industries from federal rules that set prices and controlled the entry of new companies’ [Economist]

Federal Accounting Standards /fed(ə)rəl əkaυntŋ stndədz/ noun

the US regulations governing accounting procedures. Abbreviation FAS federal credit agencies /fed(ə)rəl kredt/, federal agencies /fed(ə)rəl ed$ənsiz/ plural noun agencies (such as the Federal Home Loan Banks) which provide credit to individual borrowers and are backed by the federal government

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation /fed(ə)rəl dpɒzt nʃυərəns kɔpreʃ(ə)n/ noun federal

Federal Funds

136

FHLBB

agency which manages insurance funds that insure deposits in commercial banks and in savings and loans associations. Abbreviation FDIC

Federal Reserve Board /fed(ə)rəl rz%v bɔd/ noun a government organisation which runs the central banks in the US. Abbreviation FRB

Federal Funds /fed(ə)rəl fndz/

‘…pressure on the Federal Reserve Board to ease monetary policy mounted yesterday with the release of a set of pessimistic economic statistics’ [Financial Times]

plural noun deposits by commercial banks with the Federal Reserve Banks, which can be used for short-term loans to other banks

Federal

Home

Loan

Banks

/fed(ə)rəl həυm ləυn bŋks/ plural noun US a group of twelve banks which

lend to savings and loans associations, and to other institutions which lend money to homeowners against mortgages

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation /fed(ə)rəl həυm ləυn mɔd$ kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun US a federal organisation which backs mortgages issued by the Savings and Loans Associations. Abbreviation FHLMC,

Freddie Mac

Federal National Mortgage Association /fed(ə)rəl nʃ(ə)nəl

mɔd$ əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a privately owned US organisation which regulates mortgages and helps offer mortgages backed by federal funds. Abbreviation FNMA. Also called Fannie Mae

Federal Reserve /fed(ə)rəl r-

z%v/, Federal Reserve System /fed(ə)rəl rz%v sstəm/ noun the

system of federal government control of the US banks, where the Federal Reserve Board regulates money supply, prints money, fixes the discount rate and issues government bonds COMMENT: The Federal Reserve system

is the central bank of the USA. The system is run by the Federal Reserve Board, under a chairman and seven committee members (or ‘governors’) who are all appointed by the President. The twelve Federal Reserve Banks act as lenders of last resort to local commercial banks. Although the board is appointed by the president, the whole system is relatively independent of the US government.

Federal Reserve Bank /fed(ə)rəl

rz%v bŋk/ noun any one of the twelve regional banks in the USA which are owned by the state and directed by the Federal Reserve Board. Abbreviation FRB

Federal Reserve Wire System /fed(ə)rəl rz%v waə sstəm/ noun

a computerised communications system which links the Federal Reserve Board, its banks and the US Treasury

Federal

Trade

Commission

/fed(ə)rəl tred kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun a

federal agency established to keep business competition free and fair federation /fedəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a group of societies, companies or organisations which have a central organisation which represents them and looks after their common interests 쑗 a federation of trades unions 쑗 the employers’ federation Fed Funds /fed fndz/ plural noun US same as Federal Funds (informal ) fed funds rate /fed fndz ret/ noun the rate charged by banks for lending money deposited with the Federal Reserve to other banks 쑗 most federal offices are in Washington Fedwire, FedWire /fedwaə/ noun US same as Federal Reserve Wire System (informal ) fee /fi/ noun 1. money paid for work carried out by a professional person (such as an accountant, a doctor or a lawyer) 쑗 We charge a small fee for our services. 쑗 The consultant’s fee was much higher than we expected. 왍 director’s fees money paid to a director as a lump sum, not a salary 2. money paid for something 쑗 an entrance fee or admission fee 쑗 a registration fee few /fju/ adjective, noun 1. not many 쑗 We sold so few of this item that we have discontinued the line. 쑗 Few of the staff stay with us more than six months. 2. 왍 a few some 쑗 A few of our salesmen drive Rolls-Royces. 쑗 We get only a few orders in the period from Christmas to the New Year. FHFB abbreviation Federal Housing Finance Board FHLBB abbreviation Federal Home Loan Bank Board .

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137

FHLBS abbreviation Federal Home Loan Bank System FHLMC abbreviation Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation fiat money /fit mni/ noun coins or notes which are not worth much as paper or metal, but are said by the government to have a value and are recognised as legal tender FIBOR abbreviation Frankfurt Interbank Offered Rate fictitious assets /fktʃəs sets/ plural noun assets which do not really exist, but are entered as assets to balance the accounts fiddle /fd(ə)l/ (informal ) noun an act of cheating 쑗 It’s all a fiddle. 왍 he’s on the fiddle he is trying to cheat 쐽 verb to cheat 쑗 He tried to fiddle his tax returns. 쑗 The salesman was caught fiddling his expense account. .

fide 쒁 bona fide fiduciary /fdjuʃjəri/ noun, adjec-

tive (a person) in a position of trust 쑗 Directors have fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the company. fiduciary deposits /fdjuʃəri dpɒztz/ plural noun bank deposits which are managed for the depositor by the bank FIFO /fafəυ/ abbreviation first in first out fifty-fifty /ffti ffti/ adjective, adverb half 왍 he has a fifty-fifty chance of making a profit he has an equal chance of making a profit or a loss figure /fə/ noun 1. a number, or a cost written in numbers 쑗 The figure in the accounts for heating is very high. 왍 he put a very low figure on the value of the lease he calculated the value of the lease as very low 2. 왍 to work out the figures to calculate something 왍 his income runs into six figures or he has a six-figure income his income is more than £100,000 왍 in round figures not totally accurate, but correct to the nearest 10 or 100 쑗 They have a workforce of 2,500 in round figures. figures /fəz/ plural noun 1. written numbers 2. the results for a company 쑗 the figures for last year or last year’s figures file /fal/ noun 1. a cardboard holder for documents, which can fit in the

final

drawer of a filing cabinet 쑗 Put these letters in the customer file. 쑗 Look in the file marked ‘Scottish sales’. 2. documents kept for reference 왍 to place something on file to keep a record of something 왍 to keep someone’s name on file to keep someone’s name on a list for reference 3. a section of data on a computer (such as payroll, address list or customer accounts) 쑗 How can we protect our computer files? 쐽 verb 1. 쑗 You will find the salary scales filed by department. 쑗 The correspondence is filed under ‘complaints’. 왍 to file documents to put documents in order so that they can be found easily 쑗 The correspondence is filed under ‘complaints’. 2. to make an official request 왍 to file a petition in bankruptcy or to file for bankruptcy to ask officially to be made bankrupt or to ask officially for someone else to be made bankrupt 3. to register something officially 쑗 to file an application for a patent 쑗 to file a return to the tax office 왍 to file a return to the tax office US to fill in and send a tax return 왍 to file jointly to make a joint tax declaration 왍 to file separately to file two separate tax returns, one for the husband and one for the wife 앳 to file a petition in bankruptcy, to file for bankruptcy 1. to ask officially to be made bankrupt 2. to ask officially for someone else to be made bankrupt file copy /fal kɒpi/ noun a copy of a document which is kept for reference in an office filer /falə/ noun US a person who files an income tax return filing system /falŋ sstəm/ noun a way of putting documents in order for easy reference fill /fl/ verb to carry out a client’s instructions to buy or sell fill or kill /fl ɔ kl/ verb US to carry out a client’s order immediately or else the order is cancelled. Abbreviation FOK

FIMBRA abbreviation Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Association final /fan(ə)l/ adjective last, coming at the end of a period 쑗 to pay the final instalment 쑗 to make the final payment 쑗 to put the final details on a document

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138

왍 final date for payment last date by which payment should be made

closing date /fan(ə)l kləυzŋ det/ noun the last date for acceptance of a takeover bid, when the bidder has to announce how many shareholders have accepted his offer 쑗 to pay the final instalment 쑗 to make the final payment 쑗 to put the final details on a document final demand /fan(ə)l dmɑnd/ noun the last reminder from a supplier, after which they will sue for payment final discharge /fan(ə)l dstʃɑd$/ noun the last payment of what is left of a debt final dividend /fan(ə)l dvdend/ noun a dividend paid at the end of a year’s trading, which has to be approved by the shareholders at an AGM finalise /fanəlaz/, finalize verb to agree final details 쑗 We hope to finalise the agreement tomorrow. 쑗 After six weeks of negotiations the loan was finalised yesterday. final product /fan(ə)l prɒdkt/ noun a manufactured product, made at the end of a production process final salary scheme /fan(ə)l sləri skim/ noun a form of pension scheme where the benefit is based on the final salary of the member and his or her years of service finance /fanns/ noun 1. money used by a company, provided by the shareholders or by loans 쑗 Where will they get the necessary finance for the project? 2. money (used by a club, local authority, etc.) 쑗 She is the secretary of the local authority finance committee. 쐽 verb to provide money to pay for something 쑗 They plan to finance the operation with short-term loans. final

‘…an official said that the company began to experience a sharp increase in demand for longer-term mortgages at a time when the flow of money used to finance these loans diminished’ [Globe and Mail]

Finance Act /fanns kt/ noun

GB an annual Act of Parliament which gives the government the power to obtain money from taxes as proposed in the Budget

Finance and Leasing Association /fanns ən lisŋ ə-

səυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation

financial adviser

representing firms engaged in business finance and the leasing of equipment and cars. Abbreviation FLA Finance Bill /fanns bl/ noun 1. a bill which lists the proposals in a chancellor’s budget and which is debated before being voted into law as the Finance Act 2. US a short-term bill of exchange which provides credit for a corporation so that it can continue trading finance charge /fanns tʃɑd$/ noun 1. the cost of borrowing money 2. an additional charge made to a customer who asks for extended credit finance company /fanns kmp(ə)ni/, finance corporation /fanns kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/, finance house /fanns haυs/ noun a company, usually part of a commercial bank, which provides money for hire-purchase finance house deposits /fanns haυs dpɒzts/ plural noun amounts of money deposited by banks with finance houses and used by them to provide hire-purchase loans to clients finance market /fanns mɑkt/ noun a place where large sums of money can be lent or borrowed Finance Ministry /fanns mnstri/ noun a government department dealing with a country’s finance COMMENT: In most countries, the govern-

ment department dealing with finance is called the Finance Ministry, with a Finance Minister in charge. Both in the UK and the US, the department is called the Treasury, and the minister in charge is the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK, and the Treasury Secretary in the US

finances /fannsz/ plural noun

money or cash which is available 쑗 the bad state of the company’s finances financial /fannʃəl/ adjective concerning money 왍 financial circ*mstances the state of someone’s finances 쑗 The more you tell us about your full financial circ*mstances, the more we may be able to help. 왍 financial difficulties a bad state of someone’s finances 쑗 If you find yourself in financial difficulties go to your bank manager for advice. financial adviser /fannʃəl ədvazə/ noun a person or company

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139

which gives advice on financial problems for a fee

Financial Asset Securitisation Investment Trust /fannʃəl set

skjυərtazeʃ(ə)n nvestmənt trst/ noun US an investment trust that combines various loans, money outstanding on credit card purchases, etc., into one single fund for an individual. Abbreviation FASIT financial assistance /fannʃəl əsstəns/ noun help in the form of money financial centre /fannʃəl sentə/ noun a town or part of a town where the main banks and financial institutions are located financial correspondent /fannʃəl kɒrspɒndənt/ noun a journalist who writes articles on money matters for a newspaper financial futures /fannʃəl fjutʃəz/, financial futures contract /fannʃəl fjutʃəz kɒntrkt/ noun a contract for the purchase of gilt-edged securities for delivery at a date in the future financial futures market /fannʃəl fjutʃəz mɑkt/ noun the market in gilt-edged securities for delivery at a date in the future financial institution /fannʃəl nsttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun a bank, investment trust or insurance company whose work involves lending or investing large sums of money financial instrument /fannʃəl nstrυmənt/ noun 1. a document showing that money has been lent or borrowed, invested or passed from one account to another (such as a bill of exchange, share certificate, certificate of deposit or an IOU) 2. any form of investment in the stock market or in other financial markets, such as shares, government stocks, certificates of deposit or bills of exchange financial intermediary /fannʃəl ntəmidiəri/ noun an institution which takes deposits or loans from individuals and lends money to clients financially /fnnʃəli/ adverb regarding money 왍 a company which is financially sound a company which is profitable and has strong assets

financial statement

financial position /fannʃəl pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun the state of a person’s or company’s bank balance in terms of assets and debts 쑗 She must think of her financial position. financial report /fannʃəl rpɔt/ noun a document which gives the financial position of a company or of a club, etc. financial resources /fannʃəl rzɔsz/ plural noun the supply of money for something 쑗 a company with strong financial resources financial review /fannʃəl rvju/ noun an examination of an organisation’s finances financial risk /fannʃəl rsk/ noun the possibility of losing money 쑗 The company is taking a considerable financial risk in manufacturing 25 million units without doing any market research. 쑗 There is always some financial risk in selling on credit. financials /fannʃəlz/ plural noun same as financial futures Financial Secretary to the Treasury /fannʃəl sekrət(ə)ri tə ðə

tre$əri/ noun a minister of state in charge of the Treasury, under the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 쏡 Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Services Act /fannʃəl s%vsz kt/ noun an Act of the British Parliament which regulates the offering of financial services to the general public and to private investors Financial

Financial

Services

Authority

/fannʃəl s%vsz ɔθɒrti/ noun a

government agency set up to regulate all financial services, such as banks, stockbrokers, unit trusts, pension companies, professional bodies, stock exchanges, etc., including the ombudsmen for these services. Abbreviation FSA ‘…the FSA has set up an independent ombudsman scheme covering all areas of financial services’ [Times]

financial statement /fannʃəl

stetmənt/ noun a document which shows the financial situation of a company 쑗 The accounts department has prepared a financial statement for the shareholders. 왍 the Financial Statement a document which sets out the details of the budget presented by the

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Chancellor of the Exchequer and is published on Budget Day

financial supermarket /fannʃəl

supəmɑkt/ noun a company which offers a range of financial services (e.g. a bank offering loans, mortgages, pensions and insurance as well as the normal personal banking services) Financial Times /fannʃəl tamz/ noun an important British financial daily newspaper (printed on pink paper). Abbreviation FT Financial Times Index /fannʃəl tamz ndeks/, Financial Times Ordinary Index /fannʃəl tamz ɔdnəri ndeks/ noun an index based on the market prices of thirty blue-chip companies (this index is the oldest of the FT indices, and is now considered too narrow to have much relevance) financial year /fannʃəl jə/ noun the twelve month period for a firm’s accounts (not necessarily the same as a calendar year) financier /fannsiə/ noun a person who lends large amounts of money to companies or who buys shares in companies as an investment financing /fannsŋ/ noun the act of providing money for a project 쑗 The financing of the project was done by two international banks. finder’s fee /fandəz fi/ noun 1. a fee paid to a person who finds a client for another (e.g., someone who introduces a client to a stockbroking firm) 2. a fee paid to a person who arranges a loan for someone, finds a property for someone to buy, etc. fine /fan/ noun money paid because of something wrong which has been done 쑗 He was asked to pay a $25,000 fine. 쑗 We had to pay a £50 parking fine. 쐽 verb to punish someone by making him or her pay money 쑗 to fine someone £2,500 for obtaining money by false pretences 쐽 adverb very thin or very small 왍 we are cutting our margins very fine we are reducing our margins to the smallest possible amount 쐽 adjective 왍 fine rate of discount the lowest rate of discount on offer fine-tune /fan tjun/ verb to make small adjustments to a plan or the economy so that it works better

firm

fine-tuning /fan tjunŋ/ noun the

act of making of small adjustments in areas such as interest rates, tax bands or the money supply, to improve a nation’s economy finish /fnʃ/ noun an end of a day’s trading on the Stock Exchange 쑗 Oil shares rallied at the finish. 쐽 verb to come to an end 쑗 The contract is due to finish next month. 쑗 The market finished the day on a stronger note. finished goods /fnʃt υdz/ plural noun manufactured goods which are ready to be sold Finnmark /fnmɑk/ noun a name for the currency used before the euro in Finland fire insurance /faər nʃυərəns/ noun insurance against damage by fire fireproof safe /faəpruf sef/ noun a safe which cannot be harmed by fire fire safety /faə sefti/ noun activities designed to make a place of work safe for the workers in case of fire fire safety officer /faə sefti ɒfsə/ noun a person responsible for fire safety in a building fire sale /faə sel/ noun 1. a sale of fire-damaged goods 2. a sale of anything at a very low price firewalls /faəwɔlz/ plural noun US same as Chinese walls firm /f%m/ noun a company, business or partnership 쑗 a manufacturing firm 쑗 an important publishing firm 쑗 She is a partner in a law firm. 쐽 adjective 1. which cannot be changed 쑗 to make a firm offer for something 쑗 to place a firm order for two aircraft 2. not dropping in price and possibly going to rise 쑗 Sterling was firmer on the foreign exchange markets. 쑗 Shares remained firm. 쐽 verb to remain at a price and seem likely to rise 쑗 The shares firmed at £1.50. ‘…some profit-taking was noted, but underlying sentiment remained firm’ [Financial Times] COMMENT: Strictly speaking, a ‘firm’ is a

partnership or other trading organisation which is not a limited company. In practice, it is better to use the term for unincorporated businesses such as ‘a firm of accountants’ or ‘a firm of stockbrokers’, rather than for ‘a major aircraft construction firm’ which is likely to be a plc.

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141

firmness /f%mnəs/ noun the fact of

being steady at a certain price, or likely to rise 쑗 the firmness of the pound on foreign exchanges ‘Toronto failed to mirror New York’s firmness as a drop in gold shares on a falling bullion price left the market closing on a mixed note’ [Financial Times]

firm order /f%m ɔdə/ noun 1. a

confirmed order, which the purchaser cannot withdraw 2. an order to a broker to sell or buy on a certain date firm price /f%m pras/ noun a price which will not change 쑗 They are quoting a firm price of $1.23 a unit. firm sale /f%m sel/ noun a sale which does not allow the purchaser to return the goods firm up /f%m p/ verb to agree on the final details of something 쑗 We expect to firm up the deal at the next trade fair. first /f%st/ noun a person or thing that is there at the beginning or earlier than others 쑗 Our company was one of the first to sell into the European market. first-class /f%st klɑs/ adjective top-quality or most expensive 쑗 He is a first-class accountant. 쐽 noun, adverb (the type of travel or type of hotel which is) most expensive and comfortable 쑗 to travel first-class 쑗 First-class travel provides the best service. 쑗 A first-class ticket to New York costs more than I can afford. 쑗 The MD prefers to stay in first-class hotels. first-class mail /f%st klɑs mel/ noun a more expensive mail service, designed to be faster 쑗 A first-class letter should get to Scotland in a day. first in first out /f%st n f%st aυt/ phrase 1. a redundancy policy, where the people who have been working longest are the first to be made redundant 2. an accounting policy where it is assumed that stocks in hand were purchased last, and that stocks sold during the period were purchased first. Abbreviation FIFO. Compare last in first out first option /f%st opʃən/ noun allowing someone to be the first to have the possibility of deciding something first quarter /f%st kwɔtə/ noun the period of three months from January to the end of March 쑗 The first quarter’s rent is payable in advance.

fixed costs

fiscal /fskəl/ adjective referring to tax or to government revenues

fiscal agent /fskəl ed$ənt/ noun a

bank which acts as an agent for a eurobond issue fiscal drag /fskəl dr/ noun 1. the effect of inflation on a government’s tax revenues. As inflation increases so do prices and wages, and tax revenues rise proportionately; even if inflation is low, increased earnings will give the government increased revenues anyway. 2. the negative effect of higher personal taxation on an individual’s work performance fiscal measures /fskəl me$əz/ plural noun tax changes made by a government to improve the working of the economy fiscal policy /fskəl pɒlsi/ noun the policy of a government regarding taxation and revenues ‘…the standard measure of fiscal policy – the public sector borrowing requirement – is kept misleadingly low’ [Economist]

fiscal year /fskəl jə/ noun a

twelve-month period on which taxes are calculated (in the UK, April 6th to April 5th) ‘…last fiscal year the chain reported a 116% jump in earnings’ [Barron’s]

Five-Year Plan /fav jə pln/

noun proposals for running a country’s economy over a five-year period fixation /fkseʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of stating a price on an options market fixed /fkst/ adjective unable to be changed or removed ‘…you must offer shippers and importers fixed rates over a reasonable period of time’ [Lloyd’s List]

fixed assets /fkst sets/ plural

noun property or machinery which a company owns and uses, but which the company does not buy or sell as part of its regular trade, including the company’s investments in shares of other companies fixed capital /fkst kpt(ə)l/ noun capital in the form of buildings and machinery fixed costs /fkst kɒsts/ plural noun business costs which do not change with the quantity of the product made

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142

fixed deposit /fkst dpɒzt/ noun a deposit which pays a stated interest over a set period fixed exchange rate /fkst kstʃend$ ret/ noun a rate of exchange of one currency against another which cannot fluctuate, and can only be changed by devaluation or revaluation fixed expenses /fkst kspensz/ plural noun expenses which do not vary with different levels of production, e.g. rent, secretaries’ salaries and insurance fixed income /fkst nkm/ noun income which does not change from year to year (as from an annuity) fixed-income derivatives /fkst nkm drvətvz/ plural noun derivatives which pay a fixed interest at stated dates in the future fixed-interest /fkst ntrest/ adjective which has an interest rate which does not vary fixed-interest investments /fkst ntrəst nvestmənts/ plural noun investments producing an interest which does not change fixed-interest securities /fkst ntrəst skjυərtiz/ plural noun securities (such as government bonds) which produce an interest which does not change fixed-price /fkst pras/ adjective which has a price which cannot be changed fixed-price agreement /fkst pras ərimənt/ noun an agreement where a company provides a service or a product at a price which stays the same for the whole period of the agreement fixed-price offer for sale /fkst pras ɒfə fə sel/ noun an offer to purchase shares in a new company for a price which has been fixed at flotation (as opposed to tendering) fixed rate /fkst ret/ noun a rate, e.g. an exchange rate, which does not change fixed rate loan /fkst ret ləυn/ noun a loan on which the rate of interest stays the same for the duration of the loan fixed scale of charges /fkst skel əv tʃɑd$z/ noun a rate of charging which does not change

fledgling companies

fixed-term /fkst t%m/ adjective

lasting for a fixed number of years fixed-term product /fkst t%m prɒdkt/ noun a financial product, such as a bond, which runs for a fixed number of years fixed yield /fkst jild/ noun a percentage return which does not change fixer /fksə/ noun a person who has a reputation for arranging business deals (often illegally) fixing /fksŋ/ noun 1. arranging 쑗 the fixing of charges 쑗 the fixing of a mortgage rate 2. a regular meeting to set a price fl abbreviation guilder FLA abbreviation Finance and Leasing Association flag /fl/ noun a term used by chartists to refer to a period when prices consolidate a previous advance or fall flat /flt/ adjective 1. referring to market prices which do not fall or rise, because of low demand 쑗 The market was flat today. 2. not changing in response to different conditions 쐽 noun a set of rooms for one family in a building with other sets of similar rooms 쑗 He has a flat in the centre of town. 쑗 She is buying a flat close to her office. ‘…the government revised its earlier reports for July and August. Originally reported as flat in July and declining by 0.2% in August, industrial production is now seen to have risen by 0.2% and 0.1% respectively in those months’ [Sunday Times]

flat bed imprinter /flt bed mprntə/ noun US same as imprinter flat out /flt aυt/ adverb working hard or at full speed 쑗 The factory worked flat out to complete the order on time. flat rate /flt ret/ noun a charge which always stays the same 쑗 a flat-rate increase of 10% 쑗 We pay a flat rate for electricity each quarter. 쑗 He is paid a flat rate of £2 per thousand. flat yield /flt jild/ noun an interest rate as a percentage of the price paid for fixed- interest stock fledgling companies /fled$lŋ kmp(ə)niz/ plural noun companies which are just starting in business, especially companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with a capitalisation

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143

which is too small for them to be included in the FTSE All-Share Index

fleet rental /flit rent(ə)l/ noun an

arrangement to rent all a company’s cars from the same company at a special price flexibility /fleksblti/ noun the ability to be easily changed 쑗 There is no flexibility in the company’s pricing policy. ‘…they calculate interest on their ‘flexible’ mortgage on an annual basis rather than daily. Charging annual interest makes a nonsense of the whole idea of flexibility which is supposed to help you pay off your mortgage more quickly’ [Financial Times]

flexible /fleksb(ə)l/ adjective which

can be altered or changed 쑗 We try to be flexible where the advertising budget is concerned. 쑗 The company has adopted a flexible pricing policy. flexible mortgage /fleksb(ə)l mɔd$/ noun a mortgage that gives the borrower the freedom to change the amount and frequency of his or her mortgage payments

flexible

working

hours

/fleksb(ə)l w%kŋ aυəz/, flexible work /fleksb(ə)l w%k/ plural noun a

system where employees can start or stop work at different hours of the morning or evening provided that they work a certain number of hours per day or week

Flexible

Work

Regulations

/fleksb(ə)l w%k rejυleʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun (in the UK) the legal right

for a parent with a child under the age of 6, or with a disabled child under the age of 18, to ask that their working hours should be arranged to help them with their responsibilities flight /flat/ noun 1. a journey by an aircraft, leaving at a regular time 쑗 Flight AC 267 is leaving from Gate 46. 쑗 He missed his flight. 쑗 I always take the afternoon flight to Rome. 쑗 If you hurry you will catch the six o’clock flight to Paris. 2. a rapid movement of money out of a country because of a lack of confidence in the country’s economic future 쑗 The flight of capital from Europe into the USA. 쑗 The flight from the peso into the dollar. 쐽 verb to arrange a scheduling pattern for something

floor

flight to quality /flat tə kwɒlti/

noun a tendency of investors to buy safe blue-chip securities when the economic outlook is uncertain flip side /flp sad/ noun the negative factors (in a proposal) float /fləυt/ noun 1. cash taken from a central supply and used for running expenses 쑗 The sales reps have a float of £100 each. 2. the process of starting a new company by selling shares in it on the Stock Exchange 쑗 The float of the new company was a complete failure. 3. the process of allowing a currency to settle at its own exchange rate, without any government intervention 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to float a company to start a new company by selling shares in it on the Stock Exchange 왍 to float a loan to raise a loan on the financial market by asking banks and companies to subscribe to it 2. to let a currency find its own exchange rate on the international markets and not be fixed 쑗 The government has let sterling float. 쑗 The government has decided to float the pound. floater /fləυtə/ noun US a loan with a variable interest rate floating /fləυtŋ/ noun 왍 floating of a company the act of starting a new company by selling shares in it on the Stock Exchange 쐽 adjective which is not fixed 쑗 floating exchange rates 쑗 the floating pound ‘…in a world of floating exchange rates the dollar is strong because of capital inflows rather than weak because of the nation’s trade deficit’ [Duns Business Month]

floating charge /fləυtŋ tʃɑd$/

noun a charge linked to any of the company’s assets of a certain type, but not to any specific item floating rate /fləυtŋ ret/ noun 1. same as variable rate 2. an exchange rate for a currency which can vary according to market demand, and is not fixed by the government floating-rate notes /fləυtŋ ret nəυts/ plural noun eurocurrency loans arranged by a bank which are not at a fixed rate of interest. Abbreviation FRNs

floor /flɔ/ noun 1. the part of the room which you walk on 왍 on the shop floor in the works, in the factory, among the ordinary workers 쑗 The feeling on the shop floor is that the manager does not

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know his job. 2. all the rooms on one level in a building 쑗 Her office is on the 26th floor. (NOTE: In the UK, the floor at street level is the ground floor, but in the US it is the first floor. Each floor in the USA is one number higher than the same floor in Britain.) 3. a bottom level

of something (such as the lowest exchange rate which a government will accept for its currency or the lower limit imposed on an interest rate) 쑗 The government will impose a floor on wages to protect the poor. 왍 to establish a floor at an auction to fix the bottom price below which the seller will not sell floor broker /flɔ brəυkə/ noun a stockbroker who is a member of a brokerage house floor limit /flɔ lmt/ noun a highest sale through a credit card that a retailer can accept without having to get authorisation from the bank that issued the card floor price /flɔ pras/ noun a lowest price, a price which cannot go any lower floor space /flɔ spes/ noun an area of floor in an office or warehouse 쑗 We have 3,500 square metres of floor space to let. floor trader /flɔ tredə/ noun an independent trader on a Stock Exchange, who buys and sells on his or her own account flop /flɒp/ noun a failure, or something which has not been successful 쑗 The new model was a flop. 쐽 verb to fail or not be a success 쑗 The launch of the new shampoo flopped badly. (NOTE: flopping – flopped) floppy disk /flɒpi dsk/ noun a

small disk for storing information through a computer florin /flɒrn/ noun another name for the Dutch guilder. Abbreviation fl flotation /fləυteʃ(ə)n/ noun 왍 the flotation of a new company the act of starting a new company by selling shares in it flow /fləυ/ noun 1. a movement 쑗 the flow of capital into a country 쑗 the flow of investments into Japan 2. 왍 the company is suffering from cash flow problems cash income is not coming in fast enough to pay for the expenditure going out 쐽 verb to move smoothly 쑗

force

Production is now flowing normally after the strike. flow chart /fləυ tʃɑt/, flow diagram /fləυ daərm/ noun a chart which shows the arrangement of work processes in a series fluctuate /flktʃuet/ verb to move up and down 쑗 Prices fluctuated between £1.10 and £1.25. 쑗 The pound fluctuated all day on the foreign exchange markets. fluctuating /flktjuetŋ/ adjective moving up and down 쑗 fluctuating dollar prices fluctuation /flktʃueʃ(ə)n/ noun an up and down movement 쑗 the fluctuations of the yen 쑗 the fluctuations of the exchange rate FNMA abbreviation Federal National Mortgage Association FOB, f.o.b. abbreviation free on board FOK abbreviation fill or kill folio /fəυliəυ/ noun a page with a number, especially two facing pages in an account book which have the same number 쐽 verb to put a number on a page foot /fυt/ verb 왍 to foot the bill to pay the costs 왍 to foot up an account US to add up a column of numbers footings /fυtŋz/ noun US the bottom line in a bank’s balance sheet (informal ) Footsie /fυtsi/ noun an index based on the prices of 100 leading companies (this is the main London index) (informal ) Full form Financial Times-Stock .

Exchange 100 index FOR abbreviation free on rail Forbes 500 /fɔbz fav hndrəd/ noun a list of the largest US corpora-

tions, published each year in Forbes magazine forbid /fəbd/ verb to tell someone not to do something, or to say that something must not be done 쑗 Smoking is forbidden in our offices. 쑗 The contract forbids resale of the goods to the USA. 쑗 Staff are forbidden to speak directly to the press. (NOTE: forbidding – forbade – forbidden) force /fɔs/ noun 1. strength 왍 to be in

force to be operating or working 쑗 The rules have been in force since 1986. 왍 to

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145

come into force to start to operate or work 쑗 The new regulations will come into force on January 1st. 2. a group of people 쐽 verb to make someone do something 쑗 Competition has forced the company to lower its prices. 쑗 After the takeover several of the managers were forced to take early retirement. force down /fɔs daυn/ verb to make something such as prices become lower 왍 to force prices down to make prices come down 쑗 Competition has forced prices down. forced sale /fɔst sel/ noun a sale which takes place because a court orders it or because it is the only way to avoid a financial crisis force majeure /fɔs m$%/ noun something which happens which is out of the control of the parties who have signed a contract, e.g. a strike, war or storm force up /fɔs p/ verb to make something become higher 왍 to force prices up to make prices go up 쑗 The war forced up the price of oil. forecast /fɔkɑst/ noun a description or calculation of what will probably happen in the future 쑗 The chairman did not believe the sales director’s forecast of higher turnover. 쐽 verb to calculate or to say what will probably happen in the future 쑗 She is forecasting sales of £2m. 쑗 Economists have forecast a fall in the exchange rate. (NOTE: forecasting – forecast)

forecast dividend /fɔkɑst dv+

dend/ noun a dividend which a company expects to pay at the end of the current year. Also called prospective

dividend

forecaster /fɔkɑstə/ noun a person

who says what he or she thinks will happen in the future forecasting /fɔkɑstŋ/ noun the process of calculating what will probably happen in the future 쑗 Manpower planning will depend on forecasting the future levels of production. foreclose /fɔkləυz/ verb to acquire a property because the owner cannot repay money which he or she has borrowed (using the property as security) foreclosure /fɔkləυ$ə/ noun an act of foreclosing

foreign exchange market

foreign /fɒrn/ adjective not belonging to your own country 쑗 Foreign cars have flooded our market. 쑗 We are increasing our trade with foreign countries. 왍 foreign banks or foreign branches banks from other countries which have branches in a country ‘…a sharp setback in foreign trade accounted for most of the winter slowdown’ [Fortune]

foreign currency /fɒrn krənsi/ noun money of another country

foreign currency account /fɒrn krənsi əkaυnt/ noun a bank account in the currency of another country, e.g. a dollar account in a British bank foreign currency reserves /fɒrn krənsi rz%vz/ plural noun a country’s reserves held in currencies of other countries. Also called foreign exchange reserves

reserves,

international

‘…the treasury says it needs the cash to rebuild its foreign reserves which have fallen from $19 billion when the government took office to $7 billion in August’ [Economist]

foreign direct investment /fɒrn

darekt nvestmənt/ noun an investment in a developing country by foreign companies or governments. Abbreviation FDI foreign exchange /fɒrən kstʃend$/ noun 1. the business of exchanging the money of one country for that of another 2. foreign currencies ‘…the dollar recovered a little lost ground on the foreign exchanges yesterday’ [Financial Times]

foreign exchange broker /fɒrn kstʃend$ brəυkə/, foreign exchange dealer noun a person who

deals on the foreign exchange market foreign exchange dealing /fɒrn kstʃend$ dilŋ/ noun the business of buying and selling foreign currencies foreign exchange desk /fɒrn kstʃend$ desk/ noun a section of a bank which deals with foreign exchange transactions foreign exchange market /fɒrn kstʃend$ mɑkt/ noun 1. a market where people buy and sell foreign currencies 쑗 She trades on the foreign exchange market. 2. dealings in foreign currencies 쑗 Foreign exchange markets were very active after the dollar devalued.

foreign exchange reserves

foreign

exchange

146

reserves

/fɒrn kstʃend$ rz%vz/ plural noun foreign money held by a govern-

ment to support its own currency and pay its debts

foreign exchange transaction /fɒrn kstʃend$ trnzkʃən/ noun a purchase or sale of foreign

currency

foreign exchange transfer /fɒrn

kstʃend$ trnsf%/ noun the sending of money from one country to another foreign investments /fɒrn nvestmənts/ plural noun money invested in other countries foreign money order /fɒrn mni/ noun a money order in a foreign currency which is payable to someone living in a foreign country Foreign Office /fɒrn ɒfs/ noun a ministry dealing with a country’s relations with foreign countries foreign rights /fɒrn ratz/ plural noun a legal entitlement to sell something in a foreign country, such as the right to translate a book into a foreign language foreign trade /fɒrn tred/ noun a trade with other countries forex /fɔreks/, Forex noun same as foreign exchange

‘…the amount of reserves sold by the authorities were not sufficient to move the $200 billion Forex market permanently’ [Duns Business Month]

forfaiting /fɔftŋ/ noun providing

finance for exporters, where an agent (the forfaiter) accepts a bill of exchange from an overseas customer; he buys the bill at a discount, and collects the payments from the customer in due course forfeit /fɔft/ noun the fact of having something taken away as a punishment 왍 the goods were declared forfeit the court said that the goods had to be taken away from the person who was holding them 쐽 verb to have something taken away as a punishment 왍 to forfeit a patent to lose a patent because payments have not been made 왍 to forfeit a deposit to lose a deposit which was left for an item because you have decided not to buy that item forfeit clause /fɔft klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract which says that

fortune

goods or a deposit will be taken away if the contract is not obeyed forfeiture /fɔftʃə/ noun the act of forfeiting a property for hire contract /fə haə kɒntrkt/ noun US a freelance contract forint /fɒrnt/ noun a unit of currency used in Hungary form /fɔm/ noun 1. 왍 form of words words correctly laid out for a legal document 왍 receipt in due form a correctly written receipt 2. an official printed paper with blank spaces which have to be filled in with information 쑗 a pad of order forms 쑗 You have to fill in form A20. 쑗 Each passenger was given a customs declaration form. 쑗 The reps carry pads of order forms. 쐽 verb to start, create or organise something 쑗 The brothers have formed a new company. Form 1099 /fɔm ten nanti nan/ noun US a statement from a bank or stockbroker, giving details of interest payments or dividends received, which a taxpayer sends on to the IRS forma /fɔmə/ noun 쒁 pro forma formal /fɔm(ə)l/ adjective clearly and legally written 쑗 to make a formal application 쑗 to send a formal order 쑗 Is this a formal job offer? 쑗 The factory is prepared for the formal inspection by the government inspector. formal documents /fɔm(ə)l dɒkjυmənts/ plural noun documents giving full details of a takeover bid formality /fɔmlti/ noun something which has to be done to obey the law formation /fɔmeʃ(ə)n/, forming /fɔmŋ/ noun the act of organising 쑗 the formation of a new company form letter /fɔm letə/ noun a letter which can be sent without any change to several correspondents (such as a letter chasing payment) formula investing /fɔmjələ nvestŋ/ noun a method of investing according to a set plan (such as purchasing a certain value of shares each month, or only investing in shares of companies with a capitalisation of less than £25m) fortune /fɔtʃən/ noun a large amount of money 쑗 He made a fortune

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147

from investing in oil shares. 쑗 She left her fortune to her three children. Fortune 500 /fɔtʃən fav hndrəd/ noun the 500 largest companies in the USA, as listed annually in Fortune magazine forward /fɔwəd/ adjective in advance or to be paid at a later date 쐽 adverb 왍 to date a cheque forward to put a later date than the present one on a cheque forwardation /fɔwədeʃ(ə)n/ noun a cash price which is lower than the forward price (NOTE: The opposite is backwardation.)

forward buying /fɔwəd baŋ/

noun the act of buying shares, currency or commodities at today’s price for delivery at a later date forward contract /fɔwəd kɒntrkt/ noun a one-off agreement to buy foreign currency or shares or commodities for delivery at a later date at a specific price forward cover /fɔwəd kvə/ noun an arrangement to cover the risks on a forward contract forward dealing /fɔwəd dilŋ/ noun the activity of buying or selling commodities forward forward delivery /fɔwəd dlv(ə)ri/ noun a delivery at some date in the future which has been agreed between the buyer and seller forwarder /fɔwədə/ noun a person or company that arranges shipping and customs documents for several shipments from different companies, putting them together to form one large shipment forwarding /fɔwədŋ/ noun the act of arranging shipping and customs documents forwarding address /fɔwədŋ ədres/ noun the address to which a person’s mail can be sent on forwarding agent /fɔwədŋ ed$ənt/ noun a person or company which arranges shipping and customs documents

forwarding

instructions

/fɔwədŋ nstrkʃənz/ plural noun

instructions showing how the goods are to be shipped and delivered

fractional

forward integration /fɔwəd ntəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a process of expansion in which a company becomes its own distributor or takes over a company in the same line of business as itself 쑗 Forward integration will give the company greater control over its selling. 쑗 Forward integration has brought the company closer to its consumers and has made it aware of their buying habits. Compare backward integration forward margin /fɔwəd mɑd$n/ noun the difference between the current (or spot) price and the forward price forward market /fɔwəd mɑkt/ noun a market for purchasing foreign currency, oil or commodities for delivery at a later date forward sales /fɔwəd selz/ plural noun the sales of shares, commodities or foreign exchange for delivery at a later date forward trading /fɔwəd tredŋ/ noun the activity of buying or selling commodities forward foul bill of lading /faυl bl əv ledŋ/ noun a bill of lading which says that the goods were in bad condition when received by the shipper founder /faυndə/ noun a person who starts a company founder’s shares /faυndəz ʃeəz/ noun special shares issued to the person who starts a company 401(k) plan /fɔ əυ wn ke pln/ noun US a personal pension plan arranged by an employer for a member of staff, invested in bonds, mutual funds or stock (the employee contributes a proportion of salary, on which tax is deferred; the employer can also make contributions) fourth market /fɔθ mɑkt/ noun US trading in securities which is carried between financial institutions, without going through the stock market fourth quarter /fɔθ kwɔtə/ noun a period of three months from 1st October to the end of the year fraction /frkʃən/ noun a very small amount 쑗 Only a fraction of the new share issue was subscribed. fractional /frkʃənəl/ adjective very small

fractional certificate

148

fractional certificate /frkʃənəl

sətfkət/ noun a certificate for part of a share fractional reserve /frkʃənəl rz%v/ noun a reserve held by a bank which is a small proportion of its total deposits fragile /frd$al/ adjective which can be easily broken 쑗 There is an extra premium for insuring fragile goods in shipment. fragility /frəd$lti/ noun the fact of being weak or likely to collapse 왍 financial fragility the fact of being in a weak position financially franc /frŋk/ noun 1. a former unit of currency in France and Belgium 쑗 French francs or Belgian francs 2. a unit of currency in Switzerland and several other currencies 쑗 It costs twenty-five Swiss francs. franchise /frntʃaz/ noun a licence to trade using a brand name and paying a royalty for it 쑗 He’s bought a printing franchise or a pizza franchise. 쐽 verb to sell licences for people to trade using a brand name and paying a royalty 쑗 His sandwich bar was so successful that he decided to franchise it.

free capital

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noun a daily newspaper published in Frankfurt

Frankfurt Interbank Offered Rate /frŋkf%t ntəbŋk ɒfəd

ret/ noun a rate used for calculating loans on the Frankfurt money markets. Abbreviation FIBOR fraud /frɔd/ noun an act of making money by making people believe something which is not true 쑗 He got possession of the property by fraud. 쑗 She was accused of frauds relating to foreign currency. 왍 to obtain money by fraud to obtain money by saying or doing something to cheat someone fraud squad /frɔd skwɒd/ noun the special police department which investigates frauds fraudulent /frɔdjυlənt/ adjective not honest, or aiming to cheat people 쑗 a fraudulent transaction fraudulently /frɔdjυləntli/ adverb not honestly 쑗 goods imported fraudulently

fraudulent

misrepresentation

/frɔdjυlənt msreprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of making a false statement

with the intention of tricking a customer

‘…many new types of franchised businesses will join the ranks of the giant chains of fast-food restaurants, hotels and motels and rental car agencies’ [Franchising Opportunities]

FRB abbreviation 1. Federal Reserve

franchisee /frntʃazi/ noun a

same as Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (informal ) free /fri/ adjective, adverb 1. not cost-

person who runs a franchise franchiser /frntʃazə/ noun a person who licenses a franchise franchising /frntʃazŋ/ noun the act of selling a licence to trade as a franchise 쑗 He runs his sandwich chain as a franchising operation.

franchising

operation

/frntʃazŋ ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an

operation involving selling licences to trade as a franchise franchisor /frntʃazə/ noun another spelling of franchiser franco /frŋkəυ/ adverb free franc zone /frŋk zəυn/ noun a currency area consisting of the former French colonies in Africa or in the Pacific (it uses the CFA franc or the CFP franc as unit of currency) Frankfurt /frŋkf%t/ the main financial centre in Germany

Bank 2. Federal Reserve Board

Freddie Mac /fred mk/ noun US .

ing any money 쑗 I have been given a free ticket to the exhibition. 쑗 The price includes free delivery. 쑗 All goods in the store are delivered free. 쑗 A catalogue will be sent free on request. 왍 free of charge with no payment to be made 2. with no restrictions 왍 free of tax with no tax having to be paid 쑗 Interest is paid free of tax. 왍 free of duty with no duty to be paid 쑗 to import wine free of duty 쐽 verb to make something available or easy 쑗 The government’s decision has freed millions of pounds for investment. ‘American business as a whole is increasingly free from heavy dependence on manufacturing’ [Sunday Times]

free capital /fri kpt(ə)l/ noun an

amount of a company’s capital in shares which are available for trading on a Stock Exchange

free collective bargaining

149

free collective bargaining /fri

kəlektv bɑnŋ/ noun negotiations between management and trade unions about wage increases and working conditions free competition /fri kɒmpətʃ(ə)n/ noun the fact of being free to compete without government interference free currency /fri krənsi/ noun a currency which is allowed by the government to be bought and sold without restriction free enterprise /fri entəpraz/ noun a system of business free from government interference freefall /frifɔl/ noun a sudden collapse of prices 쑗 On the news of the devaluation the stock market went into freefall. free gift /fri ft/ noun a present given by a shop to a customer who buys a specific amount of goods 쑗 There is a free gift worth £25 to any customer buying a washing machine. freeholder /frihəυldə/ noun a person who owns a freehold property freehold property /frihəυld prɒpəti/ noun property which the owner holds for ever and on which no rent is paid free issue /fri ʃu/ noun same as scrip issue

free market /fri mɑkt/ noun a

market in which there is no government control of supply and demand, and the rights of individuals and organisations to physical and intellectual property are upheld free market economy /fri mɑkt kɒnəmi/ noun a system where the government does not interfere in business activity in any way free on board /fri ɒn bɔd/ adjective including in the price all the seller’s costs until the goods are on the ship for transportation. Abbreviation f.o.b. free online sessions /fri ɒnlan seʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun the number of times a customer can access his online bank account without paying a charge free period /fri pəriəd/ noun the period of grace allowed to credit card holders before payment for credit card purchases is demanded

free trader

freephone /frifəυn/, freefone noun

a system where you can telephone to reply to an advertisem*nt, to place an order or to ask for information and the seller pays for the call free port /fri pɔt/ noun a port where there are no customs duties to be paid freepost /fripəυst/ noun a system where someone can write to an advertiser to place an order or to ask for information to be sent, without paying for a stamp. The company paying for the postage on receipt of the envelope. free reserves /fri rz%vz/ plural noun the part of a bank’s reserves which are above the statutory level and so can be used for various purposes as the bank wishes free sample /fri sɑmpəl/ noun a sample given free to advertise a product free-standing /fri stndŋ/ adjective standing separately, not attached to a wall

free-standing additional voluntary contribution /fri stndŋ

ədʃ(ə)nəl vɒlənt(ə)ri kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun a payment made by an individual into an independent pension fund to supplement an occupational pension scheme (the anticipated benefits from the two schemes together must be less than the maximum permitted under the rules laid down by the Inland Revenue). Abbreviation FSAVC

free-standing additional voluntary contributions plan /fri

stndŋ ədʃ(ə)nəl vɒlənt(ə)ri kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)ns/ noun a separate pension plan taken out by an individual in addition to a company pension scheme free trade /fri tred/ noun a system where goods can go from one country to another without any restrictions ‘…can free trade be reconciled with a strong dollar resulting from floating exchange rates?’ [Duns Business Month]

free trade area /fri tred eəriə/

noun a group of countries practising free trade free trader /fri tredə/ noun a person who is in favour of free trade

‘…free traders hold that the strong dollar is the primary cause of the nation’s trade problems’ [Duns Business Month]

free trade zone

150

free trade zone /fri tred zəυn/

noun an area where there are no customs duties free trial /fri traəl/ noun an opportunity to test a machine or product with no payment involved freeze /friz/ noun 왍 a freeze on wages and prices period when wages and prices are not allowed to be increased 쐽 verb to keep something such as money or costs at their present level and not allow them to rise 쑗 to freeze wages and prices 쑗 to freeze credits 쑗 to freeze company dividends 쑗 We have frozen expenditure at last year’s level. (NOTE: freezing – froze – frozen) freeze out /friz aυt/ verb 왍 to freeze out the competition to trade successfully and cheaply and so prevent competitors from operating freight /fret/ noun the cost of transporting goods by air, sea or land 쑗 At an auction, the buyer pays the freight. freightage /fretd$/ noun the cost of transporting goods freight charges /fret tʃɑd$z/ plural noun money charged for transporting goods 쑗 Freight charges have gone up sharply this year. freight costs /fret kɒsts/ plural noun money paid to transport goods freight forward /fret fɔwəd/ noun a deal where the customer pays for transporting the goods freight forwarder /fret fɔwədə/ noun a person or company that arranges shipping and customs documents for several shipments from different companies, putting them together to form one large shipment ‘…the airline will allow freight forwarder customers to track and trace consignments on the airline’s website’ [Lloyd’s List]

freight rates /fret rets/ plural noun charges for transporting goods

frequent flier /frikwənt flaə/

noun a person who flies regularly, usually on business friendly society /frendli səsaəti/ noun a group of people who pay regular subscriptions which are used to help members of the group when they are ill or in financial difficulties fringe benefit /frnd$ benft/ noun an extra item given by a company to

frozen credits

workers in addition to a salary, e.g. company cars or private health insurance 쑗 The fringe benefits make up for the poor pay. 쑗 Use of the company recreation facilities is one of the fringe benefits of the job. FRN abbreviation floating rate note front /frnt/ noun a business or person used to hide an illegal trade 쑗 His restaurant is a front for a drugs organisation. front-end /frnt end/ adjective referring to the start of an investment or insurance front-end fee /frnt end fi/ noun an initial loading of the management charges into the first premium paid for an insurance front-end loaded /frnt end laυdd/ adjective referring to an insurance or investment scheme where most of the management charges are incurred in the first year of the investment or insurance, and are not spread out over the whole period. Compare back-end loaded

front man /frnt mn/ noun a per-

son who seems honest but is hiding an illegal trade front office /frnt ɒfs/ noun the front-line staff and support staff in a financial institution front-running /frnt rnŋ/ noun US the act of buying shares or options because you have heard of a large order to purchase which is coming 쑗 They were accused of persistent front-running. frozen /frəυz(ə)n/ adjective not allowed to be changed or used 쑗 Wages have been frozen at last year’s rates. 왍 his assets have been frozen by the court the court does not allow him to sell his assets. 쏡 freeze frozen account /frəυz(ə)n əkaυnt/ noun a bank account where the money cannot be moved or used because of a court order frozen assets /frəυz(ə)n sets/ plural noun a company’s assets which by law cannot be sold because someone has a claim against them frozen credits /frəυz(ə)n kredtz/ plural noun credits in an account which cannot be moved

FSA

151

FSA abbreviation Financial Services Authority FSAVC abbreviation free-standing additional voluntary contribution FT abbreviation Financial Times FT Actuaries Share Indices /ef ti ktjυəriz ʃeə ndsiz/ plural noun several indices based on prices on the London Stock Exchange, which are calculated by and published in the Financial Times in conjunction with the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries. 쏡 Financial Times FTSE 100 /fυtsi wn hndrəd/ noun an index based on the prices of one hundred leading companies (this is the main London index) ‘…the benchmark FTSE 100 index ended the session up 94.3 points’ [Times]

FTSE 100 index-tracking unit trust /fυtsi wn hndrəd ndeks

trkŋ junt trst/ noun a unit trust that follows the FTSE 100 FTSE 350 Index /fυtsi θri ffti ndeks/ noun an index based on the market price of 350 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (it includes the companies on the FTSE 100 Index and FTSE 250 Index) FTSE All-Share Index /fυtsi ɔl ʃeə ndeks/ noun an index based on the market price of about 840 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (it includes the companies on the FTSE 100 Index, the 250 Index, plus companies in other indices) (NOTE: Also simply called the All-Share Index.) FTSE All-Share tracker /fυtsi ɔl ʃeə trkə/ noun a fund which tracks

the FTSE All-Share index

FTSE All-Small Index /fυtsi ɔl

smɔl ndeks/ noun an index covering the FTSE SmallCap companies, plus about 750 fledgling companies which are too small to be included in the All-Share Index FTSE Eurotop 300 Index /fυtsi jυərəυtɒp θri hndrəd ndeks/ noun an index of 300 leading European shares, quoted in euros FTSE Mid 250 Share Index /fυtsi md tu ffti ʃeə ndeks/ noun an index based on the market prices of 250 companies capitalised at between £300m and £2.5bn (this is about 16% of the total stock market capitalisation)

full-scale

FTSE Small Cap Index /fυtsi

smɔl kp ndeks/ noun an index which covers about 500 smaller companies which are too small to be included in the two main indices fulfil /fυlfl/ verb to complete something in a satisfactory way 쑗 The clause regarding payments has not been fulfilled. (NOTE: The US spelling is fulfill.) 왍 to fulfil an order to supply the items which have been ordered 쑗 We are so understaffed that we cannot fulfil any more orders before Christmas. fulfilment /fυlflmənt/ noun the act of carrying something out in a satisfactory way (NOTE: The US spelling is fulfillment.)

full /fυl/ adjective 1. complete, including everything 왍 we are working at full

capacity we are doing as much work as possible 왍 in full discharge of a debt paying a debt completely 2. 왍 in full completely 쑗 a full refund or a refund paid in full 쑗 Give your full name and address or your name and address in full. 쑗 He accepted all our conditions in full. ‘…a tax-free lump sum can be taken partly in lieu of a full pension’ [Investors Chronicle]

full costs /fυl kɒsts/ plural noun all

the costs of manufacturing a product, including both fixed and variable costs full cover /fυl kvə/ noun insurance cover against all risks full employment /fυl mplɔmənt/ noun a situation where all the people who can work have jobs full listing /fυl lstŋ/ noun the listing of a company on the London Stock Exchange (as opposed to trading on the USM market) full price /fυl pras/ noun a price with no discount 쑗 She bought a full-price ticket. full rate /fυl ret/ noun the full charge, with no reductions full refund /fυl rifnd/ noun a refund of all the money paid 쑗 He got a full refund when he complained about the service. full repairing lease /fυl rpeərŋ lis/ noun a lease where the tenant has to pay for all repairs to the property full-scale /fυl skel/ adjective complete or very thorough 쑗 The MD or-

full-service

152

dered a full-scale review of credit terms. 쑗 The HR department will start a full-scale review of the present pay structure. ‘…the administration launched a full-scale investigation into maintenance procedures’ [Fortune]

full-service /fυl s%vs/ adjective that provides a full service

full-service banking /fυl s%vs bŋkŋ/ noun banking that offers a whole range of services (including mortgages, loans, pensions, etc.) full-service broker /fυl s%vs brəυkə/ noun a broker who manages portfolios for clients, and gives advice on shares and financial questions in general (as opposed to an execution-only broker or discount broker) full-time /fυl tam/ adjective, adverb working all the normal working time, i.e. about eight hours a day, five days a week 쑗 She’s in full-time work or She works full-time or She’s in full-time employment. 쑗 He is one of our full-time staff. full-time employment /fυl tam mplɔmənt/ noun work for all of a working day 쑗 to be in full-time employment fully /fυli/ adverb completely 왍 the offer was fully subscribed all the shares on offer were applied for, so the underwriters to the issue were not forced to buy any 왍 the shares are fully valued the market price of the shares is high enough, possibly too high ‘…issued and fully paid capital is $100 million’ [Hongkong Standard]

fully diluted earnings per share

/fυli dalutd %nŋz pə ʃeə/, fully diluted EPS /fυli dalutd i pi es/ plural noun earnings per share calcu-

lated over the whole number of shares assuming that convertible shares have been converted to ordinary shares fully diluted shares /fυli dalutd ʃeəz/ plural noun total number of shares which includes convertible shares, stock options, etc. fully-paid shares /fυli ped ʃeəz/ plural noun shares for which the full face value has been paid fully paid-up capital /fυli ped p kpt(ə)l/ noun all money paid for the issued capital shares

funds

function key /fŋkʃən ki/ noun a

key switch that has been assigned a particular task or sequence of instructions fund /fnd/ noun 1. money set aside for a special purpose 2. money invested in an investment trust as part of a unit trust, or given to a financial adviser to invest on behalf of a client. 쏡 funds 쐽 verb to provide money for a purpose 쑗 The company does not have enough resources to fund its expansion programme. 왍 to fund a company to provide money for a company to operate ‘…the S&L funded all borrowers’ development costs, including accrued interest’ [Barrons]

fundamental /fndəment(ə)l/ adjective basic or most important

fundamental

issues

/fndəment(ə)l ʃuz/ plural noun

matters relating to a company’s profits or assets

fundamental

research

/fndəment(ə)l rs%tʃ/, fundamental analysis /fndəment(ə)l ənləss/ noun an examination of the

basic factors which affect a market /fndəment(ə)lz/ plural noun the basic realities of a stock market or of a company (such as its assets, profitability and dividends) funded /fndd/ adjective backed by long-term loans 쑗 long-term funded capital funded debt /fndd det/ noun the part of the British National Debt which pays interest, but with no date for repayment of the principal funding /fndŋ/ noun 1. money for spending 쑗 The bank is providing the funding for the new product launch. 2. the act of changing a short-term debt into a long-term loan 쑗 The capital expenditure programme requires long-term funding. fund management /fnd mnd$mənt/ noun the business of dealing with the investment of sums of money on behalf of clients fund manager /fnd mnd$ə/ noun 1. a person who invests money on behalf of clients 2. a person who manages the investments made by a fund in such a way as to fulfill the fund’s stated objectives funds /fndz/ plural noun 1. money which is available for spending 쑗 The

fundamentals

fungibility

153

company has no funds to pay for the research programme. 쏡 insufficient funds 왍 the company called for extra funds the company asked for more money 왍 to convert funds to another purpose to use money for a wrong purpose 왍 to convert funds to your own use to use someone else’s money for yourself 2. government stocks and securities ‘…small innovative companies have been hampered for lack of funds’ [Sunday Times] ‘…the company was set up with funds totalling NorKr 145m’ [Lloyd’s List]

fungibility /fnd$əblti/ noun being exchangeable for something similar

fungible /fnd$əb(ə)l/ adjective re-

ferring to a security which can be exchanged for another of the same type funny money /fni mni/ noun strange types of shares or bonds offered by companies or their brokers, which are not the usual forms of loan stock future /fjutʃə/ adjective referring to time to come or to something which has

futures exchange

not yet happened 쐽 noun the time which has not yet happened 쑗 Try to be more careful in future. 쑗 In future all reports must be sent to Australia by air. future delivery /fjutʃə dlv(ə)ri/ noun delivery at a later date futures /fjutʃəz/ plural noun shares, currency or commodities that are bought or sold for now for delivery at a later date 쑗 Gold rose 5% on the commodity futures market yesterday. ‘…cocoa futures plummeted in November to their lowest levels in seven years’ [Business in Africa]

contract /fjutʃəz kɒntrkt/ noun a contract for the purchase of commodities for delivery at a date in the future futures

COMMENT: A futures contract is a con-

tract to purchase; if investors are bullish, they will buy a contract, but if they feel the market will go down, they will sell one.

futures exchange /fjutʃəz ks-

tʃend$/ noun a commodity market which only deals in futures

G G10 abbreviation Group of Ten G5 abbreviation Group of Five G7 abbreviation Group of Seven G8 abbreviation Group of Eight GAAP abbreviation Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

GAB abbreviation General Arrangements to Borrow

gain /en/ noun 1. an increase, or the act of becoming larger 왍 gain in profit-

ability the act of becoming more profitable 2. an increase in profit, price or value 쑗 Oil shares showed gains on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 Property shares put on gains of 10%-15%. 쐽 verb 1. to get or to obtain 쑗 He gained some useful experience working in a bank. 왍 to gain control of a business to buy more than 50% of the shares so that you can direct the business 2. to rise in value 쑗 The dollar gained six points on the foreign exchange markets. galloping inflation /ləpŋ nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun very rapid inflation which is almost impossible to reduce gamma shares /mə ʃeəz/, gamma securities /mə skjυərətiz/, gamma stocks /mə stɒks/ plural noun shares of companies which are not frequently traded on the London Stock Exchange, but which are listed gap /p/ noun an empty space 왍 gap in the market an opportunity to make a product or provide a service which is needed but which no one has sold before 쑗 to look for or to find a gap in the market 쑗 This laptop has filled a real gap in the market. ‘…these savings are still not great enough to overcome the price gap between American products and those of other nations’ [Duns Business Month]

gap financing /p fannsŋ/

noun arranging extra loans (such as a

bridging loan) to cover a purchase not covered by an existing loan garage /rd$, rɑ$/ noun a part of the trading floor on the New York Stock Exchange 쐽 verb to put assets into another company so as to reduce tax liability garnish /ɑnʃ/ verb US to withhold salary or property because a person has debts or taxes which are unpaid garnishee /ɑnʃi/ noun a person who owes money to a creditor and is ordered by a court to pay that money to a creditor of the creditor, and not to the creditor himself garnishee order /ɑnʃi ɔdə/ noun a court order, making a garnishee pay money not to the debtor, but to a third party garnishment /ɑnʃmənt/ noun same as garnishee order GATT abbreviation General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade gazump /əzmp/ verb to stop someone buying a property for which he or she has already agreed a price with the seller by offering a higher price gazumping /əzmpŋ/ noun the practice of offering a higher price for a house than another buyer has already agreed with the seller GDP abbreviation gross domestic product gear /ə/ verb to link something to something else 왍 salary geared to the cost of living salary which rises as the cost of living increases gearing /ərŋ/ noun the act of borrowing money at fixed interest which is then used to produce more money than the interest paid COMMENT: High gearing (when a com-

pany is said to be ‘highly geared’) indicates that the level of borrowings is high

GEB

155 generation-skipping transfer tax

when compared to its ordinary share capital. A lowly-geared company has borrowings which are relatively low. High gearing has the effect of increasing a company’s profitability when the company’s trading is expanding. If the trading pattern slows down, then the high interest charges associated with gearing will increase the rate of slowdown.

GEB abbreviation Guaranteed Equity Bond

geisha bond /eʃə bɒnd/ noun a

bond placed by a non-Japanese borrower in Japan, in a currency other than the yen general /d$en(ə)rəl/ adjective 1. ordinary or not special 2. dealing with everything or with everybody

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade /d$en(ə)rəl ərimənt

ɒn θrfs ən tred/ noun an international agreement to try to reduce restrictions in trade between countries (replaced in 1998 by the World Trade Organization). Abbreviation GATT. 쏡 World Trade Organization

General Arrangements to Borrow /d$en(ə)rəl ərend$mənts

tə bɒrəυ/ plural noun an agreement between members of the G10 group of countries, by which members make funds available to the IMF to cover loans which it makes. Abbreviation

GAB

general audit /d$en(ə)rəl ɔdt/

noun a process of examining all the books and accounts of a company

average /d$en(ə)rəl v(ə)rd$/ noun a process by which the cost of lost goods is shared by all parties to an insurance (in cases where some goods have been lost in an attempt to save the rest of the cargo) general expenses /d$en(ə)rəl kspensz/ plural noun all kinds of minor expenses, the money spent on the day-to-day costs of running a business general fund /d$en(ə)rəl fnd/ noun a unit trust with investments in a variety of stocks general insurance /d$en(ə)rəl nʃυərəns/ noun insurance covering all kinds of risk, e.g. theft, loss or damage, but excluding life insurance general

general ledger /d$en(ə)rəl led$ə/

noun a book which records a company’s income and expenditure in general general lien /d$en(ə)rəl liən/ noun 1. a right to hold goods or property until a debt has been paid 2. a lien against the personal possessions of a borrower (but not against his or her house or land). 쏡 banker’s lien

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles /d$en(ə)rəli əkseptd ə-

kaυntŋ prnsp(ə)lz/ plural noun US rules applied to accounting practice in the US. Abbreviation GAAP general manager /d$en(ə)rəl mnd$ə/ noun a manager in charge of the administration of a company general meeting /d$en(ə)rəl mitŋ/ noun meeting of all the shareholders of a company or of all the members of a society

general

obligation

bond

/d$en(ə)rəl ɒbleʃ(ə)n bɒnd/ noun US a municipal or state bond issued to

finance public undertakings such as roads, but which is repaid out of general funds. Abbreviation GO bond general office /d$en(ə)rəl ɒfs/ noun the main administrative office of a company general partner /d$en(ə)rəl pɑtnə/ noun a partner in a partnership whose responsibility for its debts is not limited general partnership /d$en(ə)rəl pɑtnəʃp/ noun a partnership where the liability of each partner is not limited general PEP /d$en(ə)rəl pep/ noun a PEP which has shares of several companies in it, as opposed to a single company PEP general undertaking /d$en(ə)rəl ndətekŋ/ noun an undertaking signed by the directors of a company applying for a Stock Exchange listing, promising to work within the regulations of the Stock Exchange

generation-skipping transfer tax

/d$enəreʃ(ə)n skpŋ trnsf% tks/ noun US a tax on property left to grandchildren or great-grandchildren with the intention of avoiding paying estate duties. Abbreviation GSTT

gensaki

156

gensaki /d$ensɑki/ noun a Japanese

bond market, dealing in bonds issued with agreements to repurchase at less than twelve months’ notice

gentleman’s

agreement

/d$ent(ə)lmənz ərimənt/ noun a

verbal agreement between two parties who trust each other Gesellschaft noun the German word for company

Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung noun a German private limited company. Abbreviation GmbH get back /et bk/ verb to receive something which you had before 쑗 I got my money back after I had complained to the manager. 쑗 He got his initial investment back in two months. get out /et aυt/ verb 1. to produce something 쑗 The accounts department got out the draft accounts in time for the meeting. 2. to sell an investment (informal ) 쑗 He didn’t like what he read in the company’s annual report, so he got out before the company collapsed. get out of /et aυt əv/ verb to stop trading in (a product or an area) 쑗 The company is getting out of computers. 쑗 We got out of the South American market. get round /et raυnd/ verb to avoid 쑗 We tried to get round the embargo by shipping from Canada. GIB abbreviation Guaranteed Income Bond gift /ft/ noun a thing which is given to someone gift coupon /ft kupɒn/, gift token /ft təυkən/, gift voucher /ft vaυtʃə/ noun a card that can be used to buy specified goods up to the value printed on it, often issued by chain stores. The person receiving the voucher is able to redeem it in any store in the chain. 쑗 We gave her a gift token for her birthday. gift inter vivos /ft ntə vivəυs/ noun a gift given to another living person. Abbreviation GIV gift tax /ft tks/ noun a tax on gifts (only gifts between husband and wife are exempt) gilt-edged /lt ed$d/ adjective referring to an investment which is very safe .

go-ahead

gilt-edged securities /lt ed$d

skjυərtiz/ plural noun investments in British government stock gilt-edged stock /lt ed$d stɒk/ noun same as government bonds gilts /lts/ plural noun same as government bonds Ginnie Mae /d$ni me/ noun same as GNMA (informal ) giro system /d$arəυ sstəm/ noun .

a banking system in which money can be transferred from one account to another without writing a cheque GIV abbreviation gift inter vivos glamour stock /lmə stɒk/ noun a stock which is very popular with investors because it has risen in value and provided higher than average earnings over a period of time global /ləυb(ə)l/ adjective referring to the whole world 쑗 We offer a 24-hour global delivery service. 왍 global economy the economy of the whole world globalisation /ləυbəlazeʃ(ə)n/, globalization noun the process of making something international or worldwide, especially the process of expanding business interests, operations and strategies to countries all over the world (NOTE: Globalisation is due to technological developments that make global communications possible, political developments such as the fall of communism and developments in transportation that make travelling faster and more frequent. It can benefit companies by opening up new markets, giving access to new raw materials and investment opportunities and enabling them to take advantage of lower operating costs in other countries.) GmbH abbreviation Gesellschaft mit

beschränkter Haftung GNMA noun a US federal organisation which provides backing for mortgages. Full form Government National Mortgage Association

gnomes of Zurich /nəυmz əv zjυərk/ plural noun important Swiss international bankers (informal ) GNP abbreviation gross national product go-ahead /əυ əhed/ noun 왍 to give something the go-ahead to approve .

go back on

157

something or to say that something can be done 쑗 My project got a government go-ahead. 쑗 The board refused to give the go-ahead to the expansion plan. 쐽 adjective energetic or keen to do well 쑗 He is a very go-ahead type. 쑗 She works for a go-ahead clothing company. go back on /əυ bk ɒn/ verb not to carry out something after you have promised to do it 쑗 Two months later they went back on the agreement. GO bond /əυ bɒnd/ noun same as general obligation bond go fifty-fifty /əυ ffti ffti/ verb to

share the costs equally go-go fund /əυ əυ fnd/ noun a fund which aims to give very high returns because it is invested in speculative stocks going /əυŋ/ adjective current going concern /əυŋ kəns%n/ noun a company that is actively trading (and making a profit) 왍 sold as a going concern sold as an actively trading company 왍 to sell a business as a going concern to sell a business as an actively trading company going concern value /əυŋ kəns%n vlju/ noun the value of a corporation as it continues trading (in effect, the goodwill) as opposed to its breakup value going price /əυŋ pras/ noun the usual or current price, the price which is being charged now 쑗 What is the going price for 1975 Volkswagen Beetles? going rate /əυŋ ret/ noun the usual or current rate of payment 쑗 We pay the going rate for typists. 쑗 The going rate for offices is £10 per square metre. go into /əυ ntu/ verb to examine something carefully 쑗 The bank wants to go into the details of the inter-company loans. go into business /əυ ntə bzns/ verb to start in business 쑗 He went into business as a car dealer. 쑗 She went into business in partnership with her son. gold /əυld/ noun a very valuable yellow metal 쑗 to buy gold 쑗 to deal in gold 쑗 You can buy gold coins at certain Swiss banks. 쑗 He has a licence to deal in gold.

golden parachute COMMENT: Gold is the traditional hedge

against investment uncertainties. People buy gold in the form of coins or bars, because they think it will maintain its value when other investments such as government bonds, foreign currency, property, etc., may not be so safe. Gold is relatively portable, and small quantities can be taken from country to country if an emergency occurs. This view, which is prevalent when the political situation is uncertain, has not been borne out in recent years, and gold has not maintained its value for some time.

gold bug /əυld b/ noun a person who believes that gold is the best investment (informal ) gold bullion /əυld bυliən/ noun bars of gold gold card /əυld kɑd/ noun a credit card issued to important customers (i.e. those with a certain level of income), which gives certain privileges, such as a higher spending limit than ordinary credit cards gold-collar worker /əυld kɒlə w%kə/ noun an employee who earns a very high salary and bonuses golden /əυld(ə)n/ adjective made of gold or like gold golden handcuffs /əυld(ə)n hndkfs/ plural noun a contractual arrangement to make sure that a valued member of staff stays in their job, by which they are offered special financial advantages if they stay and heavy penalties if they leave golden handshake /əυld(ə)n hndʃek/ noun a large, usually tax-free, sum of money given to a director who retires from a company before the end of his service contract 쑗 The retiring director received a golden handshake of £250,000. golden hello /əυld(ə)n hələυ/ noun a cash inducement paid to someone to encourage them to change jobs and move to another company golden parachute /əυld(ə)n prəʃut/, golden umbrella /əυld(ə)n mbrelə/ noun a special contract for a director of a company, which gives him advantageous financial terms if he has to resign when the company is taken over .

golden share

158

golden share /əυld(ə)n ʃeə/ noun

a share in a privatised company which is retained by the government and carries special privileges (such as the right to veto foreign takeover bids) gold fixing /əυld fksŋ/ noun a system where the world price for gold is set twice a day in US dollars on the London Gold Exchange and in Paris and Zurich goldmine /əυldman/ noun a mine which produces gold 왍 that shop is a little goldmine that shop is a very profitable business gold point /əυld pɔnt/ noun an amount by which a currency which is linked to gold can vary in price gold reserves /əυld rz%vz/ plural noun the country’s store of gold kept to pay international debts gold/silver ratio /əυld slvə reʃiəυ/ noun a figure calculated as the number of ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold gold standard /əυld stndəd/ noun an arrangement that links the value of a currency to the value of a quantity of gold go liquid /əυ lkwd/ verb to convert as many assets as possible into cash go long /əυ lɒŋ/ verb to buy securities as a long-term investment good /υd/ adjective not bad 왍 to buy something in good faith to buy something thinking it is of good quality, that it has not been stolen or that it is not an imitation 쐽 noun an item which is made and is for sale good buy /υd ba/ noun a thing bought which is worth the money paid for it 쑗 That watch was a good buy. good industrial relations /υd ndstriəl rleʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun a situation where management and employees understand each others’ problems and work together for the good of the company goods /υdz/ plural noun items which can be moved and are for sale 왍 goods in bond imported goods held by customs until duty is paid ‘…profit margins are lower in the industries most exposed to foreign competition – machinery, transportation equipment and electrical goods’ [Sunday Times]

govern ‘…the minister wants people buying goods ranging from washing machines to houses to demand facts on energy costs’ [Times]

goods and chattels /υdz ən

tʃt(ə)lz/ plural noun moveable personal possessions Goods and Services Tax /υdz ən s%vsz tks/ noun a Canadian tax on the sale of goods or the provision of services (similar to VAT). Abbreviation GST

till cancelled /υd tl knsəld/ noun an order given to a broker to buy or sell as instructed until the order is cancelled. Abbreviation GTC goodwill /υdwl/ noun 1. good feeling towards someone 쑗 To show goodwill, the management increased the terms of the offer. 2. the good reputation of a business, which can be calculated as part of a company’s asset value, though separate from its tangible asset value 쑗 He paid £10,000 for the goodwill of the shop and £4,000 for the stock. good

COMMENT: Goodwill can include such

things as the trading reputation, the patents, the trade names used and the value of a ‘good site’ and is very difficult to establish accurately. It is an intangible asset, and so is not shown as an asset in a company’s accounts, unless it figures as part of the purchase price paid when acquiring another company.

go out of business /əυ aυt əv

bzns/ verb to stop trading 쑗 The firm went out of business last week. go private /əυ pravət/ verb to become a private company again, by concentrating all its shares in the hands of one or a few shareholders and removing its stock exchange listing go public /əυ pblk/ verb to become a public company by placing some of its shares for sale on the stock market so that anyone can buy them go short /əυ ʃɔt/ verb to sell shares now which you have contracted to purchase at a later date, on the assumption that the market will fall further gourde /υəd/ noun a unit of currency used in Haiti govern /v(ə)n/ verb to rule a country 쑗 The country is governed by a group of military leaders.

governance

159

governance /v(ə)nəns/ noun the

philosophy of ruling, whether a country or a company ‘…the chairman has committed the cardinal sin in corporate governance – he acted against the wishes and interests of the shareholders’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…in two significant decisions, the Securities and Exchange Board of India today allowed trading of shares through the Internet and set a deadline for companies to conform to norms for good corporate governance’ [The Hindu]

government noun /v(ə)nmənt/

an organisation which administers a country 쐽 adjective coming from the government, referring to the government 쑗 a government ban on the import of arms 쑗 Government intervention or Intervention by the government helped to solve the dispute. 쑗 Government employees can belong to one of two unions. 쑗 Government officials prevented him leaving the country. 쑗 Government policy is outlined in the booklet. governmental /v(ə)nment(ə)l/ adjective referring to a government government-backed /vnmənt bkt/ adjective backed by the government government bonds /v(ə)nmənt bɒndz/ plural noun bonds or other securities issued by the government on a regular basis as a method of borrowing money for government expenditure

government

contractor

/v(ə)nmənt kəntrktə/ noun a

company which supplies the government with goods by contract

government-controlled

/v(ə)nmənt kəntrəυld/ adjective

under the direct control of the government 쑗 Advertisem*nts cannot be placed in the government-controlled newspapers.

government economic indica/v(ə)nmənt ikənɒmk tors

ndketəz/ plural noun statistics which show how the country’s economy is going to perform in the short or long term government loan /v(ə)nmənt ləυn/ noun money lent by the government

Government National Mortgage Association /v(ə)nmənt nʃ(ə)nəl mɔd$ əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun full form of GNMA

government

gradually

organisation

/v(ə)nmənt ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun an official body run by the

government

government-regulated

/v(ə)nmənt rejυletd/ adjective

regulated by the government

government

securities

/v(ə)nmənt skjυərtiz/ plural noun same as government bonds

government-sponsored

/v(ə)nmənt spɒnsəd/ adjective en-

couraged by the government and backed by government money 쑗 He is working in a government-sponsored scheme to help small businesses. government stock /v(ə)nmənt stɒk/ noun same as government bonds

government

support

/v(ə)nmənt səpɔt/ noun a finan-

cial help given by the government 쑗 The aircraft industry relies on government support. governor /v(ə)nə/ noun 1. a person in charge of an important institution 2. US one of the members of the Federal Reserve Board

Governor of the Bank of England /v(ə)nə əv ðə bŋk əv ŋlənd/ noun a person (nominated by the British government) who is in charge of the Bank of England (NOTE:

The US term is Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.) GPM abbreviation graduated payment

mortgage

grace /res/ noun a favour shown by

granting a delay 쑗 to give a creditor a period of grace or two weeks’ grace grace period /res pəriəd/ noun the time given to a debtor to repay a loan, to pay the amount purchased using a credit card, or to pay an insurance premium gradual /rd$uəl/ adjective slow and steady 쑗 The company saw a gradual return to profits. 쑗 Her CV describes her gradual rise to the position of company chairman. gradually /rd$uəli/ adverb slowly and steadily 쑗 The company has gradually become more profitable. 쑗 She gradually learnt the details of the import-export business.

graduate

160

graduate noun /rd$uət/ a person who has obtained a degree 쐽 verb /rd$uet/ to get a degree 쑗 She graduated from Edinburgh university last year. graduated /rd$uetd/ adjective changing in small regular stages graduated

income

tax

/rd$uetd nkm tks/ noun a

tax which rises in steps (each level of income is taxed at a higher percentage)

graduated payment mortgage

/rd$uetd pemənt mɔd$/ noun a mortgage where the monthly

payments gradually rise over the lifetime of the mortgage. Abbreviation GPM

graduated

pension

scheme

/rd$uetd penʃən skim/ noun a

pension scheme where the benefit is calculated as a percentage of the salary of each person in the scheme graduated taxation /rd$uetd tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun a tax system where the percentage of tax paid rises as the income rises graduate entry /rd$uət entri/ noun the entry of graduates into employment with a company 쑗 the graduate entry into the civil service graduate trainee /rd$uət treni/ noun a person in a graduate training scheme

graduate

training

scheme

/rd$uət trenŋ skim/ noun a

training scheme for graduates grand /rnd/ adjective important 왍 grand plan or grand strategy a major plan 쑗 They explained their grand plan for redeveloping the factory site. 쐽 noun one thousand pounds or dollars (informal ) 쑗 They offered him fifty grand for the information. 쑗 She’s earning fifty grand plus car and expenses. grand total /rnd təυt(ə)l/ noun the final total made by adding several subtotals Granny Bond /rni bɒnd/ noun a British government bond giving higher interest or tax privileges but restricted in availability to pensioners grant /rɑnt/ noun money given by the government to help pay for something 쑗 The laboratory has a government grant to cover the cost of the .

Green Book

development programme. 쑗 The government has allocated grants towards the costs of the scheme. 쐽 verb to agree to give someone something 쑗 to grant someone a loan or a subsidy 쑗 to grant someone three weeks’ leave of absence 쑗 The local authority granted the company an interest-free loan to start up the new factory. ‘…the budget grants a tax exemption for $500,000 in capital gains’ [Toronto Star]

scheme /rɑnt edd skim/ noun a scheme which is funded by a government grant grantee /rɑnti/ noun a person who receives a grant grantor /rɑntɔ/ noun a person who grants a property to another graph /rɑf/ noun a diagram which shows the relationship between two sets of quantities or values, each of which is represented on an axis 쑗 A graph was used to show salary increases in relation to increases in output. 쑗 According to the graph, as average salaries have risen so has absenteeism. 쑗 We need to set out the results of the questionnaire in a graph. graph paper /rɑf pepə/ noun a special type of paper with many little squares, used for drawing graphs grant-aided

gratia 쒁 ex gratia gratis /rts/ adverb free or not

costing anything 쑗 We got into the exhibition gratis. gratuity /rətjuti/ noun a tip, money given to someone who has helped you 쑗 The staff are instructed not to accept gratuities. graveyard /revjɑd/ noun a market where prices are low and no one is buying because investors prefer to remain liquid (informal ) Great Depression /ret dpreʃ(ə)n/ noun the world economic crisis of 1929–33 greenback /rinbk/ noun US a dollar bill (informal ) .

‘…gold’s drop this year is of the same magnitude as the greenback’s 8.5% rise’ [Business Week]

Green Book /rin bυk/ noun US an economic forecast prepared by the staff of the Federal Reserve Board

green card

161

green card /rin kɑd/ noun 1. a

special British insurance certificate to prove that a car is insured for travel abroad 2. an identity card and work permit for a person going to live in the USA Green chips /rin tʃps/ plural noun small companies with potential for growth green currency /rin krənsi/ noun formerly, a currency used in the EU for calculating agricultural payments. Each country had an exchange rate fixed by the Commission, so there were ‘green pounds’, ‘green francs’, ‘green marks’, etc. green day /rin de/ noun US a profitable day (NOTE: The opposite is a red day.)

greenmail /rinmel/ noun the practice of making a profit by buying a large number of shares in a company, threatening to take the company over, and then selling the shares back to the company at a higher price

‘…he proposes that there should be a limit on greenmail, perhaps permitting payment of a 20% premium on a maximum of 8% of the stock’ [Duns Business Month]

Green Paper /rin pepə/ noun a

report from the British government on proposals for a new law to be discussed in Parliament. Compare White Paper Gresham’s Law /reʃəmz lɔ/ noun the law that ‘bad money will drive out good’: where two forms of money with the same denomination exist in the same market, the form with the higher metal value will be driven out of circulation because people hoard it and use the lower-rated form to spend (as when paper money and coins of the same denomination exist in the same market) grey market /re mɑkt/ noun an unofficial market run by dealers, where new issues of shares are bought and sold before they officially become available for trading on the Stock Exchange (even before the share allocations are known) gross /rəυs/ noun twelve dozen (144) 쑗 He ordered four gross of pens. (NOTE: no plural) 쐽 adjective total, with no deductions 쐽 adverb with no deductions 쑗 My salary is paid gross. 쑗 Building society accounts can pay interest gross to non-taxpayers. 쐽 verb to make as a gross profit or earn as gross

gross salary

income 쑗 The group grossed £25m in 1999. 왍 to gross up to calculate the percentage rate of a net investment as it would be before tax is deducted ‘…gross wool receipts for the selling season to end June appear likely to top $2 billion’ [Australian Financial Review]

borrowings /rəυs bɒrəυŋz/ plural noun the total of all monies borrowed by a company (such as overdrafts, long-term loans, etc.) but without deducting cash in bank accounts and on deposit gross dividend per share /rəυs dvdend pə ʃeə/ noun the dividend per share paid before tax is deducted gross domestic product /rəυs dəmestk prɒdkt/ noun the annual value of goods sold and services paid for inside a country. Abbreviation GDP gross earnings /rəυs %nŋz/ plural noun total earnings before tax and other deductions gross income /rəυs nkm/ noun salary before tax is deducted gross income yield /rəυs nkm jild/ noun the yield of an investment before tax is deducted gross margin /rəυs mɑd$n/ noun the percentage difference between the received price and the unit manufacturing cost or purchase price of goods for resale gross national product /rəυs nʃ(ə)nəl prɒdkt/ noun the annual value of goods and services in a country including income from other countries. Abbreviation GNP gross negligence /rəυs neld$əns/ noun the act of showing very serious neglect of duty towards other people gross premium /rəυs primiəm/ noun the total premium paid by a policyholder before any tax relief or discount is taken into account gross profit /rəυs prɒft/ noun profit calculated as sales income less the cost of the goods sold, i.e. without deducting any other expenses gross receipts /rəυs rsits/ plural noun the total amount of money received before expenses are deducted gross salary /rəυs sləri/ noun salary before tax is deducted gross

gross sales

162

gross sales /rəυs selz/ plural

noun money received from sales before deductions for goods returned, special discounts, etc. 쑗 Gross sales are impressive since many buyers seem to be ordering more than they will eventually need. gross tonnage /rəυs tnd$/ noun the total amount of space in a ship gross turnover /rəυs t%nəυvə/ noun the total turnover including VAT and discounts gross weight /rəυs wet/ noun the weight of both the container and its contents gross yield /rəυs jild/ noun a profit from investments before tax is deducted ground landlord /raυnd lndlɔd/ noun a person or company that owns the freehold of a property which is then let and sublet 쑗 Our ground landlord is an insurance company. ground rent /raυnd rent/ noun a rent paid by the main tenant to the ground landlord group /rup/ noun 1. several things or people together 쑗 A group of managers has sent a memo to the chairman complaining about noise in the office. 쑗 The respondents were interviewed in groups of three or four, and then singly. 2. several companies linked together in the same organisation 쑗 the group chairman or the chairman of the group 쑗 group turnover or turnover for the group 쑗 the Granada Group 쐽 verb 왍 to group together to put several items together 쑗 Sales from six different agencies are grouped together under the heading ‘European sales’. group balance sheet /rup bləns ʃit/ noun a consolidated balance sheet, the balance sheets of subsidiary companies grouped together into the balance sheet of the parent company group health insurance /rup helθ nʃυərəns/ noun a health insurance for a group of people under a single policy, issued to their employer or to an association

group income protection insurance /rup nkm prətekʃ(ə)n n-

ʃυərəns/ noun insurance for a group of people which gives them a replacement

growth-and-income fund

income when incapacitated

they

are

sick

Group of Eight /rup əv et/ noun

the G7 expanded to include Russia. Abbreviation G8 Group of Five /rup əv fav/ noun a central group of major industrial nations (France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US), now expanded to form the G7. Abbreviation G5 Group of Seven /rup əv sev(ə)n/ noun a central group of major industrial nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US) who meet regularly to discuss problems of international trade and finance. Abbreviation G7 Group of Ten /rup əv ten/ noun the major world economic powers working within the framework of the IMF: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. There are in fact now eleven members, since Switzerland has joined the original ten. It is also called the ‘Paris Club’, since its first meeting was in Paris. Abbreviation G10 group results /rup rzlts/ plural noun the results of a group of companies taken together grow /rəυ/ verb to become larger 쑗 The company has grown from a small repair shop to a multinational electronics business. 쑗 Turnover is growing at a rate of 15% per annum. 쑗 The computer industry grew very rapidly in the 1980s. (NOTE: growing – grew – has grown) ‘…the thrift had grown from $4.7 million in assets to $1.5 billion’ [Barrons]

growth /rəυθ/ noun 1. the fact of becoming larger or increasing 왍 the company is aiming for growth the company is aiming to expand rapidly 2. the second stage in a product life cycle, following the launch, when demand for the product increases rapidly ‘…a general price freeze succeeded in slowing the growth in consumer prices’ [Financial Times]

growth-and-income fund /rəυθ

ən nkm fnd/ noun a fund which aims to provide both capital growth and income

growth company

163

company /rəυθ kmp(ə)ni/ noun company whose share price is expected to rise in value growth fund /rəυθ fnd/ noun a fund which aims at providing capital growth rather than income growth index /rəυθ ndeks/ noun an index showing how something has grown growth industry /rəυθ ndəstri/ noun an industry that is expanding or has the potential to expand faster than other industries growth market /rəυθ mɑkt/ noun a market where sales are increasing rapidly 쑗 We plan to build a factory in the Far East, which is a growth market for our products. growth number /rəυθ nmbə/ noun growth expressed as a percentage growth prospects /rəυθ prɒspekts/ plural noun potential for growth in a share growth rate /rəυθ ret/ noun the speed at which something grows GST abbreviation Goods and Services Tax growth

‘…because the GST is applied only to fees for brokerage and appraisal services, the new tax does not appreciably increase the price of a resale home’ [Toronto Globe & Mail]

GSTT

abbreviation generation-skipping transfer tax GTC abbreviation good till cancelled guarani /wɑrəni/ noun a unit of currency used in Paraguay guarantee /rənti/ noun 1. a legal document in which the producer agrees to compensate the buyer if the product is faulty or becomes faulty before a specific date after purchase 쑗 a certificate of guarantee or a guarantee certificate 쑗 The guarantee lasts for two years. 쑗 It is sold with a twelve-month guarantee. 왍 the car is still under guarantee the car is still covered by the maker’s guarantee 2. a promise that someone will pay another person’s debts 왍 to go guarantee for someone to act as security for someone’s debts 3. something given as a security 쑗 to leave share certificates as a guarantee 쐽 verb 1. to give a promise that something will happen 왍 to guarantee a debt to prom-

guilder

ise that you will pay a debt made by someone else 왍 to guarantee an associate company to promise that an associate company will pay its debts 왍 to guarantee a bill of exchange to promise that the bill will be paid 2. 왍 the product is guaranteed for twelve months the manufacturer says that the product will work well for twelve months, and will mend it free of charge if it breaks down

Guaranteed

Equity

Bond

/rəntid ekwti bɒnd/ noun a bond

which provides a return linked to one or more stock market indices (such as the FTSE 100 index) and guarantees a minimum return of the original capital invested. Abbreviation GEB

Guaranteed

Income

Bond

/rəntid nkm bɒnd/ noun a bond

which guarantees a certain rate of interest over a certain period of time. Abbreviation GIB guaranteed wage /rəntid wed$/ noun a wage which a company promises will not fall below a specific figure guarantor /rəntɔ/ noun a person who promises to pay someone’s debts 쑗 She stood guarantor for her brother. guaranty /r(ə)nti/ noun US same as guarantee guardian /ɑdiən/ noun a person appointed by law to act on behalf of someone (such as a child) who cannot act on his or her own behalf guess /es/ noun a calculation made without any real information 쑗 The forecast of sales is only a guess. 왍 an informed guess a guess which is based on some information 왍 it is anyone’s guess no one really knows what is the right answer 쐽 verb 왍 to guess (at) something to try to calculate something without any information 쑗 They could only guess at the total loss. 쑗 The sales director tried to guess the turnover of the Far East division. guesstimate /estmət/ noun a rough calculation (informal ) guilder /ldə/ noun a unit of currency used before the euro in the Netherlands. Also called florin (NOTE: .

Usually written fl before or after figures: fl25, 25fl.)

H haggle /h(ə)l/ verb to discuss

prices and terms and try to reduce them 쑗 to haggle about or over the details of a contract 쑗 After two days’ haggling the contract was signed. haircut /heəkt/ noun US 1. the difference between the market value of a security and the amount lent to the owner using the security as collateral 2. an estimate of possible loss in investments half /hɑf/ noun one of two equal parts into which something is divided 쑗 The first half of the agreement is acceptable. 왍 we share the profits half and half we share the profits equally 쐽 adjective divided into two parts 왍 half a percentage point 0.5% 왍 his commission on the deal is twelve and a half per cent his commission on the deal is 12.5% 왍 to sell goods off at half price at 50% of the price for which they were sold before ‘…economists believe the economy is picking up this quarter and will do better in the second half of the year’ [Sunday Times]

half-commission man /hɑf kə-

mʃ(ə)n mn/ noun a dealer who introduces new clients to a stockbroker, and takes half the broker’s commission as his fee half-dollar /hɑf dɒlə/ noun US fifty cents half-life /hɑf laf/ noun the number of years needed to repay half the capital borrowed on mortgage half-price sale /hɑf pras sel/ noun a sale of items at half the usual price half-year /hɑf jiə/ noun six months of an accounting period half-yearly /hɑf jəli/ adjective happening every six months, or referring to a period of six months 쑗 half-yearly accounts 쑗 half-yearly pay-

ment 쑗 half-yearly statement 쑗 a half-yearly meeting 쐽 adverb every six months 쑗 We pay the account half-yearly.

Hambrecht & Quist Technology Index /hmbrekt ən kwst tek-

nɒləd$i ndeks/ noun an American index based on the prices of 275 technology stocks hammer /hmə/ noun 왍 to go under the hammer to be sold by auction 왍 all the stock went under the hammer all the stock was sold by auction 쐽 verb to hit hard 왍 to hammer the competition to attack and defeat the competition 왍 to hammer prices to reduce prices sharply hammering /hmərŋ/ noun 1. a beating or severe losses 왍 the company took a hammering in Europe the company had large losses in Europe or lost parts of its European markets 왍 we gave them a hammering we beat them commercially 2. (on the London Stock Exchange) an announcement of the removal of a member firm because it has failed 3. the massive selling of stock on a stock market hand /hnd/ noun 1. the part of the body at the end of each arm 왍 to shake hands to hold someone’s hand when meeting to show you are pleased to meet them, or to show that an agreement has been reached 쑗 The two negotiating teams shook hands and sat down at the conference table. 왍 to shake hands on a deal to shake hands to show that a deal has been agreed 2. 왍 by hand using the hands, not a machine 쑗 These shoes are made by hand. 왍 to send a letter by hand to ask someone to carry and deliver a letter personally, not sending it through the post handcuffs /hndkfs/ plural noun 쒁 golden handcuffs

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165

hand in /hnd n/ verb to deliver a letter by hand 왍 he handed in his notice or resignation he resigned handle /hnd(ə)l/ noun the whole number of a share price quoted handling charge /hndlŋ tʃɑd$/ noun money to be paid for packing, invoicing and dealing with goods which are being shipped handout /hndaυt/ noun money paid to help someone in difficulties Hang Seng Index /hŋ seŋ ndeks/ noun an index of main share prices on the Hong Kong stock market hard /hɑd/ adjective 1. strong, not weak 왍 to take a hard line in trade union negotiations to refuse to compromise with the other side 2. difficult 쑗 It is hard to get good people to work on low salaries. 3. solid 4. 왍 after weeks of hard bargaining after weeks of difficult discussions ‘…few of the paper millionaires sold out and transformed themselves into hard cash millionaires’ [Investors Chronicle]

hard bargain /hɑd bɑn/ noun a bargain with difficult terms 왍 to drive a

hard bargain to be a difficult negotiator 왍 to strike a hard bargain to agree a deal where the terms are favourable to you hard cash /hɑd kʃ/ noun money in notes and coins, as opposed to cheques or credit cards hard copy /hɑd kɒpi/ noun a printout of a text which is on a computer hard currency /hɑd krənsi/ noun the currency of a country which has a strong economy, and which can be changed into other currencies easily 쑗 to pay for imports in hard currency 쑗 to sell raw materials to earn hard currency Also called scarce currency (NOTE: The opposite is soft currency.) hard disk /hɑd dsk/ noun a com-

puter disk which has a sealed case and can store large quantities of information ‘…hard disks help computers function more speedily and allow them to store more information’ [Australian Financial Review]

hard drive /hɑd drav/ noun same as hard disk

harden /hɑd(ə)n/ verb to become

more fixed or more inflexible 쑗 The union’s attitude to the management has hardened since the lockout. 왍 prices are

head and shoulders

hardening prices are settling at a higher price hardening /hɑd(ə)nŋ/ adjective 1. (of a market) slowly moving upwards 2. (of prices) becoming settled at a higher level hard landing /hɑd lndŋ/ noun a change in economic strategy to counteract inflation which has serious results for the population (high unemployment, rising interest rates, etc.) hard market /hɑd mɑkt/ noun a market which is strong and not likely to fall hardness /hɑdnəs/ noun 왍 hardness of the market the state of the market when it is strong and not likely to fall hard sell /hɑd sel/ noun 왍 to give a product the hard sell to make great efforts to persuade people to buy a product 왍 he tried to give me the hard sell he put a lot of effort into trying to make me buy harmonisation /hɑmənazeʃ(ə)n/, harmonization /hɑmənazeʃn/ noun a standardisation, making things the same in several countries harmonise /hɑmənaz/, harmonize verb to make things such as tax rates or VAT rates the same in several countries harmonised /hɑmənazd/, harmonized adjective which has been made standard in several countries

harmonised

European

index

/hɑmənazd jυərəpiən ndeks/ noun a method of calculating inflation

which is standard throughout the EU hatchet man /htʃt mn/ noun a recently appointed manager, whose job is to make staff redundant and reduce expenditure (informal ) haven /hev(ə)n/ noun a safe place head /hed/ noun the most important person 쐽 adjective most important or main 쑗 Ask the head waiter for a table. 쐽 verb to be first 쑗 The two largest oil companies head the list of stock market results. head and shoulders /hed ən ʃəυldəz/ noun a term used by chartists showing a share price which rises to a peak, then falls slightly, then rises to a much higher peak, then falls sharply and .

head buyer

166

rises to a lower peak before falling again, looking similar to a person’s head and shoulders when shown on a graph head buyer /hed baə/ noun the most important buyer in a store head for /hed fɔ/ verb to go towards 왍 the company is heading for disaster the company is going to collapse headhunt /hedhnt/ verb to look for managers and offer them jobs in other companies 왍 she was headhunted she was approached by a headhunter and offered a new job headhunter /hedhntə/ noun a person or company whose job is to find suitable top managers to fill jobs in companies heading /hedŋ/ noun the words at the top of a piece of text 쑗 Items are listed under several headings. 쑗 Look at the figure under the heading ‘Costs 2001–02’. headlease /hedlis/ noun a lease from the freehold owner to a tenant headline inflation rate /hedlan nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun a British inflation figure which includes items such as mortgage interest and local taxes, which are not included in the inflation figures for other countries. Compare underlying inflation rate

head of department /hed əv d-

pɑtmənt/ noun a person in charge of a department head office /hed ɒfs/ noun an office building where the board of directors works and meets headquarters /hedkwɔtəz/ plural noun the main office, where the board of directors meets and works 쑗 The company’s headquarters are in New York. 왍 to reduce headquarters staff to have fewer people working in the main office. Abbreviation HQ heads of agreement /hedz əv ərimənt/ plural noun 1. a draft agreement with not all the details complete 2. the most important parts of a commercial agreement head teller /hed telə/ noun US a main teller in a bank health /helθ/ noun 1. being fit and well, not ill 2. 왍 to give a company a clean bill of health to report that a company is trading profitably

heavy machinery ‘…the main US banks have been forced to pull back from international lending as nervousness continues about their financial health’ [Financial Times] ‘…financial health, along with a dose of independence, has largely sheltered Japan’s pharmaceutical companies from a global wave of consolidation. Those assets, however, are expected to soon lure foreign suitors too powerful to resist’ [Nikkei Weekly]

health insurance /helθ nʃυərəns/

noun insurance which pays the cost of treatment for illness, especially when travelling abroad health warning /helθ wɔnŋ/ noun a warning message printed on advertisem*nts for investments, stating that the value of investments can fall as well as rise (this is a legal requirement in the UK) healthy /helθi/ adjective 왍 a healthy balance sheet balance sheet which shows a good profit heavily /hevli/ adverb 왍 he is heavily in debt he has many debts 왍 they are heavily into property they have large investments in property 왍 the company has had to borrow heavily to repay its debts the company has had to borrow large sums of money ‘…the steel company had spent heavily on new equipment’ [Fortune]

heavy /hevi/ adjective 1. large or in large quantities 쑗 a programme of heavy investment overseas 쑗 He suffered heavy losses on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 The government imposed a heavy tax on luxury goods. 왍 heavy costs or heavy expenditure large sums of money that have to be spent 2. referring to a share which has such a high price that small investors are reluctant to buy it (in which case the company may decide to split the shares so as to make them more attractive: in the UK, a share price of £10.00 is considered ‘heavy’, though many shares have higher prices than this) 3. having too many investments in the same type of share 쑗 His portfolio is heavy in banks. ‘…heavy selling sent many blue chips tumbling in Tokyo yesterday’ [Financial Times]

heavy industry /hevi ndəstri/

noun an industry which deals in heavy raw materials such as coal or makes large products such as ships or engines heavy machinery /hevi məʃinəri/ noun large machines

heavy market

167

heavy market /hevi mɑkt/ noun a stock market where prices are falling heavy share price /hevi ʃeə pras/ noun a price on the London Stock Exchange which is over £10.00 per share, and so discourages the small investor hectic /hektk/ adjective wild, very active 쑗 a hectic day on the Stock Exchange 쑗 After last week’s hectic trading, this week has been very calm. hedge /hed$/ noun a protection against a possible loss (which involves taking an action which is the opposite of an action taken earlier) 왍 a hedge against inflation investment which should increase in value more than the increase in the rate of inflation 쑗 He bought gold as a hedge against exchange losses. 쐽 verb to protect oneself (against the risk of a loss) 왍 to hedge your bets to make investments in several areas so as to be protected against loss in one of them 왍 to hedge against inflation to buy investments which will rise in value faster than the increase in the rate of inflation ‘…during the 1970s commercial property was regarded by investors as an alternative to equities, with many of the same inflation-hedge qualities’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the move saved it from having to pay its creditors an estimated $270 million owed in connection with hedge contracts which began working against the company when the price of gold rose unexpectedly during September’ [Business in Africa]

hedge fund /hed$ fnd/ noun a

partnership open to a small number of rich investors, which invests in equities, currency futures and derivatives and may produce high returns but carries a very high risk ‘…much of what was described as near hysteria was the hedge funds trying to liquidate bonds to repay bank debts after losing multi-million dollar bets on speculations that the yen would fall against the dollar’ [Times] ‘…hedge funds generally have in common an ability to sell short (that is, sell stocks you do not own), and to increase growth prospects – and risk – by borrowing to enhance the fund’s assets’ [Money Observer] ‘…the stock is a hedge fund – limited by the Securities and Exchange Commission to only wealthy individuals and qualified institutions’ [Smart Money] COMMENT: Originally, hedge funds were

funds planned to protect equity invest-

high ments against possible falls on the stock market. Nowadays the term is applied to funds which take speculative positions in financial futures or equities, and are usually highly-geared: in other words, they do nothing to ‘hedge’ their holdings.

hedging /hed$ŋ/ noun the act of

buying investments at a fixed price for delivery later, so as to protect oneself against possible loss Helsinki Stock Exchange /helsŋki stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the main stock exchange in Finland. Abbreviation HEX hemline theory /hemlan θəri/ noun the theory that movements of the stock market reflect the current fashionable length of women’s skirts (the shorter the skirt, the more bullish the market) hereafter /hərɑftə/ adverb from this time on hereby /həba/ adverb in this way, by this letter 쑗 We hereby revoke the agreement of January 1st 1982. hereditament /herdtəmənt/ noun a property, including land and buildings herewith /həwð/ adverb together with this letter 쑗 Please find the cheque enclosed herewith. HEX abbreviation Helsinki Stock Exchange Hex Index /heks ndeks/ noun an index of share prices on the Helsinki stock exchange hidden /hd(ə)n/ adjective which cannot be seen hidden asset /hd(ə)n set/ noun an asset which is valued much less in the company’s accounts than its true market value hidden reserves /hd(ə)n rz%vz/ plural noun 1. reserves which are not easy to identify in the company’s balance sheet (reserves which are illegally kept hidden are called ‘secret reserves’) 2. illegal reserves which are not declared in the company’s balance sheet high /ha/ adjective 1. large, not low 쑗 High overhead costs increase the unit price. 쑗 High prices put customers off. 쑗 They are budgeting for a high level of expenditure. 쑗 High interest rates are crippling small businesses. 왍 high sales a large amount of revenue produced by

high finance

168

sales 왍 high taxation taxation which imposes large taxes on incomes or profits 왍 highest tax bracket the group which pays the most tax 왍 high volume (of sales) a large number of items sold 2. 왍 the highest bidder the person who offers the most money at an auction 쑗 The tender will be awarded to the highest bidder. 쑗 The property was sold to the highest bidder. 쐽 adverb 왍 prices are running high prices are above their usual level 쐽 noun a point where prices or sales are very large 쑗 Prices have dropped by 10% since the high of January 2nd. 왍 highs and lows on the Stock Exchange a list of shares which have reached a new high or low price in the previous day’s trading 왍 sales volume has reached an all-time high the sales volume has reached the highest point it has ever been at ‘American interest rates remain exceptionally high in relation to likely inflation rates’ [Sunday Times] ‘…faster economic growth would tend to push US interest rates, and therefore the dollar, higher’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…in a leveraged buyout the acquirer raises money by selling high-yielding debentures to private investors’ [Fortune]

high finance /ha fanns/ noun the

lending, investing and borrowing of very large sums of money organised by financiers high flier /ha flaə/ noun 1. a person who is very successful or who is likely to rise to a very important position 2. a share whose market price is rising rapidly high gearing /ha ərŋ/ noun a situation where a company has a high level of borrowing compared to its share price high-grade bond /ha red bɒnd/ noun a bond which has the highest rating (i.e. AAA) high-income /ha nkm/ adjective which gives a large income 쑗 high-income shares 쑗 a high-income portfolio high-income bond /ha nkm bɒnd/ noun bond which aims to produce a high income. Abbreviation HiB highly /hali/ adverb very 왍 she is highly thought of by the managing director the managing director thinks she is very competent

hike

company /hali əd kmp(ə)ni/ noun company which has a high proportion of its funds from fixed-interest borrowings highly-paid /hali ped/ adjective earning a large salary highly-placed /hali plest/ adjective occupying an important post 쑗 The delegation met a highly-placed official in the Trade Ministry. highly-priced /hali prast/ noun with a large price high pressure /ha preʃə/ noun a strong insistence that somebody should do something 왍 working under high pressure working very hard, with a manager telling you what to do and to do it quickly, or with customers asking for supplies urgently high-risk /ha rsk/ adjective which involves more risk than normal high-risk investment /ha rsk nvestmənt/ noun an investment which carries a higher risk than other investments high security area /ha skjυərti eəriə/ noun a special part of a bank with strong doors where cash can be kept safely high street /ha strit/ noun the main shopping street in a British town 쑗 the high street shops 쑗 a high street bookshop High Street banks /ha strit bŋks/ plural noun the main British banks which accept deposits from individual customers high-tech /ha tek/ adjective 왍 high-tech companies companies in advanced technological fields, such as computers, telecommunications or scientific research 왍 high-tech share or stock a share in a technology sector such as software or biotechnology high yield /ha jild/ noun a dividend yield which is higher than is normal for the type of company high-yield /ha jild/ adjective which gives a very high return on investment high-yield bond /ha jild bɒnd/ noun same as junk bond hike /hak/ US noun an increase 쐽 verb to increase 쑗 The union hiked its demand to $5 an hour. highly-geared

hire

169

hire /haə/ noun 1. an arrangement whereby customers pay money to be able to use a car, boat or piece of equipment owned by someone else for a time 2. 왍 to work for hire to work freelance 쐽 verb 1. to employ someone new to work for you 왍 to hire staff to employ someone new to work for you 2. 왍 to hire out cars or equipment or workers to lend cars, equipment or workers to customers who pay for their use COMMENT: An agreement to hire a piece

of equipment, etc., involves two parties: the hirer and the owner. The equipment remains the property of the owner while the hirer is using it. Under a hire-purchase agreement, the equipment remains the property of the owner until the hirer has complied with the terms of the agreement (i.e. until he or she has paid all monies due).

hire and fire /haər ən faə/ verb to

employ new staff and dismiss existing staff very frequently hire car /haə kɑ/ noun a car which has been rented 쑗 He was driving a hire car when the accident happened. hire purchase /haə p%tʃs/ noun a system of buying something by paying a sum regularly each month 쑗 to buy a refrigerator on hire purchase (NOTE: The US term is installment credit, installment plan or installment sale.) 왍

to sign a hire-purchase agreement to sign a contract to pay for something by instalments hire purchase agreement /haə p%tʃs ərimənt/ noun a contract to pay for something by instalments hire-purchase company /haə p%tʃs kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which provides money for hire purchase hiring /haərŋ/ noun the act of employing new staff 쑗 Hiring of new personnel has been stopped. historic /hstɒrk/, historical /hstɒrk(ə)l/ adjective which goes back over a period of time ‘…the Federal Reserve Board has eased interest rates in the past year, but they are still at historically high levels’ [Sunday Times] ‘…the historic p/e for the FTSE all-share index is 28.3 and the dividend yield is barely 2 per cent. Both indicators suggest that the stock markets are very highly priced’ [Times] COMMENT: By tradition, a company’s ac-

counts are usually prepared on the his-

hoard toric(al) cost principle, i.e. that assets are costed at their purchase price. With inflation, such assets are undervalued, and current-cost accounting or replacement-cost accounting may be preferred.

historical cost accounting /h-

stɒrk(ə)l kɒst/ noun the preparation of accounts on the basis of historical cost, with assets valued at their original cost of purchase. Compare replacement cost accounting

historical cost depreciation /h-

stɒrk(ə)l kɒst dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun depreciation based on the original cost of the asset historical figures /hstɒrk(ə)l fəz/ plural noun figures which were current in the past historical trading range /hstɒrk(ə)l tredŋ rend$/ noun the difference between the highest and lowest price for a share or bond over a period of time historic cost /hstɒrk kɒst/, historical cost /hstɒrk(ə)l kɒst/ noun the actual cost of purchasing something which was bought some time ago hit /ht/ verb 1. to reach something 쑗 He hit his head against the table. 쑗 The strong dollar which hit a seven-year high against the yen last week. 2. to hurt or to damage someone or something 쑗 The company was badly hit by the falling exchange rate. 쑗 Our sales of summer clothes have been hit by the bad weather. 쑗 The new legislation has hit the small companies hardest. (NOTE: hitting – hit)

hive off /hav ɒf/ verb to split off

part of a large company to form a smaller subsidiary, giving shares in this to its existing shareholders 쑗 The new managing director hived off the retail sections of the company. H.M. Customs and Excise /atʃ em kstəmz ən eksaz/ noun 1. a UK government department which deals with taxes on imports and on products such as alcohol produced in the country. It also deals with VAT. 쑗 an Excise officer 2. an office of this department at a port or airport hoard /hɔd/ verb 1. to buy and store goods in case of need 2. to keep cash instead of investing it

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170

hoarder /hɔdə/ noun a person who buys and stores goods in case of need hoarding /hɔdŋ/ noun 왍 hoarding of supplies the buying of large quantities of goods to keep in case of need ‘…as a result of hoarding, rice has become scarce with prices shooting up’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

hold /həυld/ noun the action of keeping something 왍 these shares are a hold these shares should be kept and not sold 쐽 verb 1. to own or to keep something 쑗 He holds 10% of the company’s shares. 2. to make something happen 쑗 The receiver will hold an auction of the company’s assets. 3. not to sell 쑗 You should hold these shares – they look likely to rise. ‘…as of last night, the bank’s shareholders no longer hold any rights to the bank’s shares’ [South China Morning Post]

hold back /həυld bk/ verb to wait, not to do something at the present time 왍 investors are holding back until after the Budget investors are waiting until they hear the details of the Budget before they decide whether to buy or sell 왍 he held back from signing the lease until he had checked the details he delayed signing the lease until he had checked the details 왍 payment will be held back until the contract has been signed payment will not be made until the contract has been signed holdback /həυlbk/ noun a part of a loan to a property developer which is not paid until the development is almost finished hold down /həυld daυn/ verb 1. to keep at a low level 쑗 We are cutting margins to hold our prices down. 2. 왍 to hold down a job to manage to do a difficult job ‘…real wages have been held down; they have risen at an annual rate of only 1% in the last two years’ [Sunday Times]

holder /həυldə/ noun 1. a person who

owns or keeps something 쑗 holders of government bonds or bondholders 쑗 holder of stock or of shares in a company 쑗 holder of an insurance policy or policy holder 2. a thing which keeps something, which protects something holder in due course /həυldə n dju kɔs/ noun a person who holds a negotiable instrument, such as a bill of

home address

exchange, in good faith, without knowing of any other claim against it holder of record /həυldə əv rekɔd/ noun the person who is registered as the owner of shares in a company holding /həυldŋ/ noun a group of shares owned 쑗 He has sold all his holdings in the Far East. 쑗 The company has holdings in German manufacturing companies. holding company /həυldŋ kmp(ə)ni/ noun 1. a company which owns more than 50% of the shares in another company. 쏡 subsidiary company 2. a company which exists only or mainly to own shares in subsidiary companies. 쏡 subsidiary (NOTE: The US term is proprietary company.)

hold on /həυld ɒn/ verb to wait, not to change 왍 the company’s sharehold-

ers should hold on and wait for a better offer they should keep their shares and not sell them until they are offered a higher price hold out for /həυld aυt fɔ/ verb to wait and ask for something 왍 you should hold out for a 10% pay rise you should not agree to a pay rise of less than 10% hold to /həυld tu/ verb not to allow something or someone to change 왍 we will try to hold him to the contract we will try to stop him going against the contract 왍 the government hopes to hold wage increases to 5% the government hopes that wage increases will not be more than 5% hold up /həυld p/ verb 1. to stay at a high level 쑗 Share prices have held up well. 쑗 Sales held up during the tourist season. 2. to delay something 쑗 The shipment has been held up at customs. 쑗 Payment will be held up until the contract has been signed. 쑗 The strike will hold up dispatch for some weeks. 쑗 The workers are holding up production as a form of protest against poor conditions. hologram /hɒlərm/ noun a three-dimensional picture which is used on credit cards as a means of preventing forgery home /həυm/ noun the place where a person lives home address /həυm ədres/ noun the address of a house or flat where a

home banking

171

person lives 쑗 Please send the documents to my home address. home banking /həυm bŋkŋ/ noun a system of banking using a personal computer in your own home to carry out various financial transactions (such as paying invoices or checking your bank account) home equity credit /həυm ekwti kredt/ noun a loan made to a homeowner against the security of the equity in his or her property (i.e. the value of the property now less the amount outstanding on any mortgage) home improvement loan /həυm mpruvmənt ləυn/ noun a loan made to a homeowner to pay for improvements to his or her home home income plan /həυm nkm pln/ noun a method of releasing equity from an unmortgaged property so that a homeowner has income or cash without actually leaving the property home loan /həυm ləυn/ noun a loan by a bank or building society to help someone buy a house home market /həυm mɑkt/ noun the market in the country where the selling company is based 쑗 Sales in the home market rose by 22%. home office /həυm ɒfs/ noun an office organised inside your own home Home Office /həυm ɒfs/ noun a ministry dealing with the internal affairs of the country home trade /həυm tred/ noun trade in the country where a company is based honorarium /ɒnəreəriəm/ noun money paid to a professional person such as an accountant or a lawyer when a specific fee has not been requested (NOTE: The plural is honoraria.) honorary /ɒnərəri/ adjective not

paid a salary for the work done for an organisation 쑗 He is honorary president of the translators’ association. honorary secretary /ɒnərəri sekrət(ə)ri/ noun a person who keeps the minutes and official documents of a committee or club, but is not paid a salary honorary treasurer /ɒnərəri tre$ərə/ noun a treasurer who does not receive any fee

hour

honour /ɒnə/ verb to pay something

because it is owed and is correct 쑗 to honour a bill 쑗 The bank refused to honour his cheque. (NOTE: The US spelling is honor.) 왍 to honour a signature to pay something because the signature is correct horizontal integration /hɒrzɒnt(ə)l ntəreʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of joining similar companies or taking over a company in the same line of business as yourself horizontal spread /hɒrzɒnt(ə)l spred/ noun the buying and selling of two options at the same price but with different maturity dates horse trading /hɔs tredŋ/ noun hard bargaining which ends with someone giving something in return for a concession from the other side hostile /hɒstal/ adjective unfriendly, showing dislike hostile bidder /hɒstal bdə/, hostile suitor /hɒstal sutə/ noun a person or company making a hostile bid hostile takeover bid /hɒstal tekəυvə bd/ noun a takeover where the board of the company do not recommend it to the shareholders and try to fight it hot card /hɒt kɑd/ noun a stolen credit card hot money /hɒt mni/ noun money which is moved from country to country to get the best returns hot stock /hɒt stɒk/ noun a stock (usually in a new issue) which rises rapidly on the Stock Exchange because of great demand hour /aυə/ noun 1. a period of time lasting sixty minutes 왍 to work a thirty-five hour week to work seven hours a day each weekday 왍 we work an eight-hour day we work for eight hours a day, e.g. from 8.30 to 5.30 with one hour for lunch 2. sixty minutes of work 쑗 He earns £14 an hour. 쑗 We pay £16 an hour. 왍 to pay by the hour to pay people a fixed amount of money for each hour worked 3. 왍 outside hours or out of hours when the office is not open 쑗 He worked on the accounts out of hours.

hourly wage

172

hourly wage /aυəli wed$/ noun

the amount of money paid for an hour’s work house /haυs/ noun 1. the building in which someone lives 2. a company 쑗 the largest London finance house 쑗 a broking house 쑗 a publishing house housecleaning noun a general reorganising of a business 쑗 She has mainly been performing housecleaning measures. household goods /haυshəυld υdz/ plural noun items which are used in the home house insurance /haυs nʃυərəns/ noun insuring a house and its contents against damage house journal /haυs d$%n(ə)l/, house magazine /haυs məzin/ noun a magazine produced for the employees or shareholders in a company to give them news about the company house property /haυs prɒpəti/ noun private houses or flats, not shops, offices or factories house starts /haυs stɑts/, housing starts /haυzŋ stɑts/ plural noun the number of new private houses or flats of which the construction has begun during a year house telephone /haυs telfəυn/ noun a telephone for calling from one room to another in an office or hotel housing authority bond /haυzŋ ɔθɒrəti bɒnd/ noun a bond issued by a US municipal housing authority to raise money to build dwellings

hypothecation

HP abbreviation hire purchase hryvnia /hrvniə/ noun a unit of cur-

rency used in the Ukraine

human resources department

/hjumən rzɔsz dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of the company which

deals with its staff

human

resources

officer

/hjumən rzɔsz ɒfsə/ noun a

person who deals with the staff in a company, especially interviewing candidates for new posts hurdle rate /h%d(ə)l ret/ noun 1. the rate of growth in a portfolio required to repay the final fixed redemption price of zero dividend preference shares 2. a minimum rate of return needed by a bank to fund a loan, the rate below which a loan is not profitable for the bank hyper- /hapə/ prefix very large hyperinflation /hapərnfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation which is at such a high percentage rate that it is almost impossible to reduce hypothecation /hapɒθəkeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an arrangement in which property such as securities is used as collateral for a loan, but without transferring legal ownership to the lender (as opposed to a mortgage, where the lender holds the title to the property) 2. an action of earmarking money derived from certain sources for certain related expenditure, as when investing taxes from private cars or petrol sales solely on public transport

I IBO abbreviation institutional buyout IBRD abbreviation International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) ICAEW abbreviation Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ICAI abbreviation Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland ICAS abbreviation Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland ICCH abbreviation International Commodities Clearing House idle /ad(ə)l/ adjective not working 쑗 2,000 employees were made idle by the recession. idle capital /ad(ə)l kpt(ə)l/ noun capital which is not being used productively IFA abbreviation independent financial adviser IFC abbreviation International Finance Corporation IHT abbreviation inheritance tax illegal /li(ə)l/ adjective not legal or against the law illegality /lilti/ noun the fact of being illegal illegally /liəli/ adverb against the law 쑗 He was accused of illegally importing arms into the country. illicit /lst/ adjective not legal or not permitted 쑗 the illicit sale of alcohol 쑗 trade in illicit alcohol illiquid /lkwd/ adjective referring to an asset which is not easy to change into cash ILO abbreviation International Labour Organization IMF abbreviation International Monetary Fund

IMM abbreviation International Monetary Market IMMA abbreviation insured money market account immovable /muvəb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be moved immovable property /muvəb(ə)l prɒpəti/ noun houses and other buildings on land immunisation /mjυnazeʃ(ə)n/, immunization noun US arrangements to protect the income from a portfolio of investments against any risk in a volatile stock market impact /mpkt/ noun a shock or strong effect 쑗 the impact of new technology on the cotton trade 쑗 The new design has made little impact on the buying public. ‘…the strong dollar’s deflationary impact on European economies as governments push up interest rates to support their sinking currencies’ [Duns Business Month]

impaired /mpeəd/ adjective not certain, not perfect

impaired credit /mpeəd kredt/

noun US a situation where a person becomes less creditworthy than before impaired loans /mpeəd ləυnz/ plural noun US doubtful loans implement /mplment/ verb to put into action 쑗 to implement an agreement 쑗 to implement a decision implementation /mplmenteʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of putting something into action 쑗 the implementation of new rules import /mpɔt/ verb /mpɔt/ to bring goods from abroad into a country for sale 쑗 The company imports television sets from Japan. 쑗 This car was imported from France. ‘European manufacturers rely heavily on imported raw materials which are mostly priced in dollars’ [Duns Business Month]

importation

174

importation /mpɔteʃ(ə)n/ noun

the act of importing 쑗 The importation of arms is forbidden. 쑗 The importation of livestock is subject to very strict controls. import ban /mpɔt bn/ noun an order forbidding imports 쑗 The government has imposed an import ban on arms. import duty /mpɔt djuti/ noun a tax on goods imported into a country importer /mpɔtə/ noun a person or company that imports goods 쑗 a cigar importer 쑗 The company is a big importer of foreign cars. import-export /mpɔt ekspɔt/ adjective, noun (referring to) business which deals with both bringing foreign goods into a country and sending locally made goods abroad 쑗 Rotterdam is an important centre for the import-export trade. 쑗 He works in import-export. importing /mpɔtŋ/ adjective which imports 쑗 oil-importing countries 쑗 an importing company 쐽 noun the act of bringing foreign goods into a country for sale 쑗 The importing of arms into the country is illegal. import levy /mpɔt levi/ noun a tax on imports, especially in the EU a tax on imports of farm produce from outside the EU import licence /mpɔt las(ə)ns/, import permit /mpɔt p%mt/ noun an official document which allows goods to be imported import quota /mpɔt kwəυtə/ noun a fixed quantity of a particular type of goods which the government allows to be imported 쑗 The government has imposed a quota on the importation of cars. 쑗 The quota on imported cars has been lifted. import restrictions /mpɔt rstrkʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun actions taken by a government to reduce the level of imports (by imposing quotas, duties, etc.) imports /mpɔts/ plural noun goods brought into a country from abroad for sale 쑗 Imports from Poland have risen to $1m a year. (NOTE: Usually used in the plural, but the singular is used before a noun.)

improvement

surcharge /mpɔt s%tʃɑd$/ noun the extra duty charged on imported goods, to try to stop them from being imported and to encourage local manufacture impose /mpəυz/ verb to give orders for something, e.g. a tax or a ban, which other people have to pay or obey 쑗 to impose a tax on bicycles 쑗 The unions have asked the government to impose trade barriers on for 쑗 They tried to impose a ban on smoking. 쑗 The government imposed a special duty on oil. imposition /mpəzʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of imposing something impound /mpaυnd/ verb to take something away and keep it until a tax is paid 쑗 customs impounded the whole cargo impounding /mpaυndŋ/ noun an act of taking something and keeping it until a tax is paid imprest system /mprest sstəm/ noun a system of controlling petty cash, where cash is paid out against a written receipt and the receipt is used to get more cash to bring the float to the original level imprinter /mprntə/ noun a hand-operated machine for printing the details of a customer’s credit card on a sales voucher improve /mpruv/ verb to make something better, or to become better 쑗 We are trying to improve our image with a series of TV commercials. 쑗 They hope to improve the company’s market share. 쑗 We hope the cash flow position will improve or we will have difficulty in paying our bills. 왍 export trade has improved sharply during the first quarter export trade has increased suddenly and greatly in the first period of the year import

‘…we also invest in companies whose growth and profitability could be improved by a management buyout’ [Times]

improved offer /mpruvd ɒfə/

noun an offer which is larger or has better terms than the previous offer improvement /mpruvmənt/ noun 1. the process of getting better 쑗 There is no improvement in the cash flow situation. 쑗 Sales are showing a sharp improvement over last year. 쑗 Employees have noticed an improvement in the

improve on

175

income

working environment. 2. something which is better 왍 an improvement on an offer an act of making a better offer

incentive /nsentv/ noun something

‘…the management says the rate of loss-making has come down and it expects further improvement in the next few years’ [Financial Times]

‘…some further profit-taking was seen yesterday as investors continued to lack fresh incentives to renew buying activity’ [Financial Times] ‘…a well-designed plan can help companies retain talented employees and offer enticing performance incentives – all at an affordable cost’ [Fortune] ‘…the right incentives can work when used strategically’ [Management Today] ‘…an additional incentive is that the Japanese are prepared to give rewards where they are due’ [Management Today]

improve on /mpruv ɒn/ verb to do better than 왍 she refused to improve on her previous offer she refused to make a better offer impulse /mpls/ noun a sudden decision 왍 to do something on impulse to do something because you have just thought of it, not because it was planned impulse buyer /mpls baə/ noun a person who buys something on impulse, not because he or she intended to buy it impulse buying /mpls baŋ/ noun the practice of buying items which you have just seen, not because you had planned to buy them impulse purchase /mpls p%tʃs/ noun something bought as soon as it is seen imputation system /mpjuteʃ(ə)n sstəm/ noun a system of taxation of dividends, where the company pays advance corporation tax on the dividends it pays to its shareholders, and the shareholders pay no tax on the dividends received, assuming that they pay tax at the standard rate (the ACT is shown as a tax credit which is imputed to the shareholder) impute /mpjut/ verb to pass the responsibility for something to someone else imputed value /mpjutd vlju/ noun a value which is given to figures, for which an accurate value cannot be calculated IMRO abbreviation Investment Management Regulatory Organisation inactive /nktv/ adjective not active or not busy inactive account /nktv əkaυnt/ noun a bank account which is not used (i.e. no deposits or withdrawals are made) over a period of time inactive market /nktv mɑkt/ noun stock market with few buyers or sellers Inc abbreviation US incorporated

which encourages a customer to buy, or employees to work better

bonus /nsentv bəυnəs/, incentive payment /nsentv pemənt/ noun an extra payment offered to workers to make them work better incentive scheme /nsentv skim/ noun a plan to encourage better work by paying higher commission or bonuses 쑗 Incentive schemes are boosting production. inchoate /nkəυət/ adjective referring to an instrument which is incomplete (i.e. where some of the details need to be filled in) incidental /nsdent(ə)l/ adjective which is not important, but connected with something else incidental expenses /nsdent(ə)l kspensz/ plural noun small amounts of money spent at various times in addition to larger amounts incidentals /nsdent(ə)lz/ plural noun same as incidental expenses include /nklud/ verb to count something along with other things 쑗 The charge includes VAT. 쑗 The total is £140 not including insurance and freight. 쑗 The account covers services up to and including the month of June. inclusive /nklusv/ adjective which counts something in with other things 쑗 inclusive of tax 쑗 not inclusive of VAT 왍 inclusive of including 쑗 inclusive of tax 쑗 not inclusive of VAT inclusive charge /nklusv tʃɑd$/, inclusive sum /nklusv sm/ noun a charge which includes all items or costs income /nkm/ noun 1. money which a person receives as salary or dividends 왍 lower income bracket, upper incentive

income drawdown

176

income bracket the groups of people who earn low or high salaries considered for tax purposes 2. money which an organisation receives as gifts or from investments 쑗 The hospital has a large income from gifts. ‘…there is no risk-free way of taking regular income from your money much higher than the rate of inflation’ [Guardian]

drawdown /nkm drɔdaυn/ noun an arrangement by which you take smaller amounts on a regular basis out of money accumulating in the pension fund, instead of taking it all at the same time in a lump sum to pay for an annuity income fund /nkm fnd/ noun a fund which aims at providing a high income rather than capital growth income gearing /nkm ərŋ/ noun the ratio of the interest a company pays on its borrowing shown as a percentage of its pretax profits (before the interest is paid) income shares /nkm ʃeəz/ plural noun shares in an investment trust which receive income from the investments, but do not benefit from the rise in capital value of the investments incomes policy /nkmz pɒlsi/ noun the government’s ideas on how incomes should be controlled income statement /nkm stetmənt/ noun US a statement of company expenditure and sales which shows whether the company has made a profit or loss (NOTE: The UK term is income

profit and loss account.)

income support /nkm səpɔt/

noun a government benefit paid to low-income earners who are working less than 16 hours per week, provided they can show that they are actively looking for jobs. Abbreviation IS income tax /nkm tks/ noun 1. the tax on a person’s income (both earned and unearned) 2. the tax on the profits of a corporation income tax form /nkm tks fɔm/ noun a form to be completed which declares all income to the tax office income tax return /nkm tks rt%n/ noun a form used for reporting how much income you have earned and working out how much tax you have to

increase

pay on it. Also called declaration of income

income units /nkm junts/ plu-

ral noun units in a unit trust, from which the investor receives dividends in the form of income income yield /nkm jild/ noun an actual percentage yield of government stocks, the fixed interest being shown as a percentage of the market price incoming /nkmŋ/ adjective referring to someone who has recently been elected or appointed 쑗 the incoming chairman inconvertible /nkənv%təb(ə)l/ adjective referring to currency which cannot be easily converted into other currencies incorporate /nkɔpəret/ verb 1. to bring something in to form part of a main group 쑗 Income from the 1998 acquisition is incorporated into the accounts. 2. to form a registered company 쑗 a company incorporated in the USA 쑗 an incorporated company 쑗 J. Doe Incorporated COMMENT: A company is incorporated by

drawing up a memorandum of association, which is lodged with Companies House. In the UK, a company is either a private limited company (they print Ltd after their name) or a public limited company (they print Plc after their name). A company must be a Plc to obtain a Stock Exchange listing. In the US, there is no distinction between private and public companies, and all are called ‘corporations’; they put Inc. after their name.

/nkɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of incorporating a company

incorporation

COMMENT: A corporation (a body which

is legally separate from its members) is formed in one of three ways: 1) registration under the Companies Act (the normal method for commercial companies); 2) granting of a royal charter; 3) by a special Act of Parliament. A company is incorporated by drawing up a memorandum and articles of association, which are lodged with Companies House.

increase noun /nkris/ 1. an act of becoming larger 쑗 There have been several increases in tax or tax increases in the last few years. 쑗 There is an automatic 5% increase in price or price increase on January 1st. 쑗 Profits showed

increment

177

a 10% increase or an increase of 10% on last year. 왍 increase in the cost of living a rise in the annual cost of living 2. a higher salary 쑗 increase in pay or pay increase 쑗 The government hopes to hold salary increases to 3%. 왍 she had two increases last year her salary went up twice 쐽 verb /nkris/ 1. to grow bigger or higher 쑗 Profits have increased faster than the increase in the rate of inflation. 쑗 Exports to Africa have increased by more than 25%. 쑗 The price of oil has increased twice in the past week. 왍 to increase in price to cost more 왍 to increase in size or value to become larger or more valuable 2. to make something bigger or higher 왍 the company increased her salary to £20,000 the company gave her a rise in salary to £20,000 ‘…turnover has the potential to be increased to over 1 million dollars with energetic management and very little capital’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…competition is steadily increasing and could affect profit margins as the company tries to retain its market share’ [Citizen (Ottawa)]

increment /ŋkrmənt/ noun a regu-

lar automatic increase in salary 쑗 an annual increment 왍 salary which rises in annual increments of £1000 each year the salary is increased by £1000 incremental /ŋkrment(ə)l/ adjective which rises automatically in stages incremental cost /ŋkrment(ə)l kɒst/ noun the cost of making extra units above the number already planned (this may then include further fixed costs)

incremental

increase

/ŋkrment(ə)l nkris/ noun an in-

crease in salary according to an agreed annual increment incremental scale /ŋkrment(ə)l skel/ noun a salary scale with regular annual salary increases incur /nk%/ verb to make yourself liable to something 왍 to incur the risk of a penalty to make it possible that you risk paying a penalty 왍 the company has incurred heavy costs to implement the expansion programme the company has had to pay large sums of money ‘…the company blames fiercely competitive market conditions in Europe for a £14m operating loss last year, incurred despite a record turnover’ [Financial Times]

independent trader

indebted /ndetd/ adjective owing

money to someone 쑗 to be indebted to a property company indemnification /ndemnfkeʃən/ noun payment for damage indemnify /ndemnfa/ verb to pay for damage 쑗 to indemnify someone for a loss indemnity /ndemnti/ noun 1. a guarantee of payment after a loss 쑗 She had to pay an indemnity of £100. 2. compensation paid after a loss indent noun /ndent/ 1. an order placed by an importer for goods from overseas 쑗 They put in an indent for a new stock of soap. 2. a line of typing which starts several spaces from the left-hand margin 쐽 verb /ndent/ 왍 to indent for something to put in an order for something 쑗 The department has indented for a new computer. indenture /ndentʃə/ noun US a formal agreement showing the terms of a bond issue independent /ndpendənt/ adjective not under the control or authority of anyone else

independent

authenticator

/ndpendənt ɔθentketə/ noun a

company that has the authority (from the government or the internet controlling body) to issue certificates of authentication when they are sure that a company is who it claims to be

independent

company

/ndpendənt kmp(ə)ni/ noun a

company which is not controlled by another company

independent financial adviser /ndpendənt fannʃ(ə)l ədvazə/ noun a person who gives impartial

advice on financial matters, who is not connected with any financial institution. Abbreviation IFA independents /ndpendənts/ plural noun shops or companies which are owned by private individuals or families ‘…many independents took advantage of the bank holiday period when the big multiples were closed’ [The Grocer]

independent trader /ndpendənt

tredə/, independent shop /ndpendənt ʃɒp/ noun a shop which

is owned by an individual proprietor, not by a chain

index

178

index /ndeks/ noun 1. a list of items classified into groups or put in alphabetical order 2. a regular statistical report which shows rises and falls in prices, values or levels 3. a figure based on the current market price of certain shares on a stock exchange 쐽 verb to link a payment to an index 쑗 salaries indexed to the cost of living ‘…the index of industrial production sank 0.2 per cent for the latest month after rising 0.3 per cent in March’ [Financial Times] ‘…an analysis of the consumer price index for the first half of the year shows that the rate of inflation went down by 12.9 per cent’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

index arbitrage /ndeks ɑbtrɑ$/ noun buying or selling a basket of stocks against an index option or future indexation /ndekseʃ(ə)n/ noun the linking of something to an index

indexation of wage increases

/ndekseʃ(ə)n əv wed$ nkrisz/ noun the linking of wage increases to

the percentage rise in the cost of living

index card /ndeks kɑd/ noun a card used to make a card index

indexed portfolio /ndekst pɔt-

fəυliəυ/ noun a portfolio of shares in all the companies which form the basis of a stock exchange index index fund /ndeks fnd/ noun an investment fund consisting of shares in all the companies which are used to calculate a Stock Exchange index (NOTE: The plural is indexes or indices.)

index letter /ndeks letə/ noun a letter of an item in an index

index-linked /ndeks lŋkt/ adjec-

tive which rises automatically by the percentage increase in the cost of living 쑗 index-linked government bonds 쑗 Inflation did not affect her as she has an index-linked pension. ‘…two-year index-linked savings certificates now pay 3 per cent a year tax free, in addition to index-linking’ [Financial Times]

index number /ndeks nmbə/

noun 1. a number of something in an index 2. a number showing the percentage rise of something over a period index tracker /ndeks trkə/ noun an investor or fund manager who tracks an index index-tracking /ndeks trkŋ/ adjective which tracks an index

Individual Retirement Account

indicate /ndket/ verb to show

something 쑗 The latest figures indicate a fall in the inflation rate. 쑗 Our sales for last year indicate a move from the home market to exports. indicator /ndketə/ noun something which indicates ‘…it reduces this month’s growth in the key M3 indicator from about 19% to 12%’ [Sunday Times] ‘…we may expect the US leading economic indicators for April to show faster economic growth’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…other indicators, such as high real interest rates, suggest that monetary conditions are extremely tight’ [Economist]

indirect /ndarekt/ adjective not direct

indirect costs /ndarekt kɒsts/,

indirect expenses /ndarekt kspensz/ plural noun costs which are not directly related to the making of a product (such as cleaning, rent or administration) indirect labour costs /ndarekt lebə kɒsts/ plural noun the cost of paying employees not directly involved in making a product such as cleaners or canteen staff. Such costs cannot be allocated to a cost centre. indirect loss /ndarekt lɒs/ noun same as consequential loss indirect tax /ndarekt tks/ noun a tax (such as VAT) paid to someone who then pays it to the government indirect taxation /ndarekt tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun taxes (such as sales tax) which are not paid direct to the government 쑗 The government raises more money by indirect taxation than by direct. individual /ndvd$uəl/ noun one single person 쑗 a savings plan tailored to the requirements of the private individual 쐽 adjective single or belonging to one person 쑗 a pension plan designed to meet each person’s individual requirements 쑗 We sell individual portions of ice cream.

Individual Retirement Account /ndvd$uəl rtaəmənt əkaυnt/ noun US a private pension scheme,

into which persons on lower incomes can make contributions (for people not covered by a company pension scheme). Abbreviation IRA

Individual Savings Account

Individual

Savings

179

Account

/ndvd$uəl sevŋz əkaυnt/ noun

a British scheme by which individuals can invest for their retirement by putting a limited amount of money each year in a tax-free account. Abbreviation ISA inducement /ndjusmənt/ noun something which helps to persuade someone to do something 쑗 They offered her a company car as an inducement to stay. industrial /ndstriəl/ adjective referring to manufacturing work 왍 to take industrial action to go on strike or go-slow 왍 land zoned for light industrial use land where planning permission has been given to build small factories for light industry ‘…indications of renewed weakness in the US economy were contained in figures on industrial production for April’ [Financial Times]

accident /ndstriəl ksd(ə)nt/ noun an accident which takes place at work industrial arbitration tribunal /ndstriəl ɑbtreʃ(ə)n trabjun(ə)l/ noun a court which decides in industrial disputes industrial bank /ndstriəl bŋk/ noun a finance house which lends to business customers industrial capacity /ndstriəl kəpsti/ noun the amount of work which can be done in a factory or several factories industrial centre /ndstriəl sentə/ noun a large town with many industries industrial court /ndstriəl kɔt/ noun a court which can decide in industrial disputes if both parties agree to ask it to judge between them industrial debenture /ndstriəl dbentʃə/ noun a debenture raised by an industrial company industrial development /ndstriəl dveləpmənt/ noun the planning and building of new industries in special areas industrial espionage /ndstriəl espiənɑ$/ noun the practice of trying to find out the secrets of a competitor’s work or products, usually by illegal means industrial

industry

industrial expansion /ndstriəl

kspnʃən/ noun the growth of industries in a country or a region industrial injury /ndstriəl nd$əri/ noun an injury to an employee that occurs in the workplace industrialisation /ndstriəlazeʃ(ə)n/, industrialization noun the process of change by which an economy becomes based on industrial production rather than on agriculture industrialise /ndstriəlaz/, industrialize verb to set up industries in a country which had none before ‘…central bank and finance ministry officials of the industrialized countries will continue work on the report’ [Wall Street Journal]

industrial loan /ndstriəl ləυn/

noun a loan raised by an industrial company industrial processes /ndstriəl prəυsesz/ plural noun the various stages involved in manufacturing products in factories industrial property /ndstriəl prɒpəti/ noun factories or other buildings used for industrial purposes industrial relations /ndstriəl rleʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun relations between management and employees 쑗 The company has a history of bad labour relations. ‘Britain’s industrial relations changing’ [Personnel Today]

climate

industrials /ndstriəlz/ plural noun

shares in manufacturing companies industrial training /ndstriəl trenŋ/ noun the training of new employees to work in an industry industrial tribunal /ndstriəl trabjun(ə)l/ noun a court which can decide in disputes about employment ‘ACAS has a legal obligation to try and solve industrial grievances before they reach industrial tribunals’ [Personnel Today]

industry /ndəstri/ noun 1. all facto-

ries, companies or processes involved in the manufacturing of products 쑗 All sectors of industry have shown rises in output. 2. a group of companies making the same type of product or offering the same type of service 쑗 the aircraft industry 쑗 the food-processing industry 쑗 the petroleum industry 쑗 the advertising industry

ineligible

180

‘…with the present overcapacity in the airline industry, discounting of tickets is widespread’ [Business Traveller]

ineligible /neld$b(ə)l/ adjective not eligible

ineligible bill /neld$əb(ə)l bl/

noun a bill of exchange which cannot be discounted by a central bank inflate /nflet/ verb 왍 to inflate prices to increase prices without any reason inflated /nfletd/ adjective 왍 inflated prices prices which are increased without any reason 쑗 Tourists don’t want to pay inflated London prices. inflation /nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun a greater increase in the supply of money or credit than in the production of goods and services, resulting in higher prices and a fall in the purchasing power of money 쑗 to take measures to reduce inflation 쑗 High interest rates tend to increase inflation. 왍 we have 3% inflation or inflation is running at 3% prices are 3% higher than at the same time last year 왍 spiralling inflation inflation where price rises make workers ask for higher wages which then increase prices again inflation accounting /nfleʃ(ə)n əkaυntŋ/ noun an accounting system, where inflation is taken into account when calculating the value of assets and the preparation of accounts inflationary /nfleʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective which tends to increase inflation 쑗 inflationary trends in the economy 왍 the economy is in an inflationary spiral the economy is in a situation where price rises encourage higher wage demands which in turn make prices rise ‘…inflationary expectations fell somewhat this month, but remained a long way above the actual inflation rate, according to figures released yesterday. The annual rate of inflation measured by the consumer price index has been below 2 per cent for over 18 months’ [Australian Financial Review]

inflation-proof /nfleʃ(ə)n pruf/

adjective referring to a pension, etc. which is index-linked, so that its value is preserved in times of inflation inflation-proof pension /nfleʃ(ə)n pruf penʃən/ noun a pension which will rise to keep pace with inflation

information officer

inflation rate /nfleʃ(ə)n ret/ noun

a figure, in the form of a percentage, which shows the amount by which inflation has increased over a period of time, usually a year. Also called rate of inflation ‘…the decision by the government to tighten monetary policy will push the annual inflation rate above the year’s previous high’ [Financial Times] ‘…when you invest to get a return, you want a ‘real’ return – above the inflation rate’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the retail prices index rose 0.4 per cent in the month, taking the annual headline inflation rate to 1.7 per cent. The underlying inflation rate, which excludes mortgage interest payments, increased to an annual rate of 3.1 per cent’ [Times] COMMENT: The inflation rate in the UK is

calculated on a series of figures, including prices of consumer items: petrol, gas and electricity, interest rates, etc. This gives the ’underlying’ inflation rate which can be compared to that of other countries. The calculation can also include mortgage interest and local taxes which give the ’headline’ inflation figure. This is higher than in other countries because of these extra items. Inflation affects businesses, in that as their costs rise, so their profits may fall and it is necessary to take this into account when pricing products.

inflation target /nfleʃ(ə)n tɑt/

noun an inflation rate which the government aims to reach at some date in the future inflow /nfləυ/ noun the act of coming in or being brought in 왍 inflow of capital into the country capital which is coming into a country in order to be invested ‘…the dollar is strong because of capital inflows rather than weak because of the trade deficit’ [Duns Business Month]

influx /nflks/ noun an inflow, especially one where people or things come in in large quantities 쑗 an influx of foreign currency into the country 쑗 an influx of cheap labour into the cities ‘…the retail sector will also benefit from the expected influx of tourists’ [Australian Financial Review]

information office /nfəmeʃ(ə)n

ɒfs/ noun an office which gives information to tourists or visitors information officer /nfəmeʃ(ə)n ɒfsə/ noun 1. a person whose job is to give information about a company, an

infringe

181

organisation or a government department to the public 2. a person whose job is to give information to other departments in the same organisation infringe /nfrnd$/ verb to break a law or a right 왍 to infringe a patent to make a product which works in the same way as a patented product and not pay a royalty to the patent holder infringement of patent /nfrnd$mənt əv petənt/ noun an act of illegally using, making or selling an invention which is patented, without the permission of the patent holder ingot /ŋət/ noun a bar of gold or silver inherit /nhert/ verb to get something from a person who has died 쑗 When her father died she inherited the shop. 쑗 He inherited £10,000 from his grandfather. inheritance /nhert(ə)ns/ noun property which is received from a dead person inheritance tax /nhert(ə)ns tks/ noun a tax on wealth or property inherited after the death of someone. Abbreviation IHT (NOTE: The US term is death duty.) initial /nʃ(ə)l/ adjective first or start-

ing 쑗 The initial response to the TV advertising has been very good. 쐽 verb to write your initials on a document to show you have read it and approved 쑗 to initial an amendment to a contract 쑗 Please initial the agreement at the place marked with an X. ‘…the founding group has subscribed NKr 14.5m of the initial NKr 30m share capital’ [Financial Times] ‘…career prospects are excellent for someone with potential, and initial salary is negotiable around $45,000 per annum’ [Australian Financial Review]

initial capital /nʃ(ə)l kpt(ə)l/

noun capital which is used to start a business 쑗 He started the business with an initial expenditure or initial investment of £500. initial public offering /nʃ(ə)l pblk ɒf(ə)rŋ/ noun US the process of offering new shares in a corporation for sale to the public as a way of launching the corporation on the Stock Exchange. Abbreviation IPO (NOTE: The UK term is offer for sale.)

inputs

initials /nʃ(ə)lz/ plural noun a first

letters of the words in a name 쑗 What do the initials IMF stand for? 쑗 The chairman wrote his initials by each alteration in the contract he was signing. initial sales /nʃ(ə)l selz/ plural noun the first sales of a new product initial yield /nʃ(ə)l jild/ noun an expected yield on a new unit trust initiate /nʃiet/ verb to start 쑗 to initiate discussions initiative /nʃətv/ noun the decision to start something 왍 to take the initiative to decide to do something inject /nd$ekt/ verb 왍 to inject capital into a business to put money into a business injection /nd$ekʃən/ noun 왍 a capital injection of £100,000 or an injection of £100,000 capital putting £100,000 into an existing business injunction /nd$ŋkʃən/ noun a court order telling someone not to do something 쑗 He got an injunction preventing the company from selling his car. 쑗 The company applied for an injunction to stop their rival from marketing a similar product. inland /nlənd/ adjective inside a country inland freight charges /nlənd fret tʃɑd$z/ plural noun charges for carrying goods from one part of the country to another Inland Revenue /nlənd revənju/ noun a British government department dealing with taxes (income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, etc.) but not duties, such as VAT, which are collected by the Customs and Excise 쑗 He received a letter from the Inland Revenue. (NOTE: The US term is Internal Revenue Service or IRS.)

in play /n ple/ adjective being obvi-

ously up for sale or a possible takeover target input /npυt/ verb 왍 to input information to put data into a computer input lead /npυt lid/ noun a lead for connecting the electric current to a machine inputs /npυts/ plural noun goods or services bought by a company and which may be liable to VAT

input tax

182

input tax /npυt tks/ noun VAT

which is paid by a company on goods or services bought inquiry office /nkwaəri ɒfs/ noun an office which members of the public can go to to have their questions answered inquorate /nkwɔret/ adjective without a quorum COMMENT: If there is a quorum at a

meeting, the meeting is said to be ‘quorate’; if there aren’t enough people present to make a quorum, the meeting is ‘inquorate’.

inside /nsad/ adjective, adverb in,

especially in a company’s office or building 쑗 We do all our design work inside. 쐽 preposition in 쑗 There was nothing inside the container. 쑗 We have a contact inside our rival’s production department who gives us very useful information. inside director /nsad darektə/ noun a director who works full-time in a corporation (as opposed to an outside director) inside information /nsad nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun information which is passed from people working in a company to people outside (and which can be valuable to investors in the company) insider /nsadə/ noun a person who works in an organisation and therefore knows its secrets COMMENT: In the USA, an insider is an

officer or director of a company, or an owner of 10% or more of a class of that company’s shares. An insider must report any trade to the SEC by the 10th of the month following the transaction.

insider buying /nsadə baŋ/, insider dealing /nsadə dilŋ/, insider trading /nsadə tredŋ/ noun

the illegal buying or selling of shares by staff of a company or other persons who have secret information about the company’s plans insider information /nsadə nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun same as inside information

insider trader /nsadə tredə/

noun a person who carries out insider dealing, i.e. illegal buying or selling of shares by staff of a company or other persons who have secret information about the company’s plans

inspector of taxes

inside worker /nsad w%kə/ noun

an employee who works in an office or factory (not someone who works in the open air or visits customers) insolvency /nsɒlvənsi/ noun the fact of not being able to pay debts 왍 he was in a state of insolvency he could not pay his debts ‘…hundreds of thrifts found themselves on the brink of insolvency after a deregulation programme prompted them to enter dangerous financial waters’ [Times]

insolvent /nsɒlvənt/ adjective not

able to pay debts 쑗 The company was declared insolvent. (NOTE: see note at insolvency) 왍 he was declared insolvent he was officially stated to be insolvent COMMENT: A company is insolvent when

its liabilities are higher than its assets; if this happens it must cease trading.

inspect /nspekt/ verb to examine in

detail 쑗 to inspect a machine or an installation 쑗 The gas board is sending an engineer to inspect the central heating system. 쑗 Officials from the DTI have come to inspect the accounts. 왍 to inspect products for defects to look at products in detail to see if they have any defects inspection /nspekʃən/ noun the close examination of something 쑗 to make an inspection or to carry out an inspection of a machine or an installation 쑗 the inspection of a product for defects 왍 to carry out a tour of inspection to visit various places, offices or factories to inspect them 왍 to issue an inspection order to order an official inspection inspection stamp /nspekʃən stmp/ noun a stamp placed on something to show it has been inspected inspector /nspektə/ noun an official who inspects 쑗 The inspectors will soon be round to make sure the building is safe. inspectorate /nspekt(ə)rət/ noun all inspectors inspector of taxes /nspektər əv tksz/ noun an official of the Inland Revenue who examines tax returns and decides how much tax people should pay

inspector of weights and measures /nspektər əv wets ən

instability

183

me$əz/ noun a government official who inspects weighing machines and goods sold in shops to see if the quantities and weights are correct instability /nstəblti/ noun the state of being unstable or moving up and down 왍 a period of instability in the money markets a period when currencies fluctuate rapidly install /nstɔl/ verb 1. to set up a piece of machinery or equipment, e.g. a new computer system, so that it can be used 2. to configure a new computer program to the existing system requirements installation /nstəleʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of setting up a piece of equipment installment /nstɔlmənt/ noun US spelling of instalment installment plan /nstɔlmənt pln/, installment sales /nstɔlmənt selz/, installment buying /nstɔlmənt baŋ/ noun US a system of buying something by paying a sum regularly each month 쑗 to buy a car on the installment plan (NOTE: The UK term is hire purchase.)

instalment /nstɔlmənt/ noun a

part of a payment which is paid regularly until the total amount is paid 쑗 The first instalment is payable on signature of the agreement. 왍 the final instalment is now due the last of a series of payments should be paid now 왍 to pay £25 down and monthly instalments of £20 to pay a first payment of £25 and the rest in payments of £20 each month 왍 to miss an instalment not to pay an instalment at the right time instalment credit /nstɔlmənt kredt/ noun an arrangement by which a purchaser pays for goods bought in instalments over a period of time instant /nstənt/ adjective immediately available 쑗 Instant credit is available to current account holders. instant access account /nstənt kses əkaυnt/ noun a deposit account which pays interest and from which you can withdraw money immediately without penalty

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

/nsttjut əv tʃɑtəd əkaυntənts n ŋlənd ən welz/ noun a professional

insufficient funds

body whose members are accountants in England and Wales. Abbreviation ICAEW

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland /nsttjut əv

tʃɑtəd əkaυntənts n aələnd/ noun a professional body whose members are accountants in Ireland. Abbreviation ICAI

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland /nsttjut əv

tʃɑtəd əkaυntənts n skɒtlənd/ noun a professional body whose members are accountants in Scotland. Abbreviation ICAS institution /nsttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation or society set up for a particular purpose. 쏡 financial institution institutional /nsttjuʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective referring to an institution, especially a financial institution ‘…during the 1970s commercial property was regarded by big institutional investors as an alternative to equities’ [Investors Chronicle]

institutional

buying

/nsttjuʃ(ə)n(ə)l baŋ/ noun buy-

ing or selling shares by financial institutions

institutional

buyout

/nsttjuʃ(ə)n(ə)l baaυt/ noun a

takeover of a company by a financial institution, which backs a group of managers who will run it. Abbreviation IBO

institutional

investor

/nsttjuʃ(ə)n(ə)l nvestə/ noun 1. a

financial institution which invests money in securities 2. an organisation (such as a pension fund or insurance company) with large sums of money to invest instruction /nstrkʃən/ noun an order which tells what should be done or how something is to be used 쑗 He gave instructions to his stockbroker to sell the shares immediately. 왍 to await instructions to wait for someone to tell you what to do 왍 to issue instructions to tell people what to do instrument /nstrυmənt/ noun 1. a tool or piece of equipment 쑗 The technician brought instruments to measure the output of electricity. 2. a legal document insufficient funds /nsəfʃ(ə)nt fndz/ noun US same as non-sufficient funds

insurable

184

insurable /nʃυərəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be insured

insurable interest /nʃυərəb(ə)l

ntrəst/ noun the value of the thing insured which is attributed to the person who is taking out the insurance insurance /nʃυərəns/ noun an agreement that in return for regular payments (called ‘premiums’), a company will pay compensation for loss, damage, injury or death 쑗 to take out insurance 쑗 Repairs will be paid for by the insurance. 왍 to take out an insurance against fire to pay a premium, so that, if a fire happens, compensation will be paid 왍 to take out an insurance on the house to pay a premium, so that, if the house is damaged, compensation will be paid 왍 the damage is covered by the insurance the insurance company will pay for the damage 왍 to pay the insurance on a car to pay premiums to insure a car insurance agent /nʃυərəns ed$ənt/, insurance broker /nʃυərəns brəυkə/ noun a person who arranges insurance for clients insurance claim /nʃυərəns klem/ noun a request to an insurance company to pay compensation for damage or loss insurance company /nʃυərəns kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose business is insurance insurance contract /nʃυərəns kɒntrkt/ noun an agreement by an insurance company to insure insurance cover /nʃυərəns kvə/ noun protection guaranteed by an insurance policy 쑗 Do you have cover against theft? insurance policy /nʃυərəns pɒlsi/ noun a document which shows the conditions of an insurance contract insurance premium /nʃυərəns primiəm/ noun an annual payment made by a person or a company to an insurance company insurance rates /nʃυərəns rets/ plural noun the amount of premium which has to be paid per £1000 of insurance insurance salesman /nʃυərəns selzmən/ noun a person who encourages clients to take out insurance policies

inter-bank

insure /nʃυə/ verb to have a contract with a company whereby, if regular small payments are made, the company will pay compensation for loss, damage, injury or death 쑗 to insure a house against fire 쑗 to insure someone’s life 쑗 to insure baggage against loss 쑗 to insure against loss of earnings 쑗 He was insured for £100,000. 왍 the insured the person or organisation that will benefit from an insurance 왍 the sum insured the largest amount of money that an insurer will pay under an insurance insured account /nʃυəd əkaυnt/ noun an account with a bank which is insured by the customer’s insurance insured money market account /nʃυəd mni mɑkt əkaυnt/ noun

a high-yield account, in which the investor has to deposit a certain minimum sum, which is insured by the provider against capital loss. Abbreviation IMMA insurer /nʃυərə/ noun a company which insures (NOTE: For life insurance, UK English prefers to use assurer.)

intangible /ntnd$b(ə)l/ adjective

which cannot be touched intangible assets /ntnd$b(ə)l sets/, intangibles /ntnd$b(ə)lz/ plural noun assets which have a value, but which cannot be seen, e.g. goodwill, or a patent or a trademark integrate /ntret/ verb to link things together to form one whole group integration /ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of bringing several businesses together under a central control COMMENT: In a case of horizontal inte-

gration, a large supermarket might take over another smaller supermarket chain; on the other hand, if a supermarket takes over a food packaging company the integration would be vertical.

intent /ntent/ noun something that

someone plans to do /ntə/ prefix between 왍 inter-company dealings dealings between two companies in the same group 왍 inter-company comparisons comparing the results of one company with those of another in the same product area inter-bank /ntə bŋk/ adjective between banks 왍 inter-bank deposits money which banks deposit with other

inter-

inter-bank loan

185

banks 왍 inter-bank rates rates of interest charged on inter-bank loans inter-bank loan /ntə bŋk ləυn/ noun a loan from one bank to another inter-bank market /ntə bŋk mɑkt/ noun a market where banks lend to or borrow from each other inter-city /ntə sti/ adjective between cities 쑗 Inter-city train services are often quicker than going by air. inter-dealer broker /ntə dilə brəυkə/ noun a broker who acts as an intermediary between dealers in government securities interest /ntrəst/ noun 1. payment made by a borrower for the use of money, calculated as a percentage of the capital borrowed 2. money paid as income on investments or loans 쑗 to receive interest at 5% 쑗 the loan pays 5% interest 쑗 deposit which yields or gives or produces or bears 5% interest 쑗 account which earns interest at 10% or which earns 10% interest 쑗 The bank pays 10% interest on deposits. 왍 accrual of interest the automatic addition of interest to capital 3. a part of the ownership of something, e.g. if you invest money in a company you acquire a financial share or interest in it 왍 to acquire a substantial interest in the company to buy a large number of shares in a company 왍 to declare an interest to state in public that you own shares in a company being discussed or that you are related to someone who can benefit from your contacts 쐽 verb to attract someone’s attention 쑗 She tried to interest several companies in her new invention. 쑗 The company is trying to interest a wide range of customers in its products. 왍 interested in paying attention to 쑗 The managing director is interested only in increasing profitability. interest-bearing account /ntrəst beərŋ əkaυnt/ noun a bank account which gives interest

interest-bearing

deposits

/ntrəst beərŋ dpɒzts/ plural noun

deposits which produce interest

charges /ntrəst tʃɑd$z/ plural noun money paid as interest on a loan interest cover /ntrəst kvə/ noun the ability to pay interest payments on a loan interest

interim

interested party /ntrestd pɑti/

noun a person or company with a financial interest in a company interest-free credit /ntrəst fri kredt/ noun a credit or loan where no interest is paid by the borrower 쑗 The company gives its staff interest-free loans. interesting /ntrəstŋ/ adjective which attracts attention 쑗 They made us a very interesting offer for the factory. interest rate /ntrəst ret/ noun a figure which shows the percentage of the capital sum borrowed or deposited which is to be paid as interest. Also called rate of interest ‘…since last summer American interest rates have dropped by between three and four percentage points’ [Sunday Times] ‘…a lot of money is said to be tied up in sterling because of the interest-rate differential between US and British rates’ [Australian Financial Review]

interest rate margin /ntrəst ret mɑd$n/ noun the difference between the interest a bank pays on deposits and the interest it charges on loans interest rate swap /ntrəst ret swɒp/ noun an agreement between two companies to exchange borrowings (a company with fixed-interest borrowings might swap them for variable interest borrowings of another company). Also called plain vanilla swap interest-sensitive

purchases

/ntrəst sensətv p%tʃsz/ plural noun purchases (such as houses or items

bought on hire-purchase) which are influenced by interest rates interest yield /ntrəst jild/ noun a yield on a fixed-interest investment interface /ntəfes/ noun a point where two groups of people come into contact interim /ntərm/ adjective made, measured or happening in the middle of a eriod, such as the financial year, and before the final result for the period is available 쐽 noun a statement of interim profits or dividends 왍 in the interim meanwhile, for the time being ‘…the company plans to keep its annual dividend unchanged at 7.5 per share, which includes a 3.75 interim payout’ [Financial Times]

interim dividend

186

interim dividend /ntərm dv-

dend/ noun a dividend paid at the end of a half-year interim payment /ntərm pemənt/ noun a payment of part of a dividend interim report /ntərm rpɔt/, interim statement /ntərm stetmənt/ noun a report given at the end of a half-year intermediary /ntəmidiəri/ noun a person who is the link between people or organisations who do not agree or who are negotiating 쑗 He refused to act as an intermediary between the two directors. intermediate term /ntəmidiət t%m/ noun a period of one or two years intermediation /ntəmidieʃ(ə)n/ noun the arrangement of finance or insurance by an intermediary internal /nt%n(ə)l/ adjective 1. inside a company 왍 we decided to make an internal appointment we decided to appoint an existing member of staff to the post, and not bring someone in from outside the company 2. inside a country or a region internal audit /nt%n(ə)l ɔdt/ noun an audit carried out by a department inside the company internal audit department /nt%n(ə)l ɔdt dpɑtmənt/ noun a department of a company which examines the internal accounting controls of that company internal auditor /nt%n(ə)l ɔdtə/ noun a member of staff who audits a company’s accounts internal control /nt%n(ə)l kəntrəυl/ noun a system set up by the management of a company to monitor and control the company’s activities internal growth /nt%n(ə)l rəυθ/ noun the development of a company by growing its existing business with its own finances, as opposed to acquiring other businesses. Also called organic growth (NOTE: The opposite is external growth.) Internal Market /nt%n(ə)l mɑkt/ noun the EU considered as one single

market, with no tariff barriers between its member states

International Monetary Market

internal rate of return /nt%n(ə)l

ret əv rt%n/ noun an average annual yield of an investment, where the interest earned over a period of time is the same as the original cost of the investment. Abbreviation IRR Internal Revenue Service /nt%n(ə)l revənju s%vs/ noun US a government department which deals with tax. Abbreviation IRS internal trade /nt%n(ə)l tred/ noun trade between various parts of a country (NOTE: The opposite is external trade.)

international /ntənʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective working between countries

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development /ntənʃ(ə)nəl bŋk fə

rikənstrkʃ(ə)n ən dveləpmənt/ noun the official name of the World Bank. Abbreviation IBRD

International Commodities Clearing House /ntənʃ(ə)nəl kə-

mɒdtiz kleərŋ haυs/ noun a clearing house which deals in settlements of futures contracts in commodities and financial futures. Abbreviation ICCH

International Finance Corporation /ntənʃ(ə)nəl fanns

kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a subsidiary of the World Bank which makes loans to private companies. Abbreviation IFC

International Labour Organization /ntənʃ(ə)nəl lebər ɔəna-

zeʃ(ə)n/ noun a section of the United Nations which tries to improve working conditions and workers’ pay in member countries. Abbreviation ILO international law /ntənʃ(ə)nəl lɔ/ noun laws referring to the way countries deal with each other international lawyer /ntənʃ(ə)nəl lɔjə/ noun a person who specialises in international law

International

Monetary

Fund

/ntənʃ(ə)nəl mnt(ə)ri fnd/ noun a type of bank which is part of the

United Nations and helps member states in financial difficulties, gives financial advice to members and encourages world trade. Abbreviation IMF

International Monetary Market

/ntənʃ(ə)nəl mnt(ə)ri mɑkt/ noun a part of the Chicago Mercantile

international monetary system

187

Exchange dealing in financial futures. Abbreviation IMM

international monetary system /ntənʃ(ə)nəl mnt(ə)ri sstəm/ noun methods of controlling and ex-

changing currencies between countries

international

money

markets

/ntənʃ(ə)nəl mni mɑkts/ plural noun markets, such as the Euromarket,

the international market for lending or borrowing in eurocurrencies

international

money

order

/ntənʃ(ə)nəl mni ɔdə/ noun a

money order in a foreign currency which is payable to someone living in a foreign country

International Petroleum Exchange /ntənʃ(ə)nəl pətrəυliəm

kstʃend$/ noun a London commodity exchange dealing in crude oil and natural gas futures. Abbreviation IPE international trade /ntənʃ(ə)nəl tred/ noun trade between different countries Internet /ntənet/ noun the global, public network of computers and telephone links that houses websites, allows email to be sent and is accessed with the aid of a modem 쑗 Much of our business is done on the Internet. 쑗 Internet sales form an important part of our turnover. 쑗 He searched the Internet for information on cheap tickets to the USA. (NOTE: The Internet uses the Internet Protocol (IP) as a communication standard.) ‘…they predict a tenfold increase in sales via internet or TV between 1999 and 2004’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…in two significant decisions, the Securities and Exchange Board of India today allowed trading of shares through the Internet and set a deadline for companies to conform to norms for good corporate governance’ [The Hindu]

Internet bank /ntənet bŋk/ noun

a bank that allows it customers to havie credit in an account on the Internet, and use it to pay for purchases made on the Internet

Interstate Commerce Commission /ntəstet kɒm%s kəmʃ(ə)n/

noun US a federal agency which regulates business activity involving two or more of the states in the US. Abbreviation ICC intervene /ntəvin/ verb to try to make a change in a situation in which you have not been involved before 왍 to

introduction

intervene in a dispute to try to settle a dispute intervention /ntəvenʃən/ noun the act of becoming involved in a situation in order to change it 쑗 the central bank’s intervention in the banking crisis 쑗 the government’s intervention in the labour dispute intervention mechanism /ntəvenʃən mekənz(ə)m/ noun a method used by central banks in maintaining exchange rate parities (such as buying or selling foreign currency) intervention price /ntəvenʃ(ə)n pras/ noun a price at which the EU will buy farm produce which farmers cannot sell, in order to keep prices high inter vivos /ntə vivəυs/ phrase a Latin phrase, ‘between living people’ inter vivos trust /ntə vivəυs trst/ noun a trust set up by one person for another living person intestate /ntestət/ adjective 왍 to die intestate to die without having made a will COMMENT: When someone dies intes-

tate, the property automatically goes to the parents or siblings of an unmarried person or, if married, to the surviving partner, unless there are children.

intraday /ntrəde/ adjective within

the day 쑗 The stock hit a new record of 86 intraday on Friday. intraday liquidity /ntrəde lkwdti/ noun availability of cash in the banking system intrinsic value /ntrnsk vlju/ noun a value which exists as part of something, such as the value of an option (for a call option, it is the difference between the current price and the higher striking price) introduce /ntrədjus/ verb to make someone get to know somebody or something 왍 to introduce a client to bring in a new client and make them known to someone 왍 to introduce a new product on the market to produce a new product and launch it on the market introduction /ntrədkʃən/ noun 1. a letter making someone get to know another person 쑗 I’ll give you an introduction to the MD – he is an old friend of mine. 2. the act of bringing an estab-

introductory offer

188

investment income

lished company to the Stock Exchange (i.e. getting permission for the shares to be traded on the Stock Exchange, used when a company is formed by a demerger from an existing larger company, and no new shares are being offered for sale) introductory offer /ntrədkt(ə)ri ɒfə/ noun a special price offered on a new product to attract customers invalid /nvld/ adjective not valid or not legal 쑗 This permit is invalid. 쑗 The claim has been declared invalid. invalidate /nvldet/ verb to make something invalid 쑗 Because the company has been taken over, the contract has been invalidated. invalidation /nvldeʃən/ noun the act of making invalid invalidity /nvəldti/ noun the fact of being invalid 쑗 the invalidity of the contract inventory /nvənt(ə)ri/ noun 1. especially US all the stock or goods in a warehouse or shop 쑗 to carry a high inventory 쑗 to aim to reduce inventory (NOTE: The UK term is stock.) 2. a list of the contents of a building such as a house for sale or an office for rent 쑗 to draw up an inventory of fixtures and fittings 왍 to agree the inventory to agree that the inventory is correct 쐽 verb to make a list of stock or contents

ernment bonds. 왍 to invest abroad to put money into shares or bonds in overseas countries 2. to spend money on something which you believe will be useful 쑗 to invest money in new machinery 쑗 to invest capital in a new factory

‘…a warehouse needs to tie up less capital in inventory and with its huge volume spreads out costs over bigger sales’ [Duns Business Month]

ədvazə/ noun a person who advises people on what investments to make investment bank /nvestmənt bŋk/ noun US a bank which deals with the underwriting of new issues, and advises corporations on their financial affairs (NOTE: The UK term is issuing

control /nvənt(ə)ri kəntrəυl/ noun especially US a system of checking that there is not too much stock in a warehouse, but just enough to meet requirements inventory financing /nvənt(ə)ri fannsŋ/ noun especially US the use of money from working capital to purchase stock for resale inventory turnover /nvənt(ə)ri t%nəυvə/ noun especially US the total value of stock sold during a year, divided by the value of the goods remaining in stock invest /nvest/ verb 1. to put money into shares, bonds, a building society, etc., hoping that it will produce interest and increase in value 쑗 He invested all his money in unit trusts. 쑗 She was advised to invest in real estate or in govinventory

‘…we have substantial venture capital to invest in good projects’ [Times]

investigate /nvestet/ verb to examine something which may be wrong 쑗 The Serious Fraud Office has been asked to investigate his share dealings. investigation /nvesteʃ(ə)n/ noun an examination to find out what is wrong 쑗 They conducted an investigation into petty theft in the office. investment /nvestmənt/ noun 1. the placing of money so that it will produce interest and increase in value 쑗 They called for more government investment in new industries. 쑗 She was advised to make investments in oil companies. 2. a share, bond or piece of property bought in the hope that it will produce more money than was used to buy it 왍 he is trying to protect his investments he is trying to make sure that the money he has invested is not lost ‘…investment trusts, like unit trusts, consist of portfolios of shares and therefore provide a spread of investments’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…investment companies took the view that prices had reached rock bottom and could only go up’ [Lloyd’s List]

investment adviser /nvestmənt

house.)

environment /nvestmənt nvarənmənt/ noun the general economic situation in which an investment is made investment fund /nvestmənt fnd/ noun a fund that invests in start-up companies or other new projects investment grant /nvestmənt rɑnt/ noun a government grant to a company to help it to invest in new machinery investment income /nvestmənt nkm/ noun income (such as interest investment

investment magazine

189

and dividends) from investments. Compare earned income

magazine /nvestmənt məzin/ noun a magazine dealing with shares, unit trusts and other possible investments investment

Investment Management Regulatory Organisation /nvestmənt

mnd$mənt rejυlət(ə)ri ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a self-regulatory organisation which regulates managers of investment funds, such as pension funds, now part of the FSA. Abbreviation IMRO investment trust /nvestmənt trst/ noun a company whose shares can be bought on the Stock Exchange and whose business is to make money by buying and selling stocks and shares investor /nvestə/ noun a person who invests money investor protection /nvestə prətekʃ(ə)n/ noun legislation to protect small investors from unscrupulous investment brokers and advisers Investors in Industry /nvestəz n ndəstri/ plural noun a finance group partly owned by the big British High Street banks, providing finance especially to smaller companies. Abbreviation 3i invisible assets /nvzb(ə)l sets/ plural noun assets which have a value but which cannot be seen, e.g. goodwill or patents invisible earnings /nvzb(ə)l %nŋz/ plural noun foreign currency earned by a country by providing services, receiving interests or dividends, but not by selling goods invisible exports /nvzəb(ə)l ekspɔts/ plural noun services (such as banking, insurance or tourism) which do not involve selling a product and which are provided to foreign customers and paid for in foreign currency (NOTE: The opposite are visible exports.)

imports /nvzb(ə)l mpɔts/ noun services (such as banking, insurance or tourism) which do not involve selling a product and which are provided by foreign companies and paid for in local currency (NOTE: The oppoinvisible

site are visible imports.)

invoicing department

invisibles /nvzb(ə)lz/ plural noun

invisible imports and exports invisible trade /nvzəb(ə)l tred/ noun trade involving invisible imports and exports (NOTE: The opposite is visible trade.)

invitation /nvteʃ(ə)n/ noun an act

of asking someone to do something 쑗 to issue an invitation to someone to join the board 쑗 They advertised the invitation to tender for a contract. invite /nvat/ verb to ask someone to do something, or to ask for something 쑗 to invite someone to an interview 쑗 to invite someone to join the board 쑗 to invite shareholders to subscribe a new issue 쑗 to invite tenders for a contract invoice /nvɔs/ noun a note asking for payment for goods or services supplied 쑗 your invoice dated November 10th 쑗 to make out an invoice for £250 쑗 to settle or to pay an invoice 쑗 They sent in their invoice six weeks late. 왍 the total is payable within thirty days of invoice the total sum has to be paid within thirty days of the date on the invoice 쐽 verb to send an invoice to someone 쑗 to invoice a customer 왍 we invoiced you on November 10th we sent you the invoice on November 10th invoice clerk /nvɔs klɑk/ noun an office worker who deals with invoices invoice discounting /nvɔs dskaυntŋ/ noun a method of obtaining early payment of invoices by selling them at a discount to a company which will receive payment of the invoices when they are paid. (The debtor is not informed of this arrangement, as opposed to factoring, where the debtor is informed.) invoice price /nvɔs pras/ noun the price as given on an invoice, including any discount and VAT invoicing /nvɔsŋ/ noun the work of sending invoices 쑗 All our invoicing is done by computer. 왍 invoicing in triplicate the preparation of three copies of invoices invoicing department /nvɔsŋ dpɑtmənt/ noun the department in a company which deals with preparing and sending invoices

involuntary

190

involuntary /nvɒlənt(ə)ri/ adjective not done willingly or deliberately involuntary bankruptcy /nvɒlənt(ə)ri bŋkrptsi/ noun US an application by creditors to have a person or corporation made bankrupt (NOTE: The UK term is compulsory winding up.) inward /nwəd/ adjective towards the home country inward bill /nwəd bl/ noun a bill of lading for goods arriving in a country inward investment /nwəd nvestmənt/ noun investment from outside a country, as when a foreign company decides to set up a new factory there inward mission /nwəd mʃ(ə)n/ noun a visit to your home country by a group of foreign businesspeople IOU noun ‘I owe you’; a signed document promising that you will pay back money borrowed 쑗 to pay a pile of IOUs 쑗 I have a pile of IOUs which need paying. IPE abbreviation International Petroleum Exchange IPO abbreviation initial public offering IRA /arə/ abbreviation US Individual Retirement Account IRR abbreviation internal rate of return irrecoverable /rkv(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be recovered irrecoverable debt /rkv(ə)rəb(ə)l det/ noun a debt which will never be paid irredeemable /rdiməb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be redeemed irredeemable bond /rdiməb(ə)l bɒnd/ noun a government bond which has no date of maturity and which therefore provides interest but can never be redeemed at full value irregular /rejυlə/ adjective not correct or not done in the correct way 쑗 The shipment arrived with irregular documentation. 쑗 This procedure is highly irregular. irregularities /rejυlrtiz/ plural noun things which are not done in the correct way and which are possibly illegal 쑗 to investigate irregularities in the share dealings

item ‘…the group, which asked for its shares to be suspended last week after the discovery of accounting irregularities, is expected to update investors about its financial predicament by the end of this week’ [Times]

irrevocable /revəkəb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be changed

acceptance /revəkəb(ə)l əkseptəns/ noun acceptance which cannot be withdrawn irrevocable letter of credit /revəkəb(ə)l letər əv kredt/ noun a letter of credit which cannot be cancelled or changed, except if agreed between the two parties involved IRS abbreviation US Internal Revenue Service IS abbreviation income support ISA abbreviation individual savings account issuance /ʃuəns/ noun an action of issuing new shares or new bonds issue /ʃu/ noun an act of giving out new shares 쐽 verb to put out or to give out 쑗 to issue a letter of credit 쑗 to issue shares in a new company 쑗 to issue a writ against someone 쑗 The government issued a report on London’s traffic. irrevocable

‘…the rights issue should overcome the cash flow problems’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the company said that its recent issue of 10.5 per cent convertible preference shares at A$8.50 a share has been oversubscribed’ [Financial Times]

issued capital /ʃud kpt(ə)l/

noun an amount of capital which is given out as shares to shareholders issued price /ʃud pras/, issue price /ʃu pras/ noun the price of shares in a new company when they are offered for sale for the first time issuer /ʃuə/ noun a financial institution that issues credit and debit cards and maintains the systems for billing and payment issuing /ʃuŋ/ adjective which organises an issue of shares IT abbreviation information technology item /atəm/ noun 1. something for sale 왍 we are holding orders for out-of-stock items we are holding orders for goods which are not in stock 쑗 Please find enclosed an order for the following items from your catalogue. 2. a piece of information 쑗 items on a balance sheet 왍 item of expenditure goods

itemise

191

or services which have been paid for and appear in the accounts 3. a point on a list 왍 we will now take item four on the agenda we will now discuss the fourth point on the agenda itemise /atəmaz/, itemize verb to make a detailed list of things 쑗 Itemising the sales figures will take about two days.

itemised statement

itemised account /atəmazd ə-

kaυnt/ noun a detailed record of money paid or owed itemised invoice /atəmazd nvɔs/ noun an invoice which lists each item separately itemised statement /atəmazd stetmənt/ noun a bank statement where each transaction is recorded in detail

J J curve /d$e k%v/ noun a line on a

graph shaped like a letter ‘J’, with an initial short fall, followed by a longer rise (used to describe the effect of a falling exchange rate on a country’s balance of trade) jeep mortgage /d$ip mɔd$/ noun US same as graduated payment mortgage (informal ) job /d$ɒb/ noun 1. an order being worked on 쑗 We are working on six jobs at the moment. 쑗 The shipyard has a big job starting in August. 2. regular paid work 쑗 She is looking for a job in the computer industry. 쑗 He lost his job when the factory closed. 쑗 Thousands of jobs will be lost if the factories close down. 왍 to give up your job to resign or retire from your work 왍 to look for a job to try to find work 왍 to retire from your job to leave work and take a pension 왍 to be out of a job to have no work .

‘…he insisted that the tax advantages he directed toward small businesses will help create jobs’ [Toronto Star]

job analysis /d$ɒb ənləss/ noun

a detailed examination and report on the duties involved in a job jobber /d$ɒbə/ noun 1. 왍 (stock) jobber formerly on the London Stock Exchange, a person who bought and sold shares from other traders 2. US a wholesaler ‘…warehouse clubs buy directly from manufacturers, eliminating jobbers and wholesale middlemen’ [Duns Business Month]

jobbing /d$ɒbŋ/ noun 왍 (stock) job-

bing formerly on the London Stock Exchange, the business of buying and selling shares from other traders job classification /d$ɒb klsfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of describing jobs listed in various groups job creation scheme /d$ɒb krieʃ(ə)n skim/ noun a govern-

ment-backed scheme to make work for the unemployed

job cuts /d$ɒb kts/ plural noun reductions in the number of jobs

job description /d$ɒb dskrpʃən/

noun a description of what a job consists of and what skills are needed for it 쑗 The letter enclosed an application form and a job description. job evaluation /d$ɒb vljueʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of examining different jobs within an organisation to see what skills and qualifications are needed to carry them out jobless /d$ɒbləs/ plural noun people with no jobs, the unemployed (NOTE: takes a plural verb) ‘…the contradiction between the jobless figures and latest economic review’ [Sunday Times]

job lot /d$ɒb lɒt/ noun 1. a group of miscellaneous items sold together 쑗 They sold the household furniture as a job lot. 2. a small parcel of shares traded on a Stock Exchange job opportunities /d$ɒb ɒpətjuntiz/ plural noun new jobs which are available 쑗 The increase in export orders has created hundreds of job opportunities. job performance /d$ɒb pəfɔməns/ noun the degree to which a job is done well or badly job satisfaction /d$ɒb stsfkʃən/ noun an employee’s feeling that he or she is happy at work and pleased with the work he or she does job security /d$ɒb skjυərti/ noun 1. the likelihood that an employee will keep his or her job for a long time or until retirement 2. a worker’s feeling that he has a right to keep his job, or that he will never be made redundant

job specification

193

specification /d$ɒb spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a very detailed description of what is involved in a job job title /d$ɒb tat(ə)l/ noun the name given to the person who does a particular job 쑗 Her job title is ‘Chief Buyer’. joint /d$ɔnt/ adjective 1. carried out or produced together with others 쑗 a joint undertaking 2. one of two or more people who work together or who are linked 쑗 They are joint beneficiaries of the will. 쑗 She and her brother are joint managing directors. 쑗 The two countries are joint signatories of the treaty. joint account /d$ɔnt əkaυnt/ noun a bank or building society account shared by two people 쑗 Many married couples have joint accounts so that they can pay for household expenses. joint-life annuity /d$ɔnt laf ənjuəti/ noun an annuity which continues to pay an amount to a spouse after the main beneficiary dies jointly /d$ɔntli/ adverb together with one or more other people 쑗 to own a property jointly 쑗 to manage a company jointly 쑗 They are jointly liable for damages. 왍 jointly and severally liable liable both as a group and as individuals joint management /d$ɔnt mnd$mənt/ noun management done by two or more people joint ownership /d$ɔnt əυnəʃp/ noun the owning of a property by several owners joint-stock bank /d$ɔnt stɒk bŋk/ noun a bank which is a public company quoted on the Stock Exchange joint-stock company /d$ɔnt stɒk kmp(ə)ni/ noun formerly, a public company whose shares were owned by very many people (now called a Public Limited Company or Plc) joint venture /d$ɔnt ventʃə/ noun a situation where two or more companies join together for one specific large business project journal /d$%n(ə)l/ noun a book with the account of sales and purchases made each day judge /d$d$/ noun a person who decides in a legal case 쑗 The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement. job

junior staff

judgement /d$d$mənt/, judgment

noun a legal decision or official decision of a court judgement debtor /d$d$mənt detə/ noun a debtor who has been ordered by a court to pay a debt judgement lien /d$d$mənt liən/ noun a court order putting a lien on the property of a judgement debtor judicial /d$udʃ(ə)l/ adjective referring to the law judicial processes /d$udʃ(ə)l prəυsesz/ plural noun the ways in which the law works judicial review /d$udʃ(ə)l rvju/ noun 1. the examination of a case a second time by a higher court because a lower court has acted wrongly 2. the examination of administrative decisions by a court jumbo CD /d$mbəυ si di/ noun a certificate of deposit for a very large amount of money which is bought as an investment jump /d$mp/ noun a sudden rise 쑗 a jump in the cost-of-living index 쑗 There was a jump in unemployment figures in December. 쐽 verb to go up suddenly 쑗 Oil prices have jumped since the war started. 쑗 Share values jumped on the Stock Exchange. jumpy /d$mpi/ adjective nervous or excited 왍 the market is jumpy the stock market is nervous and share prices are likely to fluctuate junior /d$uniə/ adjective less important than something else junior capital /d$uniə kpt(ə)l/ adjective capital in the form of shareholders’ equity, which is repaid only after secured loans (called ‘senior capital’) have been paid if the firm goes into liquidation junior mortgage /d$uniə mɔd$/ noun a second mortgage junior partner /d$uniə pɑtnə/ noun a person who has a small part of the shares in a partnership junior security /d$uniə skjυərti/ noun a security which is repaid after other securities junior staff /d$uniə stɑf/ noun people in less important positions in a company

junk

194

junk /d$ŋk/ noun rubbish, useless

items

junk bond /d$ŋk bɒnd/ noun a

high-interest bond raised as a debenture on the security of a company which is the subject of a takeover bid ‘…the big US textile company is running deep in the red, its junk bonds are trading as low as 33 cents on the dollar’ [Wall Street Journal]

jurisdiction

junk mail /d$ŋk mel/ noun unsolicited advertising material sent through the post and usually thrown away immediately by the people who receive it jurisdiction /d$υərsdkʃən/ noun 왍 within the jurisdiction of the court in the legal power of a court

K K abbreviation one thousand 왍 ‘salary:

£20K+’ salary more than £20,000 per annum keen /kin/ adjective 1. eager or active 왍 keen competition strong competition 쑗 We are facing some keen competition from European manufacturers. 왍 keen demand wide demand 쑗 There is a keen demand for home computers. 2. 왍 keen prices prices which are kept low so as to be competitive 쑗 Our prices are the keenest on the market. keep /kip/ verb 1. to do what is necessary for something 왍 to keep an appointment to be there when you said you would be 2. to hold items for sale or for information 왍 to keep someone’s name on file to have someone’s name on a list for reference 3. to hold things at a certain level 쑗 to keep spending to a minimum 쑗 We must keep our mailing list up to date. 쑗 The price of oil has kept the pound at a high level. 쑗 Lack of demand for typewriters has kept prices down. (NOTE: keeping – kept) keep back /kip bk/ verb to hold on to something which you could give to someone 쑗 to keep back information or to keep something back from someone 쑗 to keep £10 back from someone’s salary keep up /kip p/ verb to hold at a certain high level 쑗 We must keep up the turnover in spite of the recession. 쑗 She kept up a rate of sixty words per minute for several hours. Keogh plan /kiəυ pln/ noun US a private pension system allowing self-employed businesspeople and professionals to set up pension and retirement plans for themselves kerb market /k%b mɑkt/, kerb trading /k%b tredŋ/ noun an unofficial after-hours market in shares, bonds or commodities

key /ki/ noun the part of a computer or

typewriter which you press with your fingers 쑗 There are sixty-four keys on the keyboard. 쐽 adjective important 쑗 a key factor 쑗 key industries 쑗 key personnel 쑗 a key member of our management team 쑗 She has a key post in the organisation. 쑗 We don’t want to lose any key staff in the reorganisation. ‘…he gave up the finance job in September to devote more time to his global responsibilities as chairman and to work more closely with key clients’ [Times]

keyboard /kibɔd/ noun the part of a computer or other device with keys which are pressed to make letters or figures 쐽 verb to press the keys on a keyboard to type something 쑗 She is keyboarding our address list. keyboarder /kibɔdə/ noun a person who types information into a computer keyboarding /kibɔdŋ/ noun the act of typing on a keyboard 쑗 Keyboarding costs have risen sharply. key holding /ki həυldŋ/ noun an important block of shares owned by a single investor, which is large enough to influence the decisions of the board of directors key money /ki mni/ noun a premium paid when taking over the keys of a flat or office which you are renting keypad /kipd/ noun a small keyboard key-person insurance /ki p%s(ə)n nʃυərəns/ noun an insurance policy taken out to cover the costs of replacing an employee who is particularly important to an organisation if he or she dies or is ill for a long time key rate /ki ret/ noun an interest rate which gives the basic rate on which other rates are calculated (e.g. the former bank base rate in the UK, or the

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196

Federal Reserve’s discount rate in the USA)

kickback /kkbk/ noun an illegal

commission paid to someone, especially a government official, who helps in a business deal kicker /kkə/ noun a special inducement to buy a bond (such as making it convertible to shares at a preferential rate) (informal ) kill /kl/ verb 왍 to kill an order to stop an order taking place after it has been given (informal ) 쑗 ‘Kill that order’ he shouted, but it was too late. killing /klŋ/ noun a huge profit (informal ) 쑗 He made a killing on the stock market. kina /kinə/ noun a unit of currency used in Papua New Guinea kind /kand/ noun a sort or type 쑗 The printer produces two kinds of printout. 쑗 Our drinks machine has three kinds of cold drinks. 왍 payment in kind payment made by giving goods or food, but not money kip /kp/ noun a unit of currency used in Laos kite /kat/ noun 왍 to fly a kite to put forward a proposal to try to interest people 쐽 verb 1. US to write cheques on one account (which may not have any money in it) and deposit them in another, withdrawing money from the second account before the cheques are cleared 2. US to write cheques on one account and deposit them in a second account on the last day of the accounting period, thus showing the amount twice in the company’s books, since the sum will not yet have been debited from the first account 3. US to write a cheque for an amount which is higher than the total amount of money in the account, then deposit enough to cover the cheque 4. to use stolen credit cards or cheque books kite flier /kat flaə/ noun a person who tries to impress people by putting forward a proposal .

kyat

kite-flying /kat flaŋ/ noun the

practice of trying to impress people by putting forward grand plans kitty /kti/ noun money which has been collected by a group of people to be used later (such as for an office party) 쑗 We each put £5 into the kitty. knock down /nɒk daυn/ verb 왍 to knock something down to a bidder to sell something to somebody at an auction 쑗 The furniture was knocked down to him for £100. knockdown price /nɒkdaυn pras/ noun a very low price 쑗 He sold me the car at a knockdown price. knock for knock /nɒk fə nɒk/ noun an arrangement between motor insurance companies where each company pays for its own clients’ claims and does not claim against the other company knock off /nɒk ɒf/ verb to reduce a price by a particular amount 쑗 She knocked £10 off the price for cash. knock-on effect /nɒk ɒn fekt/ noun the effect which an action will have on other situations 쑗 The strike by customs officers has had a knock-on effect on car production by slowing down exports of cars. koruna /kərunə/ noun a unit of currency used in the Czech Republic and Slovakia krona /krəυnə/ noun a unit of currency used in Sweden and Iceland krone /krəυnə/ noun a unit of currency used in Denmark and Norway kroon /krun/ noun a unit of currency used in Estonia (NOTE: The plural is krooni.)

krugerrand /kruərnd/ noun a

gold coin weighing one ounce, minted in South Africa kuna /kunə/ noun a unit of currency used in Croatia kwacha /kwɑtʃə/ noun a unit of currency used in Malawi and Zambia kwanza /kwnzə/ noun a unit of currency used in Angola kyat /kiɑt/ noun a unit of currency used in Myanmar (formerly Burma)

L L symbol US a measurement of money supply, calculated as M3 (broad money supply), plus Treasury bills, bonds and commercial paper labor union /lebə jυnjən/ noun US an organisation which represents employees who are its members in discussions about wages and conditions of work with management (NOTE: The UK term is trade union.) labour /lebə/ noun 1. heavy work 왍

to charge for materials and labour to charge for both the materials used in a job and also the hours of work involved 왍 labour is charged at £5 an hour each hour of work costs £5 2. workers, the workforce 쑗 We will need to employ more labour if production is to be increased. 쑗 The costs of labour are rising in line with inflation. (NOTE: [all senses] The US spelling is labor.) ‘…the possibility that British goods will price themselves back into world markets is doubtful as long as sterling labour costs continue to rise faster than in competitor countries’ [Sunday Times]

labour costs /lebə kɒsts/ noun the

cost of the workers employed to make a product (not including materials or overheads) labour dispute /lebə dspjut/ noun a conflict or disagreement between employer and employees or between the groups who represent them labour force /lebə fɔs/ noun all the workers in a company or in an area 쑗 The management has made an increased offer to the labour force. 쑗 We are opening a new factory in the Far East because of the cheap local labour force. ‘70 per cent of Australia’s labour force is employed in service activity’ [Australian Financial Review]

labour-intensive industry /lebər ntensv ndəstri/ noun an industry

which needs large numbers of workers and where labour costs are high in relation to turnover labour laws /lebə lɔz/ plural noun laws concerning the employment of workers labour market /lebə mɑkt/ noun the number of people who are available for work 쑗 25,000 school-leavers have just come on to the labour market. ‘European economies are being held back by rigid labor markets and wage structures’ [Duns Business Month]

labour relations /lebə rleʃ(ə)nz/

plural noun relations between management and employees 쑗 The company has a history of bad labour relations. lack /lk/ noun the fact of not having enough 왍 lack of funds not enough money 쑗 The project was cancelled because of lack of funds. 쐽 verb not to have enough of something 쑗 The company lacks capital. 쑗 The industry lacks skilled staff. ladder /ldə/ noun 1. a series of different levels through which an employee may progress 2. an investment portfolio consisting of bonds with a series of maturity dates from very short-dated to long-dated laddering /ldərŋ/ noun US 1. the action of repeatedly buying shares in a newly launched corporation so as to force up the price, then selling the whole investment at a profit 2. the action of making a series of investments which mature at different times, cashing each one at maturity and then reinvesting the proceeds lading /ledŋ/ noun the work of putting goods on a ship Laffer curve /lfə k%v/ noun a chart showing that cuts in tax rates increase output in the economy. Alternatively, increases in tax rates initially

lag

198

produce more revenue and then less as the economy slows down. lag /l/ verb to be behind or to be slower than something lagging indicator /lŋ ndketə/ noun an indicator (such as the gross national product) which shows a change in economic trends later than other indicators (NOTE: The opposite is leading indicator.)

laissez-faire economy /lese feər

kɒnəm/ noun an economy where the government does not interfere because it believes it is right to let the economy run itself lakh /lk/ noun (in India) one hundred thousand (NOTE: Ten lakh equal one crore.)

lame duck /lem dk/ noun a com-

pany which is in financial difficulties 쑗 The government has refused to help lame duck companies. land /lnd/ noun an area of earth 쐽 verb 1. to put goods or passengers onto land after a voyage by sea or by air 쑗 The ship landed some goods at Mombasa. 쑗 The plane stopped for thirty minutes at the local airport to land passengers and mail. 2. to come down to earth after a flight 쑗 The plane landed ten minutes late. Land /lɑnt/ noun one of the administrative states in Germany land agent /lnd ed$ənt/ noun a person who runs a farm or a large area of land for the owner landed costs /lndd kɒsts/ plural noun the costs of goods which have been delivered to a port, unloaded and passed through customs Landeszentralbank noun the central bank in one of the German states (Länder) landing /lndŋ/ noun the arrival of a plane on land or the arrival of a passenger on land landing charges /lndŋ tʃɑd$z/ plural noun payments for putting goods on land and paying customs duties landing order /lndŋ ɔdə/ noun a permit which allows goods to be unloaded into a bonded warehouse without paying customs duty

last trading day

landlord /lndlɔd/ noun a person or company which owns a property which is let land register /lnd red$stə/ noun a list of pieces of land, showing who owns each and what buildings are on it land registration /lnd red$streʃ(ə)n/ noun a system of registering land and its owners land tax /lnd tks/ noun a tax on the amount of land owned lapse /lps/ noun 왍 a lapse of time a period of time which has passed 쐽 verb to stop being valid, or to stop being active 쑗 The guarantee has lapsed. 쑗 The takeover bid was allowed to lapse when only 13% of the shareholders accepted the offer. 왍 to let an offer lapse to allow time to pass so that an offer is no longer valid lapsed option /lpst ɒpʃən/ noun an option which has not been taken up, and now has expired lapsed policy /lpst pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy which has been terminated because premiums have not been paid large-sized /lɑd$ sazd/ adjective big, of a very large size large-sized company /lɑd$ sazd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which has a turnover of more than £5.75m or employs more than 250 staff last /lɑst/ adjective, adverb coming at the end of a series 쑗 Out of a queue of twenty people, I was served last. 쑗 This is our last board meeting before we move to our new offices. 쑗 We finished the last items in the order just two days before the promised delivery date. last in first out /lɑst n f%st aυt/ noun 1. a redundancy policy using the principle that the people who have been most recently appointed are the first to be made redundant 2. an accounting method where stock is valued at the price of the earliest purchases (it is assumed that the most recently purchased stock is sold first). Abbreviation LIFO. Compare first in first out last quarter /lɑst kwɔtə/ noun a period of three months at the end of the financial year last trading day /lɑst tredŋ/ adjective, adverb the last day when Stock

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199

Exchange trading takes place in an account, or the last day when futures trading takes place relating to a certain delivery month lat /lt/ noun a unit of currency used in Latvia launch /lɔntʃ/ verb to put a company on the Stock Exchange for the first time 쐽 noun the act of putting a company on the Stock Exchange for the first time launder /lɔndə/ verb to pass illegal profits, money from selling drugs, money which has not been taxed, etc., into the normal banking system 쑗 to launder money through an offshore bank ‘…it has since emerged that the bank was being used to launder drug money and some of its executives have been given lengthy jail sentences’ [Times]

law /lɔ/ noun a rule governing some aspect of human activity made and enforced by the state 왍 (the) law all the laws that are in force in a country considered as a body or system lawful /lɔf(ə)l/ adjective acting within the law 왍 lawful practice action which is permitted by the law 왍 lawful trade trade which is allowed by law law of diminishing returns /lɔr əv dmnʃŋ rt%nz/ noun a general rule that as more factors of production such as land, labour and capital are added to the existing factors, so the amount they produce is proportionately smaller law of supply and demand /lɔr əv səpla ən dmɑnd/ noun a general rule that the amount of a product which is available is related to the needs of potential customers lawsuit /lɔsut/ noun a case brought to a court 왍 to bring a lawsuit against someone to tell someone to appear in court to settle an argument 왍 to defend a lawsuit to appear in court to state your case lawyer /lɔjə/ noun a person who has studied law and practises law as a profession lay off /le ɒf/ verb 1. to dismiss employees for a time (until more work is available) 쑗 The factory laid off half its workers because of lack of orders. 2. especially US to dismiss employees permanently 왍 to lay off risks to protect

lead time

oneself against risk in one investment by making other investments ‘…the company lost $52 million last year, and has laid off close to 2,000 employees’ [Toronto Star]

lay out /le aυt/ verb to spend money

쑗 We had to lay out half our cash budget on equipping the new factory. LBO abbreviation leveraged buyout L/C abbreviation letter of credit LCE abbreviation London Commodity Exchange LDC abbreviation 1. least developed country 2. less developed country LDT abbreviation licensed deposit-taker lead /lid/ noun 1. information which may lead to a sale 쑗 It has been difficult starting selling in this territory with no leads to follow up. 쑗 I was given some useful leads by the sales rep who used to cover this territory. 2. a prospective purchaser who is the main decision-maker when buying a product or service 쐽 adjective most important, in the front lead bank /lid bŋk/ noun the main bank in a loan syndicate leader /lidə/ noun 1. a product which sells best 2. an important share, a share which is often bought or sold on the Stock Exchange leading /lidŋ/ adjective 1. most important 쑗 Leading industrialists feel the end of the recession is near. 쑗 Leading shares rose on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 Leading shareholders in the company forced a change in management policy. 쑗 They are the leading company in the field. 2. which comes first leading indicator /lidŋ ndketə/ noun an indicator (such as manufacturing order books) which shows a change in economic trends earlier than other indicators (NOTE: The op-

posite is lagging indicator.) lead manager /lid mnd$ə/ noun

a person who organises a syndicate of underwriters for a new issue of securities lead time /lid tam/ noun 1. the time between deciding to place an order and receiving the product 쑗 The lead time on this item is more than six weeks. 2. the time between the start of a task and its completion

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200

lead underwriter /lid ndəratə/

noun an underwriting firm which organises the underwriting of a share issue (NOTE: The US term is managing underwriter.)

Learning and Skills Council /l%nŋ ən sklz kaυnsəl/ noun a

government organisation responsible for the education and training of people over the age of 16 learning curve /l%nŋ k%v/ noun 1. a process of learning something that starts slowly and then becomes faster 2. a line on a graph which shows the relationship between experience in doing something and competence at carrying it out 3. a diagram or graph that represents the way in which people gain knowledge or experience over time (NOTE: A steep learning curve represents a situation where people learn a great deal in a short time; a shallow curve represents a slower learning process. The curve eventually levels out, representing the time when the knowledge gained is being consolidated.) 4. the

decrease in the effort required to produce each single item when the total number of items produced is doubled (NOTE: The concept of the learning curve has its origin in productivity research in the aircraft industry of the 1930s, when it was discovered that the time and effort needed to assemble an aircraft decreased by 20% each time the total number produced doubled.) lease /lis/ noun 1. a written contract

for letting or renting a building, a piece of land or a piece of equipment for a period against payment of a fee 쑗 to rent office space on a twenty-year lease 왍 the lease expires next year or the lease runs out next year the lease comes to an end next year 왍 on expiration of the lease when the lease comes to an end 2. 왍 to hold an oil lease in the North Sea to have a lease on a section of the North Sea to explore for oil 쐽 verb 1. to let or rent offices, land or machinery for a period 쑗 to lease offices to small firms 쑗 to lease equipment 2. to use an office, land or machinery for a time and pay a fee 쑗 to lease an office from an insurance company 쑗 All our company cars are leased. lease back /lis bk/ verb to sell a property or machinery to a company and

legal

then take it back on a lease 쑗 They sold the office building to raise cash, and then leased it back on a twenty-five year lease. lease-back /lisbk/ noun an arrangement where property is sold and then taken back on a lease 쑗 They sold the office building and then took it back under a lease-back arrangement. leasehold /lishəυld/ noun, adjective (the fact of) possessing property on a lease, for a fixed time 쑗 to buy a property leasehold 쑗 We are currently occupying a leasehold property. 쑗 The company has some valuable leaseholds. leaseholder /lishəυldə/ noun a person who holds a property on a lease leasing /lisŋ/ noun which leases or which is using equipment under a lease 쑗 an equipment-leasing company 쑗 to run a copier under a leasing arrangement 쑗 The company has branched out into car leasing. 쏡 lessee least developed country /list dveləpt kntri/ noun a country in the Third World which is not economically advanced, especially one of those which borrowed heavily from commercial banks in the 1970s and 1980s to finance their industrial development, and so created an international debt crisis. Abbreviation LDC ledger /led$ə/ noun a book in which accounts are written ledger balance /led$ə bləns/ noun same as current balance left /left/ adjective 1. on the side of the body which usually has the weaker hand, not right 쑗 The numbers run down the left side of the page. 쑗 Put the debits in the left column. 2. not with others 쑗 10m new shares were left with the underwriters when the offer was undersubscribed. left-hand /left hnd/ adjective belonging to the left side 쑗 The debits are in the left-hand column in the accounts. 쑗 He keeps the personnel files in the left-hand drawer of his desk. legacy /leəsi/ noun a piece of property given by someone to someone else in a will legal /li(ə)l/ adjective 1. according to the law or allowed by the law 쑗 The company’s action in sacking the ac-

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201

countant was completely legal. 2. referring to the law 왍 to take legal action to sue someone or to take someone to court 왍 to take legal advice to ask a lawyer to advise about a legal problem

legal adviser /li(ə)l ədvazə/

noun a person who advises clients about the law Legal Aid /li(ə)l ed/, Legal Aid scheme /li(ə)l ed skim/ noun a British government scheme where a person with very little money can have legal representation and advice paid for by the state legal charge /li(ə)l tʃɑd$/ noun a legal document held by the Land Registry showing who has a claim on a property legal claim /li(ə)l klem/ noun a statement that someone owns something legally 쑗 He has no legal claim to the property. legal costs /li(ə)l kɒsts/, legal charges /li(ə)l tʃɑd$z/, legal expenses /li(ə)l kspensz/ plural noun money spent on fees to lawyers 쑗 The clerk could not afford the legal expenses involved in suing his boss. legal currency /li(ə)l krənsi/ noun money which is legally used in a country legal department /li(ə)l dpɑtmənt/ noun a section of a company dealing with legal matters legal expert /li(ə)l eksp%t/ noun a person who knows a lot about the law legal holiday /li(ə)l hɒlde/ noun a day when banks and other businesses are closed legalisation /liəlazeʃ(ə)n/, legalization noun the act of making something legal 쑗 the campaign for the legalisation of cannabis legalise /liəlaz/, legalize verb to make something legal legal list /li(ə)l lst/ noun a list of blue-chip securities in which banks and financial institutions are allowed to invest by the state in which they are based legal personality /li(ə)l p%sənləti/ noun existence in a form that enables something to be affected by the law

less

legal proceedings /li(ə)l prəsidŋz/ plural noun legal action or a lawsuit legal profession /li(ə)l prəfeʃ(ə)n/ noun all qualified lawyers legal section /li(ə)l sekʃ(ə)n/ noun a department in a company dealing with legal matters legal tender /li(ə)l tendə/ noun coins or notes which can be legally used to pay a debt legatee /leəti/ noun a person who receives property from someone who has died legislation /led$sleʃ(ə)n/ noun laws 왍 labour legislation laws concerning the employment of workers lek /lek/ noun a unit of currency used in Albania lempira /lempərə/ noun a unit of currency used in Honduras lend /lend/ verb to allow someone to use something for a period 쑗 to lend something to someone or to lend someone something 쑗 to lend money against security 쑗 He lent the company money or He lent money to the company. 쑗 The bank lent him £50,000 to start his business. (NOTE: lending – lent) lender /lendə/ noun a person who lends money lender of the last resort /lendə əv ðə lɑst rzɔt/ noun a central bank which lends money to commercial banks lending /lendŋ/ noun an act of letting someone use money for a time lending limit /lendŋ lmt/ noun a restriction on the amount of money a bank can lend lending margin /lendŋ mɑd$n/ noun an agreed spread (based on the LIBOR) for lending length of service /leŋθ əv s%vs/ noun the number of years someone has worked leone /liəυn/ noun a unit of currency used in Sierra Leone less /les/ adjective smaller than, of a smaller size or of a smaller value 쑗 We do not grant credit for sums of less than £100. 쑗 He sold it for less than he had paid for it. 쐽 preposition minus, with a sum removed 쑗 purchase price less

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15% discount 쑗 interest less service charges 쐽 adverb not as much less developed country /les dveləpt kntri/ noun the former name for a least developed country (dated ) Abbreviation LDC lessee /lesi/ noun a person who has a lease or who pays money for a property he leases lessor /lesɔ/ noun a person who grants a lease on a property let /let/ verb to allow the use of a house, an office or a farm to someone for the payment of rent 왍 offices to let offices which are available to be leased by companies 쐽 noun the period of the lease of a property 쑗 They took the office on a short let. let-out clause /let aυt klɔz/ noun a clause which allows someone to avoid doing something in a contract 쑗 He added a let-out clause to the effect that the payments would be revised if the exchange rate fell by more than 5%. letter /letə/ noun 1. a piece of writing sent from one person or company to another to ask for or to give information 2. 왍 to acknowledge receipt by letter to write a letter to say that something has been received 3. a written or printed sign (such as A, B, C etc.) 쑗 Write your name and address in block letters or in capital letters. .

COMMENT: First names are commonly

used between business people in the UK; they are less often used in other European countries (France and Germany), for example, where business letters tend to be more formal.

letter of acknowledgement /letər əv əknɒld$mənt/ noun a letter which says that something has been received letter of advice /letər əv ədvas/ noun 1. a letter to a customer giving details of goods ordered and shipped but not yet delivered 쑗 The letter of advice stated that the goods would be at Southampton on the morning of the 6th. 쑗 The letter of advice reminded the customer of the agreed payment terms. 2. a letter from one bank to another, advising that a transaction has taken place letter of application /letər əv plkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a letter in which someone applies for a job

leu

letter of appointment /letər əv əpɔntmənt/ noun a letter in which someone is appointed to a job letter of comfort /letər əv kmfət/ noun a letter supporting someone who is trying to get a loan letter of credit /letər əv kredt/ noun a document issued by a bank on behalf of a customer authorising payment to a supplier when the conditions specified in the document are met. Abbreviation L/C letter of indemnity /letər əv ndemnti/ noun a letter promising payment as compensation for a loss letter of intent /letər əv ntent/ noun a letter which states what a company intends to do if something happens letter of reference /letər əv ref(ə)rəns/ noun a letter in which an employer recommends someone for a new job letter of renunciation /letər əv rnnsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a form sent with new shares, which allows the person who has been allotted the shares to refuse to accept them and so sell them to someone else letter post /letə pəυst/ noun a service for sending letters or parcels letter rate /letə ret/ noun postage (calculated by weight) for sending a letter or a parcel 쑗 It is more expensive to send a packet letter rate but it will get there quicker. letter security /letə skjυərti/, letter stock /letə stɒk/ noun US a share which has not been registered with the SEC and therefore can be sold privately, together with a letter of intent, or traded in the normal way if the owner files with the SEC using a Form 144 letters of administration /letəz əv ədmnstreʃ(ə)n/ plural noun a letter given by a court to allow someone to deal with the estate of a person who has died letters patent /letəz petənt/ plural noun the official term for a patent letting agency /letŋ ed$ənsi/ noun an agency which deals in property to let leu /leju/ noun a unit of currency used in Romania and Moldova

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203

lev /lev/ noun a unit of currency used in Bulgaria level /lev(ə)l/ noun the position of something compared to others 쑗 low levels of productivity or low productivity levels 쑗 to raise the level of employee benefits 쑗 to lower the level of borrowings 왍 high level of investment large amounts of money invested 쐽 verb 왍 to level off or to level out to stop rising or falling 쑗 Profits have levelled off over the last few years. 쑗 Prices are levelling out. ‘…figures from the Fed on industrial production for April show a decline to levels last seen in June 1984’ [Sunday Times] ‘…applications for mortgages are running at a high level’ [Times] ‘…employers having got their staff back up to a reasonable level are waiting until the scope for overtime working is exhausted before hiring’ [Sydney Morning Herald]

leverage /livərd$/ noun 1. a ratio of capital borrowed by a company at a fixed rate of interest to the company’s total capital 2. the act of borrowing money at fixed interest which is then used to produce more money than the interest paid COMMENT: High leverage (or high gear-

ing) has the effect of increasing a company’s profitability when trading is expanding; if the company’s trading slows down, the effect of high fixed-interest charges is to increase the rate of slowdown.

leveraged /livərd$/ adjective using borrowings for finance leveraged buyout /livərd$d baaυt/, leveraged takeover /livərd$d tekəυvə/ noun an act of buying all the shares in a company by borrowing money against the security of the shares to be bought. Abbreviation LBO ‘…the offer came after management had offered to take the company private through a leveraged buyout for $825 million’ [Fortune]

leveraged stock /livərd$d stɒk/

noun stock bought with borrowed money levy /levi/ noun money which is demanded and collected by the government 왍 levies on luxury items taxes on luxury items 쐽 verb to demand payment of a tax or an extra payment and to collect it 쑗 to levy a duty on the import of luxury items 쑗 The government has de-

licensed dealer

cided to levy a tax on imported cars. 왍 to levy members for a new club house to ask members of the club to pay for the new building ‘…royalties have been levied at a rate of 12.5% of full production’ [Lloyd’s List]

liabilities /laəbltiz/ plural noun

the debts of a business, including dividends owed to shareholders 쑗 The balance sheet shows the company’s assets and liabilities. 왍 he was not able to meet his liabilities he could not pay his debts 왍 to discharge your liabilities in full to pay everything which you owe liability /laəblti/ noun 1. a legal responsibility for damage, loss or harm 쑗 The two partners took out insurance to cover employers’ liability. 왍 to accept liability for something to agree that you are responsible for something 왍 to refuse liability for something to refuse to agree that you are responsible for something 2. responsibility for a payment (such as the repayment of a loan) liable /laəb(ə)l/ adjective 왍 liable for legally responsible for 쑗 The customer is liable for breakages. 쑗 The chairman was personally liable for the company’s debts. 쑗 The garage is liable for damage to customers’ cars. LIBID abbreviation London Interbank Bid Rate LIBOR abbreviation London Interbank Offered Rate licence /las(ə)ns/ noun an official document which allows someone to do something (NOTE: The US spelling is license.) 왍 drinks licence, alcohol licence, liquor license a permit to sell alcohol in a restaurant, etc. 왍 goods manufactured under licence goods made with the permission of the owner of the copyright or patent license /las(ə)ns/ noun US spelling of licence 쐽 verb to give someone official permission to do something for a fee, e.g. when a company allows another company to manufacture its products abroad 쑗 licensed to sell beers, wines and spirits 쑗 to license a company to manufacture spare parts 쑗 She is licensed to run an employment agency. licensed dealer /las(ə)nst dilə/ noun a person who has been licensed by the DTI to buy and sell securities for individual clients

licensed deposit-taker

204

licensed deposit-taker /las(ə)nst dpɒzt tekə/, licensed institution /las(ə)nst nsttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun a deposit-taking institution, such as a building society, bank or friendly society, which is licensed to receive money on deposit from private individuals and to pay interest on it. Abbreviation LDT licensee /las(ə)nsi/ noun a person who has a licence, especially a licence to sell alcohol or to manufacture something licensing /las(ə)nsŋ/ adjective referring to licences 쑗 a licensing agreement 쑗 licensing laws lien /liən/ noun the legal right to hold someone’s goods and keep them until a debt has been paid lieu /lju/ noun 왍 in lieu of instead of 왍 she was given two months’ salary in lieu of notice she was given two months’ salary and asked to leave immediately life /laf/ noun the period of time for which something or someone exists 왍 life of a contract the remaining period of a futures contract before it expires life assurance /laf əʃυərəns/ noun insurance which pays a sum of money when someone dies, or at a certain date if they are still alive life assurance company /laf əʃɔrəns kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company providing life assurance, but usually also providing other services such as investment advice life assured /laf əʃυəd/ noun the person whose life has been covered by a life assurance policy lifeboat operation /lafbəυt ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun actions taken to rescue of a company (especially of a bank) which is in difficulties life estate /laf stet/ noun same as life interest

life expectancy /laf kspektənsi/

noun the number of years a person is likely to live life insurance /laf nʃυərəns/ noun same as life assurance life insured /laf nʃυəd/ noun same as life assured life interest /laf ntrəst/ noun a situation where someone benefits from a property as long as he or she is alive

limit

lifeline account /laflan əkaυnt/

noun US a simple bank account for people with low incomes, used for receiving salary payments and offering few services lifestyle /laf stal/ noun the way of living of a particular section of society 쑗 These upmarket products appeal to people with an extravagant lifestyle. 쑗 The magazine ran a series of articles on the lifestyles of some successful businessmen. lifestyle audit /lafstal ɔdt/ noun a study of a person’s living standards to see if it is consistent with his reported income

Lifetime Individual Savings Account /laftam ndvd$uəl

sevŋz əkaυnt/ noun a British scheme by which individuals can invest for their retirement by putting a limited amount of money each year in a tax-free unit trust account. Abbreviation LISA. 쏡 ISA

LIFFE abbreviation London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange LIFO /lafəυ/ abbreviation last in first out light /lat/ adjective 1. not heavy, not very busy or active 왍 shares fell back in light trading shares lost value on a day when there was little business done on the Stock Exchange 2. not having enough of a certain type of share in a portfolio 쑗 His portfolio is light in banks. lighten /lat(ə)n/ verb to sell shareholdings if a portfolio is too ‘heavy’ in a certain type of share light industry /lat ndəstri/ noun an industry making small products such as clothes, books or calculators like-for-like /lak fə lak/ adjective 왍 on a like-for-like basis when comparing the same stores over different periods 왍 like-for-like store sales sales for the same stores over an earlier period lilangeni /lilŋeni/ noun a unit of currency used in Swaziland limit /lmt/ noun the point at which something ends or the point where you can go no further 왍 he has exceeded his credit limit he has borrowed more money than he is allowed 왍 limit ‘up’,

limitation

205

limit ‘down’ upper or lower limits to share price movements which are regulated by some stock exchanges 쐽 verb to stop something from going beyond a specific point, to restrict the number or amount of something 왍 the banks have limited their credit the banks have allowed their customers only a specific amount of credit ‘…the biggest surprise of 1999 was the rebound in the price of oil. In the early months of the year commentators were talking about a fall to $5 a barrel but for the first time in two decades, the oil exporting countries got their act together, limited production and succeeded in pushing prices up’ [Financial Times]

limitation /lmteʃ(ə)n/ noun the

act of allowing only a specific quantity of something 쑗 The contract imposes limitations on the number of cars which can be imported. 왍 limitation of liability the fact of making someone liable for only a part of the damage or loss limited /lmtd/ adjective restricted limited company /lmtd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company where each shareholder is responsible for repaying the company’s debts only to the face value of the shares he or she owns. Abbreviation Ltd. Also called limited liability company limited liability /lmtd laəblti/ noun a situation where someone’s

liability for debt is limited by law

limited liability company /lmtd

laəblti kmp(ə)ni/ noun same as limited company

limited market /lmtd mɑkt/

noun a market which can take only a specific quantity of goods limited partnership /lmtd pɑtnəʃp/ noun a registered business where the liability of the partners is limited to the amount of capital they have each provided to the business and where the partners may not take part in the running of the business limiting /lmtŋ/ adjective which limits 쑗 a limiting clause in a contract 쑗 The short holiday season is a limiting factor on the hotel trade. limit order /lmt ɔdə/ noun an order to a broker to sell if a security falls to a certain price line /lan/ noun 1. a long mark printed or written on paper 쑗 paper with thin

liquidity ratio

blue lines 쑗 I prefer notepaper without any lines. 쑗 She drew a thick line before the column of figures. 2. a row of letters or figures on a page 3. a block of shares (traded on a Stock Exchange) ‘…cash paid for overstocked lines, factory seconds, slow sellers, etc.’ [Australian Financial Review]

line chart /lan tʃɑt/ noun a chart or graph using lines to indicate values line of credit /lan əv kredt/ noun 1. the amount of money made available to a customer by a bank as an overdraft 왍 to open a line of credit or a credit line to make credit available to someone 2. the borrowing limit on a credit card line of shares /lan əv ʃeəz/ noun a large block of shares sold as one deal on the stock exchange link /lŋk/ verb to join or to attach to something else 쑗 to link pensions to inflation 쑗 to link bonus payments to productivity 쑗 His salary is linked to the cost of living. 쏡 index-linked liquid /lkwd/ adjective easily converted to cash, or containing a large amount of cash liquid assets /lkwd sets/ plural noun cash, or investments which can be quickly converted into cash liquidate /lkwdet/ verb 왍 to liquidate a company to close a company and sell its assets 왍 to liquidate a debt to pay a debt in full 왍 to liquidate stock to sell stock to raise cash liquidation /lkwdeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. 왍 liquidation of a debt payment of a debt 2. the winding up or closing of a company and selling of its assets 왍 on a liquidation basis at a very low bid price to encourage buyers 왍 the company went into liquidation the company was closed and its assets sold liquidator /lkwdetə/ noun a person named to supervise the closing of a company which is in liquidation liquidity /lkwdti/ noun cash, or the fact of having cash or assets which can be changed into cash 왍 liquidity crisis not having enough cash or other liquid assets liquidity ratio /lkwdti reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio of liquid assets (that is, current assets less stocks, but including debtors) to current liabilities, giving an

liquid market

206

indication of a company’s solvency. Also called acid test ratio, quick ratio liquid market /lkwd mɑkt/ noun a market in a security where there are enough shares available to allow sales to take place without distorting the price (the opposite is a ‘thin’ market) lira /lərə/ noun 1. a former unit of currency in Italy 쑗 the book cost 2,700 lira or L2,700 (NOTE: Lira is usually written L before figures: L2,700.) 2. a unit of currency used in Turkey LISA abbreviation Lifetime Individual Savings Account lis pendens adverb a Latin phrase meaning ‘pending suit’ list /lst/ noun 1. several items written one after the other 쑗 They have an attractive list of products or product list. 쑗 I can’t find that item on our stock list. 쑗 Please add this item to the list. 쑗 She crossed the item off her list. 2. a catalogue listed company /lstd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose shares can be bought or sold on the Stock Exchange listed securities /lstd skjυərtiz/ plural noun shares which can be bought or sold on the Stock Exchange, shares which appear on the official Stock Exchange list Listing Agreement /lstŋ ərimənt/ noun a document which a company signs when being listed on the Stock Exchange, in which it promises to abide by stock exchange regulations listing details /lstŋ ditelz/, listing particulars /lstŋ pətkjυləz/ plural noun 1. details of a company which are published when the company applies for a stock exchange listing (the US equivalent is the ‘registration statement’) 2. details of the institutions which are backing an issue listing requirements /lstŋ rkwaəmənts/ plural noun the conditions which must be met by a corporation before its stock can be listed on the New York Stock Exchange list price /lst pras/ noun the price for something as given in a catalogue litas /litɑs/ noun a unit of currency used in Lithuania litigation /lteʃ(ə)n/ noun the bringing of a lawsuit against someone

loan

Little Board /lt(ə)l bɔd/ noun same as American Stock Exchange lively /lavli/ adjective 왍 lively market an active stock market, with many shares being bought or sold Lloyd’s /lɔdz/ noun the central London insurance market 왍 a ship which is A1 at Lloyd’s a ship in very good condition COMMENT: Lloyd’s is an old-established

insurance market. The underwriters who form Lloyd’s are divided into syndicates, each made up of active underwriters who arrange the business and non-working underwriters (called ‘names’) who stand surety for any insurance claims which may arise.

Lloyd’s broker /lɔdz brəυkə/ noun

an agent who represents a client who wants insurance and who arranges this insurance for him through a Lloyd’s underwriting syndicate Lloyd’s Register /lɔdz red$stə/ noun a classified list showing details of all the ships in the world and estimates of their condition Lloyd’s syndicate /lɔdz sndkət/ noun a group of underwriters on the Lloyd’s insurance market, made up of active underwriters who arrange the business and non-working underwriters (called ‘names’) who stand surety for any insurance claims which may arise Lloyd’s underwriter /lɔdz ndəratə/ noun a member of an insurance group at Lloyd’s who accepts to underwrite insurances LME abbreviation London Metal Exchange load /ləυd/ noun an amount of goods which are transported in a particular vehicle or aircraft 쐽 verb INSURANCE to add extra charges to a price load factor /ləυd fktə/ noun a number of seats in a bus, plane or train which are occupied by passengers who have paid the full fare load fund /ləυd fnd/ noun a fund sold through a broker, with a high initial management charge or commission loan /ləυn/ noun money which has been lent 쐽 verb to lend something 쑗 The truck has been loaned by the local haulage company.

loan capital

207

‘…over the last few weeks, companies raising new loans from international banks have been forced to pay more, and an unusually high number of attempts to syndicate loans among banks has failed’ [Financial Times]

loan capital /ləυn kpt(ə)l/ noun

a part of a company’s capital which is a loan to be repaid at a later date loan committee /ləυn kəmti/ noun a committee which examines applications for special loans, such as higher loans than normally allowed by a bank loan/deposit ratio /ləυn dpɒzt reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio between the amount of loans made by a bank and the amount it holds on deposit loan participation /ləυn pɑtspeʃ(ə)n/ noun an arrangement whereby several banks come together as a group to share a very large loan to one single customer loan portfolio /ləυn pɔtfəυliəυ/ noun all the loans which a financial institution has made and which are still outstanding loan shark /ləυn ʃɑk/ noun a person who lends money at a very high interest rate loan stock /ləυn stɒk/ noun stock issued by a company at a fixed rate of interest, as a means of raising a loan loan to value /ləυn tə vlju/ noun the amount of a mortgage expressed as a percentage of the value of the property. Abbreviation LTV local adjective /ləυk(ə)l/ referring to a particular area, especially one near where a factory or an office is based 쐽 noun 1. an independent dealer in futures or options or an independent trader on the LIFFE 2. US a branch of a national trade union ‘…each cheque can be made out for the local equivalent of £100 rounded up to a convenient figure’ [Sunday Times] ‘…the business agent for Local 414 of the Store Union said his committee will recommend that the membership ratify the agreement’ [Toronto Star] ‘EC regulations insist that customers can buy cars anywhere in the EC at the local pre-tax price’ [Financial Times]

local authority /ləυk(ə)l ɔθɒrti/

noun an elected section of government which runs a small area of the country

lodge

local authority bond /ləυk(ə)l ɔθɒrəti bɒnd/ noun a fixed-interest bond, repayable at a certain date, used by a local authority in order to raise a loan and similar to a Treasury bond local authority deposits /ləυk(ə)l ɔθɒrəti dpɒzts/ plural noun money deposited with a local authority to earn interest for the depositor local call /ləυk(ə)l kɔl/ noun a telephone call to a number on the same exchange as your own or to one on a neighbouring exchange local government /ləυk(ə)l v(ə)nmənt/ noun elected authorities and administrative organisations which deal with the affairs of small areas of a country local labour /ləυk(ə)l lebə/ noun workers who are recruited near a factory, and are not brought there from a distance local press /ləυk(ə)l pres/ noun newspapers which are sold in a small area of the country 쑗 The product was only advertised in the local press as it was only being distributed in that area of the country. lockbox /lɒkbɒks/ noun US 1. a box at a post office which can be rented and can be opened only by the person or company renting it 2. a system where cheques sent to a Post Office box are picked up and deposited in a bank account locking up /lɒkŋ p/ noun 왍 the locking up of money in stock the act of investing money in stock so that it cannot be used for other, possibly more profitable, investments lock into /lɒk ntə/, lock in /lɒk n/ verb to be fixed to a certain interest rate or exchange rate 쑗 By buying francs forward the company is in effect locking itself into a pound-franc exchange rate of 10.06. 왍 to lock in profits to take profits, to sell investments at a profit to ensure that the profit is realised 쑗 The shares had become overpriced – it was time to lock in the profits. lock up /lɒk p/ verb 왍 to lock up capital to have capital invested in such a way that it cannot be used for other investments lodge /lɒd$/ verb 왍 to lodge money with someone to deposit money with

lodgement

208

someone 왍 to lodge securities as collateral to put securities into a bank to be used as collateral for a loan

lodgement /lɒd$mənt/ noun the act of depositing money or cheques in an account Lombard Rate /lɒmbɑd ret/ noun the rate at which the German Bundesbank lends to commercial banks London Bullion Market /lndən bυliən mɑkt/ noun an international market dealing in gold and silver bullion and gold coins London Commodity Exchange

/lndən kəmɒdəti kstʃend$/ noun

a London exchange dealing in commodities such as cotton, coffee, cocoa, etc., but not in metals. Abbreviation LCE

London

Interbank

Bid

Rate

/lndən ntəbŋk bd ret/ noun

the rate at which banks are prepared to borrow from each other. Abbreviation LIBID

London Interbank Offered Rate

/lndən ntəbŋk ɒfəd ret/ noun

the rate at which banks offer to lend eurodollars to other banks. Abbreviation LIBOR

London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange

/lndən ntənʃ(ə)nəl fannʃ(ə)l fjutʃəz ən ɒpʃənz kstʃend$/ noun a market where futures contracts are traded in financial instruments such as gilts, equity options, euroyen, US Treasury bonds, etc. and also commodities such as cocoa, coffee, wheat, potatoes, barley and sugar. Abbreviation LIFFE London Metal Exchange /lndən met(ə)l kstʃend$/ noun a commodity exchange dealing in aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc. Abbreviation LME

London Securities and Derivatives Exchange /lndən s-

kjυərtiz ən drvətvz kstʃend$/ noun the London exchange where securities and derivatives are traded. Abbreviation OMLX London Stock Exchange /lndən stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the main British stock exchange where securities are bought and sold. Abbreviation LSE

long-term

London Traded Options Market

/lndən tredd ɒpʃənz mɑkt/ noun a market where options are traded. Abbreviation LTOM long /lɒŋ/ adjective for a large period

of time 왍 in the long term over a long period of time 왍 to take the long view to plan for a long period before current investment becomes profitable 왍 to be long of a stock or to go long to buy a share as a long-term investment on the assumption that the price will rise long bond /lɒŋ bɒnd/, long coupon bond /lɒŋ kupɒn bɒnd/ adjective a bond which will mature in more than ten years’ time long credit /lɒŋ kredt/ noun credit terms which allow the borrower a long time to pay long-dated bill /lɒŋ detd bl/ noun a bill which is payable in more than three months’ time long-dated securities /lɒŋ detd skjυərtiz/ plural noun same as longs long lease /lɒŋ lis/ noun a lease which runs for fifty years or more 쑗 to take an office building on a long lease long position /lɒŋ pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation where an investor sells long (i.e. sells forward shares which he owns). Compare short position long-range /lɒŋ rend$/ adjective for a long period of time in the future 왍 long-range economic forecast a forecast which covers a period of several years longs /lɒŋz/ plural noun government stocks which will mature in over fifteen years’ time long-tail business /lɒŋ tel bzns/ noun insurance business where a claim only arises some years after the insurance contract was taken out long-term /lɒŋ t%m/ adjective over a long period of time 쑗 The management projections are made on a long-term basis. 쑗 Sound long-term planning will give the company more direction. 쑗 It is in the company’s long-term interests to have a contented staff. 왍 on a long-term basis continuing for a long period of time 왍 long-term debts debts which will be repaid many years later 왍 long-term forecast a forecast for a period of over three years

long-term borrowings

209

왍 long-term loan a loan to be repaid many years later 왍 long-term objectives aims which will take years to achieve ‘…land held under long-term leases is not amortized’ [Hongkong Standard] ‘…the company began to experience a demand for longer-term mortgages when the flow of money used to finance these loans diminished’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

long-term borrowings /lɒŋ t%m bɒrəυŋz/ plural noun borrowings which do not have to be repaid for some years long-term security /lɒŋ t%m skjυərti/ noun a security which will mature in more than fifteen years’ time loophole /luphəυl/ noun 왍 to find a loophole in the law to find a means of legally avoiding the law 왍 to find a tax loophole to find a means of legally not paying tax ‘…because capital gains are not taxed but money taken out in profits is taxed, owners of businesses will be using accountants and tax experts to find loopholes in the law’ [Toronto Star]

loose change /lus tʃend$/ noun

money in coins lose /luz/ verb 1. not to have something any more 왍 to lose an order not to get an order which you were hoping to get 쑗 During the strike, the company lost six orders to American competitors. 왍 to lose control of a company to find that you have less than 50% of the shares and so are no longer able to control the company 2. to have less money 쑗 He lost £25,000 in his father’s computer company. 3. to drop to a lower price 쑗 The dollar lost two cents against the yen. 쑗 Gold shares lost 5% on the market yesterday. 왍 the pound has lost value the pound is worth less loss /lɒs/ noun 1. the state or process of not having something any more 왍 loss of customers not keeping customers because of bad service, high prices, etc. 왍 loss of an order not getting an order which was expected 왍 the company suffered a loss of market penetration the company found it had a smaller share of the market 왍 compensation for loss of earnings payment to someone who has stopped earning money or who is not able to earn money 왍 compensation for loss of office payment to a director who is asked to leave a company

low

before his or her contract ends 2. the state of having less money than before or of not making a profit 왍 the company suffered a loss the company did not make a profit 왍 to report a loss not to show a profit in the accounts at the end of the year 쑗 The company reported a loss of £1m on the first year’s trading. 왍 the car was written off as a dead loss or a total loss the car was so badly damaged that the insurers said it had no value 왍 at a loss making a loss, not making any profit 쑗 The company is trading at a loss. 쑗 We sold the shop at a loss. 왍 to cut your losses to stop doing something which is losing money 3. damage to property or destruction of property, which is then subject to an insurance claim 왍 the cargo was written off as a total loss the cargo was so badly damaged that the insurers said it had no value ‘…against losses of FFr 7.7m two years ago, the company made a net profit of FFr 300,000 last year’ [Financial Times]

loss-leader /lɒs lidə/ noun an article which is sold at a loss to attract customers 쑗 We use these cheap films as a loss-leader. loss relief /lɒs rlif/ noun an amount of tax not to be paid on one year’s profit to offset a loss in the previous year lot /lɒt/ noun 1. a group of items sold together at an auction 쑗 to bid for lot 23 쑗 At the end of the auction half the lots were unsold. 2. a group of shares which are sold 쑗 to sell a lot of shares 쑗 to sell shares in small lots 3. US a piece of land, especially one to be used for redevelopment 쑗 They bought a lot and built a house. lottery /lɒtəri/ noun a game where numbered tickets are sold and prizes given for some of the numbers low /ləυ/ adjective not high or not much 쑗 Our a 쑗 Low overhead costs keep the unit cost low. 쑗 We try to keep our wages bill low. 쑗 The company offered him a mortgage at a low rate of interest. 쑗 The pound is at a very low rate of exchange against the dollar. 왍 the tender will go to the lowest bidder the contract will be awarded to the person who offers the best terms 쐽 noun a point where prices or sales are very small 쑗 Sales have reached a new low.

low coupon stocks

210

왍 highs and lows on the Stock Exchange a list of shares which have reached a new high or low price in the previous day’s trading 왍 shares have hit an all-time low shares have reached their lowest price ever ‘…after opening at 79.1 the index touched a peak of 79.2 and then drifted to a low of 78.8’ [Financial Times] ‘…the pound which had been as low as $1.02 earlier this year, rose to $1.30’ [Fortune]

low coupon stocks /ləυ kupɒn

stɒks/ plural noun government bonds which pay a low rate of interest lower /laυə/ adjective smaller or less high 쑗 a lower rate of interest 쑗 Sales were lower in December than in November. 쐽 verb to make something smaller or less expensive 쑗 to lower prices to secure a larger market share 쑗 Industrialists have asked the bank to lower interest rates. ‘Canadian and European negotiators agreed to a deal under which Canada could keep its quotas but lower its import duties’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

lowering /ləυərŋ/ noun the act of

making smaller or less expensive 쑗 Lowering the prices has resulted in increased sales. 쑗 We hope to achieve low prices with no lowering of quality. low gearing /ləυ ərŋ/ noun the fact of not having much borrowing in proportion to your capital low-grade /ləυ red/ adjective not of very good quality 쑗 The car runs best on low-grade petrol. low-profile /ləυ prəυfal/ adjective 왍 low-profile company a company which does not publicise itself much

luxury tax

low yield /ləυ jild/ noun a yield on

the share price which is low for the sector, suggesting that investors anticipate that the company will grow fast, and have pushed up the share price in expectation of growth loyalty /lɔəlti/ noun the state of being faithful to someone or something loyalty bonus /lɔəlti bəυnəs/ noun a special privilege given to shareholders who keep their shares for a certain period of time (used especially to attract investors to privatisation issues) LSE abbreviation London Stock Exchange Ltd abbreviation limited company LTOM abbreviation London Traded Options Market LTV abbreviation loan to value lull /ll/ noun a quiet period 쑗 After last week’s hectic trading this week’s lull was welcome. lump sum /lmp sm/ noun money paid in one single amount, not in several small sums 쑗 When he retired he was given a lump-sum bonus. 쑗 She sold her house and invested the money as a lump sum. luncheon voucher /lnʃtən vaυtʃə/ noun a ticket given by an employer to an employee in addition to their wages, which can be exchanged for food in a restaurant luxury goods /lkʃəri υdz/, luxury items /lkʃəri atəmz/ plural noun expensive items which are not basic necessities luxury tax /lkʃəri tks/ noun an extra tax levied on luxury goods

M m abbreviation 1. metre 2. mile 3. million M0 /em nɔt/ symbol the narrowest British measure of money supply, including coins and notes in circulation plus the deposits of commercial banks with the Bank of England ‘Bank of England calculations of notes in circulation suggest that the main component of the narrow measure of money supply, M0, is likely to have risen by 0.4 per cent after seasonal adjustments’ [Times]

M1 /em wn/ symbol a measure of money supply, including all coins and notes plus personal money in current accounts M2 /em tu/ symbol a measure of money supply, including coins and notes and personal money in current and deposit accounts M3 /em θri/ symbol a broad measure of money supply, including M2 and personal money in government deposits and deposits in currencies other than sterling (in the US, it includes time deposits of more than $100,000 and money market funds and Eurodollars held by US residents) £M3 symbol a British measure of sterling money supply, including coins and notes, personal money in current and deposit accounts and government deposits Maastricht Treaty /mɑstrkt triti/ noun a treaty signed in 1992 which sets out the principles for a European Union and the convergence criteria for states wishing to join the EMU machine /məʃin/ noun a device which works with power from a motor machine-readable code /məʃin ridəb(ə)l kəυd/ noun a set of signs or letters (such as a bar code or post code) which can be read by computers macro- /mkrəυ/ prefix very large, covering a wide area

/mkrəυikənɒmks/ plural noun a study of the economics of a whole area, a whole industry, a whole group of the population or a whole country, in order to help in economic planning. Compare

macroeconomics

microeconomics (NOTE: takes a singular verb) macro funds /mkrəυ fndz/ plural noun large hedge funds which bet on

whole economies

macro hedge fund /mkrəυ hed$

fnd/ noun a hedge fund which invests in whole regions Madam Chairman /mdəm tʃeəmən/, Madam Chairwoman /mdəm tʃeəwυmən/ noun a way of speaking to a female chairman of a committee or meeting magazine /məzin/ noun a special type of newspaper, usually published only weekly or monthly, often with a glossy cover and often devoted to a particular subject 왍 magazine insert an advertising sheet put into a magazine when it is mailed or sold

magnetic

character

reading

/mnetk krktə ridŋ/, magnetic ink character recognition /mnetk ŋk krktə rekənʃ(ə)n/ noun a system that recognises

characters by sensing magnetic ink (used on cheques). Abbreviation MCR, MICR

magnetic ink /mnetk ŋk/

noun a special ink with magnetic particles in it, used for printing cheques magnetic strip /mnetk strp/, magnetic stripe /mnetk strap/ noun a black strip on credit cards and cashpoint cards, on which personal information about the account is recorded mail /mel/ noun 1. a system of sending letters and parcels from one place to another 쑗 The cheque was lost in the

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212

mail. 쑗 The invoice was put in the mail yesterday. 쑗 Mail to some of the islands in the Pacific can take six weeks. 왍 by mail using the postal services, not sending something by hand or by messenger 왍 we sent the order by first-class mail we sent the order by the most expensive mail service, designed to be faster 2. same as email 쐽 verb 1. to send something by mail 2. same as email

mail box /mel bɒks/ noun 1. one

of several boxes where incoming mail is put in a large building 2. a box where letters which are being sent are put to be collected 3. an area of a computer memory where emails are stored mailing /melŋ/ noun the sending of something by post 쑗 the mailing of publicity material mailing list /melŋ lst/ noun a list of names and addresses of people who might be interested in a product, or a list of names and addresses of members of a society 쑗 to build up a mailing list 쑗 Your name is on our mailing list. mailing piece /melŋ pis/ noun a leaflet suitable for sending by direct mail mail order /mel ɔdə/ noun a system of buying and selling from a catalogue, placing orders and sending goods by mail 쑗 We bought our kitchen units by mail order. mail-order business /mel ɔdə bzns/ noun a company which sells its products by mail mail-order catalogue /mel ɔdə kt(ə)lɒ/ noun a catalogue from which a customer can order items to be sent by mail mail-order selling /mel ɔdə selŋ/ noun a method of selling in which orders are taken and products are delivered by mail mail shot /mel ʃɒt/ noun 1. leaflets sent by post to possible customers 2. a single mailing of direct-mail advertising literature main /men/ adjective most important 쑗 main office 쑗 main building 쑗 one of our main customers 쑗 The main building houses our admin and finance departments.

major

main market /men mɑkt/ noun the London Stock Exchange (as opposed to the AIM market)

mainstream

corporation

tax

/menstrim kɒpəreʃ(ə)n tks/ noun the total tax paid by a com-

pany on its profits (less any advance corporation tax, which a company has already paid when distributing profits to its shareholders in the form of dividends). Abbreviation MCT Main Street /men strit/ noun US the most important street in a town, where the shops and banks usually are maintain /menten/ verb 1. to keep something going or working 쑗 We try to maintain good relations with our customers. 쑗 His trip aims to maintain contact with his important overseas markets. 2. to keep something working at the same level 쑗 to maintain an interest rate at 5% 쑗 The company has maintained the same volume of business in spite of the recession. 왍 to maintain a dividend to pay the same dividend as the previous year maintenance /mentənəns/ noun 1. the process of keeping things going or working 쑗 Maintenance of contacts is important for a sales rep. 쑗 It is essential to ensure the maintenance of supplies to the factory. 2. the process of keeping a machine in good working order 쑗 We offer a full maintenance service. ‘…responsibilities include the maintenance of large computerized databases’ [Times] ‘…the federal administration launched a full-scale investigation into the airline’s maintenance procedures’ [Fortune]

maintenance

contract

/mentənəns kɒntrkt/ noun a con-

tract by which a company keeps a piece of equipment in good working order maintenance fee /mentənəns fi/ noun a fee charged for keeping an account or a contract going majeure /m$%/ 쒁 force majeure major /med$ə/ adjective important 쑗 There is a major risk of fire. 왍 major shareholder a shareholder with a large number of shares ‘…if the share price sinks much further the company is going to look tempting to any major takeover merchant’ [Australian Financial Review]

majority

213

management

‘…monetary officials have reasoned that coordinated greenback sales would be able to drive the dollar down against other major currencies’ [Duns Business Month]

maladministration /mlədmn-

‘…a client base which includes many major commercial organizations and nationalized industries’ [Times]

an unlawful act manage /mnd$/ verb 1. to direct or to be in charge of something 쑗 to manage a branch office 쑗 A competent and motivated person is required to manage an important department in the company. 2. 왍 to manage property to look after rented property for the owner 왍 to manage a currency to intervene in the markets to influence a currency’s exchange rates

majority /məd$ɒrti/ noun more than half of a group 왍 majority of the share-

holders more than 50% of the shareholders 왍 the board accepted the proposal by a majority of three to two three members of the board voted to accept the proposal and two voted against accepting it majority shareholder /məd$ɒrəti ʃeəhəυldə/ noun a person who owns more than half the shares in a company majority shareholding /məd$ɒrəti ʃeəhəυldŋ/ noun a group of shares which are more than half the total majority vote /məd$ɒrti vəυt/, majority decision /məd$ɒrti ds$(ə)n/ noun a decision which represents the wishes of the largest group as shown by a vote make /mek/ verb 1. to do an action 왍 to make a bid for something to offer to buy something 왍 to make a payment to pay 왍 to make a deposit to pay money as a deposit 2. to earn money 쑗 He makes £50,000 a year or £25 an hour. 3. to increase in value 쑗 The shares made $2.92 in today’s trading. 4. 왍 to make a profit to have more money after a deal 왍 to make a loss to have less money after a deal 왍 to make a killing to make a very large profit make out /mek aυt/ verb to write something 쑗 to make out an invoice 쑗 The bill is made out to Smith & Co. 왍 to make out a cheque to someone to write someone’s name on a cheque make over /mek əυvə/ verb to transfer property legally 쑗 to make over the house to your children maker /mekə/ noun a person who signs a promissory note in which he or she promises to pay money make up /mek p/ verb 왍 to make up accounts to complete the accounts make up for /mek p fɔ/ verb to compensate for something 쑗 to make up for a short payment or for a late payment

streʃ(ə)n/ administration

noun

incompetent

malfeasance /mlfiz(ə)ns/ noun

‘…the research director will manage and direct a team of graduate business analysts reporting on consumer behaviour throughout the UK’ [Times]

manageable /mnd$əb(ə)l/ adjec-

tive which can be dealt with 쑗 The interest payments, though high, are still manageable. 쑗 The problems which the company faces are too large to be manageable by one person.

managed

derivatives

fund

/mnd$d drvətvz fnd/ noun a

fund which uses mainly futures and options instead of investing in the underlying securities managed float /mnd$d fləυt/ noun a process of floating of a currency where the exchange rate is controlled by the central bank. Compare clean float. Also called dirty float managed fund /mnd$d fnd/ noun a unit trust fund which is invested in specialist funds within the group and can be switched from one specialised investment area to another managed unit trust /mnd$d junt trst/ noun same as managed fund

management /mnd$mənt/ noun

1. the process of directing or running a business 쑗 a management graduate or a graduate in management 쑗 She studied management at university. 쑗 Good management or efficient management is essential in a large organisation. 쑗 Bad management or inefficient management can ruin a business. 2. a group of managers or directors 쑗 The management has decided to give everyone a pay increase. (NOTE: Where management refers to a group of people it is sometimes followed by a plural verb.) 3. the

management accountant

214

process of running a fund or investment portfolio for a client ‘…the management says that the rate of loss-making has come down and it expects further improvement in the next few years’ [Financial Times]

management

accountant

/mnd$mənt əkaυntənt/ noun an

accountant who prepares financial information for managers so that they can take decisions

management

accounts

/mnd$mənt əkaυnts/ plural noun

financial information prepared for a manager so that decisions can be made, including monthly or quarterly financial statements, often in great detail, with analysis of actual performance against the budget management buyin /mnd$mənt ban/ noun the purchase of a subsidiary company by a group of outside directors. Abbreviation MBI

management

buyout

/mnd$mənt baaυt/ noun the take-

over of a company by a group of employees, usually senior managers and directors. Abbreviation MBO

management

objectives

/mnd$mənt ba əbd$ektvz/ noun

a way of managing a business by planning work for the managers to do and testing if it is completed correctly and on time

management

charge

/mnd$mənt tʃɑd$/ noun same as annual management charge

management

consultant

/mnd$mənt kənsltənt/ noun a

person who gives advice on how to manage a business

management

course

/mnd$mənt kɔs/ noun a training

course for managers

management team /mnd$mənt

tim/ noun all the managers who work in a particular company

management

trainee

/mnd$mənt treni/ noun a young

member of staff who is being trained to be a manager

management /mnd$mənt

training

trenŋ/ noun the process of training staff to be managers, by making them study problems and work out solutions

mandatory bid

manager /mnd$ə/ noun 1. the

head of a department in a company 쑗 She’s a department manager in an engineering company. 쑗 Go and see the human resources manager if you have a problem. 쑗 The production manager has been with the company for only two weeks. 쑗 Our sales manager started as a rep in London. 2. the person in charge of a branch or shop 쑗 Mr Smith is the manager of our local Lloyds Bank. 쑗 The manager of our Lagos branch is in London for a series of meetings. ‘…the No. 1 managerial productivity problem in America is managers who are out of touch with their people and out of touch with their customers’ [Fortune]

managerial /mnəd$əriəl/ adjec-

tive referring to managers 쑗 All the managerial staff are sent for training every year. managership /mnd$əʃp/ noun the job of being a manager 쑗 After six years, she was offered the managership of a branch in Scotland. managing agent /mnd$ŋ ed$(ə)nt/ noun the person who runs the day-to-day activities of a Lloyd’s syndicate managing director /mnəd$ŋ darektə/ noun the director who is in charge of a whole company. Abbreviation MD

managing

underwriter

/mnd$ŋ ndəratə/ noun US an

underwriting firm which organises the underwriting of a share issue manat /mnt/ noun a unit of currency used in Turkmenistan M&A abbreviation mergers and acquisitions mandate /mndet/ noun an order which allows something to take place mandatory /mndət(ə)ri/ adjective which everyone must obey 쑗 Wearing a suit is mandatory for all managerial staff. 왍 mandatory meeting a meeting which all staff have to attend ‘…the wage talks are focusing on employment issues such as sharing of work among employees and extension of employment beyond the mandatory retirement age of 60 years’ [Nikkei Weekly]

mandatory bid /mndət(ə)ri bd/

noun an offer to purchase the shares of a company which has to be made when a

M&E fee

215

shareholder acquires 30% of that company’s shares M&E fee /em ən i fi/ noun same as mortality and expense risk charge manipulate /mənpjυlet/ verb 왍 to

manipulate the accounts to make false accounts so that the company seems profitable 왍 to manipulate the market to work to influence share prices in your favour

manpower /mnpaυə

forecasting

fɔkɑstŋ/ noun the process of calculating how many employees will be needed in the future, and how many will actually be available manpower planning /mnpaυə plnŋ/ noun the process of planning to obtain the right number of employees in each job manufactured goods /mnjufktʃəd υdz/ plural noun items which are made by machine marché noun the French word for market. 쏡 MATIF margin /mɑd$n/ noun 1. the difference between the money received when selling a product and the money paid for it 왍 we are cutting our margins very fine we are reducing our margins to the smallest possible in order to be competitive 왍 our margins have been squeezed profits have been reduced because our margins have to be smaller to stay competitive 2. extra space or time allowed 3. the difference between interest paid to depositors and interest charged to borrowers (by a bank, building society, etc.) 4. a deposit paid when purchasing a futures contract ‘…profit margins in the industries most exposed to foreign competition – machinery, transportation equipment and electrical goods – are significantly worse than usual’ [Australian Financial Review]

marginal /mɑd$n(ə)l/ adjective 1.

hardly worth the money paid 2. not very profitable 쑗 a marginal return on investment marginal cost /mɑd$n(ə)l kɒst/ noun the cost of making a single extra unit above the number already planned marginal land /mɑd$n(ə)l lnd/ noun land which is almost not worth farming marginal pricing /mɑd$n(ə)l prasŋ/ noun 1. the practice of basing

marital status

the selling price of a product on its variable costs of production plus a margin, but excluding fixed costs 2. the practice of making the selling price the same as the cost of a single extra unit above the number already planned marginal purchase /mɑd$n(ə)l p%tʃs/ noun something which a buyer feels is only just worth buying marginal rate of tax /mɑd$n(ə)l ret əv tks/, marginal rate of taxation /mɑd$n(ə)l ret əv tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun the percentage of tax which a taxpayer pays at the top rate (which he therefore pays on every further pound or dollar he earns) ‘…pensioner groups claim that pensioners have the highest marginal rates of tax. Income earned by pensioners above $30 a week is taxed at 62.5 per cent, more than the highest marginal rate’ [Australian Financial Review]

marginal revenue /mɑd$n(ə)l

revenju/ noun the income from selling a single extra unit above the number already sold marginal tax rate /mɑd$n(ə)l tks ret/ noun same as marginal rate of tax

margin call /mɑd$n kɔl/ noun a

request for a purchaser of a futures contract or an option to pay more margin, since the fall in the price of the securities or commodity has removed the value of the original margin deposited margin of error /mɑd$n əv erə/ noun the number of mistakes which can be accepted in a document or in a calculation margin of safety /mɑd$n əv sefti/ noun the units produced (or sales of such units) which are above the breakeven point marine underwriter /mərin ndəratə/ noun a person or company that insures ships and their cargoes marital /mrt(ə)l/ adjective referring to a marriage marital deductions /mrt(ə)l ddkʃ(ə)ns/ plural noun that part of an estate which is not subject to estate tax because it goes to the dead person’s spouse marital status /mrt(ə)l stetəs/ noun the condition of being married or not

maritime law

216

maritime law /mrtam lɔ/ noun

laws referring to ships, ports, etc. maritime lawyer /mrtam lɔjə/ noun a lawyer who specialises in legal matters concerning ships and cargoes mark /mɑk/ noun 1. a sign put on an item to show something 2. a former unit of currency in Germany 쑗 The price was twenty-five marks. 쑗 The mark rose against the dollar. (NOTE: Usually written DM after a figure: 25DM.)

marka /mɑkə/, markka noun a unit

of currency used before the euro in Finland (NOTE: written MK) mark down /mɑk daυn/ verb to make the price of something lower 왍 to mark down a price to lower the price of something 쑗 This range has been marked down to $24.99. 쑗 We have marked all prices down by 30% for the sale. mark-down /mɑk daυn/ noun 1. a reduction of the price of something to less than its usual price 2. the percentage amount by which a price has been lowered 쑗 There has been a 30% mark-down on all goods in the sale. market /mɑkt/ noun 1. an area where a product might be sold or the group of people who might buy a product 쑗 There is no market for this product. 쑗 Our share of the Far eastern market has gone down. 2. a place where money or commodities are traded 왍 global financial markets world-wide finance markets 쑗 The global financial markets precipitated the Mexican crisis of 1994–95. 3. 왍 to buy shares in the open market to buy shares on the Stock Exchange, not privately 왍 to come to the market (of a company) to apply for a Stock Exchange listing, by offering some of the existing shares for sale, or by floating it as a new company 왍 sell at the market an instruction to stockbroker to sell shares at the best price possible 왍 to bring a company to the market to arrange the flotation of a company’s shares on the market 왍 to make a market in securities to offer to buy or sell securities on a selected list at any time 4. a place where shares are bought and sold 쑗 The market in oil shares was very active or There was a brisk market in oil shares. 5. 왍 to go up market, to go down market to make products which appeal to a wealthy sec-

marketing

tion of the market or to a wider, less wealthy section of the market 쐽 verb to sell a product, or to present and promote a product in a way which will help to sell it 쑗 This product is being marketed in all European countries. ‘…market analysts described the falls in the second half of last week as a technical correction to a market which had been pushed by demand to over the 900 index level’ [Australian Financial Review]

marketability /mɑktəblti/ noun

the fact of being able to be sold easily 쑗 the marketability of shares in electronic companies marketable /mɑktəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be sold easily

marketable

securities

/mɑktəb(ə)l skjυərtiz/ plural noun stocks, shares, CDs etc., which

can be bought or sold on a stock market analysis /mɑkt ənləss/ noun the detailed examination and report of a market market analyst /mɑkt nəlst/ noun a person who studies the stock market in general market basket /mɑkt bɑskt/ noun same as shopping basket market capitalisation /mɑkt kptəlazeʃ(ə)n/ noun 쑗 company with a £1m capitalisation market cycle /mɑkt sak(ə)l/ noun a period during which a market expands, then slows down and then expands again market economist /mɑkt kɒnəmst/ noun a person who specialises in the study of financial structures and the return on investments in the stock market market economy /mɑkt kɒnəmi/ noun same as free market

market

economy

market forces /mɑkt fɔsz/ plu-

ral noun the influences on the sales of a product which bring about a change in prices market forecast /mɑkt fɔkɑst/ noun a forecast of prices on the stock market marketing /mɑktŋ/ noun the business of presenting and promoting goods or services in such a way as to make customers want to buy them

marketing agreement

217

‘…reporting to the marketing director, the successful applicant will be responsible for the development of a training programme for the new sales force’ [Times]

marketing agreement /mɑktŋ

ərimənt/ noun a contract by which one company will market another company’s products marketing department /mɑktŋ dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of a company dealing with marketing and sales marketing manager /mɑktŋ mnd$ə/ noun a person in charge of a marketing department 쑗 The marketing manager has decided to start a new advertising campaign. market leader /mɑkt lidə/ noun 1. a product which sells most in a market 2. the company with the largest market share 쑗 We are the market leader in home computers. ‘…market leaders may benefit from scale economies or other cost advantages; they may enjoy a reputation for quality simply by being at the top, or they may actually produce a superior product that gives them both a large market share and high profits’ [Accountancy]

marketmaker /mɑktmekə/ noun

a person who buys or sells shares on the stock market and offers to do so in a certain list of securities (a marketmaker operates a book, listing the securities he or she is willing to buy or sell, and makes his or her money by charging a commission on each transaction) market neutral funds /mɑkt njutrəl fndz/ plural noun hedge funds not related to general market movements, but which try to find opportunities to arbitrage temporary slight changes in the relative values of particular financial assets market operator /mɑkt ɒpəretə/ noun a person who trades on a stock market or financial market market opportunity /mɑkt ɒpətjunti/ noun the possibility of going into a market for the first time market optimism /mɑkt ɒptmzəm/ noun a feeling that the stock market will rise market order /mɑkt ɔdə/ noun an order to a broker to buy or sell at the current price market polarisation /mɑkt pəυlərazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation

market value adjuster

where a market is concentrated round a few suppliers or traders market price /mɑkt pras/ noun 1. the price at which a product can be sold 2. the price at which a share stands in a stock market market professionals /mɑkt prəfeʃ(ə)nəlz/ plural noun people who work in a stock market, as brokers, analysts, etc. market purchases /mɑkt p%tʃsz/ plural noun purchases of shares in a company on the normal stock market (by a company planning a takeover bid) market rate /mɑkt ret/ noun the normal price in the market 쑗 We pay the market rate for secretaries or We pay secretaries the market rate. ‘…after the prime rate cut yesterday, there was a further fall in short-term market rates’ [Financial Times]

market research /mɑkt rs%tʃ/

noun the process of examining the possible sales of a product and the possible customers for it before it is put on the market market sentiment /mɑkt sentmənt/ noun a general feeling among investors or financial analysts on a stock market market share /mɑkt ʃeə/ noun the percentage of a total market which the sales of a company’s product cover 쑗 We hope our new product range will increase our market share. market strategist /mɑkt strtəd$st/ noun a person who plans how to buy and sell on the stock market market trends /mɑkt trendz/ plural noun gradual changes taking place in a market market value /mɑkt vlju/ noun the value of an asset, a share, a product or a company if sold today market value added /mɑkt vlju dd/ noun the difference between a company’s market value and the amount of its invested capital. Abbreviation MVA market value adjuster /mɑkt vlju əd$stə/ noun a method of calculating the loss in market value of a bond or insurance when it is being surrendered. Abbreviation MVA

market watcher

218

market watcher /mɑkt wɒtʃə/

noun a person who follows stock market trends closely mark up /mɑk p/ verb to increase the price of something 왍 to mark prices up to increase prices 쑗 These prices have been marked up by 10%. mark-up /mɑk p/ noun 1. an increase in price 쑗 We put into effect a 10% mark-up of all prices in June. 쑗 Since I was last in the store they have put at least a 5% mark-up on the whole range of items. 2. the difference between the cost of a product or service and its selling price 왍 we work to a 3.5 times mark-up or to a 350% mark-up we take the unit cost and multiply by 3.5 to give the selling price mass production /ms prədkʃən/ noun the manufacture of large quantities of identical products mass unemployment /ms nmplɔmənt/ noun unemployment affecting large numbers of people MasterCard noun an international credit organisation, backed by a group of banks (NOTE: A similar organisation is Visa International.) matched bargains /mtʃd bɑnz/ plural noun sales and purchases of shares which are conducted at the same time, where the buyers and sellers come together to agree on the price (as opposed to the ‘quotation’ system, where the marketmakers make the selling prices for shares) 왍 to trade on a matched bargain basis to arrange to sell shares for a client and buy them for another client, without having to take a position in the shares MATIF noun the French financial futures market. Full form marché à terme des instruments financiers mature /mətjυə/ adjective 왍 mature economy a fully developed economy 쐽 verb to become due 왍 bills which mature in three weeks’ time bills which will be due for payment in three weeks maturity /mətjυərti/ noun 1. the third stage in a product life cycle when a product is well established in the market though no longer enjoying increasing sales, after which sooner or later it will start to decline 2. the time at which something becomes due for payment or repayment 왍 amount payable on matu-

mean

rity the amount received by the insured person when a policy matures maturity date /mətʃυərti det/ noun a date when a government stock, an assurance policy or a debenture will become due for payment. Also called date of maturity

maturity yield /mətʃυərti jild/

noun a calculation of the yield on a fixed-interest investment, assuming it is bought at a certain price and held to maturity maximisation /mksmazeʃ(ə)n/, maximization noun the process of making something as large as possible 쑗 profit maximisation or maximisation of profit maximise /mksmaz/, maximize verb to make something as large as possible 쑗 Our aim is to maximise profits. 쑗 The cooperation of the workforce will be needed if we are to maximise production. 쑗 He is paid on results, and so has to work flat out to maximise his earnings. maximum /mksməm/ noun the largest possible number, price or quantity 쑗 It is the maximum the insurance company will pay. (NOTE: The plural is maxima or maximums.) 왍 up to a maximum of £10 no more than £10 왍 to increase exports to the maximum to increase exports as much as possible 쐽 adjective largest possible 쑗 40% is the maximum income tax rate or the maximum rate of tax. 쑗 The maximum load for the truck is one ton. 쑗 Maximum production levels were reached last week. 왍 to increase production to the maximum level to increase it as much as possible May Day /me de/ noun the change in practices on American Stock Exchanges which took place on 1st May 1975, with the removal of the system of fixed commissions. This allowed cheaper stock trading by brokers who did not offer any investment advice, and ultimately led to computerised financial dealing in general. (NOTE: The UK term is Big Bang.)

MBO abbreviation management buyout mean /min/ adjective average 쑗 The

mean annual increase in sales is 3.20%.

왍 mean price the average price of a

share in a day’s trading 쐽 noun the av-

means

219

erage or number calculated by adding several quantities together and dividing by the number of quantities added 쑗 Unit sales are over the mean for the first quarter or above the first-quarter mean. means /minz/ noun a way of doing something 쑗 Do we have any means of copying all these documents quickly? 쑗 Bank transfer is the easiest means of payment. (NOTE: The plural is means.) 쐽 plural noun money or resources 쑗 The company has the means to launch the new product. 쑗 Such a level of investment is beyond the means of a small private company. means test /minz test/ noun an inquiry into how much money someone earns to see if they are eligible for state benefits 쐽 verb to find out how much money someone has in savings and assets 쑗 All applicants will be means-tested. measure /me$ə/ noun 1. a way of calculating size or quantity 왍 as a measure of the company’s performance as a way of judging if the company’s results are good or bad 2. a type of action 왍 to take measures to prevent something happening to act to stop something happening 쐽 verb 왍 to measure the government’s performance to judge how well the government is doing measurement /me$əmənt/ noun a way of judging something 쑗 growth measurement 쑗 performance measurement or measurement of performance

measurement

profitability

/me$əmənt əv prɒftəblti/ noun a

way of calculating how profitable something is mechanic’s lien /mknks liən/ noun US a lien on buildings or other property which can be enforced by workmen until they have been paid median /midiən/ noun the middle number in a list of numbers medical insurance /medk(ə)l nʃυərəns/ noun insurance which pays the cost of medical treatment, especially when someone is travelling abroad medium /midiəm/ adjective middle or average 쑗 The company is of medium size. medium-dated stocks /midiəm detd stɒks/ plural noun same as mediums

member

mediums /midiəmz/ plural noun

government stocks which mature in seven to fifteen years’ time

medium-sized

company

/midiəm sazd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a

company which has a turnover of less than £5.75m and does not employ more than 250 staff 쑗 a medium-sized engineering company medium-term /midiəm t%m/ adjective referring to a point between short term and long term 왍 medium-term forecast a forecast for two or three years 왍 medium-term loan a bank loan for three to five years medium-term bond /midiəm t%m bɒnd/ noun a bond which matures within five to fifteen years meet /mit/ verb 1. to be satisfactory for something 쑗 We must have a product which meets our requirements. 왍 we will try to meet your price we will try to offer a price which is acceptable to you 왍 they failed to meet the deadline they were not able to complete in time 2. to pay for something 쑗 The company will meet your expenses. 쑗 He was unable to meet his mortgage repayments. (NOTE: meeting – met) meeting /mitŋ/ noun an event at

which a group of people come together in order to discuss matters of common interest to them 왍 to hold a meeting to organise a meeting of a group of people 쑗 The meeting will be held in the committee room. 왍 to open a meeting to start a meeting 왍 to conduct a meeting to be in the chair for a meeting 왍 to close a meeting to end a meeting 왍 to address a meeting to speak to a meeting 왍 to put a resolution to a meeting to ask a meeting to vote on a proposal ‘…in proportion to your holding you have a stake in every aspect of the company, including a vote in the general meetings’ [Investors Chronicle]

mega-cap /meə kp/ noun a share

with the very highest capitalisation and growth. 쏡 cap, mid-cap, small-cap member /membə/ noun 1. a person who belongs to a group, society or organisation 쑗 Committee members voted on the proposal. 쑗 They were elected members of the board. 쑗 Every employer is a member of the employers’ federation. 2. a shareholder in a company 3. an organisation which belongs

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220

to a larger organisation 쑗 the member companies of a trade association 쑗 The member states of the EU. 쑗 The members of the United Nations. ‘…it will be the first opportunity for party members and trade union members to express their views on the tax package’ [Australian Financial Review]

member bank /membə bŋk/ noun

a bank which is part of the Federal Reserve system member firm /membə f%m/ noun a stockbroking firm which is a member of a stock exchange member’s agent /membəz ed$ənt/ noun a person who works on behalf of the names in a Lloyd’s syndicate membership /membəʃp/ noun all the members of a group 쑗 The union membership was asked to vote for the new president. ‘…the bargaining committee will recommend that its membership ratify the agreement at a meeting called for June’ [Toronto Star]

Member States /membə stets/

plural noun states which are members of an organisation such as the EU or the UN 쑗 the member countries of the EU 쑗 the members of the United Nations 쑗 the member companies of a trade association

memorandum and articles of association /memərndəm ənd

ɑtik(ə)lz əv əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/, memoof association /memərndəm əv əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun the legal documents which set up a limited company and give details of its name, aims, authorised share capital, conduct of meetings, appointment of directors and registered office mentee /menti/ noun a less experienced employee who is offered special guidance and support by a respected and trusted person with more experience (a mentor) mentor /mentɔ/ noun a person who is respected and trusted by a less experienced employee and offers special guidance and support to them mercantile /m%kəntal/ adjective commercial 왍 mercantile country a country which earns income from trade 왍 mercantile law laws relating to business randum

merit rating

mercantile agency /m%kəntal

ed$(ə)nsi/ noun same as credit-reference agency mercantile agent /m%kəntal ed$ənt/ noun a person who sells on

behalf of a business or another person and earns a commission mercantile marine /m%kəntal mərin/ noun all the commercial ships of a country merchant /m%tʃənt/ noun a company, shop or other business which accepts a certain type of credit card for purchases merchant bank /m%tʃənt bŋk/ noun 1. a bank which arranges loans to companies, deals in international finance, buys and sells shares and launches new companies on the Stock Exchange, but does not provide normal banking services to the general public 2. US a bank which operates a credit card system (accepting payment on credit cards from retailers or ‘merchants’) merchant banker /m%tʃənt bŋkə/ noun a person who has a high position in a merchant bank merchant marine /m%tʃənt mərin/, merchant navy /m%tʃənt nevi/ noun all the commercial ships of a country merchant number /m%tʃənt nmbə/ noun a number of the merchant, printed at the top of the report slip when depositing credit card payments merge /m%d$/ verb to join together 쑗 The two companies have merged. 쑗 The firm merged with its main competitor. merger /m%d$ə/ noun the joining together of two or more companies 쑗 As a result of the merger, the company is now the largest in the field. merger accounting /m%d$ə əkaυntŋ/ noun a way of presenting the accounts of a newly acquired company within the group accounts, so as to show it in the best possible light merit increase /mert nkris/ noun an increase in pay given to an employee because his or her work is good merit rating /mert retŋ/ noun the process of judging how well an employee works, so that payment can be according to merit

metal

221

metal /met(ə)l/ noun a material (ei-

ther an element or a compound) which can carry heat and electricity COMMENT: Only some metals are traded

as commodities: these are the base metals aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, zinc (which are traded on the London Metal Exchange) and the precious metals gold, silver, platinum and palladium (which are traded on the London Bullion Market, COMEX, and other exchanges).

method /meθəd/ noun a way of do-

ing something 쑗 They devised a new method of sending data. 쑗 What is the best method of payment? 쑗 His organising methods are out of date. 쑗 Their manufacturing methods or production methods are among the most modern in the country. metical /metk(ə)l/ noun a unit of currency used in Mozambique

mezzanine

class

stock

/metsənin klɑs stɒk/ noun a type of

common stock rated at a level below the top double-A or triple-A ratings mezzanine finance /metsənin fanns/ noun finance provided to a company after it has received start-up finance COMMENT: Mezzanine finance is slightly

less risky than start-up finance, since the company has usually already started trading; it is, however, unsecured. This type of finance is aimed at consolidating a company’s trading position before it is floated on a stock exchange.

MFN

abbreviation

most

favoured

nation

Mibtel /mbtel/ noun an index of

share prices on the Milan stock exchange in Italy micro- /makrəυ/ prefix very small micro-cap /makrəυ kp/ noun a share in a company with very small capitalisation microeconomics /makrəυ ikənɒmks/ plural noun the study of the economics of people or single companies. Compare macroeconomics (NOTE: takes a singular verb)

microfiche /makrəυfiʃ/ noun an

index sheet, made of several microfilm photographs 쑗 We hold our records on microfiche.

mid-month

microfilm /makrəυflm/ noun a roll

of film on which a document is photographed in very small scale 쑗 We hold our records on microfilm. 쐽 verb to make a very small-scale photograph 쑗 Send the 1998 correspondence to be microfilmed or for microfilming. micropayments /makrəυpemənts/ plural noun a technology developed to allow visitors to spend very small amounts of money (normally for information) on an Internet site COMMENT: When people are purchasing

goods or spending more than £5 on an Internet site, it is commercially viable for the retailer to accept payment by credit card or any other form of e-money. When people are being charged very small amounts (normally a few pence or cents) for information, it is not worth while collecting the payment from a standard credit card. Micropayments allow the retailer to debit the visitor’s e-purse or bank account directly.

mid- /md/ prefix middle 왍 from mid 2001 from the middle of 2001 쑗 The factory is closed until mid-July. mid-cap /md kp/, midcap noun a share in a company with medium-sized capitalisation (on the London Stock Exchange, a capitalisation of between £300m and £2.5bn) middle /md(ə)l/ adjective in the centre or between two points middle-income /md(ə)l ŋkm/ adjective 왍 people in the middle-income bracket people with average incomes, not very high or very low middleman /md(ə)lmn/ noun a person who negotiates with large companies on behalf of personal clients middle management /md(ə)l mnd$mənt/ noun department managers in a company, who carry out the policy set by the directors and organise the work of a group of employees middle price /md(ə)l pras/ noun a price between the buying and selling price (usually shown in indices) middle rate /md(ə)l ret/ noun an exchange rate between the buy and sell rates for a foreign currency mid-month /md mnθ/ adjective which happens in the middle of the month 쑗 mid-month accounts

mid-sized

222

mid-sized /md sazd/, midsize /mdsaz/ adjective 왍 mid-sized company US a company which is larger than a small company but smaller than a large company mid-week /md wik/ adjective which happens in the middle of a week 쑗 the mid-week lull in sales mill /ml/ noun one-fifth of a cent million /mljən/ noun number 1,000,000 쑗 The company lost £10 million in the African market. 쑗 Our turnover has risen to $13.4 million. 쏡 billion, trillion (NOTE: Can be written m after figures: $5m (say ‘five million dollars.’)) millionaire /mljəneə/ noun a per-

son who has more than one million pounds or dollars min abbreviation 1. minute 2. minimum mini- /mni/ prefix very small minibudget /mnibd$t/ noun an interim statement about financial plans from a finance minister minimum /mnməm/ noun the smallest possible quantity, price or number 쑗 to keep expenses to a minimum 쑗 to reduce the risk of a loss to a minimum

(NOTE: The plural is minima or minimums.) 쐽 adjective smallest possible 왍

minimum dividend the smallest dividend which is legal and accepted by the shareholders 왍 minimum payment the smallest payment necessary 왍 minimum quantity the smallest quantity which is acceptable minimum balance /mnməm bləns/ noun the smallest amount of money which must be kept in an account to qualify for the services provided

Minimum

/mnməm

Lending

Rate

lendŋ ret/ noun formerly, the rate at which the Bank of England used to lend to other banks (now called the ‘base rate’). Abbreviation MLR minimum reserves /mnməm rz%vz/ plural noun the smallest amount of reserves which a commercial bank must hold with a central bank minimum wage /mnməm wed$/ noun the lowest hourly wage which a company can legally pay its employees

mint

mining /manŋ/ 쏡 data mining mining concession /manŋ kən-

seʃ(ə)n/ noun the right to dig a mine on a piece of land minister /mnstə/ noun a member of a government who is in charge of a ministry 쑗 a government minister 쑗 the Minister of Trade or the Trade Minister 쑗 the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Foreign Minister COMMENT: In the US, heads of govern-

ment departments are called secretary: the Secretary for Commerce. In the UK, heads of government departments are called Secretary of State: the Secretary of State for Defence.

ministry /mnstri/ noun a department in the government 쑗 a ministry official or an official from the ministry 쑗 She works in the Ministry of Finance or the Finance Ministry. 쑗 He is in charge of the Ministry of Information or of the Information Ministry. (NOTE: In the UK and the USA, important ministries are called departments: the Department of Trade and Industry, the Commerce Department.) minor /manə/ adjective less impor-

tant 쑗 Items of minor expenditure are not listed separately. 쑗 The minor shareholders voted against the proposal. 쐽 noun a person less than eighteen years old minority /manɒrti/ noun 1. a number or quantity which is less than half of the total 쑗 A minority of board members opposed the chairman. 쑗 A minority of the union members opposed the motion. 왍 in the minority being fewer than half 쑗 Good salesmen are in the minority in our sales team. 2. a section of the population from a specific racial group, which does nor make up the majority of the population minority shareholder /manɒrəti ʃeəhəυldə/ noun a person who owns a group of shares but less than half of the shares in a company minority shareholding /manɒrəti ʃeəhəυldŋ/ noun a group of shares which are less than half the total 쑗 He acquired a minority shareholding in the company. mint /mnt/ noun a factory where coins are made 쐽 verb to make coins

minus

223

minus /manəs/ preposition, adverb

less, without 쑗 Net salary is gross salary minus tax and National Insurance deductions. 쑗 Gross profit is sales minus production costs. 쐽 adjective 왍 the accounts show a minus figure the accounts show that more has been spent than has been received 쐽 noun a printed sign (-) showing a loss or decrease 쑗 At the end of the day the index showed a series of minuses, with very few pluses. minus factor /manəs fktə/ noun an unfavourable factor 쑗 To have lost sales in the best quarter of the year is a minus factor for the sales team. (NOTE: The opposite is plus.)

MIRAS abbreviation mortgage interest relief at source

mirror fund /mrə fnd/ noun an in-

vestment trust where the manager also runs a unit trust with the same objectives misappropriate /msəprəυpriet/ verb to use illegally money which is not yours, but with which you have been trusted misappropriation /msəprəυprieʃ(ə)n/ noun the illegal use of money by someone who is not the owner but who has been trusted to look after it miscalculate /msklkjυlet/ verb to calculate wrongly, or to make a mistake in calculating something 쑗 The salesman miscalculated the discount, so we hardly broke even on the deal. miscalculation /msklkjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun a mistake in calculating miscount noun /mskaυnt/ a mistake in counting 쐽 verb /mskaυnt/ to count wrongly, or to make a mistake in counting something 쑗 The shopkeeper miscounted, so we got twenty-five bars of chocolate instead of two dozen. misfeasance /msfiz(ə)ns/ noun the offence of doing something in an improper way mismanage /msmnd$/ verb to manage something badly 쑗 The company had been badly mismanaged under the previous MD. mismanagement /msmnd$mənt/ noun bad management 쑗 The company failed because of the chairman’s mismanagement.

model

misrepresent /msreprzent/ verb

to report facts or what someone says wrongly 쑗 Our spokesman was totally misrepresented in the Sunday papers. misrepresentation /msreprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of making a wrong statement in order to persuade someone to enter into a contract such as one for buying a product or service 2. the act of wrongly reporting facts mistake /mstek/ noun an act or decision which is wrong, or something that has been done wrongly 쑗 It was a mistake to let him name his own salary. 쑗 There was a mistake in the address. 왍 to make a mistake to do something wrong 쑗 The shop made a mistake and sent the wrong items. 쑗 He made a mistake in addressing the letter. 왍 by mistake in error, wrongly 쑗 They sent the wrong items by mistake. 쑗 She put my letter into an envelope for the chairman by mistake. misuse /msjus/ noun a wrong use 쑗 the misuse of funds or of assets Mittelstand noun the German word for the sector of medium-sized companies mixed /mkst/ adjective 1. made up of different sorts or of different types of things together 2. neither good nor bad ‘…prices closed on a mixed note after a moderately active trading session’ [Financial Times]

mixed economy /mkst kɒnəmi/

noun a system which contains both nationalised industries and private enterprise MMC abbreviation Monopolies and Mergers Commission mobilise /məυblaz/, mobilize verb to bring things or people together and prepare them for action, especially to fight 왍 to mobilise capital to collect capital to support something 왍 to mobilise resources to defend a takeover bid to get the support of shareholders, etc., to stop a company being taken over mode /məυd/ noun a way of doing something 왍 mode of payment the way in which payment is made, e.g. cash or cheque model /mɒd(ə)l/ noun 1. a small copy of something made to show what it will look like when finished 쑗 They showed us a model of the new office building. 2.

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224

a style or type of product 쑗 This is the latest model. 쑗 The model on display is last year’s. 쑗 I drive a 2001 model Range Rover. 3. a person whose job is to wear new clothes to show them to possible buyers 4. something which can be copied 쑗 the Swedish model of industrial relations 5. a description in the form of mathematical data 쐽 adjective which is a perfect example to be copied 쑗 a model agreement 쐽 verb to wear new clothes to show them to possible buyers 쑗 She has decided on a career in modelling. (NOTE: UK English is modelling – modelled, but the US spelling is modeling – modeled.)

model risk /mɒd(ə)l rsk/ noun the

possibility that a computer model used when investing may have a flaw which makes it function badly in extreme market conditions modem /məυdem/ noun a device which links a computer to a telephone line, allowing data to be sent from one computer to another modest /mɒdst/ adjective small 쑗 Oil shares showed modest gains over the week’s trading. modified accounts /mɒdfad əkaυntz/ plural noun less detailed annual accounts which can be deposited with the Registrar of Companies by small or medium-sized companies momentum /məυmentəm/ noun a movement upwards of share prices, suggesting that prices will continue to rise momentum investor /məυmentəm nvestə/ noun an investor who buys shares which seem to be moving upwards monetarism /mntərz(ə)m/ noun a theory that the amount of money in the economy affects the level of prices, so that inflation can be controlled by regulating money supply monetarist /mntərst/ noun a person who believes in monetarism and acts accordingly 쐽 adjective according to monetarism 쑗 monetarist theories monetary /mnt(ə)ri/ adjective referring to money or currency ‘…the decision by the government to tighten monetary policy will push the annual inflation rate above the year’s previous high’ [Financial Times]

money ‘…it is not surprising that the Fed started to ease monetary policy some months ago’ [Sunday Times] ‘…a draft report on changes in the international monetary system’ [Wall Street Journal]

monetary control /mnt(ə)ri kən-

trəυl/ noun control of the money supply monetary policy /mnt(ə)ri pɒlsi/ noun the government’s policy relating to finance, e.g. bank interest rates, taxes, government expenditure and borrowing

Monetary

Policy

Committee

/mnt(ə)ri pɒlsi kəmti/ noun a

committee of the Bank of England, chaired by the Governor of the Bank, which has responsibility for setting interest rates independently of the British government. Its aim is to set rates with a view to keeping inflation at a certain level, and avoiding deflation. Abbreviation MPC ‘Its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) gets an opportunity to reveal whether it is still affected by the Christmas spirit when it meets this Wednesday’ [The Times] ‘The Fed next meets to consider interest rates on February 3 and 4, just one day ahead of the February MPC meeting’ [The Times]

monetary standard /mnt(ə)ri

stndəd/ noun the fixing of a fixed exchange rate for a currency monetary targets /mnt(ə)ri tɑtz/ plural noun figures such as the money supply or the PSBR, which are given as targets by the government when setting out its budget for the forthcoming year monetary unit /mnt(ə)ri junt/ noun a main item of currency of a country (a dollar, pound, yen, etc.) money /mni/ noun 1. coins and notes used for buying and selling 왍 to earn money to have a wage or salary 왍 to earn good money to have a large wage or salary 왍 to lose money to make a loss, not to make a profit 왍 the company has been losing money for months the company has been working at a loss for months 왍 to get your money back to make enough profit to cover your original investment 왍 to make money to make a profit 왍 to put money into the bank to deposit money into a bank account 왍 to put money into a business to invest money in a

money at call

225

business 쑗 She put all her redundancy money into a shop. 왍 to put money down to pay cash, especially as a deposit 쑗 We put £25 down and paid the rest in instalments. 왍 money up front payment in advance 쑗 They are asking for £10,000 up front before they will consider the deal. 쑗 He had to put money up front before he could clinch the deal. 왍 they are worth a lot of money they are valuable 2. 왍 in the money referring to an option to buy at a lower price or to sell at a higher price than the share is currently at 왍 out of the money referring to an option to buy at a higher price or to sell at a lower price than a share is currently trading at money at call /mni ət kɔl/, money on call /mni ɒn kɔl/ noun same as call money money-back guarantee /mni bk rənti/, money-back offer /mni bk ɒfə/ noun a guarantee that money will be paid back to customers who are not satisfied with their purchases moneyback option /mnibk ɒpʃən/ noun an option that guarantees to return the premium if the option is not taken up money broker /mni brəυkə/ noun a dealer operating in the interbank and foreign exchange markets money-changer /mni tʃend$ə/ noun same as changer money laundering /mni lɔndərŋ/ noun the act of passing illegal money into the normal banking system moneylender /mnilendə/ noun a person who lends money at interest money lying idle /mni laŋ ad(ə)l/ noun money which is not being used to produce interest, which is not invested in business money-making /mni mekŋ/ adjective which makes money 쑗 a money-making plan money management /mni mnd$mənt/ noun same as fund management

money market /mni mɑkt/

noun 1. a place where large sums of money are lent or borrowed 2. a market for buying and selling short-term loans

money supply

or financial instruments such as Treasury bills and CDs, which can be easily converted to cash 쑗 The international money markets are nervous. money market basis /mni mɑkt bess/ noun 왍 on a money market basis calculated on a year of 365 days money market fund /mni mɑkt fnd/ noun an investment fund, which only invests in money market instruments

money

market

instruments

/mni mɑkt nstrυmənts/ plural noun short-term investments, such as

CDs, which can be easily turned into cash and are traded on the money markets money order /mni ɔdə/ noun a document which can be bought as a way of sending money through the post money purchase scheme /mni p%tʃs skim/ noun any pension scheme to which members make contributions which determine the final pension (as opposed to a ‘final salary scheme’ where the pension is a percentage of the final salary earned) money rates /mni rets/ plural noun rates of interest for borrowers or lenders money-spinner /mni spnə/ noun an item which sells very well or which is very profitable 쑗 The home-delivery service has proved to be a real money-spinner. money supply /mni səpla/ noun the amount of money which exists in a country COMMENT: Money supply is believed by

some to be at the centre of control of a country’s economy. If money supply is tight (i.e. the government restricts the issue of new notes and reduces the possibility of lending) the amount of money available in the economy is reduced and thus may reduce spending. Money supply is calculated in various ways: M0 (or narrow money supply), including coins and notes in circulation plus the deposits of commercial banks with the Bank of England; M1, including all coins and notes plus personal money in current accounts; M2, including coins and notes and personal money in current and deposit accounts; M3, including coins and notes,

monies

226

personal money in current and deposit accounts, government deposits and deposits in currencies other than sterling (called £M3 in Britain); M4, including M3 plus money on deposit in banks and Treasury bills; M5, the broadest measure, which is formed of M4 plus building society accounts and accounts with national savings. In the US, money supply also includes L, which is calculated as M3, plus Treasury bills, bonds and commercial paper.

monies /mniz/ plural noun sums of

money 쑗 monies owing to the company to collect monies due monitor /mɒntə/ noun a screen on a computer 쑗 He brought up the information on the monitor. 쐽 verb to check or to examine how something is working 쑗 He is monitoring the progress of sales. 쑗 How do you monitor the performance of the sales reps? 쑗

Monopolies and Mergers Commission /mənɒpəliz ən m%d$əz

kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun a government organisation which examines takeover bids at the request of the Office of Fair Trading, to see if a successful bid would result in a monopoly and so harm the consumer by reducing competition. Abbreviation MMC

monopoly /mənɒpəli/ noun a situa-

tion where one person or company is the only supplier of a particular product or service 쑗 to be in a monopoly situation 쑗 The company has the monopoly of imports of Brazilian wine. 쑗 The factory has the absolute monopoly of jobs in the town. (NOTE: The more usual US term is trust.)

month /mnθ/ noun one of twelve pe-

riods which make a year 쑗 bills due at the end of the current month 쑗 The company pays him £100 a month. 쑗 She earns £2,000 a month. 왍 paid by the month paid once each month 왍 to give a customer two months’ credit to allow a customer to pay not immediately, but after two months month end /mnθ end/ noun the end of a calendar month, when accounts have to be drawn up 쑗 The accounts department are working on the month-end accounts. monthly /mnθli/ adjective happening every month or which is received every month 쑗 We get a monthly state-

mortality

ment from the bank. 쑗 She makes monthly payments to the credit card company. 쑗 He is paying for his car by monthly instalments. 쑗 My monthly salary cheque is late. 왍 monthly ticket a ticket for travel which is good for one month 왍 monthly statement a statement sent to a customer at the end of each month, itemising transactions which have taken place in his or her account 쐽 adverb every month 쑗 He asked if he could pay monthly by direct debit. 쑗 The account is credited monthly. monthly sales report /mnθli selz rpɔt/ noun a report made every month showing the number of items sold or the amount of money a company has received for selling stock

Moody’s

Investors

Service

/mudiz nvestəz s%vs/ noun an

American rating organisation, which gives a rating showing the reliability of a debtor organisation (its ratings run from AAA to C). It also issues ratings on municipal bonds, running from MIG1 (the highest rating) to MIG4. 쏡

Standard & Poor’s moonlight /munlat/ verb to do a

second job for cash (often in the evening) as well as a regular job (informal ) moonlighter /munlatə/ noun a person who moonlights moonlighting /munlatŋ/ noun the practice of doing a second job 쑗 He makes thousands a year from moonlighting. moratorium /mɒrətɔriəm/ noun a temporary stop to repayments of interest on loans or capital owed 쑗 The banks called for a moratorium on payments. .

(NOTE: The plural is moratoria or moratoriums.) Morningstar /mɔnŋstɑ/ noun US

an agency which gives ratings to mutual funds

mortality and expense risk charge /mɔtlti ən kspens rsk

tʃɑd$/ noun an extra charge to pay on some annuities to guarantee that if the policyholder dies his heirs will receive a benefit, and also that the insurance company will be compensated for an annuitant who lives longer than he or she should according to the mortality tables. Also called M&E fee

mortality rate

227

mortality rate /mɔtləti ret/ noun

the number of deaths occurring during a particular period, shown as a percentage of the total population mortgage /mɔd$/ noun money lent on the security of a house or other property owned by the borrower, usually in order to enable the borrower to buy the property 쑗 to buy a house with a £200,000 mortgage 왍 mortgage payments money paid each month as interest on a mortgage, plus repayment of a small part of the capital borrowed 왍 first mortgage the main mortgage on a property 왍 to pay off a mortgage to pay back the principal and all the interest on a loan to buy a property 왍 mortgage queue a list of people waiting for mortgages 쐽 verb to use a property as security for a loan 쑗 The house is mortgaged to the bank. 쑗 He mortgaged his house to set up in business. 왍 to foreclose on a mortgaged property to sell a property because the owner cannot repay money which he or she has borrowed, using the property as security ‘…mortgage payments account for just 20 per cent of the average first-time buyer’s gross earnings against an average of 24 per cent during the past 15 years’ [Times] ‘…mortgage money is becoming tighter. Applications for mortgages are running at a high level and some building societies are introducing quotas’ [Times] ‘…for the first time since mortgage rates began falling a financial institution has raised charges on homeowner loans’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

mortgage arrears /mɔd$ ərəz/

plural noun mortgage payments which are due but have not been paid

mortgage-backed

securities

/mɔd$ bkt skjυərtiz/ plural noun shares which are backed by the se-

curity of a mortgage

mortgage bank /mɔd$ bŋk/

noun a bank which lends money to purchasers of properties, on the security of the property mortgage bond /mɔd$ bɒnd/ noun a certificate showing that a mortgage exists and that property is security for it mortgage broker /mɔd$ brəυkə/ noun a person who arranges mortgages, by putting a borrower in touch with a possible lender

most-favoured-nation clause

mortgage debenture /mɔd$ d-

bentʃə/ noun a debenture where the lender can be repaid by selling the company’s property mortgagee /mɔəd$i/ noun a person or company which lends money for someone to buy a property mortgage famine /mɔd$ fmn/ noun a situation where there is not enough money available to offer mortgages to house buyers mortgage interest relief /mɔd$ ntrəst rlif/ noun a tax benefit which allows people to pay no tax on mortgage interest payments up to a certain level

mortgage interest relief at source /mɔd$ ntrəst rlif ət

sɔs/ noun a scheme by which the borrower may repay interest on a mortgage less the standard rate tax which he or she would otherwise have to pay on it (i.e. he or she does not pay the full interest and then reclaim the tax). Abbreviation MIRAS mortgage lender /mɔd$ lendə/ noun a financial institution such as a bank or building society that lends money to people buying property mortgage portfolio /mɔd$ pɔtfəυliəυ/ noun all the mortgages made by a bank or building society which have not been paid off mortgager /mɔd$ə/, mortgagor noun a person who borrows money to buy a property mortgage refinancing /mɔd$ rifannsŋ/ noun the act of arranging to increase a mortgage on a property so as to pay for improvements to the property mortgage REIT /mɔd$ ret/ noun a trust which provides mortgages to property developers. Full form mortgage Real Estate Investment Trust

mortgage relief /mɔd$ rlif/

noun a reduction in tax on interest paid on a mortgage most favoured nation /məυst fevəd neʃ(ə)n/ noun a foreign country to which the home country allows the best trade terms. Abbreviation MFN

most-favoured-nation

clause

/məυst fevəd neʃ(ə)n klɔz/ noun

an agreement between two countries

motivation

228

that each will offer the best possible terms in commercial contracts motivation /məυtveʃ(ə)n/ noun eagerness to work well or sell large quantities of a product mounting /maυntŋ/ adjective increasing 쑗 He resigned in the face of mounting pressure from the shareholders. 쑗 The company is faced with mounting debts. mount up /maυnt p/ verb to increase rapidly 쑗 Costs are mounting up. move /muv/ verb to propose formally that a motion be accepted by a meeting 쑗 He moved that the accounts be agreed. 쑗 I move that the meeting should adjourn for ten minutes. movement /muvmənt/ noun an act of changing position or going up or down 쑗 movements in the money markets 쑗 cyclical movements of trade movement of capital /muvmənt əv kpt(ə)l/ noun same as capital flow

mover /muvə/ noun a person who proposes a motion

average /muvŋ v(ə)rd$/ noun an average of share prices on a stock market, where the calculation is made over a period which moves forward regularly moving

COMMENT: The commonest are 100-day

or 200-day averages, or 10- or 40-week moving averages. The average is calculated as the average figure for the whole period, and moves forward one day or week at a time. These averages are often used by chartists.

MPC abbreviation Monetary Policy Committee

multi- /mlti/ prefix referring to many things

multicurrency /mltkrənsi/ adjective in several currencies 왍

multicurrency loan a loan in several currencies multilateral /mltilt(ə)rəl/ adjective between several organisations or countries 쑗 a multilateral agreement 왍 multilateral trade trade between several countries multilateral netting /mltilt(ə)rəl netŋ/ noun a method of putting together sums from various sources into one currency (used by

multiple ownership

groups of banks trading in several currencies at the same time) multi-manager fund /mlti mnd$ə fnd/ noun a hedge fund which uses a wide portfolio of fund managers to produce a balanced exposure for relatively small investors. 쏡 hedge fund, manager multimillion /mltimljən/ adjective referring to several million pounds

or dollars 쑗 They signed a multimillion pound deal. multimillionaire /mltimljəneə/ noun a person who owns property or investments worth several million pounds or dollars multinational /mltinʃ(ə)nəl/ noun, adjective (a company) which has branches or subsidiary companies in several countries 쑗 The company has been bought by one of the big multinationals. Also called transnational ‘…the number of multinational firms has mushroomed in the past two decades. As their sweep across the global economy accelerates, multinational firms are posing pressing issues for nations rich and poor, and those in between’ [Australian Financial Review]

multiple /mltp(ə)l/ adjective many 쐽 noun 1. 왍 share on a multiple of 5 a

share with a P or E ratio of 5 (i.e. 5 is the result when dividing the current market price by the earnings per share) 2. a company with stores in several different towns ‘…many independents took advantage of the bank holiday period when the big multiples were closed’ [The Grocer] ‘…the multiple brought the price down to £2.49 in some stores. We had not agreed to this deal and they sold out very rapidly. When they reordered we would not give it to them. This kind of activity is bad for the brand and we cannot afford it’ [The Grocer]

multiple applications /mltp(ə)l

plkeʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun several applications for a new issue of shares, made by the same person, but under different names (in some share issues, people making multiple applications may be prosecuted) multiple entry visa /mltp(ə)l entri vizə/ noun a visa which allows a visitor to enter a country many times multiple ownership /mltp(ə)l əυnəʃp/ noun a situation where something is owned by several parties jointly

multiple store

229

multiple store /mltp(ə)l stɔ/

noun one store in a chain of stores multiplication /mltplkeʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of multiplying multiplication sign /mltplkeʃ(ə)n san/ noun a sign (x) used to show that a number is being multiplied by another multiplier /mltplaə/ noun a number which multiplies another, or a factor which tends to multiply something (as the effect of new expenditure on total income and reserves) multiply /mltpla/ verb 1. to calculate the sum of various numbers added together a certain number of times 쑗 If you multiply twelve by three you get thirty-six. 쑗 Square measurements are calculated by multiplying length by width. 2. to grow or to increase 쑗 Profits multiplied in the boom years. muni /mjuni/ noun same as municipal bond (informal ) municipal bond /mjunsp(ə)l bɒnd/ noun US a bond issued by a town or district (NOTE: The UK term is local authority bond.) municipal bond fund /mjunsp(ə)l bɒnd fnd/, muni fund /mjuni fnd/ noun US a fund invested in municipal bonds (NOTE: Usually called munis.) Murphy’s law /m%fiz lɔ/ noun a law, based on wide experience, which

MVA

says that in commercial life if something can go wrong it will go wrong, or that when you are thinking that things are going right, they will inevitably start to go wrong

mutual adjective /mjutʃuəl/ belong-

ing to two or more people 쐽 noun any commercial organisation owned by its members, such as a building society mutual association /mjutʃuəl əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun US a form of savings and loan association which is owned by its members mutual company /mjutʃuəl kmp(ə)ni/ noun same as mutual insurance company

mutual fund /mjutʃuəl fnd/ noun

an organisation which takes money from small investors and invests it in stocks and shares for them, the investment being in the form of shares in the fund (NOTE: The UK term is unit trust.)

mutual

insurance

company

/mjutʃuəl nʃυərəns kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which belongs to

insurance policy holders. Also called mutual company

mutual savings bank /mjutʃuəl

sevŋz bŋk/ noun a savings bank which is owned by the customers who have deposits with it MVA abbreviation 1. market value added 2. market value adjuster

N N abbreviation naira nail /nel/ noun 왍 to pay on the nail to

national /nʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective refer-

pay promptly, to pay rapidly naira /narə/ noun a unit of currency used in Nigeria (NOTE: no plural; naira

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system noun full form of

is usually written N before figures: N2,000 say ‘two thousand naira’) naked /nekd/ adjective without any

NASDAQ

national bank /nʃ(ə)nəl bŋk/

hedge or without any reserves to protect a position name /nem/ noun 1. the word used for referring to a person, animal or thing 쑗 I cannot remember the name of the managing director of Smith’s Ltd. 쑗 His first name is John, but I am not sure of his other names. 왍 under the name of using a particular name 왍 trading under the name of ‘Best Foods’ using the name ‘Best Foods’ as a commercial name, and not the name of the company 2. a person who provides security for insurance arranged by a Lloyd’s of London syndicate. 쏡 Lloyd’s

named /nemd/ adjective 왍 the per-

son named in the policy the person whose name is given on an insurance policy as the person insured narrow market /nrəυ mɑkt/ noun a market in a share where very few shares are available for sale, and where the price can vary sharply NASDAQ /nzdk/ abbreviation a system which provides quotations via computer for the US electronic trading market, mainly in high tech stocks, and also for some large corporations listed on the NYSE, and publishes an index of stock price movements. Full form National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations system (NOTE: The UK term is SEAQ.) nation /neʃ(ə)n/ noun a country and

the people living in it

ring to the whole of a particular country

noun US a bank which is chartered by the federal government and is part of the Federal Reserve system (as opposed to a ‘state bank’) national central bank /nʃ(ə)nəl sentrəl bŋk/ noun one of central banks of the countries which form the eurozone, under the overall European Central Bank. Abbreviation NCB national currency /nʃ(ə)nəl krənsi/ noun the official currency of a country, which is legal tender in that country National Debt /nʃ(ə)nəl det/ noun money borrowed by a government national income /nʃ(ə)nəl nkm/ noun the value of income from the sales of goods and services in a country

National Insurance contribution

/nʃ(ə)nəl nʃυərəns kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun a proportion of income paid each month by an employee and the employee’s company to the National Insurance scheme which helps to fund sickness and unemployment benefit and state pensions. Abbreviation NIC nationalisation /nʃ(ə)nəlazeʃ(ə)n/, nationalization noun the taking over of private industry by the state nationalise /nʃ(ə)nəlaz/, nationalize verb to put a privately-owned industry under state ownership and control 쑗 The government is planning to nationalise the banking system.

nationalised industry

231

nationalised industry /nʃ(ə)nə-

lazd ndəstri/ noun an industry which was privately owned, but is now owned by the state nationality /nʃənlti/ noun the state of being a citizen of a particular country 왍 he is of British nationality he is a British citizen nationality declaration /nʃənləti dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun a declaration on some share application forms that the applicant is of a certain nationality National Lottery /nʃ(ə)nəl lɒtəri/ noun a British lottery which takes place twice a week national press /nʃ(ə)nəl pres/ noun newspapers which sell in all parts of the country 쑗 The new car has been advertised in the national press.

National Savings & Investments

/nʃ(ə)nəl sevŋz ənd nvestmənts/ noun part of the Exchequer, a savings scheme for small investors including savings certificates and premium bonds. Abbreviation NS&I

National

Savings

certificates

/nʃ(ə)nəl sevŋz sətfkəts/ plural noun certificates showing that someone

has invested in National Savings (the NS&I issues certificates with stated interest rates and stated maturity dates, usually five or ten years) NAV abbreviation net asset value NB abbreviation from a Latin phrase meaning ‘note (this) well’, i.e. pay attention to this. Full form Nota bene NCB abbreviation national central bank NDIP abbreviation non-deposit investment product near-liquid asset /nə lkwd set/, near money /nə mni/ noun an asset which can easily be converted to cash negative /neətv/ adjective meaning ‘no’ 왍 the answer was in the negative the answer was ‘no’ negative carry /neətv kri/ noun a deal where the cost of finance is more than the return on the capital used negative cash flow /neətv kʃ fləυ/ noun a situation where more money is going out of a company than is coming in

negotiable certificate of deposit

negative equity /neətv ekwti/

noun a situation where a house bought with a mortgage becomes less valuable than the money borrowed to buy it (because of falling house prices) negative yield curve /neətv jild k%v/ noun a situation where the yield on a long-term investment is less than that on a short-term investment neglected /nlektd/ adjective not well looked after 왍 neglected shares shares which are not bought or sold often 쑗 Bank shares have been a neglected sector of the market this week. neglected business /nlektd bzns/ noun a company which has not been actively run by its owners and could therefore do better negligence /neld$əns/ noun 1. a lack of proper care or failure to carry out a a duty (with the result that a person or property is harmed) 2. the act of not doing a job properly when one is capable of doing it negligible /neld$b(ə)l/ adjective very small 왍 shares of negligible value shares which are considered by the income tax to have no value, because the company has ceased to exist. (Companies in receivership are not of negligible value, though they may end up in that category.) negotiable /nəυʃiəb(ə)l/ adjective 1. which can be transferred from one person to another or exchanged for cash 왍 not negotiable which cannot be exchanged for cash 왍 ‘not negotiable’ words written on a cheque to show that it can be paid only to a specific person 왍 negotiable cheque a cheque made payable to bearer, i.e. to anyone who holds it 2. which can be discussed so that an agreement is reached 쑗 The employer’s offer was not negotiable, so when it was turned down a strike seemed inevitable. 쑗 All parts of the offer are negotiable, with the exception of the new manning levels. 쑗 The salary for the job is negotiable. ‘…initial salary is negotiable around $45,000 per annum’ [Australian Financial Review]

negotiable certificate of deposit

/nəυʃiəb(ə)l sətfkət əv dpɒzt/, negotiable CD /nəυʃiəb(ə)l si di/ noun a receipt issued by a bank for

a large sum deposited with the bank, which acts as an interest-bearing deposit

negotiable instrument

232

instrument /nəυʃiəb(ə)l nstrυmənt/ noun a document which can be exchanged for cash, e.g. a bill of exchange or a cheque negotiable

negotiable order of withdrawal /nəυʃiəb(ə)l ɔdə əv wðdrɔəl/ adjective a cheque written on a NOW

account

negotiable order of withdrawal account /nəυʃiəb(ə)l ɔdə əv

wðdrɔəl əkaυnt/ noun US full form of NOW account negotiable paper /nəυʃiəb(ə)l pepə/ noun a document which can be transferred from one owner to another for cash negotiate /nəυʃiet/ verb 왍 to negotiate with someone to discuss a problem or issue formally with someone, so as to reach an agreement 쑗 The management refused to negotiate with the union. 왍 to negotiate terms and conditions or a contract to discuss and agree the terms of a contract 왍 he negotiated a £250,000 loan with the bank he came to an agreement with the bank for a loan of £250,000 ‘…many of the large travel agency chains are able to negotiate even greater discounts’ [Duns Business Month]

commission /nəυʃietd kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun a commission agreed with an advertising agency before work starts, and which may be different from standard commissions negotiation /nəυʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun the discussion of terms and conditions in order to reach an agreement 왍 contract under negotiation a contract which is being discussed 왍 a matter for negotiation something which must be discussed before a decision is reached 왍 to enter into or to start negotiations to start discussing a problem 왍 to resume negotiations to start discussing a problem again, after talks have stopped for a time 왍 to break off negotiations to stop discussing a problem 왍 to conduct negotiations to negotiate 왍 negotiations broke down after six hours discussions stopped because no agreement was possible negotiated

‘…after three days of tough negotiations, the company reached agreement with its 1,200 unionized workers’ [Toronto Star]

net earnings

negotiator /nəυʃietə/ noun 1. a

person who discusses a problem with the aim of achieving agreement between different people or groups of people 왍 experienced union negotiator a member of a union who has a lot of experience of discussing terms of employment with management 2. a person who works in an estate agency nest egg /nest e/ noun money which someone has saved over a period of time (usually kept in an interest-bearing account, and intended for use after retirement) net /net/ adjective 1. referring to a price, weight, pay, etc., after all deductions have been made 2. 왍 terms strictly net payment has to be the full price, with no discount allowed 쐽 verb to make a true profit 쑗 to net a profit of £10,000 (NOTE: netting – netted) 왍 to net out to balance debits and credits to give a net result ‘…out of its earnings a company will pay a dividend. When shareholders receive this it will be net, that is it will have had tax deducted at 30 per cent’ [Investors Chronicle]

net asset value per share /net

set vlju pə ʃeə/ noun the value of a company calculated by dividing the shareholders’ funds by the number of shares issued net borrowings /net bɒrəυŋz/ plural noun a company’s borrowings, less any cash the company is holding in its bank accounts net cash flow /net kʃ fləυ/ noun the difference between the money coming in and the money going out net change on the day /net tʃend$ ɒn ðə de/ adjective the difference between the opening price of a share at the beginning of a day’s trading and the closing price at the end net current assets /net krənt sets/ plural noun the current assets of a company (cash and stocks) less any liabilities. Also called net working capital

net dividend per share /net dv+

dend pə ʃeə/ noun the dividend per share after deduction of personal income tax net earnings /net %nŋz/ plural noun the total earnings of a business after tax and other deductions

net income

233

net income /net nkm/ noun a per-

son’s income which is left after taking away tax and other deductions net interest margin /net ntrəst mɑd$n/ noun the difference between what a bank receives in interest on loans and what it pays out in interest on deposits net loss /net lɒs/ noun an actual loss, after deducting overheads net margin /net mɑd$n/ noun the percentage difference between received price and all costs, including overheads net price /net pras/ noun the price of goods or services which cannot be reduced by a discount net profit /net prɒft/ noun the amount by which income from sales is larger than all expenditure. Also called profit after tax net receipts /net rsits/ plural noun

receipts after deducting commission, tax, discounts, etc. net return /net rt%n/ noun a return on an investment after tax has been paid net salary /net sləri/ noun the salary which is left after deducting tax and National Insurance contributions net sales /net selz/ plural noun the total amount of sales less damaged or returned items and discounts to retailers net weight /net wet/ noun the weight of goods after deducting the packing material and container net working capital /net w%kŋ kpt(ə)l/ noun same as net current

assets

net worth /net w%θ/ noun the value

of all the property of a person or company after taking away what the person or company owes 쑗 The upmarket product is targeted at individuals of high net worth. net yield /net jild/ noun the profit from investments after deduction of tax

neurolinguistic

programming

/njυərəυlŋwstk prəυrmŋ/ noun a theory of behaviour and commu-

nication based on how people avoid change and how to help them to change. Abbreviation NLP new /nju/ adjective recent or not old 왍 under new management with a new owner

niche company

new issue /nju ʃu/ noun an issue

of new shares to raise finance for a company new issue market /nju ʃu mɑkt/ noun a market where companies can raise finance by issuing new shares, or by a flotation new issue sale /nju ʃu sel/ noun a sale of a new issue of shares new issues department /nju ʃuz dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of a bank which deals with issues of new shares new money /nju mni/ noun finance provided by a new issue of shares or by the transfer of money from one account to another news agency /njuz ed$ənsi/ noun an office which distributes news to newspapers and television stations new time /nju tam/ noun the next account on a Stock Exchange (where sales in the last few days of the previous account are credited to the following account)

New

York

Cotton

Exchange

/nju jɔk kɒtən kstʃend$/ noun a

commodity exchange, based in New York, dealing in cotton and other commodities, and also in financial futures through the NYFE. Abbreviation NYCE

New York Futures Exchange

/nju jɔk fjutʃəz kstʃend$/ noun

a financial futures and options exchange, based in New York, part of the NYCE. Abbreviation NYFE New York Stock Exchange /nju jɔk stɒk kstʃend$/ noun the main US stock exchange, situated on Wall Street in New York. Abbreviation NYSE. Also called Big Board ngultrum /əŋυltrəm/ noun a unit of currency used in Bhutan NIC abbreviation National Insurance contributions niche /niʃ/ noun a special place in a market, occupied by one company (a ‘niche company’) 쑗 They seem to have discovered a niche in the market. niche bank /niʃ bŋk/ noun a specialised bank which deals only with certain types of customers or services niche company /niʃ kmp(ə)ni/ noun company specialising in a particu-

nickel

234 non-deposit investment product

lar type of product or service, which occupies a market niche nickel /nk(ə)l/ noun 1. a valuable metal traded on commodity exchanges, such as the London Metal Exchange 2. US a five cent coin NIF abbreviation note issuance facility night /nat/ noun a period of time from evening to morning night rate /nat ret/ noun a cheap rate for telephone calls at night night safe /nat sef/ noun a safe in the outside wall of a bank, where money and documents can be deposited at night, using a special door Nikkei Average /nke v(ə)rd$/ an index of prices on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, based on about 200 leading shares nil /nl/ noun zero or nothing 쑗 The advertising budget has been cut to nil. nil paid shares /nl ped ʃeəz/ plural noun new shares which have not yet been paid for nil return /nl rt%n/ noun a report showing no sales, income, tax, etc. NLP abbreviation neurolinguistic programming No., No abbreviation number no-claims bonus /nəυ klemz bəυnəs/ noun a lower premium paid because no claims have been made against the insurance policy no-load fund /nəυ ləυd fnd/ noun a fund sold directly by the fund company, with low management charges and no commission to a broker nominal /nɒmn(ə)l/ adjective (of a payment) very small 쑗 They are paying a nominal rent. 쑗 The employment agency makes a nominal charge for its services. nominal capital /nɒmn(ə)l kpt(ə)l/ noun the total of the face value of all the shares which a company is authorised to issue nominal interest rate /nɒmn(ə)l ntrəst ret/ noun an interest rate expressed as a percentage of the face value of a bond, not on its market value nominal ledger /nɒmn(ə)l led$ə/ noun a book which records a company’s transactions in the various accounts

nominal value /nɒmn(ə)l vlju/

noun same as face value nominate /nɒmnet/ verb to suggest someone for a job 왍 to nominate someone to a post to appoint someone to a post without an election 왍 to nominate someone as proxy to name someone as your proxy nomination /nɒmneʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of nominating someone for a position nominee /nɒmni/ noun a person who is nominated, especially someone who is appointed to deal with financial matters on your behalf nominee account /nɒmni əkaυnt/ noun an account held on behalf of someone COMMENT: Shares can be purchased

and held in nominee accounts so that the identity of the owner of the shares cannot be discovered easily.

non- /nɒn/ prefix not non-acceptance /nɒn əkseptəns/

noun a situation in which the person who is to pay a bill of exchange does not accept it non-bank /nɒn bŋk/ noun a financial institution which is not a commercial bank according to the official definition (so an institution which only makes loans, and does not take deposits does not fall within the official definition of a bank and is not subject to the same regulations) noncash items /nɒn kʃ atəmz/ plural noun cheques, drafts and similar items which are not in the form of cash

noncompete

agreement

/nɒnkəmpit ərimənt/ noun US a

type of contract of employment by which an employee guarantees that he will not work for a competing firm after leaving his or her job nondeductible /nɒnddktb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be deducted from income tax non-delivery /nɒn dlv(ə)r/ noun the failure to deliver goods that have been ordered

non-deposit investment product /nɒndpɒzt nvestmənt prɒdkt/ noun US any investment, such as secu-

rities or mutual funds, which is not insured by the FDIC. Abbreviation NDIP

non-durables

235

non-durables /nɒn djυərəb(ə)lz/, non-durable goods /nɒn djυərəb(ə)l υdz/ plural noun goods which are used

up soon after they have been bought, e.g. food or newspapers non-exec /nɒnzek/ noun same as non-executive director

non-executive director /nɒn -

zekjυtv darektə/ noun a director who attends board meetings and gives advice, but does not work full-time for the company. Also called outside director COMMENT: Non-executive directors keep

an eye on the way the company is run, and in particular make sure that the executive directors are doing their work properly. They may also intervene in disputes between directors, or between shareholders and directors.

non-feasance /nɒnfiz(ə)ns/ noun

failure to do something which should be done by law non-interest /nɒnntrəst/ noun a bank’s income from fees and charges, as opposed to income from interest non-legal /nɒnli(ə)l/ adjective not legal non-legal investment /nɒnli(ə)l nvestmənt/ noun US an investment which is not on the legal list, and which a bank cannot invest in nonmember bank /nɒnmembə bŋk/ noun US a bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve System non-negotiable instrument /nɒn nəυʃəb(ə)l nstrυmənt/ noun a document which cannot be exchanged for cash, e.g. a crossed cheque non-payment /nɒn pemənt/ noun 왍 non-payment of a debt the act of not paying a debt that is due non-performing loan /nɒn p%fɔmŋ ləυn/ noun US a loan where the borrower is not likely to pay any interest nor to repay the principal (as in the case of loans to Third World countries by western banks)

non-profit-making organisation

/nɒnprɒftmekŋ ɔənazeʃən/, non-profit organisation /nɒn prɒft ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation

(such as a club) which is not allowed by law to make a profit 쑗 Non-profit-making organisations are

notary public

exempted from tax. (NOTE: Non-profit organisations include charities, professional associations, trade unions, and religious, arts, community, research, and campaigning bodies. The US term is non-profit corporation.) non-recurring items /nɒn rk%rŋ atəmz/ plural noun special items in a

set of accounts which appear only once

non-refundable /nɒn rfndəb(ə)l/

adjective which will not be refunded 쑗 You will be asked to make a non-refundable deposit. nonregulated /nɒnrejυlettd/ adjective which is not subject to government regulations 쑗 a nonregulated subsidiary that builds and manages energy projects for industrial customers 쑗 The banking industry was totally nonregulated in the nineteenth century. non-resident /nɒn rezdənt/; /nɒn rezd(ə)nt/ noun, adjective (a person) who is not considered a resident of a country for tax purposes 쑗 He has a non-resident bank account. non-statutory /nɒn sttʃυt(ə)ri/ adjective not covered by legislation non-sufficient funds /nɒn səfʃənt fndz/ noun US not enough money in a bank account to pay a cheque drawn on that account. Abbreviation NSF. Also called insufficient funds, not sufficient funds non-taxable /nɒn tksəb(ə)l/ adjective which is not subject to tax 쑗 non-taxable income 쑗 Lottery prizes are non-taxable. non-voting shares /nɒn vəυtŋ ʃeəz/ plural noun shares which do not allow the shareholder to vote at meetings (also called ‘A’ shares) normal working week /nɔm(ə)l w%kŋ wik/ noun the usual number of hours worked per week 쑗 Even though she is a freelance, she works a normal working week. nostro account /nɒstrəυ əkaυnt/ noun an account which a bank has with a correspondent bank in another country. 쏡 vostro account notary public /nəυtəri pblk/ noun a lawyer who has the authority to witness documents and spoken statements, making them official (NOTE: The plural is notaries public.)

note

236

note /nəυt/ noun 1. a short document

or piece of writing, or a short piece of information 쑗 to send someone a note 쑗 I left a note on her desk. 왍 notes to the accounts notes attached to a company’s accounts by the auditors to explain items in the accounts or to explain the principles of accounting used 2. same as banknote 쐽 verb to notice an advertisem*nt in a publication but not necessarily read or understand it note issuance facility /nəυt ʃuəns fəslti/ noun a credit facility where a company obtains a loan underwritten by banks and can issue a series of short-term eurocurrency notes to replace others which have expired. Abbreviation NIF note of hand /nəυt əv hnd/ noun a document stating that someone promises to pay an amount of money on a certain date notice /nəυts/ noun 1. a piece of written information 쑗 The company secretary pinned up a notice about the pension scheme. 2. an official warning that a contract is going to end or that terms are going to be changed 왍 until further notice until different instructions are given 쑗 You must pay £200 on the 30th of each month until further notice. 3. the time allowed before something takes place 쑗 We require three months’ notice 왍 at short notice with very little warning 쑗 The bank manager will not see anyone at short notice. 왍 you must give seven days’ notice of withdrawal you must ask to take money out of the account seven days before you want it notional /nəυʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective probable but not known exactly or not quantifiable notional income /nəυʃ(ə)n(ə)l nkm/ noun an invisible benefit which is not money or goods and services notional rent /nəυʃ(ə)n(ə)l rent/ noun a sum put into accounts as rent where the company owns the building it is occupying and so does not pay an actual rent not sufficient funds /nɒt səfʃ(ə)nt fndz/ noun US same as non-sufficient funds. abbreviation NSF

numerical order

nought /nɔt/ noun the figure 0

쑗 A million pounds can be written as ‘£1m’ or as one and six noughts. (NOTE:

Nought is commoner in UK English; in US English, zero is more usual.) novation /nəυveʃ(ə)n/ noun an

agreement to change a contract by substituting a third party for one of the two original parties NOW account /naυ əkaυnt/ noun US an interest-bearing account with a bank or savings and loan association, on which cheques (called ‘negotiable orders of withdrawal’) can be drawn. Full form negotiable order of withdrawal account

NS&I abbreviation National Savings & Investments

NSF abbreviation not sufficient funds or non-sufficient funds

null /nl/ adjective which cannot legally be enforced 왍 the contract was

declared null and void the contract was said to be not valid number /nmbə/ noun 1. a quantity of things or people 쑗 The number of persons on the payroll has increased over the last year. 쑗 The number of days lost through strikes has fallen. 2. a printed or written figure that identifies a particular thing 쑗 Please write your account number on the back of the cheque. 쑗 If you have a complaint to make, always quote the batch number. 쑗 He noted the cheque number in the ledger. 3. an amount in figures 쐽 verb to put a figure on a document 쑗 to number an order 쑗 I refer to your invoice numbered 1234. number cruncher /nmbə krntʃə/ noun a person who makes calculations involving large figures (informal ) numbered account /nmbəd əkaυnt/ noun a bank account (usually in Switzerland) which is referred to only by a number, the name of the person holding it being kept secret numeric /njumerk/, numerical /njumerk(ə)l/ adjective referring to numbers numerical order /njumerk(ə)l ɔdə/ noun an arrangement by numbers 쑗 Put these invoices in numerical order. 왍 in numerical order in the order of .

numeric data

237

figures, e.g. 1 before 2, 33 before 34 쑗 Put these invoices in numerical order. numeric data /njumerk detə/ noun data in the form of figures numeric keypad /njumerk kipd/ noun the part of a computer keyboard which is a programmable set of numbered keys

NYSE

NV abbreviation a Dutch private limited company. Full form naamloze venootschap

NYCE abbreviation New York Cotton Exchange NYFE abbreviation New York Futures Exchange NYSE abbreviation New York Stock Exchange

O OAC abbreviation on approved credit O & M abbreviation organisation and methods

objective /əbd$ektv/ noun some-

thing which you hope to achieve 쑗 The company has achieved its objectives. 쑗 We set the sales forces specific objectives. 쑗 Our recruitment objectives are to have well-qualified and well-placed staff. 왍 long-term or short-term objective an aim which you hope to achieve within a few years or a few months 쐽 adjective considered from a general point of view rather than from that of the person involved 쑗 You must be objective in assessing the performance of the staff. 쑗 They have been asked to carry out an objective survey of the market. (NOTE: The opposite is subjective.)

obligate /ɒblet/ verb 왍 to be obligated to do something to have a legal duty to do something obligation /ɒbleʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a duty to do something 쑗 There is no obligation to help out in another department 쑗 There is no obligation to buy. 왍 two weeks’ free trial without obligation the customer can try the item at home for two weeks without having to buy it at the end of the test 왍 to be under an obligation to do something to feel it is your duty to do something 왍 he is under no contractual obligation to buy he has signed no contract which forces him to buy 왍 to fulfil your contractual obligations to do what is stated in a contract 2. a debt 왍 to meet your obligations to pay your debts o.b.o. abbreviation or best offer occupational /ɒkjυpeʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective referring to a job occupational

accident

/ɒkjυpeʃ(ə)nəl ksd(ə)nt/ noun an

accident which takes place at work

occupational

pension

/ɒkjυpeʃ(ə)nəl penʃə/ noun a pen-

sion which is paid by the company by which a worker has been employed

occupational pension scheme /ɒkjυpeʃ(ə)nəl penʃən skim/ noun

a pension scheme where the worker gets a pension from a fund set up by the company he or she has worked for, which is related to the salary he or she was earning. Also called company pension scheme

occupier /ɒkjυpaə/ noun a person

who lives in a property odd /ɒd/ adjective 왍 a hundred odd approximately one hundred 왍 keep the odd change keep the small change which is left over odd lot /ɒd lɒt/ noun 1. a group of miscellaneous items for sale at an auction 2. a group of miscellaneous items, such as a small block of shares oddments /ɒdmənts/ plural noun left-over pieces of large items, sold separately OECD abbreviation Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ‘…calling for a greater correlation between labour market policies, social policies and education and training, the OECD warned that long-term unemployment would remain unacceptably high without a reassessment of labour market trends’ [Australian Financial Review]

Oeic abbreviation open-ended investment company

OFEX noun private trading facilities for buying and selling shares in companies which are not quoted on the London Stock Exchange off /ɒf/ adverb 1. taken away from a price 쑗 We give 5% off for quick settlement. 2. lower than a previous price 쑗 The shares closed 2% off. 쐽 preposition

off-balance-sheet financing

239

1. subtracted from 쑗 to take £25 off the price 쑗 We give 10% off our normal prices. 2. not included 왍 items off balance sheet or off balance sheet assets financial items which do not appear in a company’s balance sheet as assets (such as equipment acquired under an operating lease) ‘…its stock closed Monday at $21.875 a share in NYSE composite trading, off 56% from its high last July’ [Wall Street Journal]

off-balance-sheet financing /ɒf

bləns ʃit fannsŋ/ noun financing by leasing equipment instead of buying it, so that it does not appear in the balance sheet as an asset offer /ɒfə/ noun 1. a statement that you are willing to give or do something, especially to pay a specific amount of money to buy something 쑗 to make an offer for a company 쑗 We made an offer of £10 a share. 쑗 We made a written offer for the house. 쑗 £1,000 is the best offer I can make. 쑗 We accepted an offer of £1,000 for the car. 왍 the house is under offer someone has made an offer to buy the house and the offer has been accepted provisionally 왍 we are open to offers we are ready to discuss the price which we are asking 왍 or near offer, US, or best offer or an offer of a price which is slightly less than the price asked 쑗 The car is for sale at £2,000 or near offer. 2. a statement that you are willing to sell something 왍 on offer for sale or available 3. a statement that you are willing to employ someone 왍 she received six offers of jobs or six job offers six companies told her she could have a job with them 4. a statement that a company is prepared to buy another company’s shares and take the company over 쐽 verb 1. to say that you are willing to do something 쑗 We offered to go with them to the meeting. 왍 to offer someone a job to tell someone that they can have a job in your company 쑗 She was offered a directorship with Smith Ltd. 2. to say that you are willing to pay a specific amount of money for something 쑗 to offer someone £100,000 for their house 쑗 She offered £10 a share. 3. to say that you are willing to sell something 쑗 We offered the house for sale. 쑗 They are offering special prices on winter holidays in the USA. offer document /ɒfə dɒkjυmənt/ noun a formal document where a com-

office

pany offers to buy shares at a certain price as part of a takeover bid offered market /ɒfəd mɑkt/ noun a market where there are more sellers than buyers offered price /ɒfəd pras/ noun a price at which shares are offered for sale by a marketmaker on the Stock Exchange (the opposite, i.e. the price at which an investor sells shares, is the ‘bid price’; the difference between the two is the ‘spread’) offered rate /ɒfəd ret/ noun a rate of interest at which banks are prepared to lend each other money offer for sale /ɒfə fə sel/ noun a situation where a company advertises new shares for sale to the public as a way of launching itself on the Stock Exchange (NOTE: The other ways of launching a company are a ‘tender’ or a ‘placing.’) offer for subscription /ɒfə fə səbskrpʃ(ə)n/ noun a similar to an offer

for sale, except there is a minimum level of subscription for the shares, and if this is not reached the offer is withdrawn offering /ɒf(ə)rŋ/ noun an action of stating that you are prepared to sell something at a certain price ‘…shares of newly public companies posted their worst performance of the year last month as a spate of initial public offerings disappointed followers’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…if the partnership supports a sale, a public offering of shares would be set for as early as the fourth quarter’ [Wall Street Journal]

circular /ɒf(ə)rŋ s%kjυlə/ noun a document which gives information about a company whose shares are being sold to the public for the first time offer period /ɒfə pəriəd/ noun a time during which a takeover bid for a company is open offer price /ɒfə pras/ noun the price at which investors buy new shares or units in a unit trust (the opposite, i.e. the selling price, is called the ‘bid price’; the difference between the two is the ‘spread’) office /ɒfs/ noun 1. a set of rooms where a company works or where business is done 왍 for office use only something which must only be used in an office 2. a room where someone works offering

office hours

240

and does business 쑗 Come into my office. 쑗 The human resources manager’s office is on the third floor. 3. a government department 4. a post or position 쑗 She holds or performs the office of treasurer 왍 compensation for loss of office payment to a director who is asked to leave a company before his contract ends office hours /ɒfs aυəz/ plural noun the time when an office is open 쑗 Do not make private phone calls during office hours. Office of Fair Trading /ɒfs əv feə tredŋ/ noun a government department which protects consumers against unfair or illegal business. Abbreviation OFT

Office of Management and Budget /ɒfs əv mnd$mənt ən

bd$t/ noun US a government department which prepares the US federal budget. Abbreviation OMB Office of Thrift Supervision /ɒfs əv θrft supəv$(ə)n/ noun a US government department which regulates the Savings and Loan Associations officer /ɒfsə/ noun a person who has an official position, especially an unpaid one in a club or other association 쑗 The election of officers takes place next week. office staff /ɒfs stɑf/ noun people who work in offices official /əfʃ(ə)l/ adjective from a government department or organisation 쑗 She went to France on official business. 쑗 He left official documents in his car. 쑗 She received an official letter of explanation. 왍 speaking in an official capacity speaking officially 왍 to go through official channels to deal with officials, especially when making a request 쐽 noun a person working in a government department 쑗 airport officials inspected the shipment 쑗 Government officials stopped the import licence. 왍 minor official a person in a low position in a government department 쑗 Some minor official tried to stop my request for building permission. officialese /əfʃəliz/ noun the language used in government documents which can be difficult to understand official exchange rate /əfʃ(ə)l kstʃend$ ret/ noun an exchange

offshore banking

rate which is imposed by the government 쑗 The official exchange rate is ten to the dollar, but you can get fifty on the black market. official intervention /əfʃ(ə)l ntəvenʃ(ə)n/ noun an attempt by a government to influence the exchange rate by buying or selling foreign currency Official List /əfʃ(ə)l lst/ noun a daily publication by the London Stock Exchange of the highest and lowest prices recorded for each share during the trading session official market /əfʃ(ə)l mɑkt/ noun the market in shares on the London Stock Exchange (as opposed to the grey market) official receiver /əfʃ(ə)l rsivə/ noun a government official who is appointed to run a company which is in financial difficulties, to pay off its debts as far as possible and to close it down 쑗 The company is in the hands of the offical receiver. official return /əfʃ(ə)l rt%n/ noun an official report officio /əfʃəυ/ 쒁 ex officio offload /ɒfləυd/ verb to pass something which you do not want to someone else 왍 to offload excess stock to try to sell excess stock 왍 to offload costs onto a subsidiary company to try to get a subsidiary company to pay some charges so as to reduce tax offre publique d’achat noun the French word for takeover bid. Abbreviation OPA offset /ɒfset/ verb to balance one thing against another so that they cancel each other out 쑗 to offset losses against tax 쑗 Foreign exchange losses more than offset profits in the domestic market. (NOTE: offsetting – offset) offshore /ɒfʃɔ/ adjective, adverb 1. on an island or in the sea near to land 쑗 an offshore oil field 쑗 an offshore oil platform 2. on an island which is a tax haven 3. based outside a country (especially in a tax haven) offshore account /ɒfʃɔ əkaυnt/ noun an account in a tax haven offshore banking /ɒfʃɔ bŋkŋ/ noun banking in a tax haven

offshore fund

241

offshore fund /ɒf ʃɔ fnd/ noun a

fund which is based outside the UK, and usually in a country which has less strict taxation than in the UK, such as the Bahamas offshore investments /ɒfʃɔ nvestmənts/ plural noun investments which are sold and run by companies licensed in an offshore tax haven, such as Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man off-the-job training /ɒf ðə d$ɒb trenŋ/ noun training given to employees away from their place of work (such as at a college or school) off-the-shelf company /ɒf ðə ʃelf kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which has already been registered by an accountant or lawyer, and which is ready for sale to someone who wants to set up a new company quickly OFT abbreviation Office of Fair Trading oil-exporting country /ɔl kspɔtŋ kntri/ noun a country which produces oil and sells it to others oil-importing country /ɔlmpɔtŋ kntri/ noun a country which imports oil oil-producing country /ɔl prədjusŋ kntri/ noun a country which produces oil oil shares /ɔl ʃeəz/, oils /ɔlz/ plural noun shares in companies engaged in extracting or selling oil and petrol

Old Lady of Threadneedle Street /əυld ledi əv θrednid(ə)l

strit/ noun the Bank of England (informal ) oligopoly /ɒlɒpəli/ noun a situation where only a few sellers control the market 쑗 An oligopoly means that prices can be kept high. OMB abbreviation Office of Management and Budget ombudsman /ɒmbυdzmən/ noun an official who investigates complaints by the public against government departments or other large organisations .

‘…radical changes to the disciplinary system, including appointing an ombudsman to review cases where complainants are not satisfied with the outcome, are proposed in a consultative paper the Institute of Chartered Accountants issued last month’ [Accountancy] COMMENT: There are several ombuds-

men: the main one is the Parliamentary

one-man business Commissioner, who is a civil servant and investigates complaints against government departments. The Banking Ombudsman, the Investment Ombudsman, the Building Societies Ombudsman, the Pensions Ombudsman and the Insurance Ombudsman are independent officials who investigate complaints by the public against banks, financial advisers, building societies, pension funds or insurance companies. They are all regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

omission /əυmʃ(ə)n/ noun a thing

which has been omitted, or the act of omitting something omit /əυmt/ verb not to do something 쑗 He omitted to tell the managing director that he had lost the documents. (NOTE: omitting – omitted) 왍 to omit a dividend US to pay no dividend in a certain year OMLX abbreviation the London Securities & Derivatives Exchange on /ɒn/ preposition 1. being a member of a group 쑗 to sit on a committee 쑗 She is on the boards of two companies. 쑗 We have 250 people on the payroll. 쑗 She is on our full-time staff. 2. in a certain way 쑗 on a commercial basis 쑗 to buy something on approval 쑗 to buy a car on hire-purchase 쑗 to get a mortgage on easy terms 쑗 He is still on probation. 쑗 She is employed on very generous terms. 왍 on the understanding that on condition that, provided that 쑗 We accept the terms of the contract, on the understanding that it has to be ratified by our main board. 3. at a time 쑗 The shop is closed on Wednesday afternoons. 쑗 We work 7 hours a day on weekdays. 쑗 The whole staff has the day off on May 24th. 4. doing something 쑗 The director is on holiday. 쑗 She is in the States on business. 쑗 The switchboard operator is on duty from 6 to 9. on approved credit /ɒn əpruvd kredt/ adjective US showing that a bank loan has been made available to a client who has a good credit history. Abbreviation OAC oncosts /ɒnkɒsts/ plural noun money spent in producing a product, which does not rise with the quantity of the product made. Also called fixed costs

one-man business /wn mn

bzns/, one-man firm /wn mn

one-off

242

one-man company /wn mn kmp(ə)ni/ noun a business run by one person alone with no staff or partners

'fÆ:m/,

one-off /wn ɒf/ adjective done or made only once 쑗 one-off item 쑗 one-off deal 쑗 one-off payment onerous /əυnərəs/ adjective heavy, needing a lot of effort or money 왍 the repayment terms are particularly onerous the loan is particularly difficult to pay back one-sided /wn sadd/ adjective which favours one side and not the other in a negotiation one-stop banking /wn stɒp bŋkŋ/ noun a type of banking where a single organisation offers a whole range of services (including such things as mortgages, loans and pensions) one-stop shopping /wn stɒp ʃɒpŋ/ noun the practice of taking a range of financial services from a single organisation, e.g. from a bank which offers loans, mortgages, pensions and insurance as well as the normal personal banking services one-way ticket /wn we tkt/ noun a ticket for a journey from one place to another one-way trade /wn we tred/ noun a situation where one country sells to another, but does not buy anything in return one-year money /wn jə mni/ noun money placed for one year online /ɒnlan/; /ɒnlan/ adjective, adverb linked via a computer directly to another computer, a computer network or, especially, the Internet; on the Internet 쑗 The sales office is online to the warehouse. 쑗 We get our data online from the stock control department. ‘…there may be a silver lining for ‘clicks-and-mortar’ stores that have both an online and a high street presence. Many of these are accepting returns of goods purchased online at their traditional stores. This is a service that may make them more popular as consumers become more experienced online shoppers’ [Financial Times] ‘…a survey found that even among experienced users – those who shop online at least once a month – about 10% abandoned a planned purchase because of annoying online delays and procedures’ [Financial Times]

open ‘…some online brokers failed to foresee the huge increase in private dealing and had problems coping with the rising volume. It has been the year when private investors were able to trade online quickly, cheaply, and on the whole, with little bother’ [Financial Times]

online banking /ɒnlan bŋkŋ/

noun a system by which customers have bank accounts which they can access direct from their home computers, using the Internet, and can carry out operations such as checking on their account balance, paying invoices and receiving their salaries electronically online bill paying /ɒnlan bl peŋ/ noun a system of paying bills directly from an account using the Internet o.n.o. abbreviation or near offer on-the-job training /ɒn ðə d$ɒb trenŋ/ noun training given to employees at their place of work on the side /ɒn ðə sad/ adverb separate from your normal work, and hidden from your employer 쑗 He works in an accountant’s office, but he runs a construction company on the side. 쑗 Her salary is too small to live on, so the family lives on what she can make on the side. OPA abbreviation offre publique d’achat OPEC /əυpek/ abbreviation Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries open /əυpən/ adjective 1. at work, not closed 쑗 The store is open on Sunday mornings. 쑗 Our offices are open from 9 to 6. 쑗 They are open for business every day of the week. 2. ready to accept something 왍 the job is open to all applicants anyone can apply for the job 왍 open to offers ready to accept a reasonable offer 왍 the company is open to offers for the empty factory the company is ready to discuss an offer which is lower than the suggested price 쐽 verb 1. to start a new business 쑗 She has opened a shop in the High Street. 쑗 We have opened a branch in London. 2. to start work, to be at work 쑗 The office opens at 9 a.m. 쑗 We open for business on Sundays. 3. to begin something 왍 to open negotiations to begin negotiating 쑗 She opened the discussions with a description of the product. 쑗 The chairman opened the meeting at 10.30. 4. to set something up or make something avilable 쑗 to open a bank account 쑗 to

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243

open a line of credit 쑗 to open a loan 5. 왍 shares opened lower share prices were lower at the beginning of the day’s trading ‘…after opening at 79.1 the index touched a peak of 79.2 and then drifted to a low of 78.8’ [Financial Times]

open account /əυpən əkaυnt/

noun an account where the supplier offers the purchaser credit without security open cheque /əυpən tʃek/ noun same as uncrossed cheque open credit /əυpən kredt/ noun credit given to good customers without security open-end /əυpən end/ verb US to make a fund open-ended 쐽 adjective same as open-ended open-ended /əυpən endd/ adjective with no fixed limit or with some items not specified 쑗 They signed an open-ended agreement. 쑗 The candidate was offered an open-ended contract with a good career plan. (NOTE: The US term is open-end.) open-ended credit /əυpən endd kredt/ noun same as revolving credit open-ended fund /əυpən endd fnd/ noun a fund (such as a unit trust) where investors buy units, the money paid being invested in a range of securities (as opposed to a closed fund, such as an investment trust, where the investor buys shares in the trust company, and receives dividends)

Open-ended investment company /əυpən endd nvestmənt

kmp(ə)ni/ noun a new form of unit trust, in which the investor purchases shares at a single price, as opposed to the offer/bid pricing system used by ordinary unit trusts. Abbreviation Oeic opening /əυp(ə)nŋ/ noun the act of starting a new business 쑗 the opening of a new branch 쑗 the opening of a new market or of a new distribution network 쐽 adjective being at the beginning, or the first of several opening balance /əυp(ə)nŋ bləns/ noun a balance at the beginning of an accounting period opening bid /əυp(ə)nŋ bd/ noun the first bid at an auction

operating loss

opening entry /əυp(ə)nŋ entri/

noun the first entry in an account opening hours /əυp(ə)nŋ aυəz/ plural noun the hours when a shop or business is open opening price /əυp(ə)nŋ pras/ noun a price at the start of a day’s trading opening stock /əυp(ə)nŋ stɒk/ noun the stock details at the beginning of an accounting period open market /əυpən mɑkt/ noun a market where anyone can buy or sell open market operation /əυpən mɑkt ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a sale or purchase of government stock by ordinary investors, used by the government as a means of influencing money supply open outcry system /əυpən aυtkra sstəm/ noun a system of buying and selling used in some exchanges, where the brokers shout prices, offers or orders to each other open ticket /əυpən tkt/ noun a ticket which can be used on any date operate /ɒpəret/ verb to do business, or to run a business or a machine ‘…the company gets valuable restaurant locations which will be converted to the family-style restaurant chain that it operates and franchises throughout most parts of the US’ [Fortune]

operating /ɒpəretŋ/ noun the gen-

eral running of a business or of a machine ‘…the company blamed over-capacity and competitive market conditions in Europe for a £14m operating loss last year’ [Financial Times]

budget /ɒpəretŋ bd$t/ noun a forecast of income and expenditure over a period of time operating costs /ɒpəretŋ kɒsts/ plural noun the costs of the day-to-day activities of a company. Also called opoperating

erating expenses, running costs

income /ɒpəretŋ nkm/, operating profit /ɒpəretŋ prɒft/ noun the profit made by a company in its usual business. Also called operating

operating earnings

operating loss /ɒpəretŋ lɒs/

noun a loss made by a company in its usual business

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244

manual /ɒpəretŋ mnjυəl/ noun a book which shows how to work a machine operating system /ɒpəretŋ sstəm/ noun the main program which operates a computer operation /ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an activity or a piece of work, or the task of running something 쑗 the company’s operations in West Africa 쑗 He heads up the operations in Northern Europe. operating

‘…a leading manufacturer of business, industrial and commercial products requires a branch manager to head up its mid-western Canada operations based in Winnipeg’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

operational /ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl/ adjec-

tive referring to the day-to-day activities of a business or to the way in which something is run operational budget /ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl bd$t/ noun a forecast of expenditure on running a business operational costs /ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl kɒsts/ plural noun the costs of running a business

operational

gearing

/ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl ərŋ/ noun a situa-

tion where a company has high fixed costs which are funded by borrowings

operational

planning

/ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl plnŋ/ noun the plan-

ning of how a business is to be run

operational

research

/ɒpəreʃ(ə)nəl rs%tʃ/ noun a study

of a company’s way of working to see if it can be made more efficient and profitable operations department /ɒpəreʃ(ə)nz dpɑtmənt/ noun the general administration department of a company operations review /ɒpəreʃ(ə)nz rvju/ noun an act of examining the way in which a company or department works to see how it can be made more efficient and profitable operator /ɒpəretə/ noun 1. a person who runs a business 2. (on the Stock Exchange) a person who buys and sells shares hoping to make a quick profit ‘…a number of block bookings by American tour operators have been cancelled’ [Economist]

OPM money

abbreviation

other

people’s

optional

opportunity /ɒpətjunti/ noun a chance to do something successfully

‘…the group is currently undergoing a period of rapid expansion and this has created an exciting opportunity for a qualified accountant’ [Financial Times]

cost /ɒpətjunti kɒst/ noun 1. the cost of a business initiative in terms of profits that could have been gained through an alternative plan 쑗 It’s a good investment plan and we will not be deterred by the opportunity cost. 2. the value of another method of investment which could have been used, instead of the one adopted oppose /əpəυz/ verb to try to stop something happening; to vote against something 쑗 A minority of board members opposed the motion. 쑗 We are all opposed to the takeover. 쑗 A minority of union members opposed the deal. optimal /ɒptm(ə)l/ adjective best optimism /ɒptmz(ə)m/ noun a state of mind in which you are sure that everything will work out well 쑗 He has considerable optimism about sales possibilities in the Far East. optimistic /ɒptmstk/ adjective feeling sure that everything will work out well 왍 he takes an optimistic view of the exchange rate he expects the exchange rate will go in his favour optimum /ɒptməm/ adjective best 쑗 The market offers optimum conditions for sales. option /ɒpʃən/ noun the opportunity to buy or sell something within a fixed period of time at a fixed price 왍 to grant someone a six-month option on a product to allow someone six months to decide if they want to manufacture the product 왍 to take up an option or to exercise an option to accept the option which has been offered and to put it into action 쑗 They exercised their option or they took up their option to acquire sole marketing rights to the product. 왍 I want to leave my options open I want to be able to decide what to do when the time is right 왍 to take the soft option to decide to do something which involves the least risk, effort or problems optional /ɒpʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective which can be done or not done, taken or not taken, as a person chooses 쑗 The insurance cover is optional. 쑗 Attendance at staff meetings is optional, although opportunity

option contract

245

the management encourages employees to attend. option contract /ɒpʃən kɒntrkt/ noun a right to buy or sell shares at a fixed price option dealing /ɒpʃən dilŋ/ noun buying and selling share options option holder /ɒpʃən həυldə/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a person who holds an option (i.e. who has bought an option) option to purchase /ɒpʃən tə p%tʃs/ noun an option which gives someone the possibility to buy something within a period of time option to sell /ɒpʃn tə sel/ noun an option which gives someone the possibility to sell something within a period of time option trading /ɒpʃən tredŋ/ noun the business of buying and selling share options order /ɔdə/ noun 1. the way in which records such as filing cards or invoices are arranged 쑗 in alphabetical or numerical order 2. an official request for goods to be supplied 쑗 to give someone an order or to place an order with someone for twenty filing cabinets 쑗 The management ordered the workforce to leave the factory. 왍 to fill an order, to fulfil an order to supply items which have been ordered 쑗 We are so understaffed we cannot fulfil any more orders before Christmas. 왍 items available to order only items which will be manufactured only if someone orders them 왍 on order ordered but not delivered 쑗 This item is out of stock, but is on order. 3. a document which allows money to be paid to someone 쑗 She sent us an order on the Chartered Bank. 4. (Stock Exchange) an instruction to a broker to buy or sell 5. 왍 pay to Mr Smith or order pay money to Mr Smith or as he orders 왍 pay to the order of Mr Smith pay money directly to Mr Smith or to his account 쐽 verb to give an official request for something to be done or for something to be supplied 쑗 to order twenty filing cabinets to be delivered to the warehouse order book /ɔdə bυk/ noun a book which records orders received order cheque /ɔdə tʃek/ noun a cheque which is paid to a named person

organisation

with the words ‘or order’ after the payee’s name, showing that he can endorse it and pass it to someone else if he wishes order-driven system /ɔdə drv(ə)n sstəm/, order-driven market /ɔdə drv(ə)n mɑkt/ noun a price system on a stock exchange, where prices vary according to the level of orders (as opposed to a ‘quote-driven’ system) order fulfilment /ɔdə fυlflmənt/ noun the process of supplying items which have been ordered order processing /ɔdə prəυsesŋ/ noun the work of dealing with orders ordinary /ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective not special ordinary interest /ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri ntrəst/ noun annual interest calculated on the basis of 360 days (as opposed to ‘exact interest’ which is calculated on 365 days) ordinary member /ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri membə/ noun a person who pays a subscription to belong to a group ordinary resolution /ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri rezəluʃ(ə)n/ noun a resolution put before an AGM, usually referring to some general procedural matter, and which requires a simple majority of votes to be accepted

ordinary

capital

/ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri ʃeə kpt(ə)l/ noun the

capital of a company in the form of money paid for ordinary shares

ordinary

shareholder

/ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri ʃeəhəυldə/ noun a per-

son who owns ordinary shares in a company ordinary shares /ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri ʃeəz/ plural noun normal shares in a company, which have no special benefits or restrictions (NOTE: The US term is common stock.)

organic growth /ɔnk rəυθ/

noun same as internal growth organisation /ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/, organization noun 1. a way of arranging something so that it works efficiently 쑗 the organisation of the head office into departments 쑗 The chairman handles the organisation of the AGM. 쑗 The organisation of the group is too

organisational

246

centralised to be efficient. 2. a group or institution which is arranged for efficient work ‘…working with a client base which includes many major commercial organizations and nationalized industries’ [Times]

/ɔənazeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/, organizational adjective referring to the way in which something is organised 쑗 The paper gives a diagram of the company’s organisational structure. organisational chart /ɔənazeʃ(ə)n(ə)l tʃɑt/ noun a chart showing the hierarchical relationships between employees in a company

organisational

organisation

and

methods

/ɔənazeʃ(ə)n ən meθədz/ noun a

process of examining how an office works, and suggesting how it can be made more efficient. Abbreviation O &

chart /ɔənazeʃ(ə)n tʃɑt/ noun same as organi-

organisation sational chart

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

/ɔənazeʃ(ə)n fər ikənɒmk kəυɒpəreʃ(ə)n ən dveləpmənt/ noun an organisation representing the industrialised countries, aimed at encouraging international trade, wealth and employment in member countries. Abbreviation OECD

organise /ɔənaz/, organize verb

1. to set up a system for doing something 쑗 The company is organised into six profit centres. 쑗 The group is organised by sales areas. 2. to arrange something so that it works

‘…we organize a rate with importers who have large orders and guarantee them space at a fixed rate so that they can plan their costs’ [Lloyd’s List]

labour /ɔənazd lebə/ noun employees who are members of trade unions organised

‘…governments are coming under increasing pressure from politicians, organized labour and business to stimulate economic growth’ [Duns Business Month]

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries /ɔənazeʃ(ə)n əv pətrəυliəm ekspɔtŋ kntriz/ noun a group of

major countries who are producers and exporters of oil. Abbreviation OPEC

outlook

originating fee /ərd$netŋ fi/,

origination fee /ərd$neʃ(ə)n fi/ noun US a front-end fee charged to cover the costs of dealing with an application for a loan orphan stock /ɔf(ə)n stɒk/ noun a neglected share, which is not often recommended by market analysts OTC abbreviation over-the-counter other people’s money /ðə pip(ə)lz mni/ noun money that belongs to customers, clients or shareholders, i.e. not to the people who are using it or investing it. Abbreviation OPM ouguiya /uijə/ noun a unit of currency used in Mauritania ounce /aυns/ noun a measure of weight (= 28 grams) (NOTE: Usually written oz after figures: 25oz. Note also that the ounce is now no longer officially used in the UK.) out /aυt/ adverb 1. on strike 쑗 The workers have been out on strike for four weeks. 쑗 As soon as the management made the offer, the staff came out. 쑗 The shop stewards called the workforce out. 2. 왍 to be out to be wrong in calculating something, or to be wrongly calculated 쑗 the balance is £10 out 왍 we are £20,000 out in our calculations we have £20,000 too much or too little 3. US away from work because of illness (NOTE: The UK term for this sense is off.) outbid /aυtbd/ verb to offer a better price than someone else 쑗 We offered £100,000 for the warehouse, but another company outbid us. (NOTE: outbidding – outbid) outflow /aυtfləυ/ noun 왍 outflow of capital from a country capital which is sent out of a country for investment abroad outflows /aυtfləυz/ plural noun money withdrawn from a fund in which it was previously invested outgoings /aυtəυŋz/ plural noun money which is paid out outlay /aυtle/ noun money spent, expenditure 왍 for a modest outlay for a small sum 쑗 For a modest outlay he was able to take control of the business. outlook /aυtlυk/ noun a view of what is going to happen in the future 쑗 The

out-of-date cheque

247

economic outlook is not good. 쑗 The stock market outlook is worrying. ‘American demand has transformed the profit outlook for many European manufacturers’ [Duns Business Month]

out-of-date cheque /aυt əv det tʃek/ noun a cheque which has not been cleared because its date is too old, normally more than six months out-of-favour adjective, adverb neglected, not liked (NOTE: The US spelling is out-of-favor.)

out of pocket /aυt əv pɒkt/

adjective, adverb having paid out money personally 쑗 The deal has left me out of pocket. out-of-pocket expenses /aυt əv pɒkt kspensz/ plural noun an amount of money paid back to an employee who has spent his or her personal money on company business outperform /aυtpəfɔm/ verb to do better than other companies ‘…on the fairly safe assumption that there is little to be gained in attempting to find the share or trust that outperforms everything else, there is every reason to buy an index-tracking fund’ [Money Observer]

outperformance /aυtpəfɔməns/

noun the fact of doing better than other companies output /aυtpυt/ noun the amount which a company, person or machine produces 쑗 Output has increased by 10%. 쑗 25% of our output is exported. ‘…crude oil output plunged during the last month and is likely to remain near its present level for the near future’ [Wall Street Journal]

output per hour /aυtpυt pər aυə/

noun the amount of something produced in one hour output tax /aυtpυt tks/ noun VAT charged by a company on goods or services sold, and which the company pays to the government outright /aυtrat/ adverb, adjective completely outsell /aυtsel/ verb to sell more than someone 쑗 The company is easily outselling its competitors. (NOTE: outselling – outsold) outside /aυtsad/ adjective, adverb 1. not in a company’s office or building

왍 to send work to be done outside to send work to be done in other offices 2.

overall

왍 outside office hours not during office hours, when the office is not open outside dealer /aυtsad dilə/ noun a person who is not a member of the Stock Exchange but is allowed to trade outside director /aυtsad darektə/ noun a director who is not employed by the company, a non-executive director outside line /aυtsad lan/ noun a line from an internal office telephone system to the main telephone exchange 쑗 You dial 9 to get an outside line. outside office hours /aυtsad ɒfs aυəz/ adverb when the office is not open outside shareholder /aυtsad ʃeəhəυldə/ same as minority shareholder

outside worker /aυtsad w%kə/

noun an employee who does not work in a company’s offices outstanding /aυtstndŋ/ adjective not yet paid or completed 왍 outstanding debts debts which are waiting to be paid 왍 outstanding orders orders received but not yet supplied 왍 what is the amount outstanding? how much money is still owed? 왍 matters outstanding from the previous meeting questions which were not settled at the previous meeting COMMENT: Note the difference between

‘outstanding’ and ‘overdue’. If a debtor has 30 days credit, then his debts are outstanding until the end of the 30 days, and they only become overdue on the 31st day.

outstanding cheque /aυtstndŋ

tʃek/ noun a cheque which has been written and therefore has been entered in the company’s ledgers, but which has not been presented for payment and so has not been debited from the company’s bank account outturn /aυtt%n/ noun an amount produced by a country or company outvote /aυtvəυt/ verb to defeat someone in a vote 왍 the chairman was outvoted the majority voted against the chairman overall /əυvərɔl/ adjective covering or including everything 왍 the company reported an overall fall in profits the

overall balance of payments

248

company reported a general fall in profits 왍 overall plan a plan which covers everything

overall balance of payments

/əυvərɔl bləns əv pemənts/ noun the total of current and long-term

balance of payments

overbook /əυvəbυk/ verb to book

more people than there are seats or rooms available 쑗 The hotel or The flight was overbooked. overbooking /əυvəbυkŋ/ noun the act of taking more bookings than there are seats or rooms available overborrowed /əυvəbɒrəυd/ adjective referring to a company which has very high borrowings compared to its assets, and has difficulty in meeting its interest payments overbought /əυvəbɔt/ adjective having bought too much 왍 the market is overbought prices on the stock market are too high, because there have been too many people wanting to buy ‘…they said the market was overbought when the index was between 860 and 870 points’ [Australian Financial Review]

overcapacity /əυvəkəpsti/ noun an unused capacity for producing something

‘…with the present overcapacity situation in the airline industry the discounting of tickets is widespread’ [Business Traveller]

overcapitalised /əυvəkptəlazd/, overcapitalized adjective referring to a company with more capital than it needs overcharge noun /əυvətʃɑd$/ a charge which is higher than it should be 쑗 to pay back an overcharge 쐽 verb /əυvətʃɑd$/ to ask someone for too much money 쑗 They overcharged us for our meals. 쑗 We asked for a refund because we’d been overcharged. overdraft /əυvədrɑft/ noun 1. an amount of money which a company or person can withdraw from a bank account, with the bank’s permission, despite the fact that the account is empty 쑗 The bank has allowed me an overdraft of £5,000. (NOTE: The US term is overdraft protection.) 왍 we have exceeded our overdraft facilities we have taken out more than the overdraft allowed by the bank 2. US a negative amount of money in an account, i.e. a situation

overhang

where a cheque is more than the money in the account on which it is drawn

overdraft facilities /əυvədrɑft fə-

sltiz/ plural noun an arrangement with a bank to have an overdraft overdraft limit /əυvədrɑft lmt/ noun a total which is agreed between the bank and a customer as the maximum amount the customer’s account may be overdrawn overdraft protection /əυvədrɑft prətekʃ(ə)n/ noun a system which protects a customer from overdrawing his account, either by switching money automatically from another account, or by offering a line of credit overdraw /əυvədrɔ/ verb to take out more money from a bank account than there is in it overdue /əυvədju/ adjective which has not been paid on time 왍 interest payments are three weeks overdue interest payments which should have been made three weeks ago 쏡 See note at outstanding

overestimate /əυvərestmet/ verb

to think something is larger or worse than it really is 쑗 He overestimated the amount of time needed to fit out the factory. 쑗 They overestimated the costs of moving the offices to central London. overexposure /əυvərkspəυ$ə/ noun the fact of being too exposed to risky loans overextend /əυvərkstend/ verb 왍 the company overextended itself the company borrowed more money than its assets would allow overfunding /əυvəfndŋ/ noun a situation where the government borrows more money than it needs for expenditure, by selling too much government stock overgeared /əυvəərd/ adjective referring to a company which has high borrowings in comparison to its assets overhang noun a large quantity of shares or of a commodity or of unsold stock available for sale, which has the effect of depressing the market price 쐽 verb 왍 to overhang the market to be available for sale, and so depress the share price

overhead budget

249

budget /əυvəhed bd$t/ noun a plan of probable overhead costs overhead costs /əυvəhed kɒsts/, overhead expenses /əυvəhed kspensz/ plural noun same as overhead

overheads

overheads /əυvəhedz/ plural noun

the indirect costs of the day-to-day running of a business, i.e. not money spent of producing goods, but money spent on such things as renting or maintaining buildings and machinery 쑗 The sales revenue covers the manufacturing costs but not the overheads. (NOTE: The usual US term is overhead.)

overheating /əυvəhitŋ/ noun a

rise in industrial activity in an economy, leading to a rise in inflation (the economy is then said to be ‘overheated’) overnight /əυvənat/ adverb from the evening of one day to the morning of the next overnight money /əυvənat mni/ noun money deposited for less than 24 hours overnight repo /əυvənat ripəυ/ noun a repurchase agreement, where banks sell securities for cash and repurchase them the next day at a higher price (used by central banks as a means of regulating the money markets) overpaid /əυvəped/ adjective paid too much 쑗 Our staff are overpaid and underworked. overpay /əυvəpe/ verb 1. to pay too much to someone or for something 쑗 We overpaid the invoice by $245. 2. to pay an extra amount to reduce the total capital borrowed on a mortgage overpayment /əυvəpemənt/ noun 1. an act of paying too much 2. the payment of a lump sum to reduce the capital borrowed on a mortgage overrated /əυvəretd/ adjective valued more highly than it should be 쑗 The effect of the dollar on European business cannot be overrated. 쑗 Their ‘first-class service’ is very overrated. overrider /əυvəradə/, overriding commission /əυvəradŋ kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun a special extra commission which is above all other commissions

oversubscribe

overseas adjective /əυvəsiz/, adverb /əυvəsiz/ across the sea, or to or in foreign countries 쑗 Management trainees knew that they would be sent overseas to learn about the export markets. 쑗 Some workers are going overseas to find new jobs. 쐽 noun /əυvəsiz/ foreign countries 쑗 The profits from overseas are far higher than those of the home division. overseas division /əυvəsiz dv$(ə)n/ noun the section of a company dealing with trade with other countries overseas funds /əυvəsiz fndz/ plural noun investment funds based in other countries overseas markets /əυvəsiz mɑkts/ plural noun markets in foreign countries overseas money order /əυvəsiz mni ɔdə/ noun a money order in a foreign currency which is payable to someone living in a foreign country overseas trade /əυvəsiz tred/ noun same as foreign trade oversell /əυvəsel/ verb to sell more than you can produce 왍 he is oversold he has agreed to sell more product than he can produce 왍 the market is oversold stock-market prices are too low, because there have been too many sellers overspend /əυvəspend/ verb to spend too much 왍 to overspend your budget to spend more money than is allowed in your budget overspending /əυvəspendŋ/ noun the act of spending more than is allowed 쑗 The board decided to limit the overspending by the production departments. overstock /əυvəstɒk/ verb to have a bigger stock of something than is needed 왍 to be overstocked with spare parts to have too many spare parts in stock ‘Cash paid for your stock: any quantity, any products, overstocked lines, factory seconds’ [Australian Financial Review]

overstocks /əυvəstɒks/ plural noun US more stock than is needed to supply orders 쑗 We will have to sell off the overstocks to make room in the warehouse. oversubscribe /əυvəsəbskrab/ verb 왍 the share offer was oversub-

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scribed six times people applied for six times as many new shares as were available oversubscription /əυvəsəbskrpʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation where people have subscribed for more shares in a new issue than are being issued over-the-counter /əυvə ðə kaυntə/ adjective involving shares which are not listed on the main Stock Exchange. Abbreviation OTC over-the-counter market /əυvə ðə kaυntə mɑkt/ noun a secondary market in shares which are not listed on the main Stock Exchange over-the-counter sales /əυvə ðə kaυntə selz/ plural noun the legal selling of shares which are not listed in the official Stock Exchange list, usually carried out by telephone overtime /əυvətam/ noun hours worked in addition to your normal working hours 쑗 to work six hours’ overtime 쑗 The overtime rate is one and a half times normal pay. 쐽 adverb 왍 to work overtime to work longer hours than stated in the contract of employment overtime ban /əυvətam bn/ noun an order by a trade union which forbids overtime work by its members overtime pay /əυvətam pe/ noun pay for extra time worked overtrading /əυvətredŋ/ noun a situation where a company increases sales and production too much and too quickly, so that it runs short of cash overvalue /əυvəvlju/ verb to give a higher value to something or someone than is right 왍 these shares

are overvalued at £1.25 the shares are worth less than the £1.25 for which they are selling 왍 the pound is overvalued against the dollar the exchange rate gives too many dollars to the pound, considering the strength of the two countries’ economies ‘…the fact that sterling has been overvalued for the past three years shows that currencies can remain above their fair value for very long periods’ [Investors Chronicle]

owe /əυ/ verb to have to pay money 쑗 He owes the bank £250,000. 왍 they still

owe the company for the stock they purchased last year they have still not paid for the stock owing /əυŋ/ adjective which is owed 쑗 money owing to the directors 쑗 How much is still owing to the company by its debtors? own /əυn/ verb to have or to possess 쑗 He owns 50% of the shares. owner /əυnə/ noun a person who owns something 쑗 The owners of a company are its shareholders. 왍 goods sent at owner’s risk a situation where the owner has to insure the goods while they are being transported owner-occupier /əυnər ɒkjυpaə/ noun a person who owns the property in which he or she lives owners’ equity /əυnəz ekwti/ noun a value of the shares in a company owned by the owners of the company ownership /əυnəʃp/ noun the fact of owning something 왍 the ownership of the company has passed to the banks the banks have become owners of the company oz abbreviation ounce(s)

P P* symbol US a measure of M2 shown as a ratio of the velocity of money, used as an indication of inflation P45 /pi fɔti fav/ noun a form given to an employee who leaves a company, showing how much tax has been deducted from his or her salary p.a. abbreviation per annum pa’anga /pɑŋə/ noun a unit of currency used in Tonga Pacific Rim /pəsfk rm/ noun the countries on the edge of the Pacific Ocean: especially Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan package /pkd$/ noun a group of different items joined together in one deal ‘…airlines offer special stopover rates and hotel packages to attract customers to certain routes’ [Business Traveller] ‘…the remuneration package will include an attractive salary, profit sharing and a company car’ [Times] ‘…airlines will book not only tickets but also hotels and car hire to provide a complete package’ [Business Traveller]

package deal /pkd$ dil/ noun an

agreement which deals with several different items at the same time 쑗 They agreed a package deal which involves the construction of the factory, training of staff and purchase of the product. Pac-man /pk mn/ noun a method of defence against a takeover bid, where the target company threatens to take over the company which is trying to take it over paid /ped/ adjective 1. for which money has been given 쑗 The invoice is marked ‘paid’. 2. 왍 paid holidays holidays where the worker’s wages are still paid even though he or she is not working 3. referring to an amount which has been settled 쑗 The order was sent car-

riage paid. 왍 paid bills bills which have been settled paid assistant /ped əsst(ə)nt/ noun an assistant who receives a salary paid-in capital /ped n kpt(ə)l/ noun capital in a business which has been provided by its shareholders (usually in the form of payments for shares above their par value) paid-up capital /ped p kpt(ə)l/, paid-up share capital /ped p ʃeə kpt(ə)l/ noun an amount of money paid for the issued capital shares (it does not include called-up capital which has not yet been paid for) paid-up shares /ped p ʃeəz/ noun shares which have been completely paid for by the shareholders palmtop /pɑmtɒp/ noun a very small computer which can be held in your hand and which usually has a character recognition screen instead of a keyboard PAN abbreviation primary account number P&L abbreviation profit and loss panel /pn(ə)l/ noun 1. a flat surface standing upright 2. a group of people who give advice on a problem 쑗 a panel of experts panic /pnk/ noun a state of being very frightened 왍 panic selling of sterling a rush to sell sterling at any price because of possible devaluation panic buying /pnk baŋ/ noun a rush to buy something at any price because stocks may run out paper /pepə/ noun 1. 왍 on paper in theory 쑗 On paper the system is ideal, but we have to see it working before we will sign the contract. 2. a document which can represent money (e.g. a bill

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252

of exchange or a promissory note) 3. shares in the form of share certificates paperchase /pepətʃes/ noun a takeover bid where the purchasing company issues large numbers of new shares to offer in exchange for the shares in the company being bought paper gain /pepə en/ noun same as paper profit ‘…the profits were tax-free and the interest on the loans they incurred qualified for income tax relief; the paper gains were rarely changed into spending money’ [Investors Chronicle]

paper loss /pepə lɒs/ noun a loss made when an asset has fallen in value but has not been sold paper millionaire /pepə mljəneə/ noun a person who owns shares which, if sold, would be worth one million pounds or dollars paper money /pepə mni/ noun banknotes paper offer /pepə ɒfə/ noun a takeover bid, where the purchasing company offers its shares in exchange for shares in the company being taken over (as opposed to a cash offer) paper profit /pepə prɒft/ noun a profit on an asset which has increased in price but has not been sold 쑗 He is showing a paper profit of £25,000 on his investment. Also called paper gain, unrealised profit paperwork /pepəw%k/ noun office

work, especially writing memos and filling in forms 쑗 Exporting to Russia involves a large amount of paperwork. par /pɑ/ adjective equal, at the same price 왍 shares at par shares whose market price is the same as their face value parallel markets /prəlel mɑkts/ plural noun money markets, where institutions such as banks, or organisations such as local authorities, can lend or borrow money without having to go through the main money markets parameter /pərmtə/ noun a fixed limit 쑗 The budget parameters are fixed by the finance director. 쑗 Spending by each department has to fall within certain parameters. parcel of shares /pɑs(ə)l əv ʃeəz/ noun a group of shares (such as 50 or 100) which are sold as a group 쑗 The shares are on offer in parcels of 50.

part exchange

parcel rate /pɑs(ə)l ret/ noun the

postage (calculated by weight) for sending a parcel parent company /peərənt kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which owns more than 50% of the shares of another company Pareto’s Law /pəritəυz lɔ/, Pareto Effect /pəritəυ fekt/ noun the theory that incomes are distributed in the same way in all countries, whatever tax regime is in force, and that a small percentage of a total is responsible for a large proportion of value or resources. Also called eighty/twenty law COMMENT: Also called the 80/20 law, be-

cause 80/20 is the normal ratio between majority and minority figures: so 20% of accounts produce 80% of turnover; 80% of GDP enriches 20% of the population, etc.

pari passu /pri psu/ adverb a

Latin phrase meaning ‘equally’ 쑗 The new shares will rank pari passu with the existing ones. Paris Club /prs klb/ noun the Group of Ten, the major world economic powers working within the framework of the IMF (there are in fact eleven: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. It is called the ‘Paris Club’ because its first meeting was in Paris) parity /prti/ noun the fact of being at an equal level or price with something else ‘…the draft report on changes in the international monetary system casts doubt about any return to fixed exchange-rate parities’ [Wall Street Journal]

Parkinson’s law /pɑknsənz lɔ/

noun a law, based on wide experience, that in business the amount of work increases to fill the time available for it part /pɑt/ noun 왍 in part not completely 쑗 to contribute in part to the costs or to pay the costs in part part delivery /pɑt dlv(ə)ri/ noun a delivery that contains only some of the items in an order part exchange /pɑt kstʃend$/ noun the act of giving an old product as part of the payment for a new one 쑗 to take a car in part exchange

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253

partial /pɑʃ(ə)l/ adjective not complete 왍 partial loss a situation where

only part of the insured property has been damaged or lost 왍 he got partial compensation for the damage to his house he was compensated for part of the damage participate /pɑtspet/ verb to take part in an activity or enterprise 쑗 The staff are encouraged to participate actively in the company’s decision-making processes.

participating preference shares /pɑtspetŋ pref(ə)rəns ʃeəz/, participating preferred stock /pɑtspetŋ prf%d stɒk/ plural noun

preference shares which get an extra bonus dividend if company profits reach a certain level participation /pɑtspeʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taking part 쑗 The workers are demanding more participation in the company’s affairs. 쑗 Participation helps to make an employee feel part of the organisation. participation fee /pɑtspeʃ(ə)n fi/ noun a fee paid to a bank for taking part in underwriting a loan participator /pɑtspetə/ noun a person who has an interest in a company (e.g. an ordinary or preference shareholder, a creditor or the owner of rights to shares) particular average /pətkjυlə v(ə)rd$/ noun a situation where part of a shipment is lost or damaged and the insurance costs are borne by the owner of the lost goods and not shared among all the owners of the shipment partly /pɑtli/ adverb not completely 왍 partly-secured creditors creditors whose debts are not fully covered by the value of the security partly-paid capital /pɑt(ə)li ped kpt(ə)l/ noun a capital which represents partly-paid shares partly-paid up shares /pɑt(ə)li ped p ʃeəz/, partly-paid shares /pɑt(ə)li ped ʃeəz/ plural noun shares where the shareholders have not paid the full face value partner /pɑtnə/ noun a person who works in a business and has an equal share in it with other partners 쑗 I became a partner in a firm of solicitors.

party

partnership /pɑtnəʃp/ noun an un-

registered business where two or more people (but not more than twenty) share the risks and profits according to a partnership agreement 쑗 to go into partnership with someone 쑗 to join with someone to form a partnership 왍 to offer someone a partnership, to take someone into partnership with you to have a working business and bring someone in to share it with you 왍 to dissolve a partnership to bring a partnership to an end 왍 to go into partnership with someone to join with someone to form a partnership

partnership

agreement

/pɑtnəʃp ərimənt/ noun a doc-

ument setting up a partnership, giving the details of the business and the amount each partner is contributing to it. Also called articles of partnership part order /pɑt ɔdə/ noun same as part delivery

part-owner /pɑt əυnə/ noun a person who owns something jointly with one or more other people 쑗 I am part-owner of the restaurant. part-ownership /pɑt əυnəʃp/ noun a situation where two or more persons own the same property part payment /pɑt pemənt/ noun the paying of part of a whole payment 쑗 I gave him £250 as part payment for the car. part shipment /pɑt ʃpmənt/ noun same as part delivery part-time /pɑt tam/ adjective, adverb not working for the whole working week 쑗 a part-time worker 쑗 It is a part-time job that 쑗 We are looking for part-time staff to work our computers. 쑗 She only works part-time as she has small children to look after. part-time work /pɑt tam w%k/, part-time employment /pɑt tam mplɔmənt/ noun work for part of a working week (officially, between 8 and 16 hours per week) 쑗 He is trying to find part-time work when the children are in school. party /pɑti/ noun a person or organisation involved in a legal dispute or legal agreement 쑗 How many parties are there to the contract? 쑗 The company is not a party to the agreement.

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254

par value /pɑ vlju/ noun same as

face value pass /pɑs/ verb 1. 왍 to pass a divi-

dend to pay no dividend in a certain year 2. to approve something 쑗 The finance director has to pass an invoice before it is sent out. 쑗 The loan has been passed by the board. 왍 to pass a resolution to vote to agree to a resolution 쑗 The meeting passed a proposal that salaries should be frozen. 3. to be successful in an examination or test 쑗 He passed his typing test. 쑗 She has passed all her exams and now is a qualified accountant. passbook /pɑsbυk/ noun a book given by a bank or building society which shows money which you deposit or withdraw from your savings account or building society account ‘…instead of customers having transactions recorded in their passbooks, they will present plastic cards and have the transactions printed out on a receipt’ [Australian Financial Review]

passbook account /pɑsbυk ə-

kaυnt/ noun an account which carries a passbook passive /psv/ adjective not taking any action passive investor /psv nvestə/ noun same as sleeping partner passive stake /psv stek/ noun a shareholding where the shareholder takes no active part in running the company pass off /pɑs ɒf/ verb 왍 to pass something off as something else to pretend that something is another thing in order to cheat a customer 쑗 She tried to pass off the wine as French, when in fact it came from outside the EU. password /pɑsw%d/ noun a special word which a user has to give when carrying out operations on an account by phone pataca /pətɑkə/ noun a unit of currency used in Macao patent /petənt, ptənt/ noun an official document showing that a person has the exclusive right to make and sell an invention 쑗 to take out a patent for a new type of light bulb 쑗 to apply for a patent for a new invention 왍 ‘patent applied for’, ‘patent pending’ words on a product showing that the inventor has applied for a patent for it 왍 to forfeit a

pawnshop

patent to lose a patent because payments have not been made 왍 to infringe a patent to make and sell a product which works in the same way as a patented product and not pay a royalty for it 왍 to file a patent application to apply for a patent 쐽 verb 왍 to patent an invention to register an invention with the patent office to prevent other people from copying it patent agent /petənt ed$ənt/ noun a person who advises on patents and applies for patents on behalf of clients patented /petəntd, ptəntd/ adjective which is protected by a patent patent office /petənt ɒfs/ noun a government office which grants patents and supervises them patent rights /petənt rats/ plural noun the rights which an inventor holds because of a patent

pathfinder

/pɑθfandə

prospectus

prəspektəs/ noun a preliminary prospectus about a company which is going to be launched on the Stock Exchange, sent to potential major investors before the issue date, giving details of the company’s background, but not giving the price at which shares will be sold pattern /pt(ə)n/ noun the general way in which something usually happens 쑗 The pattern of sales or The sales pattern is quite different this year. pattern of trade /pt(ə)n əv tred/ noun a general way in which trade is carried on 쑗 The company’s trading pattern shows high export sales in the first quarter and high home sales in the third quarter. pawn /pɔn/ noun 왍 to put something in pawn to leave a valuable object with someone in exchange for a loan which has to be repaid if you want to take back the object 왍 to take something out of pawn to repay the loan and so get back the object which has been pawned 쐽 verb 왍 to pawn a watch to leave a watch with a pawnbroker who gives a loan against it pawnbroker /pɔnbrəυkə/ noun a person who lends money against the security of valuable objects pawnshop /pɔnʃɒp/ noun a pawnbroker’s shop

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255

pawn ticket /pɔn tkt/ noun a re-

ceipt given by the pawnbroker for an object left in pawn pay /pe/ noun a salary or wages, money given to someone for regular work 왍 holiday with pay a holiday which an employee can take by contract and for which he or she is paid 쐽 verb 1. to give money to buy an item or a service 쑗 to pay £1,000 for a car 쑗 How much did you pay to have the office cleaned? 왍 ‘pay cash’ words written on a crossed cheque to show that it can be paid in cash if necessary 왍 to pay in advance to pay before you receive the item bought or before the service has been completed 쑗 We had to pay in advance to have the new telephone system installed. 왍 to pay in instalments to pay for an item by giving small amounts regularly 쑗 We are buying the van by paying instalments of £500 a month. 왍 to pay cash to pay the complete sum in cash 왍 to pay by cheque to pay by giving a cheque, not by using cash or credit card 왍 to pay by credit card to pay using a credit card, not a cheque or cash 2. to produce or distribute money 왍 to pay a dividend to give shareholders a part of the profits of a company 쑗 These shares pay a dividend of 1.5p. 왍 to pay interest to give money as interest on money borrowed or invested 쑗 Some building societies pay interest of 5%. 3. to give an employee money for work done 쑗 The workforce has not been paid for three weeks. 쑗 We pay good wages for skilled workers. 쑗 How much do they pay you per hour? 왍 to be paid by the hour to get money for each hour worked 왍 to be paid at piecework rates to get money for each piece of work finished 4. to give money which is owed or which has to be paid 쑗 He was late paying the bill. 쑗 We phoned to ask when they were going to pay the invoice. 쑗 You will have to pay duty on these imports. 쑗 She pays tax at the highest rate. 왍 to pay on demand to pay money when it is asked for, not after a period of credit 왍 please pay the sum of £10 please give £10 in cash or by cheque 5. 왍 to pay a cheque into an account to deposit money in the form of a cheque (NOTE: [all verb senses] paying – paid) ‘…recession encourages communication not because it makes redundancies easier, but

pay-cheque because it makes low or zero pay increases easier to accept’ [Economist] ‘…the yield figure means that if you buy the shares at their current price you will be getting 5% before tax on your money if the company pays the same dividend as in its last financial year’ [Investors Chronicle]

payable /peəb(ə)l/ adjective which is due to be paid 왍 payable in advance

which has to be paid before the goods are delivered 왍 payable on delivery which has to be paid when the goods are delivered 왍 payable on demand which must be paid when payment is asked for 왍 payable at sixty days which has to be paid by sixty days after the date on the invoice 왍 cheque made payable to bearer a cheque which will be paid to the person who has it, not to any particular name written on it 왍 shares payable on application shares which must be paid for when you apply to buy them 왍 electricity charges are payable by the tenant the tenant (and not the landlord) must pay for the electricity pay as you earn /pe əz ju %n/ noun a tax system, where income tax is deducted from the salary before it is paid to the worker. Abbreviation PAYE (NOTE: The US term is pay-as-you-go.) pay-as-you-go /pe əz ju əυ/ noun 1. US same as pay as you earn 2. a payment system where the pur-

chaser pays in small instalments as he or she uses the service pay back /pe bk/ verb to give money back to someone 쑗 Banks are warning students not to take out loans which they cannot pay back. 쑗 I lent him £50 and he promised to pay me back in a month. 쑗 He has never paid me back the money he borrowed. payback /pebk/ noun the act of paying back money which has been borrowed payback clause /pebk klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract which states the terms for repaying a loan payback period /pebk pəriəd/ noun 1. a period of time over which a loan is to be repaid or an investment is to pay for itself 2. the length of time it will take to earn back the money invested in a project pay-cheque /pe tʃek/ noun a monthly cheque by which an employee

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256

is paid (NOTE: The US spelling is paycheck.) pay day /pe de/ noun a day on

which wages are paid to employees (usually Friday for employees paid once a week, and during the last week of the month for employees who are paid once a month) pay desk /pe desk/ noun a place in a store where you pay for goods bought pay differentials /pe dfərenʃəlz/ plural noun the difference in salary between employees in similar types of jobs. Also called salary differentials, wage differentials pay down /pe daυn/ verb 왍 to pay

money down to make a deposit 쑗 They paid £50 down and the rest in monthly instalments. paydown /pedaυn/ noun a repayment of part of a sum which has been borrowed PAYE abbreviation pay as you earn payee /pei/ noun a person who receives money from someone, or the person whose name is on a cheque payer /peə/ noun a person who gives money to someone payer bank /peə bŋk/ noun a bank which pays a cheque drawn on one of its accounts pay hike /pe hak/ noun an increase in salary paying /peŋ/ adjective 1. which makes a profit 쑗 It is a paying business. 왍 it is not a paying proposition it is not a business which is going to make a profit 2. which pays 쐽 noun the act of giving money paying agent /peŋ ed$ənt/ noun a bank which pays dividend or interest to a bondholder paying-in book /peŋ n bυk/ noun a book of forms for paying money into a bank account or a building society account paying-in slip /peŋ n slp/ noun a printed form which is filled in when money is being deposited in a bank payment /pemənt/ noun 1. the act of giving money in exchange for goods or a service 쑗 We always ask for payment in cash or cash payment and not payment by cheque. 쑗 The payment of

pay out

interest or the interest payment should be made on the 22nd of each month. 왍 payment on account paying part of the money owed 왍 payment on invoice paying money as soon as an invoice is received 왍 payment in kind paying by giving goods or food, but not money 왍 payment by results money given which increases with the amount of work done or goods produced 2. money paid 왍 repayable in easy payments repayable with small sums regularly

payment date /pemənt det/ noun

a date when a payment should be or has been made payment gateway /pemənt etwe/ noun software that processes online credit-card payments. It gets authorisation for the payment from the credit-card company and transfers money into the retailer’s bank account. payment holiday /pemənt hɒlde/ noun a period when payments do not need to be made, especially when repaying a debt or a mortgage payment order /pemənt ɔdə/ noun an order to someone to make a payment pay negotiations /pe nəυʃieʃ(ə)nz/, pay talks /pe tɔks/ plural noun discussions between management and employees about pay increases pay off /pe ɒf/ verb 1. to finish paying money which is owed for something 쑗 He won the lottery and paid off his mortgage. 쑗 She is trying to pay off the loan by monthly instalments. 2. to terminate somebody’s employment and pay all wages that are due 쑗 When the company was taken over the factory was closed and all the workers were paid off. payoff /peɒf/ noun money paid to finish paying something which is owed, such as money paid to a worker when his or her employment is terminated ‘…the finance director of the group is to receive a payoff of about £300,000 after deciding to leave the company and pursue other business opportunities’ [Times]

payoff period /peɒf pəriəd/ noun

same as payback period pay out /pe aυt/ verb to give money 쑗 The company pays out thousands of pounds in legal fees. 쑗 We have paid out half our profits in dividends.

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257

payout /peaυt/ noun money paid to

help a company or person in difficulties, a subsidy 쑗 The company only exists on payouts from the government.

‘…after a period of recession followed by a rapid boost in incomes, many tax payers embarked upon some tax planning to minimize their payouts’ [Australian Financial Review]

pay package /pe pkd$/ noun

the salary and other benefits offered with a job 쑗 The job carries an attractive pay package. pay packet /pe pkt/ noun an envelope containing the pay slip and the cash pay pay phone /pe fəυn/ noun a public telephone which works if you put coins into it pay restraint /pe rstrent/ noun the process of keeping increases in wages under control pay review /pe rvju/ noun an occasion when an employee’s salary is considered and usually increased 쑗 I’m soon due for a pay review and hope to get a rise. pay rise /pe raz/ noun an increase in pay payroll /perəυl/ noun 1. the list of people employed and paid by a company 쑗 The company has 250 on the payroll. 2. the money paid by a company in salaries 쑗 The office has a weekly payroll of £10,000. payroll clerk /perəυl klɑk/ noun a person employed to administer the payment of employees. Also called wages clerk

payroll ledger /perəυl led$ə/ noun a list of staff and their salaries

payroll tax /perəυl tks/ noun a

tax on the people employed by a company pay scale /pe skel/ noun a table that sets out the range of pay offered for each grade of job in an organisation. Also called salary scale, wage scale pay slip /pe slp/, pay statement /pe stetmənt/ noun a piece of paper showing the full amount of an employee’s pay, and the money deducted as tax, pension and National Insurance contributions

penalise

pay threshold /pe θreʃhəυld/

noun a point at which pay increases because of a threshold agreement pay up /pe p/ verb to give money which is owed 쑗 The company only paid up when we sent them a letter from our solicitor. 쑗 He finally paid up six months late. PC abbreviation personal computer PCB abbreviation petty cash book P/E abbreviation price/earnings peak /pik/ noun the highest point 쑗 The shares reached their peak in January. 쑗 The share index has fallen 10% since the peak in January. 쑗 Withdrawals from bank accounts reached a peak in the week before Christmas. 쑗 He has reached the peak of his career. 쐽 verb to reach the highest point 쑗 Productivity peaked in January. 쑗 Shares have peaked and are beginning to slip back. 쑗 He peaked early and never achieved his ambition of becoming managing director. 쑗 Demand peaks in August, after which sales usually decline. peak output /pik autpυt/ noun the highest output peak year /pik jə/ noun the year when the largest quantity of products was produced or when sales were highest peanuts /pints/ plural noun a small amount of money (informal ) pecuniary /pkjuniəri/ adjective referring to money 왍 he gained no pecuniary advantage he made no profit peddle /ped(ə)l/ verb to sell goods from door to door or in the street peg /pe/ verb to maintain or fix something at a specific level 왍 to peg a currency to fix an exchange rate for a currency which previously was floating 왍 to peg prices to fix prices to stop them rising 왍 to peg wage increases to the cost-of-living index to limit increases in wages to the increases in the cost-of-living index 쐽 noun a hook to hang clothes on P/E multiple /pii mltp(ə)l/ noun US same as price/earnings ratio penalise /pinəlaz/, penalize verb to punish or fine someone 쑗 to penalise a supplier for late deliveries 쑗 They were penalised for bad time-keeping. .

penalty

258

penalty /pen(ə)lti/ noun 1. a punish-

ment, often a fine, which is imposed if something is not done or is done incorrectly or illegally 2. money withheld from an investor if he or she withdraws money from an interest-bearing account early penalty clause /pen(ə)lti klɔz/ noun a clause which lists the penalties which will be imposed if the terms of the contract are not fulfilled 쑗 The contract contains a penalty clause which fines the company 1% for every week the completion date is late. penalty-free /pen(ə)lti fri/ adjective without incurring any penalty, without losing any interest on money invested 쑗 penalty-free withdrawal pence /pens/ plural noun 쒁 penny penny /peni/ noun 1. GB a small coin, of which one hundred make a pound (NOTE: Written p after a figure: 26p; the plural is pence.) 2. US a small coin, one cent (informal ) (NOTE: The .

plural in US English is pennies. In UK English, say ‘pee’ for the coin, and ‘pee’ or ‘pence’ for the amount: a five ‘pee’ coin; it costs ten ‘pee’ or ten ‘pence’. In US English, say ‘pennies’ for coins and ‘cents’ for the amount.) penny share /peni ʃeə/ noun a very

cheap share, costing about 10p or less than $1 (NOTE: The US term is penny

stock.) COMMENT: These shares can be consid-

ered as a good speculation, since buying even large numbers of them does not involve a large amount of money, and the share price of some companies can rise dramatically; the price can of course fall, but in the case of penny shares, the loss is not likely to be as much as with shares with a higher market value.

pension /penʃən/ noun money paid

regularly to someone who no longer works 쐽 verb 왍 to pension someone off to ask someone to retire and take a pension pensionable /penʃənəb(ə)l/ adjective able to receive a pension pensionable age /penʃənəb(ə)l ed$/ noun an age after which someone can stop working and take a pension

pensionable

service

/penʃənəb(ə)l s%vs/ noun the period

of service used in calculating pension

per

benefits from an occupational pension scheme pension contributions /penʃən kɒntrbjuʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun money paid by a company or employee into a pension fund pension drawdown /penʃən drɔdaυn/ noun same as income drawdown

pension entitlement /penʃən n-

tat(ə)lmənt/ noun the amount of pension which someone has the right to receive when he or she retires pensioner /penʃənə/ noun a person who receives a pension pension fund /penʃən fnd/ noun a large sum of money made up of contributions from employees and their employer which provides pensions for retired employees pension funds /penʃ(ə)n fndz/ plural noun investments managed by pension companies to produce pensions for investors pension plan /penʃən pln/, pension scheme /penʃən skim/ noun a plan worked out by an insurance company which arranges for employees to pay part of their salary over many years and receive a regular payment when they retire People’s Bank of China /pip(ə)lz bŋk əv tʃanə/ noun the Central Bank of China PEP abbreviation Personal Equity Plan peppercorn rent /pepəkɔn rent/ noun a very small or nominal rent 쑗 to lease a property for or at a peppercorn rent 쑗 The charity pays only a peppercorn rent. per /p%, pə/ preposition 1. 왍 as per according to 왍 as per invoice as stated in the invoice 왍 as per sample as shown in the sample 왍 as per previous order according to the details given in our previous order 2. for each 왍 we pay £10 per hour we pay £10 for each hour worked 왍 the earnings per share the dividend received for each share 왍 the average sales per representative the average sales achieved by one representative ‘…a 100,000 square-foot warehouse generates $600 in sales per square foot of space’ [Duns Business Month]

PER

259

period of qualification

PER abbreviation price/earnings ratio per annum /pər nəm/ adverb in a

company’s performance as a way of judging if the company’s results are good or bad 왍 performance of staff against objectives how staff have worked, measured against the objectives set 2. the way in which a share increases in value

price/earnings ratio per capita /pə kptə/ adjective, adverb for each person 왍 average income

‘…inflation-adjusted GNP edged up at a 1.3% annual rate, its worst performance since the economic expansion began’ [Fortune]

year 쑗 What is their turnover per annum? 쑗 What is his total income per annum? 쑗 She earns over £100,000 per annum. P/E ratio /pi i reʃiəυ/ 쏡

per capita or per capita income average income of one person per cent /pə sent/ adjective, adverb out of each hundred, or for each hundred 왍 10 per cent ten in every hundred 쑗 What is the increase per cent? 쑗 Fifty per cent of nothing is still nothing. ‘…this would represent an 18 per cent growth rate – a slight slackening of the 25 per cent turnover rise in the first half’ [Financial Times] ‘…buildings are depreciated at two per cent per annum on the estimated cost of construction’ [Hongkong Standard]

percentage /pəsentd$/ noun an amount shown as part of one hundred

‘…state-owned banks cut their prime rates a percentage point to 11%’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…a good percentage of the excess stock was taken up during the last quarter’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…the Federal Reserve Board, signalling its concern about the weakening American economy, cut the discount rate by one-half percentage point to 6.5%’ [Wall Street Journal]

percentage discount /pəsentd$

dskaυnt/ noun a discount calculated at an amount per hundred percentage increase /pəsentd$ nkris/ noun an increase calculated on the basis of a rate for one hundred percentile /pəsental/ noun one of a series of ninety-nine figures below which a percentage of the total falls per contra /p% kɒntrə/ noun words showing that a contra entry has been made perform /pəfɔm/ verb to do well or badly 왍 how did the shares perform? did the shares go up or down? performance /pəfɔməns/ noun 1. the way in which someone or something acts 쑗 Last year saw a dip in the company’s performance. 왍 the poor performance of the shares on the stock market the fall in the share price on the stock market 왍 as a measure of the

fund /pəfɔməns fnd/ noun a fund invested in shares to provide capital growth, but probably with less dividend income than usual performance incentive /pəfɔməns nsentv/ noun an extra payment to reward an employee’s performance at work performance-linked bonus /pəfɔməns lŋkt bəυnəs/ noun a bonus calculated according to the performance of a worker or group of workers performance rating /pəfɔməns retŋ/ noun a judgement of how well a share or a company has performed performance review /pəfɔməns rvju/ noun a yearly interview between a manager and each worker to discuss how the worker has worked during the year performance share /pəfɔməns ʃeə/ noun a share which is likely to show capital growth, though perhaps not income. These are usually riskier shares than those which provide income. per head /pə hed/ adverb for each person 쑗 Allow £15 per head for expenses. 쑗 Representatives cost on average £50,000 per head per annum. period /pəriəd/ noun a length of time 쑗 for a period of time or for a period of months or for a six-year period 쑗 sales over a period of three months 쑗 to deposit money for a fixed period periodic /pəriɒdk/, periodical /pəriɒdk(ə)l/ adjective happening from time to time 쑗 a periodic review of the company’s performance period of account /pəriəd əv əkaυnt/ noun the period usually covered by a firm’s accounts period of qualification /pəriəd əv kwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the time which has to pass before someone qualifies for something performance

perk

260

perk /p%k/ noun an extra item given

by a company to employees in addition to their salaries (such as company cars or private health insurance) (informal ) 쑗 She earns a good salary and in addition has all sorts of perks. permanent /p%mənənt/ adjective which will last for a long time or for ever 쑗 the permanent staff and part-timers 쑗 She has found a permanent job. 쑗 She is in permanent employment. .

permanent interest-bearing share /p%mənənt intrəst beərŋ

ʃeə/ noun a share issued by a building society to attract investment capital. Abbreviation PIBS permit noun /p%mt/ an official document which allows someone to do something 쐽 verb /pəmt/ to allow someone to do something 쑗 This document permits you to export twenty-five computer systems. 쑗 The ticket permits three people to go into the exhibition. 쑗 Will we be permitted to use her name in the advertising copy? 쑗 Smoking is not permitted in the design studio. (NOTE: permitting – permitted)

perpetual inventory /pəpetʃuəl

nvənt(ə)ri/ noun a stock recording and valuation system where each item of stock purchased is added to the total and each item sold is deducted, so that the stock figures are always correct and up-to-date per pro /pə prəυ/ abbreviation per procurationem 쑗 The secretary signed per pro the manager. per procurationem /pə prɒkjυrsəυnəm/ preposition ‘a Latin phrase meaning ‘on behalf of’ or ‘acting as the representative of’’ perquisite /p%kwzt/ noun same as perk

person /p%s(ə)n/ noun 1. someone

(a man or a woman) 쑗 an insurance policy which covers a named person 왍 the persons named in the contract the people whose names are given in the contract 왍 the document should be witnessed by a third person someone who is not named in the document should witness it 2. 왍 in person by doing something or going somewhere yourself, not through another person or means 왍 this important package is to

Personal Equity Plan

be delivered to the chairman in person the package has to be given to the chairman himself (and not to his secretary, assistant, etc.)

personal /p%s(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective referring to one person 왍 apart from the

family shares, she has a personal shareholding in the company apart from shares belonging to her family as a group, she has shares which she owns herself 왍 the car is for his personal use the car is for him to use himself personal allowance /p%s(ə)n(ə)l əlaυəns/ noun a part of a person’s income which is not taxed personal assets /p%s(ə)n(ə)l sets/ plural noun moveable assets which belong to a person personal banker /p%s(ə)nəl bŋkə/ noun a bank employee who looks after a client, and is the one whom the client contacts when there are problems personal call /p%s(ə)n(ə)l kɔl/ noun 1. a telephone call where you ask the operator to connect you with a particular person 2. a telephone call not related to business 쑗 Staff are not allowed to make personal calls during office hours. personal computer /p%s(ə)n(ə)l kəmpjutə/ noun a small computer which can be used by one person in the home or office. Abbreviation PC personal customer /p%s(ə)nəl kstəmə/ noun a private individual who has an account with a bank, as opposed to a business customer Personal Equity Plan /p%s(ə)nəl ekwti pln/ noun an account held under a UK-government-backed scheme to encourage share-ownership and investment in industry, allowing individual taxpayers to invest a certain amount of money in shares each year, and not pay tax on either the income or the capital gains, provided that the shares are held for a certain period of time. Abbreviation PEP COMMENT: There are several types of

equity PEP: the single company PEP, where only shares in one company are allowed, and the general PEP, where shares in several companies can be held or other types of investment.

Personal Identification Number

261

Personal Identification Number

/p%s(ə)n(ə)l nmbə/ noun

adentfkeʃ(ə)n a unique number allocated to the holder of a cash card or credit card, by which he or she can enter an automatic banking system, as for example to withdraw cash from a cash machine or to pay in a store. Abbreviation PIN personal income /p%s(ə)n(ə)l nkm/ noun the income received by an individual person before tax is paid

Personal Investment Authority /p%s(ə)n(ə)l nvestmənt ɔθɒrti/ noun a self-regulatory body which

regulates the activities of financial advisers, insurance brokers and others who give financial advice or arrange financial services for small clients. Abbreviation PIA personalised /p%s(ə)nəlazd/, personalized adjective with the name or initials of a person printed on it 쑗 She has a personalised briefcase. personal loan /p%s(ə)nəl ləυn/ noun a loan to a person for household or other personal use, not for business use

personal

pension

plan

/p%s(ə)n(ə)l penʃən pln/ noun a

pension plan which applies to one employee only, usually a self-employed person, not to a group. Abbreviation

PPP

personal property /p%s(ə)n(ə)l

prɒpəti/ noun things which belong to a person 쑗 The fire caused considerable damage to personal property. personal sector /p%s(ə)nəl sektə/ noun the part of the investment market which is owned by private investors (as opposed to the corporate or institutional sector) personnel department /p%sənel dpɑtmənt/ noun same as human resources department

officer /p%sənel ɒfsə/ noun same as human re-

personnel

sources officer

person-to-person call /p%s(ə)n

tə p%s(ə)n kɔl/ noun a telephone call where you ask the operator to connect you with a named person peseta /pəsetə/ noun a unit of currency used before the euro in Spain

petty cash book

(NOTE: Usually written ptas after a figure: 2,000ptas.) peso /pesəυ/ noun a unit of currency

used in Mexico and many other countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines and Uruguay pessimism /pesmz(ə)m/ noun a state of mind in which you expect that everything will turn out badly 쑗 There is considerable pessimism about job opportunities. pessimistic /pesmstk/ adjective feeling sure that things will work out badly 왍 he takes a pessimistic view of the exchange rate he expects the exchange rate to fall peter out /pitər aυt/ verb to come to an end gradually ‘…economists believe the economy is picking up this quarter and will do better in the second half of the year, but most expect growth to peter out next year’ [Sunday Times]

Peter principle /pitə prnsp(ə)l/

noun a law, based on wide experience, that people are promoted until they occupy positions for which they are incompetent petrocurrency /petrəυkrənsi/ noun a foreign currency which is earned by exporting oil petrodollar /petrəυdɒlə/ noun a dollar earned by a country from exporting oil, then invested outside that country petroleum /pətrəυliəm/ noun raw natural oil, found in the ground petroleum industry /pətrəυliəm ndəstri/ noun an industry which uses petroleum to make other products (e.g. petrol or soap) petroleum products /pətrəυliəm prɒdkts/ plural noun products (such as petrol, soap and paint) which are made from crude petroleum petroleum revenues /pətrəυliəm revənjuz/ plural noun income from selling oil petty /peti/ adjective not important petty cash /peti kʃ/ noun a small amount of money kept in an office to pay small debts petty cash book /peti kʃ bυk/ noun a book in which petty cash payments are noted. Abbreviation PCB

petty cash box

262

petty cash box /peti kʃ bɒks/

noun a locked metal box in an office where the petty cash is kept petty expenses /peti kspensz/ plural noun small sums of money spent PGP noun a method of encrypting information so that only the intended recipient can read the message; often used to send credit card details via electronic mail. Full form pretty good privacy phase /fez/ noun a period or part of something which takes place 쑗 the first phase of the expansion programme phase in /fez n/ verb to bring something in gradually 쑗 The new invoicing system will be phased in over the next two months. ‘…the budget grants a tax exemption for $500,000 in capital gains, phased in over the next six years’ [Toronto Star]

phase out /fez aυt/ verb to remove something gradually 쑗 Smith Ltd will be phased out as a supplier of spare parts. phoenix company /finks kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company formed by the directors of a company which has gone into receivership, which trades in the same way as the first company, and in most respects (except its name) seems to be exactly the same as the first company ‘…the prosecution follows recent calls for a reform of insolvency legislation to prevent directors from leaving behind a trail of debt while continuing to trade in phoenix companies – businesses which fold only to rise again, often under a slightly different name in the hands of the same directors and management’ [Financial Times]

physical market /fzk(ə)l mɑkt/

noun a commodity market where purchasers actually buy the commodities (as opposed to the futures market, where they buy and sell the right to purchase commodities at a future date) physical price /fzk(ə)l pras/ noun a current cash price for a commodity for immediate delivery physicals /fzk(ə)lz/ plural noun actual commodities which are sold on the current market (as opposed to futures) physical stock check /fzk(ə)l stɒk tʃek/ noun the task of counting actual items of stock (and then checking this figure against stock records)

pit

PIA abbreviation Personal Investment Authority

PIB abbreviation permanent interest-bearing share

pick /pk/ noun a thing chosen

쑗 the former research analyst never before talked to the press about his stock picks 쐽 verb to choose 쑗 The board picked the finance director to succeed the retiring MD. 쑗 The Association has picked Paris for its next meeting. 왍 to pick stocks to select which shares to buy picking /pkŋ/ noun 쒁 stockpicking pick up /pk p/ verb 1. to get better or to improve 쑗 Business or Trade is picking up. 2. to fetch something or someone in a vehicle 쑗 The company sent a driver to pick him up at the airport. 쑗 We sent a courier to pick up the packet and deliver it to the designer. piece rate /pis ret/ noun a rate of pay calculated as an amount for each product produced or for each piece of work done and not as an amount for each hour worked 쑗 to earn piece rates piecework /pisw%k/ noun work for which employees are paid in accordance with the number of products produced or pieces of work done and not at an hourly rate pieceworker /pisw%kə/ noun a person who is employed at a piece rate pie chart /pa tʃɑt/ noun a diagram where information is shown as a circle cut up into sections of different sizes piggybacking /pibkŋ/ noun US the practice of selling existing shares in a company, as well as new shares being offered for sale for the first time pilot /palət/ noun a test project, undertaken to see whether something is likely to be successful or profitable PIN abbreviation Personal Identification Number pink slip /pŋk slp/ noun US an official letter of dismissal given to an employee (in place of a final interview) Pink ’Un /pŋk ən/ noun same as Financial Times (informal ) pit /pt/ noun US the area of a stock exchange or of a commodities exchange where dealers trade .

place

263

place /ples/ verb to put 왍 to place

money in an account to deposit money in an account 왍 to place a block of shares to find a buyer for a block of shares 왍 to place a contract to decide that a certain company shall have the contract to do work 왍 to place something on file to file something 왍 to place an issue to find buyers (usually a small number of investors) for all of a new issue of shares placement /plesmənt/ noun 1. the act of finding work for someone 쑗 The bureau specialises in the placement of former executives. 2. US the act of finding buyers for an issue of new shares (NOTE: The UK term is placing.) placing /plesŋ/ noun the act of find-

ing a single buyer or a group of institutional buyers for a large number of shares in a new company or a company that is going public 왍 the placing of a line of shares finding a purchaser for a block of shares which was overhanging the market plaintiff /plentf/ noun a person who starts an action against someone in the civil courts (NOTE: Since April 1999, this term has been replaced by claimant.) plain vanilla swap /plen vənlə swɒp/ noun an interest rate swap,

where a company with fixed interest borrowings may swap them for variable interest borrowings of another company plan /pln/ noun 1. an idea of how something should be done, which has been decided on and organised in advance 왍 the government’s economic plans the government’s proposals for running the country’s economy 2. an organised way of doing something 쑗 an investment plan 쑗 a pension plan 쑗 a savings plan 쐽 verb to organise carefully how something should be done in the future 왍 to plan for an increase in bank interest charges to change a way of doing things because you think there will be an increase in bank interest charges 왍 to plan investments to propose how investments should be made ‘…the benefits package is attractive and the compensation plan includes base, incentive and car allowance totalling $50,000+’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

economy /plnd kɒnəmi/ noun a system where the gov-

planned

plough back

ernment plans all business activity, regulates supply, sets production targets and itemises work to be done. Also called command economy, central planning

planner /plnə/ noun a person who plans 왍 the government’s economic planners people who plan the future economy of the country for the government planning /plnŋ/ noun the process of organising how something should be done in the future 쑗 Setting up a new incentive scheme with insufficient planning could be a disaster. 쑗 The long-term planning or short-term planning of the project has been completed. ‘…buildings are closely regulated by planning restrictions’ [Investors Chronicle]

plastic money /plstk mni/

noun credit cards and charge cards platinum /pltnəm/ noun a rare precious metal traded on bullion markets platinum card /pltnəm kɑd/ noun a special credit card for people with very large incomes play /ple/ noun 왍 in play likely to be the object of a takeover 왍 company in play company which is being targeted by several takeover bids Plc, PLC, plc abbreviation public limited company pledge /pled$/ noun an object given to a pawnbroker as security for money borrowed 왍 to redeem a pledge to pay back a loan and interest and so get back the security 쐽 verb 왍 to pledge share certificates to deposit share certificates with a lender as security for money borrowed (the title to the certificates is not transferred and the certificates are returned when the debt is repaid) pledgee /pled$i/ noun a person who receives an item as a pledge against a loan pledgor /pled$ɔ/ noun a person who pledges a piece of his or her property as security for a loan plenary meeting /plinəri mitŋ/, plenary session /plinəri seʃn/ noun a meeting at a conference when all the delegates meet together plough back /plaυ bk/ verb (NOTE: The US spelling is plow back.)

plug

264

왍 to plough back profits into the com-

pany to invest the profits in the business (and not pay them out as dividends to the shareholders) by using them to buy new equipment or to create new products plug /pl/ verb to block or to stop 쑗 The company is trying to plug the drain on cash reserves. (NOTE: plugging – plugged)

plummet /plmt/, plunge /plnd$/

verb to fall sharply 쑗 Share prices plummeted or plunged on the news of the devaluation. ‘…in the first six months of this year secondhand values of tankers have plummeted by 40%’ [Lloyd’s List] ‘…crude oil output plunged during the past month’ [Wall Street Journal]

plus preposition /pls/ added to 쑗 Her

salary plus commission comes to more than £45,000. 쑗 Production costs plus overheads are higher than revenue. 쐽 adverb more than 왍 houses valued at £100,000 plus houses valued at over £100,000 쐽 adjective /pls/ favourable, good and profitable 쑗 A plus factor for the company is that the market is much larger than they had originally thought. 왍 the plus side of the account the credit side of the account 왍 on the plus side this is a favourable point 쑗 On the plus side, we must take into account the new product line. 쐽 noun /pls/ 1. a printed sign (+) showing an addition or increase 쑗 At the end of the day the index showed a series of pluses, with very few minuses. 2. a good or favourable point 쑗 To have achieved £1m in new sales in less than six months is certainly a plus for the sales team. 쑗 His marketing experience is a definite plus. p.m. /pi em/ adverb in the afternoon or in the evening, after 12 o’clock midday 쑗 The train leaves at 6.50 p.m. 쑗 If you phone New York after 6 p.m. the calls are at a cheaper rate. (NOTE: The US spelling is P.M.) pocket /pɒkt/ noun 왍 to be £25 in

pocket to have made a profit of £25 왍 to be £25 out of pocket to have lost £25 point /pɔnt/ noun 1. a place or position 2. same as decimal point 3. a unit for calculations 왍 the dollar gained two points the dollar increased in value against another currency by two hundredths of a cent 왍 the exchange fell

policy

ten points the stock market index fell by ten units ‘…sterling M3, the most closely watched measure, rose by 13% in the year to August – seven percentage points faster than the rate of inflation’ [Economist] ‘…banks refrained from quoting forward US/Hongkong dollar exchange rates as premiums of 100 points replaced discounts of up to 50 points’ [South China Morning Post]

point of sale /pɔnt əv sel/ noun a

place where a product is sold, e.g. a shop. Abbreviation POS point-of-sale material /pɔnt əv sel mətəriəl/ noun display material to advertise a product where it is being sold, e.g. posters or dump bins. Abbreviation POS material point of sale terminal /pɔnt əv sel t%mn(ə)l/ noun an electronic cash terminal at a pay desk which records transactions and stock movements automatically when an item is bought. Abbreviation POS terminal poison pill /pɔz(ə)n pl/ noun an action taken by a company to make itself less attractive to a potential takeover bid COMMENT: In some cases, the officers of

a company will vote themselves extremely high redundancy payments if a takeover is successful; or a company will borrow large amounts of money and give it away to the shareholders as dividends, so that the company has an unacceptably high level of borrowing.

/pəυlərazeʃ(ə)n/, polarization noun a provision of the

polarisation

Financial Services Act by which a financial adviser must either be tied to one financial product provider, or completely independent police record /pəlis rekɔd/ noun a note of previous crimes for which someone has been convicted 쑗 He did not say that he had a police record. policy /pɒlsi/ noun 1. a course of action or set of principles determining the general way of doing something 쑗 a company’s trading policy 쑗 The country’s economic policy seems to lack any direction. 쑗 We have a policy of only hiring qualified staff. 쑗 Our policy is to submit all contracts to the legal department. 왍 company policy the company’s agreed plan of action or the company’s way of doing things 쑗 What is the com-

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265

pany policy on credit? 쑗 It is against company policy to give more than thirty days’ credit. 2. a contract for insurance 왍 to take out a policy to sign the contract for an insurance and start paying the premiums 쑗 She took out a life insurance policy or a house insurance policy. policyholder /pɒlsi həυldə/ noun a person who is insured by an insurance company pool /pul/ noun 1. an unused supply 쑗 a pool of unemployed labour or of expertise 2. US a group of mortgages and other collateral used to back a loan 쐽 verb 왍 to pool resources to put all resources together so as to be more powerful or profitable 왍 to pool interests to exchange shares between companies when a merger takes place poor /pɔ/ adjective 1. without much money 쑗 The company tries to help the poorest members of staff with loans. 쑗 It is one of the poorest countries in the world. 2. not very good 쑗 poor quality 쑗 poor service 쑗 poor performance by office staff 쑗 poor organisation of working methods poorly /pɔli/ adverb badly 쑗 The offices are poorly laid out. 쑗 The plan was poorly presented. 왍 poorly-paid staff staff with low wages population /pɒpjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. all the people living in a particular country or area 쑗 Paris has a population of over three million. 쑗 Population statistics show a rise in the 18–25 age group. 쑗 Population trends have to be taken into account when drawing up economic plans. 쑗 The working population of the country is getting older. 2. the group of items or people in a survey or study population forecast /pɒpjυleʃ(ə)n fɔkɑst/ noun a calculation of how many people will be living in a country or in a town at some point in the future pork bellies /pɔk beliz/ plural noun meat from the underside of pig carcasses used to make bacon, traded as futures on some American exchanges portability /pɔtəblti/ noun the fact of being able to be moved around portable /pɔtəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be carried 쑗 a portable computer 쐽 noun 왍 a portable a computer or type-

positioning

writer which can be carried 쑗 He keys all his orders on his portable and then emails them to the office. portable pension /pɔtəb(ə)l penʃən/, portable pension plan /pɔtəb(ə)l penʃən pln/ noun a pension entitlement which can be moved from one company to another without loss (as an employee changes jobs) portfolio /pɔtfəυliəυ/ noun 1. 왍 a portfolio of shares all the shares owned by a single investor 2. a folder containing a selection of samples 쑗 The student brought a portfolio of designs to show the design department manager. portfolio investments /pɔtfəυliəυ nvestmənts/ plural noun investments in shares and government stocks (as opposed to investments in property, etc.) portfolio management /pɔtfəυliəυ mnd$mənt/ noun the buying and selling shares to make profits for a single investor portfolio manager /pɔtfəυliəυ mnd$ə/ noun a person who manages a share portfolio portfolio theory /pɔtfəυliəυ θəri/ noun a basis for managing a portfolio of investments (a mix of safe stocks and more risky ones) portfolio value /pɔtfəυliəυ vlju/ noun the value of someone’s portfolio of investments POS, p.o.s. abbreviation point of sale position /pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a situation or state of affairs 왍 what is the cash position? what is the state of the company’s current account? 왍 to cover a position to have enough money to pay for a forward purchase 2. the state of a person’s current financial holding in a stock 왍 to close a position to arrange your affairs so that you no longer have any liability to pay (as by selling all your securities or when a purchaser of a futures contract takes on a sales contract for the same amount to offset the risk) 왍 to take a bear position to act on the assumption that the market will fall 왍 to take a position in a share to buy shares on your own account, expecting to sell them later at a profit positioning /pəzʃ(ə)nŋ/ noun the promotion of a product in a particular area of a market

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266

position of trust /pəzʃ(ə)n əv

trst/ noun a job in which a person is trusted to act correctly and honestly positive /pɒztv/ adjective meaning ‘yes’ 쑗 The board gave a positive reply. positive carry /pɒztv kri/ noun a deal where the cost of the finance is less than the return positive cash flow /pɒztv kʃ fləυ/ noun a situation where more money is coming into a company than is going out positive yield curve /pɒztv jild k%v/ noun a situation where the yield on a short-term investment is less than that on a long-term investment POS material /pi əυ es mətəriəl/ abbreviation point-of-sale material possess /pəzes/ verb to own something 쑗 The company possesses property in the centre of the town. 쑗 He lost all he possessed in the collapse of his company. Compare repossess possession /pəzeʃ(ə)n/ noun the fact of owning or having something 왍 the documents are in his possession he is holding the documents possessions /pəzeʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun property, things owned 쑗 They lost all their possessions in the fire. Compare repossession post /pəυst/ noun a system of sending letters and parcels from one place to another 쑗 to send an invoice by post 쑗 He put the letter in the post. 쑗 The cheque was lost in the post. 왍 to send a reply by return of post to reply to a letter immediately 쐽 verb 1. to send a letter or parcel by post 2. to record or enter something 왍 to post an entry to transfer an entry to an account 왍 to post up a ledger to keep a ledger up to date 3. 왍 to post an increase to let people know that an increase has taken place ‘Toronto stocks closed at an all-time high, posting their fifth day of advances in heavy trading’ [Financial Times]

postal /pəυst(ə)l/ adjective referring to the post

postal account /pəυst(ə)l əkaυnt/

noun a bank account where all dealings are done by post, so reducing overhead costs and allowing a higher interest to be paid

pound

postal ballot /pəυst(ə)l blət/,

postal vote /pəυst(ə)l vəυt/ noun an election where the voters send their ballot papers by post postal charges /pəυst(ə)l tʃɑd$z/ plural noun money to be paid for sending letters or parcels by post 쑗 Postal charges are going up by 10% in September. postal order /pəυst(ə)l ɔdə/ noun a document bought at a post office, used as a method of paying small amounts of money by post post-balance sheet event /pəυst bləns ʃit vent/ noun something which happens after the date when the balance sheet is drawn up, and before the time when the balance sheet is officially approved by the directors, which affects a company’s financial position postdate /pəυstdet/ verb to put a later date on a document 쑗 He sent us a postdated cheque. 쑗 His cheque was postdated to June.

post-earnings-announcement drift /pəυst %nŋz ənaυnsmənt

drft/ noun an unexplained downward movement of shares in companies following announcements that quarterly earnings have exceeded expectations posting /pəυstŋ/ noun the action of entering transactions in accounts potential /pətenʃəl/ adjective possible 왍 potential customers people who could be customers 왍 potential market a market which could be exploited 쐽 noun the possibility of becoming something 왍 a share with a growth potential or with a potential for growth a share which is likely to increase in value 왍 a product with considerable sales potential a product which is likely to have very large sales 왍 to analyse the market potential to examine the market to see how large it possibly is ‘…career prospects are excellent for someone with growth potential’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…for sale: established general cleaning business; has potential to be increased to over 1 million dollar turnover’ [Australian Financial Review]

pound /paυnd/ noun 1. a measure of

weight (= 0.45 kilos) 쑗 to sell oranges by the pound 쑗 a pound of oranges 쑗 Oranges cost 50p a pound. (NOTE:

Usually written lb after a figure: 25lb.

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267

Note also that the pound is now no longer officially used in the UK.) 2. a unit

of currency used in the UK and many other countries including Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, Malta, Sudan, Syria and, before the euro, Ireland poundage /paυndd$/ noun a rate charged per pound in weight pound-cost averaging /paυnd kɒst v(ə)rd$ŋ/ noun the practice of buying securities at different times, but always spending the same amount of money pound sterling /paυnd st%lŋ/ noun the official term for the British currency power /paυə/ noun 1. strength or ability 왍 the power of a consumer group ability of a group to influence the government or manufacturers 2. a force or legal right 왍 the full power of the law the full force of the law when applied 쑗 We will apply the full power of the law to get possession of our property again. 쑗 There was a power struggle in the boardroom, and the finance director had to resign. power of appointment /paυər əv əpɔntmənt/ noun the power of a trustee to dispose of interests in property to another person power of attorney /paυər əv ət%ni/ noun a legal document which gives someone the right to act on someone’s behalf in legal matters p.p. abbreviation per procurationem 쐽 verb 왍 to p.p. a letter to sign a letter on behalf of someone 쑗 Her assistant p.p.’d the letter while the manager was at lunch. PPP abbreviation personal pension plan practice /prkts/ noun a way of doing things, a custom or habit 쑗 His practice was to arrive at work at 7.30 and start counting the cash. 왍 restrictive practices ways of working which make people less free (such as when trade unions stop workers from doing certain jobs, or stores do not allow customers a free choice of product) ‘…the EC demanded international arbitration over the pricing practices of the provincial boards’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

preannouncement

/priə-

naυnsmənt/ noun an announcement of

preferential

something earlier than the date on which it should normally be announced precautionary measure /prkɔʃ(ə)n(ə)ri me$ə/ noun an action taken to prevent something unwanted taking place precious metals /preʃəs met(ə)lz/ plural noun very valuable metals, such as gold and platinum predator /predətə/ noun an individual (or company) who spends most of the time looking for companies to purchase cheaply predict /prdkt/ verb to say that something will happen in the future predictability /prdktəblti/ noun the ability to be predicted pre-empt /priempt/ verb to stop something happening or stop someone doing something by taking action quickly before anyone else can 쑗 They staged a management buyout to pre-empt a takeover bid. pre-emption right /priempʃən rat/ noun the right of an existing shareholder to be first to buy a new stock issue pre-emptive /priemptv/ adjective which is done before anyone else takes action in order to stop something happening 왍 pre-emptive strike against a takeover bid rapid action taken to prevent a takeover bid preference /pref(ə)rəns/ noun 1. a thing which someone prefers 쑗 the customers’ preference for small corner shops 2. a thing which has an advantage over something else

preference

shareholder

/pref(ə)rəns ʃeəhəυldə/ noun an

owner of preference shares

preference shares /pref(ə)rəns

ʃeəz/ plural noun shares (often with no voting rights) which receive their dividend before all other shares and are repaid first (at face value) if the company goes into liquidation (NOTE: The US term is preferred stock.) COMMENT: Preference shares, because

they have less risk than ordinary shares, normally carry no voting rights.

preferential /prefərenʃəl/ adjective

showing that something is preferred more than another

preferential creditor

268

present value

creditor /prefərenʃ(ə)l kredtə/, preferred creditor /prf%d kredtə/ noun a creditor who must be paid first if a company is in liquidation preferred shares /prf%d ʃeəz/, preferred stock /prf%d stɒk/ plural noun same as preference shares pre-financing /prifannsŋ/ noun financing in advance prelim /prilm/ noun same as preliminary announcement (informal ) preliminary /prlmn(ə)ri/ adjective early, happening before anything else

ance company derives from premiums paid by insured persons premium offer /primiəm ɒfə/ noun a free gift offered to attract more customers prepaid /priped/ adjective paid in advance prepaid reply card /priped rpla kɑd/ noun a stamped addressed card which is sent to someone so that they can reply without paying the postage prepay /pripe/ verb to pay something in advance (NOTE: prepaying –

‘…preliminary indications of the level of business investment and activity during the March quarter will be available this week’ [Australian Financial Review]

prepayment /pripemənt/ noun 1.

preferential

preliminary announcement /pr-

lmn(ə)ri ənaυnsmənt/ noun an announcement of a company’s full-year results, given out to the press before the detailed annual report is released preliminary prospectus /prlmn(ə)ri prəspektəs/ noun same as pathfinder prospectus

pre-market trading /pri mɑkt

tredŋ/ noun trading that takes place before a Stock Exchange officially opens in the morning premium noun /primiəm/ 1. a regular payment made to an insurance company for the protection provided by an insurance policy 2. an amount to be paid to a landlord or a tenant for the right to take over a lease 쑗 flat to let with a premium of £10,000 쑗 annual rent: £8,500, premium: £25,000 3. an extra sum of money in addition to a normal charge, wage, price or other amount 4. a gift, discount or other incentive to encourage someone to buy 쐽 adjective 1. of very high quality 2. very high ‘…greenmail, the practice of buying back stock at a premium from an acquirer who threatens a takeover’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…responsibilities include the production of premium quality business reports’ [Times]

premium bond /primiəm bɒnd/

noun a government bond, part of the National Savings scheme, which pays no interest, but gives the owner the chance to win a weekly or monthly prize premium income /primiəm nkm/ noun income which an insur-

prepaid)

a payment in advance, or the act of paying in advance 왍 to ask for prepayment of a fee to ask for the fee to be paid before the work is done 2. US the repayment of the principal of a loan before it is due prepayment penalty /pripemənt pen(ə)lti/ noun US a charge levied on someone who repays a loan (such as a mortgage) before it is due present adjective /prez(ə)nt/ 1. happening now 쑗 The shares are too expensive at their present price. 쑗 What is the present address of the company? 2. being there when something happens 쑗 Only six directors were present at the board meeting. 쐽 verb /przent/ to bring or send and show a document 왍 to present a bill for acceptance to present a bill for payment by the person who has accepted it 왍 to present a bill for payment to send a bill to be paid presentation /prez(ə)nteʃ(ə)n/ noun the showing of a document 왍 cheque payable on presentation a cheque which will be paid when it is presented 왍 free admission on presentation of this card you do not pay to go in if you show this card presentment /przentmənt/ noun US same as presentation present value /prez(ə)nt vlju/ noun 1. the value something has now 쑗 In 1984 the pound was worth five times its present value. 2. the value now of a specified sum of money to be received in the future, if invested at current interest rates. Abbreviation PV COMMENT: The present value of a future

sum of money is found by discounting that

press

269

future sum, and can be used to decide how much money to invest now at current interest rates in order to receive the sum you want to have in a given number of years’ time.

press /pres/ noun newspapers and

magazines 쑗 We plan to give the product a lot of press publicity. 쑗 There was no mention of the new product in the press. press conference /pres kɒnf(ə)rəns/ noun a meeting where newspaper and TV reporters are invited to hear news of something such as a new product or a takeover bid press coverage /pres kv(ə)rd$/ noun reports about something in newspapers, and magazines and other media 쑗 The company had good press coverage for the launch of its new model. press cutting /pres ktŋ/ noun a piece cut out of a newspaper or magazine which refers to an item which you find interesting 쑗 We have kept a file of press cuttings about the new car. pressing /presŋ/ adjective urgent 왍 pressing engagements meetings which have to be attended 왍 pressing bills bills which have to be paid press recommendation /pres rekəmendeʃ(ə)n/ noun a share which has been tipped as a good buy in the financial column of a newspaper press release /pres rlis/ noun a sheet giving news about something which is sent to newspapers and TV and radio stations so that they can use the information 쑗 The company sent out a press release about the launch of the new car. pressure /preʃə/ noun something which forces you to do something 왍 he was under considerable financial pressure he was forced to act because he owed money 왍 to put pressure on someone to do something to try to force someone to do something 쑗 The group tried to put pressure on the government to act. 쑗 The banks put pressure on the company to reduce its borrowings. 왍 working under high pressure working with customers asking for supplies urgently or with a manager telling you to work faster 왍 the pound has come under pressure on the foreign exchanges many people

price

have been trying to sell pounds, and this has brought down its exchange rate 쑗 The group tried to put pressure on the government to act. 쑗 The banks put pressure on the company to reduce its borrowings. pressure group /preʃə rup/ noun a group of people who try to influence the government, the local town council or some other organisation pre-tax /pritks/, pretax adjective before tax has been deducted or paid ‘…the company’s goals are a growth in sales of up to 40 per cent, a rise in pre-tax earnings of nearly 35 per cent and a rise in after-tax earnings of more than 25 per cent’ [Citizen (Ottawa)] ‘EC regulations which came into effect in July insist that customers can buy cars anywhere in the EC at the local pre-tax price’ [Financial Times]

pretax profit /pritks prɒft/

noun the amount of profit a company makes before taxes are deducted 쑗 The dividend paid is equivalent to one quarter of the pretax profit. Also called profit before tax, profit on ordinary activities before tax pretax profit margin /pritks prɒft mɑd$n/ noun the pretax profit shown as a percentage of turnover in a profit and loss account previous /priviəs/ adjective which happens earlier or which existed before 쑗 List all previous positions with the salaries earned. previous balance /priviəs bləns/ noun a balance in an account at the end of the accounting period before the current one prey /pre/ noun company which is being attacked by another (the ‘predator’) in a takeover bid price /pras/ noun money which has to be paid to buy something 왍 asking price price which the seller is hoping to be paid for the item when it is sold 왍 competitive price a low price aimed to compete with a rival product 왍 to sell goods off at half price to sell goods at half the price at which they were being sold before 왍 cars in the £18–19,000 price range cars of different makes, selling for between £18,000 and £19,000 왍 price ex warehouse the price for a product which is to be collected from the manufacturer’s or agent’s warehouse and so does not include de-

price/book ratio

270

livery 왍 to increase in price to become more expensive 쑗 Petrol has increased in price or the price of petrol has increased. 왍 to increase prices, to raise prices to make items more expensive 왍 we will try to meet your price we will try to offer a price which is acceptable to you 왍 to cut prices to reduce prices suddenly 왍 to lower prices, to reduce prices to make items cheaper 쐽 verb to give a price to a product 쑗 We have two used cars for sale, both priced at £5,000. 왍 competitively priced sold at a low price which competes with that of similar goods from other companies 왍 the company has priced itself out of the market the company has raised its prices so high that its products do not sell ‘…the average price per kilogram for this season has been 300c’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘European manufacturers rely heavily on imported raw materials which are mostly priced in dollars’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…after years of relying on low wages for their competitive edge, Spanish companies are finding that rising costs and the strength of the peseta are pricing them out of the market’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…that British goods will price themselves back into world markets is doubtful as long as sterling labour costs continue to rise’ [Sunday Times]

ratio /pras bυk reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio of the price of a stock to its book value price ceiling /pras silŋ/ noun the highest price which can be reached price change /pras tʃend$/ noun an amount by which the price of a share moves during a day’s trading price controls /pras kəntrəυlz/ plural noun legal measures to prevent prices rising too fast price cutting /pras ktŋ/ noun a sudden lowering of prices price-cutting war /pras ktŋ wɔ/ noun same as price war price differential /pras dfərenʃəl/ noun the difference in price between products in a range price/earnings ratio /pras %nŋz reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio between the current market price of a share and the earnings per share (the current dividend it produces), calculated by dividing the market price by the earnings per share 쑗 price/book

primary

these shares sell at a P/E ratio of 7 Also called P/E ratio. Abbreviation PER (NOTE: The US term is price/earnings multiple.) COMMENT: The P/E ratio is an indication

of the way investors think a company will perform in the future, as a high market price suggests that investors expect earnings to grow and this gives a high P/E figure; a low P/E figure implies that investors feel that earnings are not likely to rise.

price ex factory /pras eks fkt(ə)ri/, price ex works /pras eks w%ks/ noun a price not including transport from the maker’s factory price fixing /pras fksŋ/ noun an illegal agreement between companies to charge the same price for competing products price label /pras leb(ə)l/ noun a label which shows a price price list /pras lst/ noun a sheet giving prices of goods for sale price movement /pras muvmənt/ noun a change in the prices of shares or commodities price range /pras rend$/ noun a series of prices for similar products from different suppliers price-sensitive /pras sensətv/ adjective referring to a product for which demand will change significantly if its price is increased or decreased price tag /pras t/ noun 1. a label attached to an item being sold that shows its price 2. the value of a person or thing 쑗 The takeover bid put a $2m price tag on the company. price war /pras wɔ/ noun a competition between companies to get a larger market share by cutting prices. Also called price-cutting war pricing /prasŋ/ noun the act of giving a price to a product pricing model /prasŋ mɒd(ə)l/ noun a computerised system for calculating a price, based on costs, anticipated margins, etc. pricing policy /prasŋ pɒlisi/ noun a company’s policy in giving prices to its products 쑗 Our pricing policy aims at producing a 35% gross margin. primary /praməri/ adjective 1. basic 2. first, most important

primary account number

271

‘…farmers are convinced that primary industry no longer has the capacity to meet new capital taxes or charges on farm inputs’ [Australian Financial Review]

primary

account

number

/praməri əkaυnt nmbə/ noun a

series of figures on a credit card, which are the number of the issuing bank and the personal number of the account. Abbreviation PAN primary commodities /praməri kəmɒdtiz/ plural noun farm produce grown in large quantities, such as corn, rice or cotton primary dealer /praməri dilə/ noun a marketmaker dealing in government stocks primary industry /praməri ndəstri/ noun an industry dealing with basic raw materials such as coal, wood or farm produce primary market /praməri mɑkt/ noun a market where new securities or bonds are issued. Also called new issue market

products /praməri prɒdkts/ plural noun products which are basic raw materials, e.g. wood, milk or fish prime /pram/ adjective 1. most important 2. basic 쐽 noun same as prime primary

rate

prime bills /pram blz/ plural noun

bills of exchange which do not involve any risk prime cost /pram kɒst/ noun the cost involved in producing a product, excluding overheads prime rate /pram ret/ noun US the best rate of interest at which an American bank lends to its customers ‘…the base lending rate, or prime rate, is the rate at which banks lend to their top corporate borrowers’ [Wall Street Journal] COMMENT: Not the same as the British

bank base rate, which is only a notional rate, as all bank loans in the UK are at a certain percentage point above the base rate.

prime sites /pram sats/ plural

noun the most valuable commercial sites (i.e. in main shopping streets) as opposed to secondary sites prime time /pram tam/ noun the most expensive advertising time for TV

private

commercials 쑗 We are putting out a series of prime-time commercials. priming /pramŋ/ noun 쒁 pump priming

principal /prnsp(ə)l/ noun 1. a per-

son or company that is represented by an agent 쑗 The agent has come to London to see his principals. 2. a person acting for himself, such as a marketmaker buying securities on his own account 3. money invested or borrowed on which interest is paid 쑗 to repay principal and interest 쑗 We try to repay part of principal each month. (NOTE: Do not confuse with principle.) 쐽 adjective most important 쑗 The prin-

cipal shareholders asked for a meeting. The country’s principal products are paper and wood. 쑗 The company’s principal asset is its design staff. 쑗

‘…the company was set up with funds totalling NorKr 145m with the principal aim of making capital gains on the secondhand market’ [Lloyd’s List]

principle /prnsp(ə)l/ noun a basic point or general rule 왍 in principle in agreement with a general rule 왍 agree-

ment in principle agreement with the basic conditions of a proposal prior /praə/ adjective earlier 왍 prior agreement an agreement which was reached earlier 왍 without prior knowledge without knowing before prior-charge capital /praə tʃɑd$ kpt(ə)l/ noun a capital in the form of preference shares, which ranks before other capital in terms of distributions of profits and repayment when a company goes into liquidation priority /praɒrti/ noun 왍 to have priority to have the right to be first 왍 to have priority over or to take priority over something to be more important than something 쑗 Reducing overheads takes priority over increasing turnover. 쑗 Debenture holders have priority over ordinary shareholders. 왍 to give something top priority to make something the most important item privacy /prvəsi/ noun a method of ensuring that a person’s personal or credit card payment details cannot be intercepted and read when transferred over the Internet private /pravət/ adjective belonging to a single person or to individual people, not to a company or the state 왍 a

private banking

272

letter marked ‘private and confidential’ a

letter which must not be opened by anyone other than the person it is addressed to ‘…in the private sector the total number of new house starts was 3 per cent higher than in the corresponding period last year, while public sector starts were 23 per cent lower’ [Financial Times] ‘…management had offered to take the company private through a leveraged buyout for $825 million’ [Fortune]

private banking /pravət bŋkŋ/

noun a special banking services offered to very rich people

private

client

stockbroker

/pravət klaənt stɒkbrəυkə/ noun

a stockbroker who deals on behalf of private investors private enterprise /pravət entəpraz/ noun businesses which are owned privately, not nationalised 쑗 The project is completely funded by private enterprise. private income /pravət nkm/ noun income from dividends, interest or rent which is not part of a salary private investor /pravət nvestə/ noun an ordinary person with money to invest private limited company /pravət lmtd kmp(ə)ni/ noun 1. a company with a small number of shareholders, whose shares are not traded on the Stock Exchange 2. a subsidiary company whose shares are not listed on the Stock Exchange, while those of its parent company are (NOTE: [all senses] shortened to Ltd)

private means /pravət minz/ plu-

ral noun income from dividends, interest or rent which is not part of someone’s salary private ownership /pravət əυnəʃp/ noun a situation where a company is owned by private shareholders private placing /pravət plesŋ/, private placement /pravət plesmənt/ noun the act of placing a new issue of shares with a group of selected financial institutions private property /pravət prɒpəti/ noun property which belongs to a private person, not to the public

proceeds

private sector /pravət sektə/

noun all companies which are owned by private shareholders, not by the state 쑗 The expansion is completely funded by the private sector. 쑗 Salaries in the private sector have increased faster than in the public sector. privatisation /pravətazeʃ(ə)n/, privatization noun the process of selling a nationalised industry to private owners privatise /pravətaz/, privatize verb to sell a nationalised industry to private owners pro /prəυ/ preposition for probate /prəυbet/ noun legal acceptance that a document, especially a will, is valid 왍 the executor was granted probate or obtained a grant of probate the executor was told officially that the will was valid probate court /prəυbet kɔt/ noun a court which examines wills to see if they are valid procedure /prəsid$ə/ noun a way in which something is done 쑗 The inquiry found that the company had not followed the approved procedures. 쑗 The management complained that the unions did not follow the proper procedure. 왍 this procedure is very irregular this is not the proper way to do something 왍 accounting procedures set ways of doing the accounts of a company ‘…this was a serious breach of disciplinary procedure and the dismissal was unfair’ [Personnel Management]

proceed /prəsid/ verb to go on, to continue 쑗 The negotiations are proceeding slowly. 왍 to proceed against someone to start a legal action against someone 왍 to proceed with something to go on doing something 쑗 Shall we proceed with the committee meeting? proceedings /prəsidŋz/ plural noun 왍 to institute proceedings against someone to start a legal action against someone proceeds /prəυsidz/ plural noun money received from selling something 왍 the proceeds of a sale money received from a sale after deducting expenses 쑗 He sold his shop and invested the proceeds in a computer repair business.

process

273

process /prəυses/ noun 왍 deci-

sion-making processes ways in which decisions are reached 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to process figures to sort out information to make it easily understood 쑗 The sales figures are being processed by our accounts department. 쑗 The data is being processed by our computer. 2. to deal with something in the usual routine way 쑗 It usually takes at least two weeks to process an insurance claim. 쑗 Orders are processed in our warehouse. processing /prəυsesŋ/ noun 1. the act of sorting information 쑗 the processing of information or of statistics by a computer 2. 왍 the processing of a claim for insurance putting a claim for insurance through the usual office routine in the insurance company produce noun /prɒdjus/ products from farms and gardens, especially fruit and vegetables 쑗 home produce 쑗 agricultural produce 쑗 farm produce 쐽 verb /prədjus/ 1. to bring something out and show it 쑗 He produced documents to prove his claim. 쑗 The negotiators produced a new set of figures. 쑗 The customs officer asked him to produce the relevant documents. 2. to make or manufacture something 쑗 The factory produces cars or engines. 왍 to mass produce to make large quantities of a product 3. to give an interest 쑗 investments which produce about 10% per annum product /prɒdkt/ noun 1. something which is made or manufactured 2. a manufactured item for sale product advertising /prɒdkt dvətazŋ/ noun the advertising of a particular named product, not the company which makes it product analysis /prɒdkt ənləss/ noun an examination of each separate product in a company’s range to find out why it sells, who buys it, etc. product design /prɒdkt dzan/ noun the design of consumer products product development /prɒdkt dveləpmənt/ noun the process of improving an existing product line to meet the needs of the market product engineer /prɒdkt end$nə/ noun an engineer in charge of the equipment for making a product

productivity agreement

production /prədkʃən/ noun 1. the act of showing something 왍 on produc-

tion of when something is shown 쑗 The case will be released by customs on production of the relevant documents. 쑗 Goods can be exchanged only on production of the sales slip. 2. the work of making or manufacturing of goods for sale 쑗 We are hoping to speed up production by installing new machinery. 쑗 Higher production is rewarded with higher pay. production cost /prədkʃən kɒst/ noun the cost of making a product production department /prədkʃən dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of a company which deals with the making of the company’s products production line /prədkʃən lan/ noun a system of making a product, where each item such as a car moves slowly through the factory with new sections added to it as it goes along 쑗 He works on the production line. 쑗 She is a production-line worker. production manager /prədkʃən mnd$ə/ noun the person in charge of the production department production target /prədkʃən tɑt/ noun the amount of units a factory is expected to produce production unit /prədkʃən junt/ noun a separate small group of workers producing a product productive /prədktv/ adjective which produces, especially which produces something useful 왍 productive discussions useful discussions which lead to an agreement or decision productive capital /prədktv kpt(ə)l/ noun capital which is invested to give interest productivity /prɒdktvti/ noun the rate of output per employee or per machine in a factory 쑗 Bonus payments are linked to productivity. 쑗 The company is aiming to increase productivity. 쑗 Productivity has fallen or risen since the company was taken over. ‘…though there has been productivity growth, the absolute productivity gap between many British firms and their foreign rivals remains’ [Sunday Times]

productivity agreement /prɒdk-

tvti ərimənt/ noun an agreement to pay a productivity bonus

productivity bonus

274

productivity bonus /prɒdktvti

bəυnəs/ noun an extra payment made to employees because of increased production per employee productivity drive /prɒdktvti drav/ noun an extra effort to increase productivity product management /prɒdkt mnd$mənt/ noun the process of directing the making and selling of a product as an independent item product mix /prɒdkt mks/ noun a range of different products which a company has for sale profession /prəfeʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an occupation for which official qualifications are needed and which is often made a lifelong career 쑗 The managing director is an accountant by profession. 쑗 HR management is now more widely recognised as a profession. 2. a group of specialised workers 쑗 the accounting profession 쑗 the legal profession ‘…one of the key advantages of an accountancy qualification is its worldwide marketability. Other professions are not so lucky: lawyers, for example, are much more limited in where they can work’ [Accountancy]

professional /prəfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjec-

tive 1. referring to one of the professions The accountant sent in his bill for professional services. 쑗 We had to ask our lawyer for professional advice on the contract. 쑗 The professional institute awards diplomas. 왍 professional man, professional woman a man or woman who works in one of the professions (such as a lawyer, doctor or accountant) 2. doing work for money 쑗 a professional tennis player 왍 he is a professional troubleshooter he makes his living by helping companies to sort out their problems professional qualification /prəfeʃ(ə)n(ə)l kwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a document which shows that someone has successfully finished a course of study which allows him or her to work in one of the professions profit /prɒft/ noun money gained from a sale which is more than the money spent on making the item sold or on providing the service offered 왍 to take your profit to sell shares at a higher price than was paid for them, and so realise the profit, rather than to keep them as an investment 왍 to show a 쑗

profiteering

profit to make a profit and state it in the company accounts 쑗 We are showing a small profit for the first quarter. 왍 to make a profit to have more money as a result of a deal 왍 to move into profit to start to make a profit 쑗 The company is breaking even now, and expects to move into profit within the next two months. 왍 to sell at a profit to sell at a price which gives you a profit 왍 healthy profit quite a large profit ‘…because capital gains are not taxed and money taken out in profits and dividends is taxed, owners of businesses will be using accountants and tax experts to find loopholes in the law’ [Toronto Star] ‘…the bank transferred $5 million to general reserve compared with $10 million the previous year which made the consolidated profit and loss account look healthier’ [Hongkong Standard]

profitability /prɒftəblti/ noun 1.

the ability to make a profit 쑗 We doubt the profitability of the project. 2. the amount of profit made as a percentage of costs profitable /prɒftəb(ə)l/ adjective which makes a profit 쑗 She runs a very profitable employment agency. profitably /prɒftəbli/ adverb making a profit 쑗 The aim of every company must be to trade profitably. profit after tax /prɒft ɑftə tks/ noun same as net profit profit and loss account /prɒft ən lɒs əkaυnt/ noun the accounts for a company showing expenditure and income over a period of time, usually one calendar year, balanced to show a final profit or loss. Also called P&L account (NOTE: The US term is profit and loss statement or income statement.) profit before tax /prɒft bfɔ tks/ noun same as pretax profit profit centre /prɒft sentə/ noun a

person, unit or department within an organisation which is considered separately for the purposes of calculating a profit 쑗 We count the kitchen equipment division as a single profit centre. profiteer /prɒftə/ noun a person who makes too much profit, especially when goods are rationed or in short supply profiteering /prɒftərŋ/ noun the practice of making too much profit

profit-making

275

profit-making /prɒft mekŋ/ adjective which makes a profit 쑗 The whole project was expected to be profit-making by 2001 but it still hasn’t broken even. 쑗 It is hoped to make it into a profit-making concern. profit margin /prɒft mɑd$n/ noun the percentage difference between sales income and the cost of sales profit on ordinary activities before tax /prɒft ɒn ɔd(ə)n(ə)ri ktvtiz bfɔ tks/ noun same as

pretax profit

profit-sharing /prɒft ʃeərŋ/ noun

an arrangement where workers get a share of the profits of the company they work for 쑗 The company runs a profit-sharing scheme. profit squeeze /prɒft skwiz/ noun strict control of the amount of profits which companies can pay out as dividend profits tax /prɒfts tks/ noun a tax to be paid on profits profit-taker /prɒft tekə/ noun a person who sells an investment in order to realise a profit profit-taking /prɒft tekŋ/ noun the act of selling investments to realise the profit, rather than keeping them 쑗 Share prices fell under continued profit-taking. ‘…some profit-taking was seen yesterday as investors continued to lack fresh incentives to renew buying activity’ [Financial Times]

pro forma /prəυ fɔmə/ adverb ‘for

the sake of form’ 쐽 verb to issue a pro forma invoice 쑗 Can you pro forma this order? 쐽 noun a document issued before all relevant details are known, usually followed by a final version pro forma invoice /prəυ fɔmə nvɔs/, pro forma /prəυ fɔmə/ noun an invoice sent to a buyer before the goods are sent, so that payment can be made or so that goods can be sent to a consignee who is not the buyer 쑗 They sent us a pro forma invoice. 쑗 We only supply that account on pro forma. program /prəυrm/ noun 1. US same as programme 2. a set of instructions that tell a computer to carry out specific tasks 쐽 verb to write a program for a computer 왍 to program a computer to install a program in a computer

progressive taxation

쑗

The computer is programmed to print labels.

programmable /prəυrməb(ə)l/

adjective which can be programmed programme /prəυrm/ noun a plan of things which will be done 쑗 to draw up a programme of investment or an investment programme 쑗 She is running the development programme or the research programme. 쑗 The training programme sends all managers for retraining every year. 쑗 We are initiating a new recruitment programme. (NOTE: The US spelling is program.) programmed trading /prəυrmd tredŋ/ noun same as program trading programming engineer /prəυrmŋ end$nə/ noun an engineer in charge of programming a computer system

programming /prəυrmŋ

language

lŋwd$/ noun a system of signs, letters and words used to instruct a computer program trader /prəυrm tredə/ noun a person who buys or sells according to a computer program program trading /prəυrm tredŋ/ noun the practice of buying and selling shares according to instructions given by a computer program (the computer is programmed to buy or sell when certain prices are reached or when a certain volume of sales on the market is reached) progress noun /prəυres/ the movement of work towards completion 쑗 to report on the progress of the work or of the negotiations 왍 to make a progress report to report how work is going 왍 in progress which is being done but is not finished 쑗 negotiations in progress 쑗 work in progress 쐽 verb /prəυres/ to move forward, to go ahead 쑗 The contract is progressing through various departments. progressive /prəresv/ adjective which moves forward in stages progressive taxation /prəresv tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun a taxation system where tax levels increase as the income is higher. Also called graduated taxation. Compare regressive taxation

progress payment

276

payment /prəυres pemənt/ noun a payment made as a particular stage of a contract is completed 쑗 The fifth progress payment is due in March. prohibitive /prəυhbtv/ adjective with a price so high that you cannot afford to pay it 쑗 The cost of redesigning the product is prohibitive. project /prɒd$ekt/ noun 1. a plan 쑗 He has drawn up a project for developing new markets in Europe. 2. a particular job of work which follows a plan 쑗 We are just completing an engineering project in North Africa. 쑗 The company will start work on the project next month. project analysis /prɒd$ekt ənləss/ noun the examination of all the costs or problems of a project before work on it is started projected /prəd$ektd/ adjective planned or expected 왍 projected sales a forecast of sales 쑗 Projected sales in Europe next year should be over £1m. project engineer /prɒd$ekt end$nə/ noun an engineer in charge of a project projection /prəd$ekʃən/ noun a forecast of something which will happen in the future 쑗 Projection of profits for the next three years. 쑗 The sales manager was asked to draw up sales projections for the next three years. project manager /prɒd$ekt mnd$ə/ noun the manager in charge of a project promise /prɒms/ noun an act of saying that you will do something 왍 to keep a promise to do what you said you would do 쑗 He says he will pay next week, but he never keeps his promises. 왍 to go back on a promise not to do what you said you would do 쑗 The management went back on its promise to increase salaries across the board. 왍 a promise to pay a promissory note 쐽 verb to say that you will do something 쑗 They promised to pay the last instalment next week. 쑗 The personnel manager promised he would look into the grievances of the office staff. promissory note /prɒmsəri nəυt/ noun a document stating that someone promises to pay an amount of money on a specific date progress

prompt payer

promote /prəməυt/ verb 1. to give someone a more important job or to move someone to a higher grade 쑗 He was promoted from salesman to sales manager. 2. to advertise a product 왍 to promote a new product to increase the sales of a new product by a sales campaign, by TV commercials or free gifts, or by giving discounts 3. 왍 to promote a new company to organise the setting up of a new company promotion /prəməυʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the fact of being moved up to a more important job 쑗 I ruined my chances of promotion when I argued with the managing director. 쑗 The job offers good promotion chances or promotion prospects. 왍 to earn promotion to work hard and efficiently and so be promoted 2. all means of conveying the message about a product or service to potential customers, e.g. publicity, a sales campaign, TV commercials or free gifts 쑗 Our promotion budget has been doubled. 쑗 The promotion team has put forward plans for the launch. 쑗 We are offering free holidays in France as part of our special in-store promotion. 쑗 We a running a special promotion offering two for the price of one. 3. 왍 promotion of a company the setting up of a new company promotional /prəməυʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective used in an advertising campaign 쑗 The admen are using balloons as promotional material. promotional budget /prəməυʃ(ə)n(ə)l bd$t/ noun a forecast of the cost of promoting a new product prompt /prɒmpt/ adjective rapid or done immediately 쑗 We got very prompt service at the complaints desk. 쑗 Thank you for your prompt reply to my letter. 왍 prompt payment payment made rapidly 왍 prompt supplier a supplier who delivers orders rapidly ‘…they keep shipping costs low and can take advantage of quantity discounts and other allowances for prompt payment’ [Duns Business Month]

prompt date /prɒmpt det/ noun a

date for delivery, stated on a futures contract prompt payer /prɒmpt peə/ noun a company or person that pays bills rapidly

proof

277

proof /pruf/ noun evidence which

shows that something is true -proof /pruf/ suffix which prevents something getting in or getting out or harming something 쑗 a dustproof cover 쑗 an inflation-proof pension 쑗 a soundproof studio property /prɒpəti/ noun 1. land and buildings 쑗 Property taxes are higher in the inner city. 쑗 They are assessing damage to property or property damage after the storm. 쑗 The commercial property market is booming. 2. a building 쑗 We have several properties for sale in the centre of the town. 3. things which a person or organisation owns property bond /prɒpəti bɒnd/ noun an investment in a fund invested in properties or in property companies property company /prɒpəti kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which buys buildings to lease them property developer /prɒpəti dveləpə/ noun a person who buys old buildings or empty land and plans and builds new houses or factories for sale or rent property development /prɒpəti dveləpmənt/ noun the business of renovating old buildings or building new ones on their sites property portfolio /prɒpəti pɔtfəυliəυ/ noun all the investment property which belongs to one person or company property shares /prɒpəti ʃeəz/ plural noun shares in property companies property tax /prɒpəti tks/ noun a tax paid on building or land (such as the council tax in the UK) proportion /prəpɔʃ(ə)n/ noun a part of a total 쑗 A proportion of the pre-tax profit is set aside for contingencies. 쑗 Only a small proportion of our sales comes from retail shops. 왍 in proportion to compared to something else, by an amount related to something else 쑗 Profits went up in proportion to the fall in overhead costs. 쑗 Sales in Europe are small in proportion to those in the USA. proportional /prəpɔʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective directly related 쑗 The increase in profit is proportional to the reduction in overheads.

prosperity

/prəpɔʃ(ə)nətli/ adverb in a way that is directly related proprietary /prəpraət(ə)ri/ noun, adjective (a product, e.g. a medicine) which is made and owned by a company proprietary company /prəpraət(ə)ri kmp(ə)ni/ noun US a company formed to invest in stock of other companies so as to control them. Abbreviation pty (NOTE: The UK term is holding company.) proprietary drug /prəpraət(ə)ri dr/ noun a drug which is made by a particular company and marketed under a brand name pro rata /prəυ rɑtə/ adjective, adverb at a rate which varies according to the size or importance of something 쑗 When part of the shipment was destroyed we received a pro rata payment. 쑗 The full-time pay is £500 a week and the part-timers are paid pro rata. 왍 dividends are paid pro rata dividends are paid according to the number of shares held prospect /prɒspekt/ noun a chance or possibility that something will happen in the future 왍 her job prospects are good she is very likely to find a job prospective /prəspektv/ adjective which may happen in the future prospective dividend /prəspektv dvdend/ noun a dividend which a company expects to pay at the end of the current year prospective P/E ratio /prəspektv pi i reʃiəυ/ noun a P/E ratio expected in the future on the basis of forecast dividends prospectus /prəspektəs/ noun a document which gives information to attract buyers or customers 쑗 The restaurant has people handing out prospectuses in the street.

proportionately

‘…when the prospectus emerges, existing shareholders and any prospective new investors can find out more by calling the free share information line; they will be sent a leaflet. Non-shareholders who register in this way will receive a prospectus when it is published; existing shareholders will be sent one automatically’ [Financial Times]

prosperity /prɒsperti/ noun the state of being rich 왍 in times of pros-

perity when people are rich

prosperous

278

prosperous /prɒsp(ə)rəs/ adjective

rich 쑗 a prosperous shopkeeper 쑗 a prosperous town protect /prətekt/ verb to defend something against harm 쑗 The workers are protected from unfair dismissal by government legislation. 쑗 The cover is supposed to protect the machine from dust. 왍 to protect an industry by imposing tariff barriers to stop a local industry from being hit by foreign competition by taxing foreign products when they are imported protection /prətekʃən/ noun 1. a defence against harm 쑗 The legislation offers no protection to part-time workers. 쑗 The new equipment offers more protection against noise. 2. the imposing of tariffs to protect domestic producers from competition from imports protectionism /prətekʃənz(ə)m/ noun the practice of protecting producers in the home country against foreign competitors by banning or taxing imports or by imposing import quotas protective /prətektv/ adjective which protects protective tariff /prətektv trf/ noun a tariff which tries to ban imports to stop them competing with local products pro tem /prəυ tem/ adverb temporarily, for a time protest noun /prəυtest/ 1. a statement or action to show that you do not approve of something 쑗 to make a protest against high prices 2. an official document which proves that a bill of exchange has not been paid 쐽 verb /prətest/ 왍 to protest a bill to draw up a document to prove that a bill of exchange has not been paid provide /prəvad/ verb 1. to give or supply something 2. 왍 to provide for to allow for something which may happen in the future 쑗 The contract provides for an annual increase in charges. 쑗 £10,000 of expenses have been provided for in the budget. 3. to put money aside in accounts to cover expenditure or loss in the future 쑗 £25,000 is provided against bad debts. provident /prɒvd(ə)nt/ adjective providing benefits in case of illness, old

prudential

age or other cases of need 쑗 a provident fund 쑗 a provident society provision /prəv$(ə)n/ noun 1. 왍 to make provision for to see that something is allowed for in the future 2. a legal condition 왍 we have made provision to this effect we have put into the contract terms which will make this work 3. an amount of money put aside in accounts for anticipated expenditure where the timing or amount of expenditure is uncertain 쑗 The bank has made a £2m provision for bad debts or a $5bn provision against Third World loans. ‘…landlords can create short lets of dwellings which will be free from the normal security of tenure provisions’ [Times]

provisional /prəv$(ə)n(ə)l/ adjec-

tive temporary, not final or permanent 쑗 He was given a provisional posting to see 쑗 The sales department has been asked to make a provisional forecast of sales. 쑗 The provisional budget has been drawn up for each department. 쑗 They faxed their provisional acceptance of the contract. provisionally /prəv$(ə)nəli/ adverb not finally 쑗 The contract has been accepted provisionally. proxy /prɒksi/ noun 1. a document which gives someone the power to act on behalf of someone else 쑗 to sign by proxy 2. a person who acts on behalf of someone else 쑗 She asked the chairman to act as proxy for her. proxy form /prɒksi fɔm/, proxy card /prɒksi kɑd/ noun a form which a shareholders receive with their invitations to attend an AGM, and which they fill in if they want to appoint a proxy to vote for them on a resolution proxy statement /prɒksi stetmənt/ noun a document, filed with the SEC, outlining executive pay packages, option grants and other perks, and also giving details of dealings by executives in shares of the company proxy vote /prɒksi vəυt/ noun a vote made by proxy 쑗 The proxy votes were all in favour of the board’s recommendation. prudent /prudənt/ adjective careful, not taking any risks prudential /prudenʃ(ə)l/ adjective which is careful, prudent

prudential ratio

279

ratio /prudenʃ(ə)l reʃiəυ/ noun a ratio of capital to assets which a bank feels it is prudent to have, according to EU regulations prudent man rule /prud(ə)nt mn rul/ noun a rule that trustees who make financial decisions on behalf of other people should act carefully (as a normal prudent person would) PSBR abbreviation Public Sector Borrowing Requirement ptas abbreviation pesetas Pte abbreviation (in Singapore) private limited company Pty abbreviation proprietary company Pty Ltd abbreviation private limited company public /pblk/ adjective 1. referring to all the people in general 2. referring to the government or the state public expenditure /pblk kspendtʃə/ noun money spent by the local or central government public finance /pblk fanns/ noun the raising of money by governments (by taxes or borrowing) and the spending of it public funds /pblk fndz/ plural noun government money available for expenditure public holiday /pblk hɒlde/ noun a day when all employees are entitled to take a holiday publicity budget /pblsti bd$t/ noun money allowed for expenditure on publicity public limited company /pblk lmtd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose shares can be bought on the Stock Exchange. Abbreviation Plc, PLC, plc. Also called public company public monopoly /pblk mənɒpəli/ noun a situation where an organisation owned and run by the state (e.g. the Post Office) is the only supplier of a product or service public offering /pblk ɒf(ə)rŋ/ noun an offering of new shares in a corporation for sale to the public as a way of launching the corporation on the Stock Exchange public ownership /pblk əυnəʃp/ noun a situation where the prudential

punt

government owns a business, i.e. where an industry is nationalised public placing /pblk plesŋ/, public placement /pblk plesmənt/ noun an act of offering a new issue of shares to certain investing institutions, though not to private investors in general public sector /pblk sektə/ noun nationalised industries and services 쑗 a report on wage rises in the public sector or on public-sector wage settlements Also called government sector

Public Sector Borrowing Requirement /pblk sektə bɒrəυŋ

rkwaəmənt/ noun the amount of money which a government has to borrow to pay for its own spending. Abbreviation PBSR public spending /pblk spendŋ/ noun spending by the government or by local authorities public-to-private deal /pblk tə pravət dil/ noun an arrangement by which a quoted company leaves the Stock Exchange and becomes a privately owned investment. 쏡 take-private

public utilities /pblk jutltiz/

plural noun companies (such as electricity, gas or transport companies) which provide a service used by the whole community pula /pulə/ noun a unit of currency used in Botswana pull off /pυl ɒf/ verb to succeed in negotiating a deal (informal ) pull out /pυl aυt/ verb to stop being part of a deal or agreement 쑗 Our Australian partners pulled out of the contract. pump /pmp/ verb to put something in by force 쑗 Venture capitalists have been pumping money into the company to keep it afloat. .

‘…in each of the years 1986 to 1989, Japan pumped a net sum of the order of $100bn into foreign securities, notably into US government bonds’ [Financial Times Review]

pump priming /pmp pramŋ/

noun government investment in new projects which it hopes will benefit the economy punt /pnt/ noun 1. a former unit of currency in the Republic of Ireland 2. a gamble, bet (informal ) 쑗 That stock is .

punter

280

worth a punt. 쑗 He took a punt on the exchange rate falling. 쐽 verb to gamble or to bet (on something) punter /pntə/ noun 1. a person who gambles or who hopes to make money on the Stock Exchange 쑗 The share price shot up as punters rushed to buy. 2. a customer (informal ) 쑗 The product looks attractive but will the punters like it? .

‘…if punters don’t come in for their regular packet of cigarettes, then they are unlikely to make any impulse buys’ [The Grocer]

purchase /p%tʃs/ noun a product or service which has been bought 왍 to

make a purchase to buy something 쐽 verb to buy something 왍 to purchase something for cash to pay cash for something purchase acquisition /p%tʃs kwzʃ(ə)n/ noun same as acquisition accounting purchase book /p%tʃs bυk/ noun a book in which purchases are recorded purchase ledger /p%tʃs led$ə/ noun a book in which expenditure is noted purchase order /p%tʃs ɔdə/ noun an official order made out by a purchasing department for goods which a company wants to buy 쑗 We cannot supply you without a purchase order number. purchase price /p%tʃs pras/ noun a price paid for something purchaser /p%tʃsə/ noun a person or company that purchases 쑗 The company has found a purchaser for its warehouse. 왍 the company is looking for a purchaser the company is trying to find someone who will buy it purchase tax /p%tʃs tks/ noun a tax paid on things which are bought purchasing /p%tʃsŋ/ noun, adjective buying

purchasing

department

/p%tʃsŋ dpɑtmənt/ noun

the section of a company which deals with the buying of stock, raw materials, equipment, etc. purchasing manager /p%tʃsŋ mnd$ə/ noun the head of a purchasing department purchasing officer /p%tʃsŋ ɒfsə/ noun a person in a company or

put out

organisation who is responsible for buying stock, raw materials, equipment, etc. purchasing power /p%tʃsŋ paυə/ noun the quantity of goods which can be bought by a particular group of people or with a particular sum of money 쑗 the purchasing power of the school market 쑗 The purchasing power of the pound has fallen over the last five years. purse /p%s/ noun a small, usually leather, bag for keeping money in push /pυʃ/ verb 왍 to push a share to try to persuade investors to buy a share (using forceful means) put /pυt/ verb to place or to fix 왍 the accounts put the stock value at £10,000 the accounts state that the value of the stock is £10,000 왍 to put a proposal to the vote to ask a meeting to vote for or against a proposal 왍 to put a proposal to the board to ask the board to consider a suggestion put down /pυt daυn/ verb 1. to make a deposit 쑗 to put down money on a house 2. to write an item in a ledger or an account book 쑗 to put down a figure for expenses put in /pυt n/ verb 왍 to put in a bid for something to offer to buy something, usually in writing 왍 to put in an estimate for something to give someone a written calculation of the probable costs of carrying out a job 왍 to put in a claim for damage to ask an insurance company to pay for damage 왍 the union put in a 6% wage claim the union asked for a 6% increase in wages put into /pυt ntυ/ verb 왍 to put money into a business to invest money in a business put on /pυt ɒn/ verb 왍 to put an item on the agenda to list an item for discussion at a meeting 왍 to put an embargo on trade to forbid trade put option /pυt ɒpʃən/ noun an option to sell shares at a certain price (NOTE: The opposite is call option.) put out /pυt aυt/ verb to send some-

thing out for other people to work on 쑗 We are planning to put out most of the work to freelancers. 왍 to put work out to contract to decide that work should be done by a company on a contract, rather than employ members of staff to do it

put up

281

put up /pυt p/ verb 1. 왍 who put up the money for the shop? who provided the investment money for the shop to start? 왍 to put something up for sale to advertise that something is for sale 쑗 When he retired he decided to put his town flat up for sale. 2. to increase something, to make something higher 쑗 The shop has put up all its prices by 5%. PV abbreviation present value pyramiding /prəmdŋ/ noun 1. the process of building up a major group by acquiring controlling interests in many different companies, each larger than the original company 2. the illegal prac-

pyramid selling

tice of using new investors’ deposits to pay the interest on the deposits made by existing investors pyramid selling /prəmd selŋ/ noun an illegal way of selling goods or investments to the public, where each selling agent pays for the franchise to sell the product or service, and sells that right on to other agents together with stock, so that in the end the person who makes most money is the original franchiser, and sub-agents or investors may lose all their investments ‘…much of the population had committed their life savings to get-rich-quick pyramid investment schemes – where newcomers pay the original investors until the money runs out – which inevitably collapsed’ [Times]

Q qty abbreviation quantity quadruplicate /kwɒdruplkət/ noun 왍 in quadruplicate with the origi-

nal and three copies 쑗 The invoices are printed in quadruplicate. 쑗 The application form should be completed in quadruplicate. qualification /kwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a document or some other formal proof of the fact that someone has successfully completed a specialised course of study or has acquired a skill 쑗 You must have the right qualifications for the job. 쑗 Job-hunting is difficult if you have no qualifications. ‘…personnel management is not an activity that can ever have just one set of qualifications as a requirement for entry into it’ [Personnel Management]

qualification

accounts

/kwɒlfkeʃ(ə)n əv əkaυnts/ noun same as auditors’ qualification qualified /kwɒlfad/ adjective 1.

having passed special examinations in a subject 쑗 She is a qualified accountant. 쑗 We have appointed a qualified designer to supervise the decorating of the new reception area. 왍 highly qualified with very good results in examinations 쑗 All our staff are highly qualified. 쑗 They employ twenty-six highly qualified engineers. 2. with some reservations or conditions 쑗 qualified acceptance of a contract 쑗 The plan received qualified approval from the board. ‘…applicants will be professionally qualified and ideally have a degree in Commerce and postgraduate management qualifications’ [Australian Financial Review]

qualified accounts /kwɒlfad əkaυnts/ plural noun accounts which have been noted by the auditors because they contain something with which the auditors do not agree qualify /kwɒlfa/ verb 왍 to qualify for to be entitled to something 쑗 The

company does not qualify for a government grant. 쑗 She qualifies for unemployment benefit. ‘…federal examiners will also determine which of the privately insured savings and loans qualify for federal insurance’ [Wall Street Journal]

qualifying

distribution

/kwɒlfaŋ dstrbjuʃ(ə)n/ noun a

payment of a dividend to a shareholder, on which advance corporation tax is paid qualifying period /kwɒlfaŋ pəriəd/ noun a time which has to pass before something or someone qualifies for something, e.g. a grant or subsidy 쑗 There is a six-month qualifying period before you can get a grant from the local authority. qualifying ratio /kwɒlfaŋ reʃiəυ/ noun a calculation of how much mortgage a borrower can afford, by comparing his monthly incoming against his monthly outgoings qualifying service /kwɒlfaŋ s%vs/ noun the period for which an employee must be employed by a company before becoming eligible to join a group pension scheme qualifying shares /kwɒlfaŋ ʃeəz/ plural noun the number of shares which you need to earn to get a bonus issue or to be a director of the company, etc. quality control /kwɒlti kəntrəυl/ noun the process of making sure that the quality of a product is good quant funds /kwɒnt fndz/ plural noun same as quantitative funds quantifiable /kwɒntfaəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be quantified 쑗 The effect of the change in the discount structure is not quantifiable. quantify /kwɒntfa/ verb 왍 to quantify the effect of something to

quantitative

283

show the effect of something in figures 쑗 It is impossible to quantify the effect of the new legislation on our turnover. quantitative /kwɒnttətv/ adjective referring to quantity ‘…the collection of consumer behaviour data in the book covers both qualitative and quantitative techniques’ [Quarterly Review of Marketing]

quantitative funds /kwɒnttətv

fndz/ plural noun funds which invest according to the instructions given by a computer model quantity /kwɒntti/ noun an amount, especially a large amount quantity discount /kwɒntti dskaυnt/ noun a discount given to people who buy large quantities quantity purchase /kwɒntti p%tʃs/ noun a large quantity of goods bought at one time 쑗 The company offers a discount for quantity purchase. quantum meruit /kwntυm merut/ phrase a Latin phrase meaning ‘as much as has been earned’ quarter /kwɔtə/ noun 1. one of four equal parts (25%) 쑗 He paid only a quarter of the list price. 왍 a quarter of an hour 15 minutes 2. a period of three months 쑗 The instalments are payable at the end of each quarter. 3. US a 25 cent coin (informal ) .

‘…corporate profits for the first quarter showed a 4 per cent drop from last year’s final three months’ [Financial Times] ‘…economists believe the economy is picking up this quarter and will do better still in the second half of the year’ [Sunday Times]

quarter day /kwɔtə de/ noun a day at the end of a quarter, when rents, fees etc. should be paid COMMENT: In England, the quarter days

are 25th March (Lady Day), 24th June (Midsummer Day), 29th September (Michaelmas Day) and 25th December (Christmas Day).

quarterly /kwɔtəli/ adjective, ad-

verb happening once every three months There is a quarterly charge for electricity. 쑗 The bank sends us a quarterly statement. 쑗 We agreed to pay the rent quarterly or on a quarterly basis. 쐽 noun the results of a corporation, produced each quarter quartile /kwɔtal/ noun one of a series of three figures below which 25%, 50% or 75% of the total falls 쑗

quiet

quasi- /kweza/ prefix almost or

which seems like 쑗 a quasi-official body quasi-loan /kweza ləυn/ noun an agreement between two parties where one agrees to pay the other’s debts, provided that the second party agrees to reimburse the first at some later date

quasi-public

corporation

/kweza pblk kɔpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a US institution which is privately

owned, but which serves a public function (such as the Federal National Mortgage Association) quetzal /kets(ə)l/ noun a unit of currency used in Guatemala queue /kju/ noun 1. a line of people waiting one behind the other 쑗 to form a queue or to join a queue 쑗 Queues formed at the doors of the bank when the news spread about its possible collapse. 2. a series of documents (such as orders or application forms) which are dealt with in order 왍 his order went to the end of the queue his order was dealt with last 왍 mortgage queue a list of people waiting for mortgages 쐽 verb to form a line one after the other for something 쑗 When food was rationed, people had to queue for bread. 쑗 We queued for hours to get tickets. 쑗 A list of companies queueing to be launched on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 The candidates queued outside the interviewing room. quick /kwk/ adjective fast, not taking much time 쑗 The company made a quick recovery. 쑗 He is looking for a quick return on his investments. 쑗 We are hoping for a quick sale. quick assets /kwk sets/ plural noun cash, or bills which can easily be changed into cash quick ratio /kwk reʃiəυ/ noun same as liquidity ratio quid pro quo /kwd prəυ kwəυ/ noun money paid or an action carried out in return for something 쑗 He agreed to repay the loan early, and as a quid pro quo the bank released the collateral. quiet /kwaət/ adjective calm, not excited 쑗 The market is very quiet. 쑗 Currency exchanges were quieter after the government’s statement on exchange rates.

quitclaim

284

quitclaim /kwtklem/ noun a release of someone from any claim that might exist against him or her or that he or she might have on something quorum /kwɔrəm/ noun a minimum number of people who have to be present at a meeting to make it valid 왍 to have a quorum to have enough people present for a meeting to go ahead 쑗 Do we have a quorum? COMMENT: If there is a quorum at a

meeting, the meeting is said to be ‘quorate’; if there aren’t enough people present to make a quorum, the meeting is ‘inquorate’.

quota /kwəυtə/ noun a limited

amount of something which is allowed to be produced, imported, etc. ‘Canada agreed to a new duty-free quota of 600,000 tonnes a year’ [Globe and Mail (Toronto)]

quota system /kwəυtə sstəm/

noun 1. a system where imports or supplies are regulated by fixed maximum amounts 2. an arrangement for distribution which allows each distributor only a certain number of items quotation /kwəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. an estimate of how much something will cost 쑗 They sent in their quotation for the job. 쑗 Our quotation was much lower than all the others. 쑗 We accepted the lowest quotation. 2. 왍 the company is going for a quotation on the Stock Exchange the company has applied to the Stock Exchange to have its shares listed 쑗 We are seeking a stock market quotation. quote /kwəυt/ verb 1. to repeat words or a reference number used by someone

qwerty keyboard

else 쑗 He quoted figures from the annual report. 쑗 In reply please quote this number. 쑗 When making a complaint please quote the batch number printed on the box. 쑗 She replied, quoting the number of the account. 2. to estimate what a cost or price is likely to be 쑗 to quote a price for supplying stationery 쑗 Their prices are always quoted in dollars. 쑗 He quoted me a price of £1,026. 쑗 Can you quote for supplying 20,000 envelopes? 쐽 noun an estimate of how much something will cost (informal ) 쑗 to give someone a quote for supplying computers 쑗 We have asked for quotes for refitting the shop. 쑗 His quote was the lowest of three. 쑗 We accepted the lowest quote. .

‘…banks operating on the foreign exchange market refrained from quoting forward US/Hongkong dollar exchange rates’ [South China Morning Post]

company /kwəυtd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose shares can be bought or sold on the Stock Exchange quote-driven system /kwəυt drv(ə)n sstəm/ noun a system of working a stock market, where marketmakers quote a price for a stock (as opposed to an order-driven system) quoted shares /kwəυtd ʃeəz/ plural noun shares which can be bought or sold on the Stock Exchange qwerty keyboard /kw%ti kibɔd/ noun an English language keyboard, where the first letters of the top row are Q-W-E-R-T-Y 쑗 The computer has a normal qwerty keyboard. quoted

racket

285

ramp

R racket /rkt/ noun an illegal deal which makes a lot of money 쑗 He runs a cut-price ticket racket. racketeer /rktə/ noun a person who runs a racket racketeering /rktərŋ/ noun US the crime of carrying on an illegal business to make money ‘…he was charged with 98 counts of racketeering and securities fraud and went on to serve two years in jail. He was banned for life from the securities industry’ [Times]

rack rent /rk rent/ noun a very high rent raid /red/ noun a sudden attack raid alarm /red əlɑm/ noun an automatic alarm in a bank which goes off when a robbery is taking place raider /redə/ noun a person or company which buys a stake in another company before making a hostile takeover bid. Also called corporate raider ‘…bear raiding involves trying to depress a target company’s share price by heavy selling of its shares, spreading adverse rumours or a combination of the two. As an added refinement, the raiders may sell short. The aim is to push down the price so that the raiders can buy back the shares they sold at a lower price’ [Guardian]

raise /rez/ noun US an increase in sal-

ary 쑗 He asked the boss for a raise. 쑗 She is pleased – she has had her raise. 쑗 She got her raise last month. (NOTE: The UK term is rise.) 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to raise an invoice to write out or print out an invoice 왍 to raise a cheque to write out a cheque, either by hand or by machine 2. to increase or to make higher 쑗 The government has raised the tax levels. 쑗 Air fares will be raised on June 1st. 쑗 The company raised its dividend by 10%. 쑗 When the company raised its prices, it lost half of its share of the market. 쑗 The organisation will raise wages if inflation gets worse. 쑗 This increase

in production will raise the standard of living in the area. 3. to obtain money or to organise a loan 쑗 The company is trying to raise the capital to fund its expansion programme. 쑗 The government raises more money by indirect taxation than by direct. 쑗 Where will he raise the money from to start up his business? ‘…the company said yesterday that its recent share issue has been oversubscribed, raising A$225.5m’ [Financial Times] ‘…investment trusts can raise capital, but this has to be done as a company does, by a rights issue of equity’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…over the past few weeks, companies raising new loans from international banks have been forced to pay more’ [Financial Times]

raised check /rezd tʃek/ noun a

cheque where the amount has been increased by hand illegally rake in /rek n/ verb to gather something together 왍 to rake in cash, to rake it in to make a lot of money rake-off /rek ɒf/ noun a person’s share of profits from a deal, especially if obtained illegally 쑗 The group gets a rake-off on all the company’s sales. 쑗 He got a £100,000 rake-off for introducing the new business. (NOTE: The plural is rake-offs.)

rally /rli/ noun a rise in price when

the trend has been downwards 쑗 Shares staged a rally on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 After a brief rally shares fell back to a new low. 쐽 verb to rise in price, when the trend has been downwards 쑗 Shares rallied on the news of the latest government figures. ‘…when Japan rallied, it had no difficulty in surpassing its previous all-time high, and this really stretched the price-earnings ratios into the stratosphere’ [Money Observer] ‘…bad news for the US economy ultimately may have been the cause of a late rally in stock prices yesterday’ [Wall Street Journal]

ramp /rmp/ noun an act of buying shares in order to force up the price (as

rand

286

when a company buys its own shares illegally during a takeover bid) rand /rnd/ noun a unit of currency used in South Africa R&D abbreviation research and development random /rndəm/ adjective done without making any special selection random check /rndəm tʃek/ noun a check on items taken from a group without any special selection random error /rndəm erə/ noun a computer error for which there is no special reason random sample /rndəm sɑmpəl/ noun a sample taken without any selection random sampling /rndəm sɑmplŋ/ noun the action of choosing of samples for testing without any special selection random walk /rndəm wɔk/ noun 1. a sampling technique which allows for random selection within specific limits set up by a non-random technique 2. a movement which cannot be predicted (used to describe movements in share prices which cannot be forecast) range /rend$/ noun a scale of items from a low point to a high one 왍 range of prices the difference between the highest and lowest price for a share or bond over a period of time range forward /rend$ fɔwəd/ noun a forward currency contract which includes an option to purchase currency futures and so has the effect of limiting potential exchange losses rank /rŋk/ noun a position in a company or an organisation, especially one which shows how important someone is relative to others 쑗 All managers are of equal rank. 쑗 Promotion means moving up from a lower rank. 왍 in rank order in order according to position of importance 쐽 verb 1. to classify in order of importance 쑗 Candidates are ranked in order of their test results. 2. to be in a certain position 쑗 The non-voting shares rank equally with the voting shares. 쑗 Deferred ordinary shares do not rank for dividend. rata /rɑtə/ 쒁 pro rata rate /ret/ noun 1. the money charged for time worked or work completed 2.

rating

an amount of money paid, e.g. as interest or dividend (shown as a percentage) 3. the value of one currency against another 쑗 What is today’s rate or the current rate for the dollar? 왍 to calculate costs on a fixed exchange rate to calculate costs on an exchange rate which does not change 4. an amount, number or speed compared with something else 쑗 the rate of increase in redundancies 쑗 The rate of absenteeism or The absenteeism rate always increases in fine weather. ‘…state-owned banks cut their prime rate a percentage point to 11%’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…the unions had argued that public sector pay rates had slipped behind rates applying in private sector employment’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…royalties have been levied at a rate of 12.5% of full production’ [Lloyd’s List] ‘…the minister is not happy that banks are paying low interest on current accounts of less than 10 per cent, but are charging rates of between 60 and 71 per cent on loans’ [Business in Africa]

rateable value /retəb(ə)l vlju/

noun a value of a property as a basis for calculating local taxes rate of exchange /ret əv kstʃend$/ noun same as exchange rate 쑗 The current rate of exchange is $1.60 to the pound. rate of inflation /ret əv nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun the percentage increase in prices over a twelve-month period rate of interest /ret əv ntrəst/ noun same as interest rate rate of production /ret əv prədkʃən/ noun the speed at which items are made. Also called production rate rate of return /ret əv rt%n/ noun the amount of interest or dividend which comes from an investment, shown as a percentage of the money invested rate of sales /ret əv selz/ noun the speed at which units are sold rate of unemployment /ret əv nmplɔmənt/ noun same as unemployment rate

rates plural noun local UK taxes formerly levied on property in the UK and now replaced by the council tax rating /retŋ/ noun 1. the act of giving something a value, or the value given 2. the valuing of property for local taxes. 쏡 ratings

rating agency

287

rating agency /retŋ ed$ənsi/

noun an organisation which gives a rating to companies or other organisations issuing bonds rating officer /retŋ ɒfsə/ noun an official in a local authority who decides the rateable value of a commercial property ratings /retŋz/ plural noun the estimated number of people who watch TV programmes 쑗 The show is high in the ratings, which means it will attract good publicity. ratio /reʃiəυ/ noun a proportion or quantity of something compared to something else 쑗 the ratio of successes to failures 쑗 Our product outsells theirs by a ratio of two to one. 쑗 With less manual work available, the ratio of workers to managers is decreasing. ratio analysis /reʃiəυ ənləss/ noun a method of analysing the performance of a company by showing the figures in its accounts as ratios and comparing them with those of other companies raw /rɔ/ adjective in the original state or not processed ‘…it makes sense for them to produce goods for sale back home in the US from plants in Britain where raw materials are relatively cheap’ [Duns Business Month]

raw data /rɔ detə/ noun data as it is put into a computer, without being analysed raw materials /rɔ mətəriəlz/ plural noun basic materials which have to be treated or processed in some way before they can be used, e.g. wood, iron ore or crude petroleum RCPC abbreviation regional check processing center R/D abbreviation refer to drawer RDG abbreviation regional development grant re- /ri/ prefix again reach /ritʃ/ verb to get to something 왍 to reach an accommodation with creditors to agree terms for settlement with creditors react /rikt/ verb 왍 to react to to do or to say something in reply to what someone has done or said 쑗 Shares reacted sharply to the fall in the exchange

real

rate. 쑗 How will the chairman react when we tell him the news? reaction /rikʃən/ noun a change or action in reply to something said or done 쑗 the reaction of the shares to the news of the takeover bid 쑗 His immediate reaction was to make half the workforce redundant. read /rid/ verb to look at printed words and understand them 쑗 The terms and conditions are printed in very small letters so that they are difficult to read. 쑗 Has the managing director read your report on sales in India? 왍 can the computer read this information? can the computer take in this information and understand it or analyse it? readable /ridəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be read 왍 the data has to be presented in computer-readable form in a form which a computer can read reader/sorter /ridə sɔtə/ noun a machine in a bank which reads cheques and sorts them automatically readjust /riəd$st/ verb to adjust something again or in a new way, or to change in response to new conditions 쑗 to readjust prices to take account of the rise in the costs of raw materials 쑗 to readjust salary scales 쑗 Share prices readjusted quickly to the news of the devaluation. readjustment /riəd$stmənt/ noun an act of readjusting 쑗 a readjustment in pricing 쑗 After the devaluation there was a period of readjustment in the exchange rates. ready /redi/ adjective quick 왍 these items find a ready sale in the Middle East these items sell rapidly or easily in the Middle East ready cash /redi kʃ/ noun money which is immediately available for payment ready money /redi mni/ noun cash or money which is immediately available real1 /rəl/ adjective (of prices or amounts) shown in terms of money adjusted for inflation 왍 in real terms actually or really 쑗 Salaries have gone up by 3% but with inflation running at 5% that is a fall in real terms. ‘…real wages have been held down dramatically: they have risen as an annual rate of only 1% in the last two years’ [Sunday Times]

real

288

‘…sterling M3 rose by 13.5% in the year to August – seven percentage points faster than the rate of inflation and the biggest increase in real terms for years’ [Economist] ‘Japan’s gross national product for the April-June quarter dropped 0.4% in real terms from the previous quarter’ [Nikkei Weekly] ‘…the Federal Reserve Board has eased interest rates in the past year, but they are still at historically high levels in real terms’ [Sunday Times]

real2 /reɑl/ noun a unit of currency used in Brazil

real earnings /rəl %nŋz/ plural

noun income which is available for spending after tax and other contributions have been deducted, corrected for inflation. Also called real income, real wages real estate /rəl stet/ noun property in the form of land or buildings ‘…on top of the cost of real estate, the investment in inventory and equipment to open a typical warehouse comes to around $5 million’ [Duns Business Month]

real estate agent /rəl stet

ed$ənt/ noun US a person who sells property for customers real estate investment trust /rəl stet nvestmənt trst/ noun a public trust company which invests only in property. Abbreviation REIT real income /rəl nkm/ noun same as real earnings real interest rate /rəl ntrəst ret/ noun an interest rate after taking inflation into account realisable assets /rəlazəb(ə)l sets/ noun assets which can be sold for money realisation /rəlazeʃ(ə)n/, realization noun the act of making real 왍 the realisation of a project putting a project into action 쑗 The plan moved a stage nearer realisation when the contracts were signed. realisation of assets /rəlazeʃ(ə)n əv/ noun the act of selling of assets for money realise /rəlaz/, realize verb 1. to make something become real 왍 to realise a project or a plan to put a project or a plan into action 2. to sell for money 쑗 The company was running out of cash, so the board decided to realise some property or assets. 쑗 The sale realised £100,000.

reassess

realised profit /rəlazd prɒft/

noun an actual profit made when something is sold (as opposed to paper profit) real money /rəl mni/ noun cash used for settling debts (as opposed to cheques, drafts, etc.) real rate of return /rəl ret əv rt%n/ noun an actual rate of return, calculated after taking inflation into account real return after tax /rəl rt%n ɑftə tks/ noun the return calculated after deducting tax and inflation real time /rəl tam/ noun the time when a computer is working on the processing of data while the event to which the data refers is actually taking place 쑗 The website allows you to check share prices in real time or gives real time information on share prices.

real-time gross settlement system /rəl tam rəυs set(ə)lmənt

sstəm/ noun an international system for making computerised transfers of money. Abbreviation RTGS system real-time system /rəl tam sstəm/ noun a computer system where data is inputted directly into the computer which automatically processes it to produce information which can be used immediately realtor /rəltə/ noun US a person who sells real estate for customers realty /rəlti/ noun property or real estate real value /rəl vlju/ noun a value of an investment which is kept the same (e.g. by index-linking) real wages /rəl wed$z/ plural noun same as real earnings reasonable /riz(ə)nəb(ə)l/ adjective 1. sensible, or not annoyed 쑗 The manager of the shop was very reasonable when I tried to explain that I had left my credit cards at home. 왍 no reasonable offer refused we will accept any offer which is not extremely low 2. moderate or not expensive 쑗 The restaurant offers good food at reasonable prices. 쑗 The union has decided to put in a reasonable wage claim. reassess /riəses/ verb to assess again 쑗 The manager was asked to reassess the department staff, after the as-

reassessment

289

sessments were badly done by the supervisors. reassessment /riəsesmənt/ noun a new assessment reassurance /riəʃυərəns/ noun the act of making someone feel less worried reassure /riəʃυə/ verb 1. to make someone calm or less worried 쑗 The markets were reassured by the government statement on import controls. 쑗 The manager tried to reassure her that she would not lose her job. 2. to reinsure, to spread the risk of an insurance by asking another insurance company to cover part of it and receive part of the premium rebate /ribet/ noun 1. a reduction in the amount of money to be paid 쑗 We are offering a 10% rebate on selected goods. 2. money returned to someone because they have paid too much 쑗 She got a tax rebate at the end of the year. rebound /rbaυnd/ verb to go back up again quickly 쑗 The market rebounded on the news of the government’s decision. recapitalisation /rikpt(ə)lazeʃ(ə)n/, recapitalization noun a change in the capital structure of a company (as when new shares are issued), especially when undertaken to avoid the company going into liquidation recapitalise /rikpt(ə)laz/, recapitalize verb to change the capital structure of a company (as by issuing new shares), especially to avoid the company going into liquidation recd abbreviation received receipt /rsit/ noun 1. a piece of paper showing that money has been paid or that something has been received 쑗 Please produce your receipt if you want to exc 쑗 He kept the customs receipt to show that he had paid duty on the goods. 쑗 Keep the receipt for items purchased in case you need to change them later. 2. the act of receiving something 쑗 Goods will be supplied within thirty days of receipt of order. 쑗 Invoices are payable within thirty days of receipt. 쑗 On receipt of the notification, the company lodged an appeal. 왍 to acknowledge receipt of a letter to write to say that you have received a letter 쑗 We acknowledge receipt of your letter of the

receiving

15th. 쏡 receipts 쐽 verb to stamp or to sign a document to show that it has been received, or to stamp an invoice to show that it has been paid 쑗 Receipted invoices are filed in the ring binder. receipt book /rsit bυk/ noun a book of blank receipts to be filled in when purchases are made receipts /rsits/ plural noun money taken in sales 쑗 to itemise receipts and expenditure 쑗 Receipts are down against the same period of last year. ‘…the public sector borrowing requirement is kept low by treating the receipts from selling public assets as a reduction in borrowing’ [Economist] ‘…gross wool receipts for the selling season to end June appear likely to top $2 billion’ [Australian Financial Review]

receipts and payments basis /r-

sits ən pemənts bess/ noun a method of preparing the accounts of a business, where receipts and payments are shown at the time when they are made (as opposed to showing debits or credits which are outstanding at the end of the accounting period; also called ‘cash basis’) receivable /rsivəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be received receivables /rsivəb(ə)lz/ plural noun money which is owed to a company receive /rsiv/ verb to get something which is given or delivered to you 쑗 We received the payment ten days ago. 쑗 The workers have not received any salary for six months. 쑗 The goods were received in good condition. 왍 ‘received with thanks’ words put on an invoice to show that a sum has been paid receiver /rsivə/ noun 1. a person who receives something 쑗 He signed as receiver of the shipment. 2. same as official receiver

receivership /rsivəʃp/ noun 왍 the

company went into receivership the company was put into the hands of a receiver ‘…it suggests a classic case for receivership. There appear to be good businesses to be sold to the right owner within a group that is terminally sick’ [Times]

receiving /rsivŋ/ noun an act of

getting something which has been delivered

receiving bank

290

receiving bank /rsivŋ bŋk/

noun a bank which receives money via electronic transfer receiving clerk /risivŋ klɑk/ noun an official who works in a receiving office receiving department /risivŋ dpɑtmənt/ noun a section of a company which deals with incoming goods or payments receiving office /rsivŋ ɒfs/ noun an office where goods or payments are received receiving order /risivŋ ɔdə/ noun an order from a court appointing an official receiver to a company recession /rseʃ(ə)n/ noun a period where there is a decline in trade or in the economy 쑗 The recession has reduced profits in many companies. 쑗 Several firms have closed factories because of the recession. COMMENT: There are various ways of de-

ciding if a recession is taking place: the usual one is when the GNP falls for three consecutive quarters.

reciprocal /rsprək(ə)l/ adjective

done by one person, company or country to another one, which does the same thing in return 쑗 We signed a reciprocal agreement or a reciprocal contract with a Russian company. reciprocal holdings /rsprək(ə)l həυldŋz/ plural noun a situation where two companies own shares in each other to prevent takeover bids reciprocal trade /rsprək(ə)l tred/ noun trade between two countries reciprocate /rsprəket/ verb to do the same thing for someone as that person has done for you 쑗 They offered us an exclusive agency for their cars and we reciprocated with an offer of the agency for our buses. ‘…in 1934 Congress authorized President Roosevelt to seek lower tariffs with any country willing to reciprocate’ [Duns Business Month]

reckon /rekən/ verb to calculate something 쑗 to reckon the costs at £25,000 쑗 We reckon the loss to be over £1m. 쑗 They reckon the insurance costs to be too high. reclamation /rekləmeʃ(ə)n/ noun US the process of recovering money

record

owed by a bank or securities firm to a customer because of an error recognise /rekənaz/, recognize verb 왍 to recognise a union to agree that a union can act on behalf of employees in a company 쑗 Although more than half the staff had joined the union, the management refused to recognise it. recognised agent /rekənazd ed$ənt/ noun an agent who is approved by the company for which they act

recommended

retail

price

/rekəmendd ritel pras/ noun the

price at which a manufacturer suggests a product should be sold on the retail market, though this may be reduced by the retailer. Abbreviation RRP. Also called

administered price, manufacturer’s recommended price reconcile /rekənsal/ verb to make

two financial accounts or statements agree 쑗 She is trying to reconcile one account with another or to reconcile the two accounts. reconciliation /rekənslieʃ(ə)n/, reconcilement /rekənsalmənt/ noun the act of making two accounts or statements agree

reconciliation

statement

/rekənslieʃ(ə)n stetmənt/ noun a

statement which explains how two accounts can be made to agree record noun /rekɔd/ 1. a report of something which has happened 쑗 The chairman signed the minutes as a true record of the last meeting. 쑗 He has a very poor timekeeping record. 왍 for the record or to keep the record straight in order that everyone knows what the real facts of the matter are 쑗 For the record, I should like to say that these sales figures have not yet been checked by the sales department. 왍 on record reported in a published document, e.g. in a newspaper 쑗 The chairman is on record as saying that profits are set to rise. 왍 off the record unofficially, in private 쑗 He made some remarks off the record about the disastrous home sales figures. 2. a success which is better than anything before 쑗 Last year was a record year for the company. 쑗 Our top sales rep has set a new record for sales per call. 왍 record sales, record losses, record profits sales, losses or profits which are

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291

higher than ever before 왍 we broke our record for June we sold more than we have ever sold before in June 쑗 Sales last year equalled the record set in 1997. 쐽 verb /rkɔd/ to note or report something 쑗 The company has recorded another year of increased sales. record book /rekɔd bυk/ noun a book in which minutes of meetings are kept record-breaking /rekɔd brekŋ/ adjective better or worse than anything which has happened before 쑗 We are proud of our record-breaking profits in 2000. record date /rekɔd det/ noun same as date of record recorded delivery /rkɔdd dlv(ə)ri/ noun a mail service where the letters are signed for by the person receiving them 쑗 We sent the documents (by) recorded delivery. recording /rkɔdŋ/ noun the act of making a note of something 쑗 the recording of an order or of a complaint recording of a lien /rkɔdŋ əv ə liən/ noun a note in the public records showing a lien on a property (such as a mortgage) records /rekɔdz/ plural noun documents which give information 쑗 The names of customers are kept in the company’s records. 쑗 We find from our records that our invoice number 1234 has not been paid. recoup /rkup/ verb 왍 to recoup your losses to get back money which you thought you had lost recourse /rkɔs/ noun a right of a lender to compel a borrower to repay money borrowed 왍 to decide to have recourse to the courts to obtain money due to decide in the end to sue someone to obtain money owed recover /rkvə/ verb 1. to get back something which has been lost 쑗 to recover damages from the driver of the car 쑗 to start a court action to recover property 쑗 He never recovered his money. 쑗 The initial investment was never recovered. 2. to get better, to rise 쑗 The market has not recovered from the rise in oil prices. 쑗 The stock market fell in the morning, but recovered during the afternoon.

Red Book

recoverable /rkv(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be got back recoverable ACT /rkv(ə)rəb(ə)l e si ti/ noun advance corporation tax which can be set against corporation tax payable for the period recoverable amount /rkv(ə)rəbl əmaυnt/ noun the value of an asset, either the price it would fetch if sold, or its value to the company when used (whichever is the larger figure) recovery /rkv(ə)ri/ noun 1. the act of getting back something which has been lost 쑗 to start an action for recovery of property 쑗 We are aiming for the complete recovery of the money invested. 2. a movement upwards of shares or of the economy 쑗 signs of recovery after a slump 쑗 The economy staged a recovery. recovery share /rkv(ə)ri ʃeə/ noun a share which is likely to go up in value because the company’s performance is improving rectify /rektfa/ verb to correct something, to make something right 쑗 to rectify an entry (NOTE: rectifies – rectifying – rectified) recurrent /rkrənt/ adjective which happens again and again 쑗 a recurrent item of expenditure 쑗 There is a recurrent problem in supplying this part. recurring /rk%rŋ/ adjective which happens again and again recurring payments /rk%rŋ pemənts/ plural noun payments, such as mortgage interest or payments on a hire purchase agreement, which are made each month recycle /risak(ə)l/ verb to use money in a different way (as by investing profits from industry in developing environmental resources) recycling /risaklŋ/ noun the action of banks in putting deposits into a bank which is in difficulties, in order to keep it afloat red /red/ noun 왍 in the red showing a debit or loss 쑗 My bank account is in the red. 쑗 The company went into the red in 1998. 쑗 The company is out of the red for the first time since 1990. Red Book /red bυk/ noun a document published on Budget Day, with the

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292

text of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s financial statement and budget Red chips /red tʃps/ plural noun good risk-free Chinese companies red clause credit /red klɔz kredt/ noun a letter of credit authorising the holder to receive an advance payment, usually so that he can continue trading red day /red de/ noun US a day which is not profitable (NOTE: The opposite is green day.)

redeem /rdim/ verb 1. to pay off a

loan or a debt 쑗 to redeem a mortgage 쑗 to redeem a debt 2. 왍 to redeem a bond to sell a bond for cash 3. to exchange a voucher, coupon or stamp for a gift or a reduction in price redeemable /rdiməb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a bond which can be sold for cash

redeemable government stock /rdiməb(ə)l v(ə)nmənt stɒk/ noun stock which can be redeemed for

cash at some time in the future (in the UK, only the War Loan is irredeemable)

redeemable preference share

/rdiməb(ə)l pref(ə)rəns ʃeə/ noun a preference share which must be bought back by the company at a certain date and for a certain price redeemable security /rdiməb(ə)l skjυərti/ noun a security which can be redeemed at its face value at a certain date in the future redemption /rdempʃən/ noun 1. the repayment of a loan 왍 redemption before due date paying back a loan before the date when repayment is due 2. the repayment of a debt 쑗 redemption of a mortgage redemption date /rdempʃən det/ noun a date on which a loan or debt is due to be repaid redemption value /rdempʃən vlju/ noun a value of a security when redeemed redemption yield /rdempʃən jild/ noun a yield on a security including interest and its redemption value red herring /red herŋ/ noun US a preliminary prospectus, the first prospectus for a new share issue, produced to see the market reaction to the proposed issue, but without giving a price

reduced rate

for the new shares (similar to the British ‘pathfinder prospectus’; called this because the first page has a notice printed in red which states that it is not a full offer) rediscount /ridskaυnt/ verb to discount a bill of exchange which has already been discounted by a commercial bank redistribute /ridstrbjut/ verb to move items, work or money to different areas or people 쑗 The government aims to redistribute wealth by taxing the rich and giving grants to the poor. 쑗 The orders have been redistributed among the company’s factories.

redistribution

risk

/ridstrbjuʃən əv rsk/ noun the

process of spreading the risk of an investment or of an insurance among various insurers

redistribution

wealth

/ridstrbjuʃən əv welθ/ noun the

process of sharing wealth among the whole population redlining /redlanŋ/ noun the illegal practice of discriminating against prospective borrowers because of the area of the town in which they live red tape /red tep/ noun official paperwork which takes a long time to complete 쑗 The start of the new project has been held up by extra checks and government red tape. reduce /rdjus/ verb 1. to make something smaller or lower 쑗 We must reduce expenditure if we want to stay in business. 쑗 They have reduced prices in all departments. 쑗 We were expecting the government to reduce taxes not to increase them. 쑗 We have made some staff redundant to reduce overmanning. 쑗 The company reduced output because of a fall in demand. 쑗 The government’s policy is to reduce inflation to 5%. 왍 to reduce staff to make employees redundant in order to have a smaller number of staff 2. to lower the price of something 쑗 Carpets have been reduced from £100 to £50. reduced /rdjust/ adjective lower 쑗 Reduced prices have increased unit sales. 쑗 Prices have fallen due to a reduced demand for the goods. reduced rate /rdjust ret/ noun a specially cheap charge

reducing balance method

293

reducing balance method /r-

djusŋ bləns meθəd/ noun a method of depreciating assets, where the asset is depreciated at a constant percentage of it cost each year reduction /rdkʃən/ noun an act of making something smaller or less 쑗 Reduction in demand has led to the cancellation of several new projects. 쑗 The company was forced to make reductions in its advertising budget. 쑗 Price reductions have had no effect on our sales. 쑗 Working only part-time will mean a significant reduction in take-home pay. redundancy /rdndənsi/ noun the dismissal of a person whose job no longer needs to be done redundancy payment /rdndənsi pemənt/ noun a payment made to a worker to compensate for losing his or her job redundancy rebate /rdndənsi ribet/ noun a payment made to a company to compensate for redundancy payments made redundant /rdndənt/ adjective 1. more than is needed, useless 쑗 a redundant clause in a contract 쑗 The new legislation has made clause 6 redundant. 쑗 Retraining can help workers whose old skills have become redundant. 2. 왍 to make someone redundant to dismiss an employee who is not needed any more redundant staff /rdndənt stɑf/ noun staff who have lost their jobs because they are not needed any more re-export noun /riekspɔt/ the exporting of goods which have been imported 쑗 The port is a centre for the re-export trade. 쑗 We import wool for re-export. 쑗 The value of re-exports has increased. 쐽 verb /riekspɔt/ to export something which has been imported re-exportation /riekspɔteʃ(ə)n/ noun the exporting of goods which have been imported ref abbreviation reference refer /rf%/ verb 왍 ‘refer to drawer’ (R/D) words written on a cheque which a bank refuses to pay and returns it to the person who wrote it 왍 the bank referred the cheque to drawer the bank returned the cheque to person who

refundable

wrote it because there was not enough money in the account to pay it reference /ref(ə)rəns/ noun 1. the process of mentioning or dealing with something 쑗 with reference to your letter of May 25th 2. a series of numbers or letters which make it possible to find a document which has been filed 쑗 our reference: PC/MS 1234 쑗 Thank you for your letter (reference 1234). 쑗 Please quote this reference in all correspondence. 3. a written report on someone’s character or ability 쑗 to write someone a reference or to give someone a reference 쑗 to ask applicants to supply references 왍 to ask a company for trade references or for bank references to ask for reports from traders or a bank on the company’s financial status and reputation refinance /rifanns/ verb to extend a loan by exchanging it for a new one (normally done when the terms of the new loan are better) refinancing /rifannsŋ/ noun 왍 refinancing of a loan the act of taking out a new loan to pay back a previous loan ‘…the refinancing consisted of a two-for-five rights issue, which took place in September this year, to offer 55.8m shares at 2p and raise about œ925,000 net of expenses’ [Accountancy]

reflate /riflet/ verb 왍 to reflate the economy to stimulate the economy by increasing the money supply or by reducing taxes, often leading to increased inflation 쑗 The government’s attempts to reflate the economy were not successful. reflation /rifleʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of stimulating the economy by increasing the money supply or by reducing taxes reflationary measures /rifleʃ(ə)n(ə)ri meʃəz/ plural noun actions which are likely to stimulate the economy refund noun /rifnd/ money paid back 쑗 The shoes don’t fit – I’m going to ask for a refund. 쑗 She got a refund after complaining to the manager. 쐽 verb /rfnd/ to pay back money 쑗 to refund the cost of postage 쑗 All money will be refunded if the goods are not satisfactory. refundable /rfndəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be paid back 쑗 We ask for a refundable deposit of £20. 쑗 The en-

refunding

294

trance fee is refundable if you purchase £5 worth of goods. refunding /rifndŋ/ noun the process, on the part of a government, of funding a debt again, by issuing new stock to replace stock which is about to mature region /rid$ən/ noun a large area of a country 쑗 Her territory consists of all the eastern region of the country. regional /rid$(ə)nəl/ adjective referring to a region regional bank /rid$(ə)nəl bŋk/ noun a bank which services one part of the country

regional check processing center /rid$(ə)nəl tʃek prəυsesŋ

sentə/ noun US a Federal Reserve clearing centre which clears cheques from banks within a certain area. Abbreviation RCPC

regional

development

grant

/rid$(ə)nəl dveləpmənt rɑnt/ noun a grant given to encourage a busi-

ness to establish itself in a certain part of the country. Abbreviation RDG regional planning /rid$(ə)nəl plnŋ/ noun the work of planning the industrial development of a region

regional

stock

exchange

/rid$(ə)nəl stɒk kstʃend$/ noun a

stock exchange which is not in the main finance centre (e.g. not in New York or London) register /red$stə/ noun an official list 쑗 to enter something in a register 쑗 to keep a register up to date 쑗 people on the register of electors 쐽 verb 1. to write something in an official list 쑗 to register a fall in the numbers of unemployed teenagers 쑗 You must register the trademark i 쑗 To register a company you must pay a fee to Companies House. 쑗 When a property is sold, the sale is registered at the Land Registry. 2. to send a letter by registered post 쑗 I registered the letter, because it contained some money. registered /red$stəd/ adjective which has been noted on an official list 쑗 a registered share transaction registered cheque /red$stəd tʃek/ noun a cheque written on a bank account on behalf of a client who does not have a bank account

registration statement

registered company /red$stəd

kmp(ə)ni/ noun company which has been officially set up and registered with the Registrar of Companies registered letter /red$stəd letə/, registered parcel /red$stəd pɑs(ə)l/ noun a letter or parcel which is noted by the post office before it is sent, so that the sender can claim compensation if it is lost registered office /red$stəd ɒfs/ noun the office address of a company which is officially registered with the Companies’ Registrar registered security /red$stəd skjυərti/ noun a security (such as a share in a quoted company) which is registered with Companies House and whose holder is listed in the company’s share register register of directors /red$stə əv darektəz/ noun an official list of the directors of a company which has to be sent to the Registrar of Companies

a list kept by a company of those shareholders who own more than 3% of its shares registrar /red$strɑ/ noun a person who keeps official records

Registrar

Companies

/red$strɑ əv kmp(ə)niz/ noun a

government official whose duty is to ensure that companies are properly registered, and that, when registered, they file accounts and other information correctly registration /red$streʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of having something noted on an official list 쑗 the registration of a trademark or of a share transaction registration fee /red$streʃ(ə)n fi/ noun 1. money paid to have something registered 2. money paid to attend a conference registration number /red$streʃ(ə)n nmbə/ noun an official number, e.g. the number of a car registration statement /red$streʃ(ə)n stetmənt/ noun a document which gives information about a company when it is registered and listed on a stock exchange (NOTE: The UK term is listing particulars.)

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295

regression analysis /rreʃ(ə)n ənləss/, regression model /rreʃ(ə)n mɒd(ə)l/ noun a method of discovering the ratio of one dependent variable and one or more independent variables, so as to give a value to the dependent variable regressive taxation /rresv tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun a system of taxation in which tax gets progressively less as income rises. Compare progressive taxation

regular /rejυlə/ adjective which

happens or comes at the same time each day, each week, each month or each year 쑗 His regular train is the 12.45. 쑗 The regular flight to Athens leaves at 06.00. regular income /rejυlər nkm/ noun an income which comes in every week or month 쑗 She works freelance so she does not have a regular income. regulate /rejυlet/ verb 1. to adjust something so that it works well or is correct 2. to change or maintain something by law 왍 prices are regulated by supply and demand prices are increased or lowered according to supply and demand 왍 government-regulated price a price which is imposed by the government

regulated consumer credit agreement /rejυletd kənsjumə

kredt ərimənt/ verb a credit agreement according to the Consumer Credit Act regulation /rejυleʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a law or rule 쑗 the new government regulations on housing standards 쑗 Fire regulations or Safety regulations were not observed at the restaurant. 쑗 Regulations concerning imports and exports are set out in this leaflet. 2. the process of making sure that something will work well or correctly 쑗 government regulation of trading practices ‘EC regulations which came into effect in July insist that customers can buy cars anywhere in the EC at the local pre-tax price’ [Financial Times] ‘…a unit trust is established under the regulations of the Department of Trade, with a trustee, a management company and a stock of units’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…fear of audit regulation, as much as financial pressures, is a major factor behind the increasing number of small accountancy firms deciding to

reintermediation sell their practices or merge with another firm’ [Accountancy]

regulation agency /rejυleʃ(ə)n

ed$ənsi/ noun an organisation which sees that members of an industry follow government regulations Regulation Q /rejυleʃ(ə)n kju/ noun US a federal regulation which limits the amount of interest banks can pay on deposits Regulation S-X /rejυleʃ(ə)n es eks/ noun the rule of the US Securities and Exchange Commission which regulates annual reports from companies regulator /rejυletə/ noun a person whose job it is to see that regulations are followed ‘…the regulators have sought to protect investors and other market participants from the impact of a firm collapsing’ [Banking Technology]

regulatory /rejυlət(ə)ri/ adjective which applies regulations

regulatory powers /rejυlət(ə)ri

paυəz/ noun powers to enforce government regulations reimburse /rimb%s/ verb 왍 to reimburse someone their expenses to pay someone back for money which they have spent 쑗 You will be reimbursed for your expenses or Your expenses will be reimbursed. reimbursem*nt /rimb%smənt/ noun the act of paying back money 쑗 reimbursem*nt of expenses reinstatement /rinstetmənt/ noun the act of giving a borrower back his or her former credit status after he or she has paid off outstanding debts reinsurance /rinʃυərəns/ noun insurance where a second insurer (the reinsurer) agrees to cover part of the risk insured by the first insurer reinsure /rinʃυə/ verb to spread the risk of an insurance, by asking another insurance company to cover part of it and receive part of the premium reinsurer /rinʃυərə/ noun an insurance company which accepts to insure part of the risk for another insurer reintermediation /rintəmidieʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of withdrawing funds from investments such as shares or bonds and transferring them into cash deposits in banks (NOTE: The opposite is disintermediation.)

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296

reinvest /rinvest/ verb to invest

money again 쑗 He sold his shares and reinvested the money in government stocks. reinvestment /rinvestmənt/ noun 1. the act of investing money again in the same securities 2. the act of investing a company’s earnings in its own business by using them to create new products for sale ‘…many large US corporations offer shareholders the option of reinvesting their cash dividend payments in additional company stock at a discount to the market price. But to some big securities firms these discount reinvestment programs are an opportunity to turn a quick profit’ [Wall Street Journal]

REIT abbreviation US real estate investment trust. 쏡 equity REIT, mortgage REIT reject noun

/rid$ekt/, adjective (something) which has been thrown out because it is not of the usual standard 쑗 sale of rejects or of reject items 쑗 to sell off reject stock 쐽 verb /rd$ekt/ to refuse to accept something, or to say that something is not satisfactory 쑗 The union rejected the management’s proposals. 왍 the company rejected the takeover bid the directors recommended that the shareholders should not accept the bid rejection /rd$ekʃən/ noun a refusal to accept something, such as a refusal to give a customer credit 쑗 The rejection of the company’s offer meant that the negotiations had to start again. 쑗 After the union’s rejection of the offer, management came back with new redundancy terms. 쑗 The board recommended rejection of the bid. related /rletd/ adjective connected or linked 쑗 related items on the agenda related company /rletd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company in which another company makes a long-term capital investment in order to gain control or influence relative strength index /relətv streŋθ ndeks/ noun an indicator used to compare the current price of an instrument or market to the price at a previous period. It identifies when a share is overbought or oversold. Abbreviation RSI

value funds /relətv vlju fndz/ plural noun hedge

relative

remission of taxes

funds not related to general market movements, but which try to find opportunities to arbitrage temporary slight changes in the relative values of particular financial assets release /rlis/ noun 1. the act of setting someone free or of making something or someone no longer subject to an obligation or restriction 쑗 release from a contract 쑗 the release of goods from customs 쑗 He was offered early release so that he could take up his new job. 2. the act of making something public, or a public announcement 3. the act of putting something on the market, or something put on the market 쐽 verb 1. to free something or someone 쑗 to release goods from customs 쑗 to release someone from a debt 쑗 Customs released the goods against payment of a fine. 2. to make something public 쑗 The company released information about the new mine in Australia. 쑗 The government has refused to release figures for the number of unemployed women. 3. to put something on the market 쑗 They released several new CDs this month. 왍 to release dues to send off orders which had been piling up while a product was out of stock ‘…pressure to ease monetary policy mounted yesterday with the release of a set of pessimistic economic statistics’ [Financial Times] ‘…the national accounts for the March quarter released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed a real increase in GDP’ [Australian Financial Review]

release note /rlis nəυt/ noun a

note from a bank to say that a bill of exchange has been paid relevant /reləv(ə)nt/ adjective which has to do with what is being discussed or the current situation 쑗 Which is the relevant government department? 쑗 Can you give me the relevant papers? 쑗 The new assistant does not have any relevant experience. relief /rlif/ noun help reminder /rmandə/ noun a letter to remind a customer that he or she has not paid an invoice 쑗 to send someone a reminder remission of taxes /rmʃ(ə)n əv tksz/ noun a refund of taxes which have been overpaid

remit

297

remit /rmt/ verb to send money 쑗 to remit by cheque (NOTE: remitting –

remitted)

remittance /rmt(ə)ns/ noun money which is sent (e.g. to pay back a debt or to pay an invoice) 쑗 Please send remittances to the treasurer. 쑗 The family lives on a weekly remittance from their father in the USA. remittance advice /rmt(ə)ns ədvas/, remittance slip /rmt(ə)ns slp/ noun an advice note sent with payment, showing why it is being made (i.e. quoting the invoice number or a reference number) remitting bank /rmtŋ bŋk/ verb a bank into which a person has deposited a cheque, and which has the duty to collect the money from the account of the writer of the cheque remunerate /rmjunəret/ verb to pay someone for doing something 쑗 The company refused to remunerate them for their services. remuneration /rmjunəreʃ(ə)n/ noun payment for services 쑗 The job is interesting but the remuneration is low. 쑗 She receives a small remuneration of £400 a month. 쑗 No one will work hard for such poor remuneration. COMMENT: Remuneration can take sev-

eral forms: e.g. a regular monthly salary cheque, a cheque or cash payment for hours worked or for work completed.

remunerative /rmjunərətv/ ad-

jective referring to a job which pays well 쑗 She is in a highly remunerative job. render /rendə/ verb 왍 to render an account to send in an account 쑗 Please find enclosed payment per account rendered. renege /rne, rni/ verb 왍 to renege on a promise not to do something which you had promised to do (formal ) 쑗 I was furious when he reneged on the deal. renegotiate /rinəυʃiet/ verb to negotiate something again 쑗 The company was forced to renegotiate the terms of the loan. renew /rnju/ verb to continue something for a further period of time 쑗 We have asked the bank to renew the bill of exchange. 쑗 The tenant wants to renew his lease. 쑗 His contract was renewed .

rental value

for a further three years. 왍 to renew a subscription to pay a subscription for another year 왍 to renew an insurance policy to pay the premium for another year’s insurance

renewal /rnjuəl/ noun the act of re-

newing 쑗 renewal of a lease or of a subscription or of a bill 쑗 renewal of a contract 쑗 His contract is up for renewal 쑗 When is the renewal date of the bill? 왍 to be up for renewal to be due to be renewed 쑗 His contract is up for renewal in January. 쑗 The lease is up for renewal next month. renewal notice /rnjuəl nəυts/ noun a note sent by an insurance company asking the insured person to renew the insurance renewal premium /rnjuəl primiəm/ noun a premium to be paid to renew an insurance renminbi /renmnbi/ noun a unit of currency used in China rent /rent/ noun money paid to use an office, house or factory for a period of time 왍 the flat is let at an economic rent at a rent which covers all costs to the landlord 왍 nominal rent a very small rent 쐽 verb 1. to pay money to hire an office, house, factory or piece of equipment for a period of time 쑗 to rent an office or a car 쑗 He rents an office in the centre of town. 쑗 They were driving a rented car when they were stopped by the police. 2. 왍 to rent (out) to own a car, office, etc., and let someone use it for money 쑗 We rented part of the building to an American company. rental /rent(ə)l/ noun money paid to use an office, house, factory, car, piece of equipment, etc., for a period of time 쑗 The car rental bill comes to over £1000 a quarter. ‘…top quality office furniture: short or long-term rental 50% cheaper than any other rental company’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…until the vast acres of empty office space start to fill up with rent-paying tenants, rentals will continue to fall and so will values. Despite the very sluggish economic recovery under way, it is still difficult to see where the new tenants will come from’ [Australian Financial Review]

rental value /rent(ə)l vlju/ noun

a full value of the rent for a property if it were charged at the current market rate (i.e. calculated between rent reviews)

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298

rent control /rent kəntrəυl/ noun

government regulation of rents rente noun the French word for a government annuity rent review /rent rvju/ noun an increase in rents which is carried out during the term of a lease (most leases allow for rents to be reviewed every three or five years) rent tribunal /rent trabjun(ə)l/ noun a court which can decide if a rent is too high or low renunciation /rnnsieʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of giving up ownership of shares reorder /riɔdə/ noun a further order for something which has been ordered before 쑗 The product has only been on the market ten days and we are already getting reorders. 쐽 verb to place a new order for something 쑗 We must reorder these items because stock is getting low. reorder interval /riɔdə ntəv(ə)l/ noun a period of time before a new order for a stock item is placed reorder level /riɔdə lev(ə)l/ noun a minimum amount of an item which a company holds in stock, such that, when stock falls to this amount, the item must be reordered reorganisation /riɔənazeʃ(ə)n/, reorganization noun the process of organising a company in a different way (as in the USA, when a bankrupt company applies to be treated under Chapter 11 to be protected from its creditors while it is being reorganised) reorganise /riɔənaz/, reorganize verb to organise something in a new way 쑗 We have reorganised all our reps’ territories. repatriation /riptrieʃ(ə)n/ noun the return of foreign investments to the home country of their owner repay /rpe/ verb to pay something back, or to pay back money to someone 쑗 to repay money owed 쑗 The company had to cut back on expenditure in order to repay its debts. 왍 he repaid me in full he paid me back all the money he owed me repayable /rpeəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be paid back 쑗 loan which is repayable over ten years

report

repayment /rpemənt/ noun the act

of paying money back or money which is paid back 쑗 The loan is due for repayment next year. 왍 he fell behind with his mortgage repayments he was late in paying back the instalments on his mortgage repayment mortgage /rpemənt mɔd$/ noun a mortgage where the borrower pays back both interest and capital over the period of the mortgage (as opposed to an endowment mortgage, where only the interest is repaid, and an insurance is taken out to repay the capital at the end of the term of the mortgage) replacement cost accounting /rplesmənt kɒst əkaυntŋ/ noun a method of accounting in which assets are valued at the amount it would cost to replace them, rather than at the original cost. Also called current cost accounting. Compare historical cost accounting

replacement cost depreciation /rplesmənt kɒst dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun depreciation based on the actual

cost of replacing the asset in the current year replacement price /rplesmənt pras/ noun a price at which the replacement for an asset would have to be bought replacement value /rplesmənt vlju/ noun the value of something for insurance purposes if it were to be replaced 쑗 The computer is insured at its replacement value. reply coupon /rpla kupɒn/ noun a form attached to a coupon ad which has to be filled in and returned to the advertiser repo /ripəυ/ noun same as repurchase agreement (informal ) (NOTE: .

The plural is repos.) report /rpɔt/ noun 1. a statement de-

scribing what has happened or describing a state of affairs 쑗 to make a report or to present a report or to send in a report on market opportunities in the Far East 쑗 The accountants are drafting a report on salary scales. 쑗 The sales manager reads all the reports from the sales team. 쑗 The chairman has received a report from the insurance company. 왍 the treasurer’s report a

reporting season

299

document from the honorary treasurer of a society to explain the financial state of the society to its members 2. an official document from a government committee 쑗 The government has issued a report on the credit problems of exporters. 쑗 They reported for work at the usual time. 쐽 verb 1. to make a statement describing something 쑗 {+ 쑗 The salesforce reported an increased demand for the product. 쑗 He reported the damage to the insurance company. 쑗 We asked the bank to report on his financial status. 2. 왍 to report to someone to be responsible to or to be under someone 쑗 She reports direct to the managing director. 쑗 The salesforce reports to the sales director. 3. to publish the results of a company for a period and declare the dividend ‘…a draft report on changes in the international monetary system’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…responsibilities include the production of premium quality business reports’ [Times] ‘…the research director will manage a team of business analysts monitoring and reporting on the latest development in retail distribution’ [Times] ‘…the successful candidate will report to the area director for profit responsibility for sales of leading brands’ [Times]

season /rpɔtŋ siz(ə)n/ noun a period when many large companies declare their dividends repossess /ripəzes/ verb to take back an item which someone is buying under a hire-purchase agreement, or a property which someone is buying under a mortgage, because the purchaser cannot continue the payments repossession /ripəzeʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of repossessing 쑗 Repossessions are increasing as people find it difficult to meet mortgage repayments. represent /reprzent/ verb 1. to work for a company, showing goods or services to possible buyers 쑗 He represents an American car firm in Europe. 쑗 Our French distributor represents several other competing firms. 2. to act on behalf of someone 쑗 He sent his solicitor and accountant to represent him at the meeting. 쑗 Three managers represent the workforce in discussions with the directors. re-present /ri przent/ verb to present something again 쑗 He reporting

requirement

re-presented the cheque two weeks later to try to get payment from the bank. representation /reprzenteʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the right to sell goods for a company, or a person or organisation that sells goods on behalf of a company 쑗 We offered them exclusive representation in Europe. 쑗 They have no representation in the USA. 2. the fact of having someone to act on your behalf 쑗 The minority shareholders want representation on the board. 쑗 The ordinary shop floor workers want representation on the committee. representative /reprzentətv/ adjective which is an example of what all others are like 쑗 We displayed a representative selection of our product range. 쑗 The sample chosen was not representative of the whole batch. 쐽 noun 1. a company which works for another company, selling their goods 쑗 We have appointed Smith & Co our exclusive representatives in Europe. 2. a person who acts on someone’s behalf 쑗 He sent his solicitor and accountant to act as his representatives at the meeting. 쑗 The board refused to meet the representatives of the workforce. reprice /ripras/ verb to change the price on an item (usually, to increase its price) repudiate /rpjudiet/ verb to refuse to accept something repurchase /rip%tʃs/ verb to buy something again, especially something which you have recently bought and then sold repurchase agreement /rip%tʃs ərimənt/ noun an agreement, where a bank agrees to buy something and sell it back later (in effect, giving a cash loan to the seller; this is used especially to raise short-term finance) require /rkwaə/ verb 1. to ask for or to demand something 쑗 to require a full explanation of expenditure 쑗 The law requires you to submit all income to the tax authorities. 2. to need something 쑗 The document requires careful study. 쑗 Writing the program requires a specialist knowledge of computers. requirement /rkwaəmənt/ noun 1. something which someone wants or needs 쑗 We hope the items will meet the customer’s requirements. 쑗 If you will

requisition

300

supply us with a list of your requirements, we shall see if we can meet them. 2. something which is necessary to enable something to be done 쑗 Are computing skills a requirement for this job? requisition /rekwzʃ(ə)n/ noun an official order for something 쑗 What is the reference number of your latest requisition? 쐽 verb to put in an official order for something or to ask for supplies to be sent 쑗 We have requisitioned three trucks to move the stock. rerate /riret/ verb to change the rating of a share on the Stock Exchange (either upwards or downwards) rerating /riretŋ/ noun the act of changing the value of a share on the Stock Exchange, either upwards or downwards resale /risel/ noun the selling of goods which have been bought 쑗 to purchase something for resale 쑗 The contract forbids resale of the goods to the USA. resale price maintenance /risel pras mentənəns/ noun a system in which the price for an item is fixed by the manufacturer and the retailer is not allowed to sell it at a lower price. Abbreviation RPM reschedule /riʃedjul/ verb to arrange new credit terms for the repayment of a loan 쑗 Third World countries which are unable to keep up the interest payments on their loans from western banks have asked for their loans to be rescheduled. rescind /rsnd/ verb to annul or to cancel something 쑗 to rescind a contract or an agreement rescission /rs$(ə)n/ noun an act of rescinding a contract rescue /reskju/ noun the act of saving someone or something from danger 쐽 verb to save someone or something from danger 쑗 The company nearly collapsed, but was rescued by the banks. rescue operation /reskju ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun an arrangement by a group of people to save a company from collapse 쑗 The banks planned a rescue operation for the company. research /rs%tʃ/ noun the process of trying to find out facts or information 쐽 verb to study or try to find out infor-

reserve

mation about something 쑗 They are researching the market for their new product.

research and development /r-

s%tʃ ən dveləpmənt/ noun 1. scientific investigation which leads to making new products or improving existing products 쑗 The company spends millions on research and development. Abbreviation R&D 2. activities that are designed to produce new knowledge and ideas and to develop ways in which these can be commercially exploited by a business (NOTE: Research and development activities are often grouped together to form a separate division or department within an organisation.) COMMENT: Research costs can be di-

vided into (a) applied research, which is the cost of research leading to a specific aim, and (b) basic, or pure, research, which is research carried out without a specific aim in mind: these costs are written off in the year in which they are incurred. Development costs are the costs of making the commercial products based on the research.

research and development expenditure /rs%tʃ ən dveləpmənt

kspendtʃə/ noun money spent on R &D research department /rs%tʃ dpɑtmənt/ noun 1. the section of a company which carries out research 2. the section of a broker’s office which does research into companies researcher /rs%tʃə/ noun a person who carries out research 쑗 Government statistics are a useful source of information for the desk researcher. resell /risel/ verb to sell something which has just been bought 쑗 The car was sold in June and the buyer resold it to an dealer two months later. (NOTE: reselling – resold)

reseller /riselə/ noun somebody in

the marketing chain who buys to sell to somebody else such as wholesalers, distributors, and retailers reserve /rz%v/ noun money from profits not paid as dividend but kept back by a company in case it is needed for a special purpose 왍 reserve for bad debts money kept by a company to cover debts which may not be paid

reserve currency

301

COMMENT: The accumulated profits re-

tained by a company usually form its most important reserve.

reserve currency /rz%v krənsi/

noun a strong currency used in international finance, held by other countries to support their own weaker currencies reserved market /rz%vd mɑkt/ noun a market in which producers agree not to sell more than a specific amount in order to control competition reserve fund /rz%v fnd/ noun profits in a business which have not been paid out as dividend but have been ploughed back into the business reserve price /rz%v pras/ noun the lowest price which a seller will accept, e.g. at an auction or when selling securities through a broker 쑗 The painting was withdrawn when it failed to reach its reserve price. reserve requirement /rz%v rkwaəmənt/ noun US the amount of reserves which an American bank has to hold on deposit with a Federal Reserve Bank reserves /rz%vz/ plural noun 1. supplies kept in case of need 쑗 Our reserves of fuel fell during the winter. 쑗 The country’s reserves of gas or gas reserves are very large. 2. money from profits not paid as dividend, but kept back by a company in case it is needed for a special purpose residence /rezd(ə)ns/ noun 1. a house or flat where someone lives 쑗 He has a country residence where he spends his weekends. 2. the fact of living or operating officially in a country residence permit /rezd(ə)ns p%mt/ noun an official document allowing a foreigner to live in a country 쑗 He has applied for a residence permit. 쑗 She was granted a residence permit for one year or a one-year residence permit. resident /rezd(ə)nt/ noun, adjective (a person or company) considered to be living or operating in a country for official or tax purposes 쑗 The company is resident in France. residential property /rezdenʃ(ə)l prɒpəti/ noun houses or flats owned or occupied by individual residents residual /rzdjuəl/ adjective remaining after everything else has gone

resolution

residual value /rzdjuəl vlju/

noun a value of an asset after it has been depreciated in the company’s accounts residue /rezdju/ noun money left over 쑗 After paying various bequests the residue of his estate was split between his children. resist /rzst/ verb to fight against something, not to give in to something 쑗 The chairman resisted all attempts to make him resign. 쑗 The company is resisting the takeover bid. resistance /rzstəns/ noun opposition felt or shown by people to something 쑗 There was a lot of resistance from the team to the new plan. 쑗 The chairman’s proposal met with strong resistance from the banks. resistance level /rzst(ə)ns lev(ə)l/ noun a price or index level which investors feel marks a boundary which they are reluctant to cross, since beyond that boundary the price would be too high or too low COMMENT: Resistance levels on the

Stock Exchange relate to ‘sentiment’; if a share is selling at $2.95, and does not rise, it may be that investors see the price of $3.00 as a point above which they feel the share is overvalued; if the price ‘breaks through’ the $3.00 barrier, then it may continue to rise rapidly, as the resistance level has been broken. The same applies in reverse: if the pound/dollar exchange rate is $1.65, and the pound becomes weaker, the resistance level of $1.60, when broken, may be the sign of a further slide in the pound’s value.

resolution /rezəluʃ(ə)n/ noun a decision to be reached at a meeting 왍 to

put a resolution to a meeting to ask a meeting to vote on a proposal 쑗 The meeting carried or adopted a resolution to go on strike. 쑗 The meeting rejected the resolution or The resolution was defeated by ten votes to twenty. 쑗 A resolution was passed to raise salaries by six per cent. COMMENT: There are three types or reso-

lution which can be put to an AGM: the ‘ordinary resolution’, usually referring to some general procedural matter, and which requires a simple majority of votes; and the ‘extraordinary resolution’ and ‘special resolution’, such as a resolution to change a company’s articles of association in some way, both of which need

resolve

302

75% of the votes before they can be carried.

resolve /rzɒlv/ verb to decide to do

something 쑗 The meeting resolved that a dividend should not be paid. 쑗 The meeting resolved that a strike ballot should be held. resources /rsɔsz/ plural noun 1. a supply of something 2. the money available for doing something restitution /resttjuʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of giving back property 쑗 The court ordered the restitution of assets to the company. 2. compensation or payment for damage or loss restraint /rstrent/ noun control restraint of trade /rstrent əv tred/ noun 1. a situation where employees are not allowed to use their knowledge in another company on changing jobs 2. an attempt by companies to fix prices, create monopolies or reduce competition, which could affect free trade restrict /rstrkt/ verb to limit something or to impose controls on something 쑗 to restrict credit 쑗 to restrict the flow of trade or to restrict imports 쑗 We are restricted to twenty staff by the size of our offices. 왍 to sell into a restricted market to sell goods into a market where the supplier has agreed to limit sales to avoid competition restricted market /rstrktd mɑkt/ noun same as reserved market

restriction /rstrkʃən/ noun a limit

or control 쑗 import restrictions or restrictions on imports 왍 to impose restrictions on imports or credit to start limiting imports or credit 왍 to lift credit restrictions or import restrictions to allow credit to be given freely or imports to enter the country freely restrictive /rstrktv/ adjective which limits restrictive covenant /rstrktv kvənənt/ noun a clause in a contract which prevents someone from doing something restrictive endorsem*nt /rstrktv ndɔsmənt/ noun an endorsem*nt on a bill of exchange which restricts the use which can be made of it by the person it is endorsed to

retail

restrictive trade practices /r-

strktv tred prktsz/, restrictive practices /rstrktv prktsz/ plural noun 1. an arrangement between companies to fix prices or to share the market in order to restrict trade 2. ways of working which make people less free (such as trade unions stopping workers from doing certain jobs or companies not allowing customers a free choice of product) 쑗 Restrictive practices in industry mean that employers will not be able to afford to take on more labour. restructure /ristrktʃə/ verb to reorganise the financial basis of a company restructuring /ristrktʃərŋ/ noun the process of reorganising the financial basis of a company 왍 the restructuring of an economy reorganising the basic ways in which an economy is set up result /rzlt/ noun 1. a profit or loss account for a company at the end of a trading period 쑗 The company’s results for last year were an improvement on those of the previous year. 2. something which happens because of something else 쑗 What was the result of the price investigation? 쑗 The company doubled its sales force with the result that the sales rose by 26%. 왍 the expansion programme has produced results has produced increased sales 왍 payment by results being paid for profits or increased sales 쐽 verb 왍 to result from to happen because of 쑗 We have to fill several vacancies resulting from the recent internal promotions ‘…the company has received the backing of a number of oil companies who are willing to pay for the results of the survey’ [Lloyd’s List] ‘…some profit-taking was noted, but underlying sentiment remained firm in a steady stream of strong corporate results’ [Financial Times]

retail /ritel/ noun the sale of small

quantities of goods to the general public

왍 the goods in stock have a retail

value of £1m the value of the goods if sold to the public is £1m, before discounts and other factors are taken into account 쐽 adverb 왍 he buys wholesale and sells retail he buys goods in bulk at a wholesale discount and sells in small quantities to the public 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to retail goods to sell goods direct to the public 2. to sell for a price 왍 these items retail at or for £2.50 the retail price of these items is £2.50

retail bank

303

retail bank /ritel bŋk/ noun a

bank which provides normal banking services for customers (in the UK, this is done by the main high street banks) retail banking /ritel bŋkŋ/ noun the provision of normal banking services for customers by the main high street banks (as opposed to wholesale banking) retail dealer /ritel dilə/ noun a person who sells to the general public retail deposit /ritel dpɒzt/ noun a deposit placed by an individual with a bank retailer /ritelə/ noun a person who runs a retail business, selling goods direct to the public retailer number /ritelə nmbə/ noun the number of the retailer, printed at the top of the report slip when depositing credit card payments retail fund /ritel fnd/ noun a fund sold direct to private investors retailing /ritelŋ/ noun the selling of full-price goods to the public 쑗 From car retailing the company branched out into car leasing. retail investor /ritel nvestə/ noun a private investor, as opposed to institutional investors retail outlet /ritel aυt(ə)let/ noun a shop which sells to the general public retail price /ritel pras/ noun the price at which the retailer sells to the final customer retail price index /ritel pras ndeks/, retail prices index /ritel prasz ndeks/ noun an index which shows how prices of consumer goods have increased or decreased over a period of time. Abbreviation RPI COMMENT: In the UK, the RPI is calcu-

lated on a group of essential goods and services; it includes both VAT and mortgage interest; the US equivalent is the Consumer Price Index.

retail service provider /ritel

s%vs prəυvadə/, retail house /ritel haυs/ noun a large stock-

broking company dealing directly with private retail investors. Abbreviation RSP

retain /rten/ verb 1. to keep something or someone 쑗 measures to retain experienced staff 쑗 Out of the profits,

retirement age

the company has retained £50,000 as provision against bad debts. 2. 왍 to retain a lawyer to act for a company to agree with a lawyer that he or she will act for you (and pay him or her a fee in advance) retained earnings /rtend %nŋz/, retained income /rtend nkm/, retained profit /rtend prɒft/ plural noun an amount of profit after tax which a company does not pay out as dividend to the shareholders, but which is kept to be used for the further development of the business. Also called retentions retainer /rtenə/ noun money paid in advance to someone so that they will work for you, and not for someone else 쑗 We pay them a retainer of £1,000. retention /rtenʃən/ noun the act of keeping the loyalty of existing customers, as opposed to acquisition, which is the act of acquiring new customers (both can be aims of advertising campaigns) ‘…a systematic approach to human resource planning can play a significant part in reducing recruitment and retention problems’ [Personnel Management]

retentions /rtenʃənz/ plural noun

same as retained earnings retiral /rtaərəl/ noun US same as retirement retire /rtaə/ verb 1. to stop work and

take a pension 쑗 She retired with a £15,000 pension. 쑗 The founder of the company retired at the age of 85. 쑗 The shop is owned by a retired policeman. 2. to make an employee stop work and take a pension 쑗 They decided to retire all staff over 50. 3. to come to the end of an elected term of office 쑗 The treasurer retires from the council after six years. 쑗 Two retiring directors offer themselves for re-election. retirement /rtaəmənt/ noun 1. the act of retiring from work 쑗 I am looking forward to my retirement. 쑗 Older staff are planning what they will do in retirement. 왍 to take early retirement to retire from work before the usual age 2. the period when a person is retired retirement age /rtaəmənt ed$/ noun the age at which people retire (in the UK usually 65 for men and 60, but soon to become 65 for women)

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304

retirement pension /rtaəmənt

penʃən/ noun a state pension given to a man who is over 65 or and woman who is over 60 retrenchment /rtrentʃmənt/ noun a reduction of expenditure or of new plans 쑗 The company is in for a period of retrenchment. retroactive /retrəυktv/ adjective which takes effect from a time in the past 쑗 The union is asking for a retroactive pay rise. 쑗 They got a pay rise retroactive to last January. ‘The salary increases, retroactive from April of the current year, reflect the marginal rise in private sector salaries’ [Nikkei Weekly]

retroactively /retrəυktvli/ adverb going back to a time in the past

return /rt%n/ noun 1. a profit or in-

come from money invested 쑗 We are buying technology shares because they bring in a quick return. 쑗 What is the gross return on this line? 2. an official statement or form that has to be sent in to the authorities 왍 to fill in a VAT return to complete the form showing VAT receipts and expenditure 쐽 verb 1. to send back 쑗 to return unsold stock to the wholesaler 쑗 to return a letter to sender 2. to make a statement 쑗 to return income of £15,000 to the tax authorities ‘…with interest rates running well above inflation, investors want something that offers a return for their money’ [Business Week] ‘Section 363 of the Companies Act 1985 requires companies to deliver an annual return to the Companies Registration Office. Failure to do so before the end of the period of 28 days after the company’s return date could lead to directors and other officers in default being fined up to £2000’ [Accountancy]

return date /rt%n det/ noun a date

by which a company’s annual return has to be made to the Registrar of Companies return on capital employed /rt%n ɒn kpt(ə)l mplɔd/, return on assets /rt%n ɒn sets/, return on equity /rt%n ɒn ekwti/ noun a profit shown as a percentage of the capital or money invested in a business. Abbreviation ROCE, ROA, ROE return on investment /rt%n ɒn nvestmənt/ noun interest or dividends shown as a percentage of the money invested. Abbreviation ROI

reverse

returns /rt%nz/ plural noun 1. prof-

its or income from investment 쑗 The company is looking for quick returns on its investment. 2. unsold goods, especially books, newspapers or magazines, sent back to the supplier revaluation /rivljυeʃən/ noun 1. an act of revaluing 쑗 The balance sheet takes into account the revaluation of the company’s properties. 2. the increasing of the value of a currency 쑗 The revaluation of the dollar against the euro. revalue /rivlju/ verb to value something again (usually setting a higher value on it than before) 쑗 The company’s properties have been revalued. 쑗 The dollar has been revalued against all world currencies. revenue /revənju/ noun 1. money received 쑗 revenue from advertising or advertising revenue 쑗 Oil revenues have risen with the rise in the dollar. 2. money received by a government in tax revenue account /revənju əkaυnt/ noun an accounting system which records the revenue and expenditure incurred by a company during its normal business revenue accounts /revənju əkaυnts/ plural noun accounts of a business which record money received as sales, commission, etc. revenue expenditure /revənju kspendtʃə/ noun expenditure on purchasing stock (but not on capital items) which is then sold during the current accounting period revenue officer /revənju ɒfsə/ noun a person working in the government tax offices revenue reserves /revənju rz%vs/ plural noun retained earnings which are shown in the company’s balance sheet as part of the shareholders’ funds. Also called company reserves reversal /rv%s(ə)l/ noun 1. a change from being profitable to unprofitable 쑗 The company suffered a reversal in the Far East. 2. a sudden change in a share price (either a rise or a fall) 쑗 In the event of a market reversal buyers are rare. reverse /rv%s/ adjective opposite or in the opposite direction 쐽 verb to change a decision to the opposite 쑗 The

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305

committee reversed its decision on import quotas. ‘…the trade balance sank $17 billion, reversing last fall’s brief improvement’ [Fortune]

reverse bid /rv%s bd/ noun a bid

made by a company which is the target of a takeover bid for the company which is trying to take it over reverse mortgage /rv%s mɔd$/ noun an arrangement where the owner of a property mortgages it to receive a regular income from the mortgage lender (and not vice versa), based on the equity value of the property reverse takeover /rv%s tekəυvə/ noun a takeover where the company which has been taken over ends up owning the company which has taken it over. The acquiring company’s shareholders give up their shares in exchange for shares in the target company. reversing entry /rv%sŋ entri/ noun an entry in a set of accounts which reverses an entry in the preceding accounts reversion /rv%ʃ(ə)n/ noun a return of property to an original owner 왍 he has the reversion of the estate he will receive the estate when the present lease ends reversionary /rv%ʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective referring to property which passes to another owner on the death of the present one reversionary annuity /rv%ʃ(ə)n(ə)ri ənjuti/ noun an annuity paid to someone on the death of another person reversionary bonus /rv%ʃ(ə)n(ə)ri bəυnəs/ noun an annual bonus on a life assurance policy, declared by the insurer review /rvju/ noun a general examination 쑗 to conduct a review of distributors 왍 she had a salary review last April her salary was examined (and increased) in April 쑗 The company has decided to review freelance payments in the light of the rising cost of living. 쐽 verb to examine something generally 왍 to review salaries to look at all salaries in a company to decide on increases 쑗 His salary will be reviewed at the end of the year. 왍 to review discounts to look at discounts offered to decide whether to change them

rightful claimant

revise /rvaz/ verb to change something which has been calculated or planned 쑗 Sales forecasts are revised annually. 쑗 The chairman is revising his speech to the AGM. revocable /revəkəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be revoked revocable trust /revəkəb(ə)l trst/ noun a trust which can be changed or revoked revocation /revəυkeʃ(ə)n/ noun an action of cancelling something which has previously been agreed 쑗 the revocation of the bank’s licence by the central bank revoke /rvəυk/ verb to cancel something 쑗 to revoke a decision or a clause in an agreement 쑗 The quota on luxury items has been revoked. revolving credit /rvɒlvŋ kredt/ noun a system where someone can borrow money at any time up to an agreed amount, and continue to borrow while still paying off the original loan. Also called open-ended credit rial /riɑl/ noun a unit of currency used in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, such as Oman and North Yemen. 쏡 riyal

-rich /rtʃ/ suffix meaning ‘which con-

tains or has a large amount of something’ rider /radə/ noun an additional clause 쑗 to add a rider to a contract RIE abbreviation recognised investment exchange riel /riəl/ noun a unit of currency used in Cambodia rig /r/ verb to arrange illegally or dishonestly for a result to be changed 쑗 They tried to rig the election of officers. 왍 to rig the market to make share prices go up or down so as to make a profit right /rat/ adjective not left 쑗 The credits are on the right side of the page. 쐽 noun a legal entitlement to something 쑗 There is no automatic right of renewal to this contract. 쑗 She has a right to the property. 쑗 He has no right to the patent. 쑗 The staff have a right to know how the company is doing. rightful claimant /ratf(ə)l klemənt/ noun a person who has a legal claim to something (NOTE: this term

right-hand

306

has now replaced plaintiff. The other side in a case is the defendant) right-hand /rat hnd/ adjective

belonging to the right side 쑗 The credit side is the right-hand column in the accounts. 쑗 He keeps the address list in the right-hand drawer of his desk. right-hand man /rat hnd mn/ noun a man who is the main assistant to someone right of way /rat əv we/ noun a legal title to go across someone’s property rights issue /rats ʃu/ noun an arrangement which gives shareholders the right to buy more shares at a lower price (NOTE: The US term is rights offering.)

right to strike /rat tə strak/ noun

a legal right of workers to stop working if they have a good reason for it ring /rŋ/ noun 1. a group of people who try to fix prices so as not to compete with each other and still make a large profit 2. a trading floor on a commodity exchange ring binder /rŋ bandə/ noun a file with a stiff cover with rings in it which fit into special holes made in sheets of paper ring fence /rŋ fens/ verb 1. to separate valuable assets or profitable businesses from others in a group which are unprofitable and may make the whole group collapse 2. to identify money from certain sources and only use it in certain areas 쑗 The grant has been ring-fenced for use in local authority education projects only. 쏡 hypothecation ringgit /rŋt/ noun a unit of cur-

rency used in Malaysia (also called the ‘Malaysian dollar’) rise /raz/ noun 1. an increase 쑗 A rise in the price of raw materials. 쑗 Oil price rises brought about a recession in world trade. 쑗 There has been a rise in sales of 10% or Sales show a rise of 10%. 쑗 Salaries are increasing to keep up with the rises in the cost of living. 쑗 The recent rise in interest rates has made mortgages dearer. 2. an increase in pay 쑗 She asked her boss for a rise. 쑗 He had a 6% rise in January. (NOTE: The US term is raise.) 쐽 verb to move upwards or to become higher 쑗 Prices

risk-averse

or Salaries are rising faster than inflation. 쑗 Interest rates have risen to 15%. 쑗 Salaries are rising faster than inflation. (NOTE: rising – rose – risen) ‘…the index of industrial production sank 0.2 per cent for the latest month after rising 0.3 per cent in March’ [Financial Times] ‘…the stock rose to over $20 a share, higher than the $18 bid’ [Fortune] ‘…customers’ deposit and current accounts also rose to $655.31 million at the end of December’ [Hongkong Standard] ‘…the government reported that production in the nation’s factories and mines rose 0.2% in September’ [Sunday Times]

rising screen /razŋ skrin/ noun

a panel which moves upwards to protect a cashier in a bank against robbers risk /rsk/ noun 1. possible harm or a chance of danger 왍 to run a risk to be likely to suffer harm 왍 to take a risk to do something which may make you lose money or suffer harm 2. 왍 at owner’s risk a situation where goods shipped or stored are insured by the owner, not by the transport company or the storage company 쑗 Goods left here are at owner’s risk. 쑗 The shipment was sent at owner’s risk. 3. loss or damage against which you are insured 4. 왍 he is a good or bad risk it is not likely or it is very likely that the insurance company will have to pay out against claims where he is concerned ‘…remember, risk isn’t volatility. Risk is the chance that a company’s earnings power will erode – either because of a change in the industry or a change in the business that will make the company significantly less profitable in the long term’ [Fortune]

risk-adjusted /rsk əd$std/ ad-

jective calculated after taking risk into account risk arbitrage /rsk ɑbtrɑ$/ noun the business of buying shares in companies which are likely to be taken over and so rise in price risk arbitrageur /rsk ɑbtrɑ$%/ noun a person whose business is risk arbitrage risk asset ratio /rsk set reʃiəυ/ noun a proportion of a bank’s capital which is in risk assets risk assets /rsk sets/ plural noun assets of a bank which are in securities or bonds which may fall in value risk-averse /rsk əv%s/ adjective not wanting to take risks

risk-based

307

risk-based /rsk best/ adjective calculated against a risk

risk-based capital /rsk best

kpt(ə)l/ noun an internationally approved system of calculating a bank’s capital value by assessing the risk attached to its assets (cash deposits and gold, for example, have no risk, while loans to Third World countries have a high risk) risk capital /rsk kpt(ə)l/ noun same as venture capital risk-free /rsk fri/, riskless /rskləs/ adjective with no risk involved 쑗 a risk-free investment ‘…there is no risk-free way of taking regular income from your money higher than the rate of inflation and still preserving its value’ [Guardian] ‘…many small investors have also preferred to put their spare cash with risk-free investments such as building societies rather than take chances on the stock market. The returns on a host of risk-free investments have been well into double figures’ [Money Observer]

riskiness /rskinəs/ noun the fact of being risky

management /rsk mnd$mənt/ noun the work of managing a company’s exposure to risk from its credit terms or exposure to interest rate or exchange rate fluctuations risk premium /rsk primiəm/ noun an extra payment (increased dividend or higher than usual profits) for taking risks risk-weighted assets /rsk wetd sets/ plural noun assets which include off-balance sheet items for insurance purposes risky /rski/ adjective dangerous or which may cause harm 쑗 We lost all our money in some risky ventures in South America. risk

‘…while the bank has scaled back some of its more risky trading operations, it has retained its status as a top-rate advisory house’ [Times]

rival /rav(ə)l/ noun a person or com-

pany that competes in the same market a rival company 쑗 to undercut a rival riyal /riɑl/ noun a unit of currency used in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Yemen ROA abbreviation return on assets robber /rɒbə/ noun a person who carries out a robbery 쑗

rolling plan

robbery /rɒbəri/ noun the offence of

stealing something from someone using force, or threatening to use force robust /rəυbst/ adjective strong, able to survive in difficult circ*mstances robustness /rəυbstnəs/ noun the fact of being strong 왍 financial robustness the fact of being in a strong position financially ROCE abbreviation return on capital employed rock /rɒk/ noun 왍 the company is on the rocks the company is in great financial difficulties rock bottom /rɒk bɒtəm/ noun 왍 sales have reached rock bottom sales have reached the lowest point possible ‘…investment companies took the view that secondhand prices had reached rock bottom and that levels could only go up’ [Lloyd’s List]

rocket /rɒkt/ verb to rise fast

쑗 Investors are rushing to cash in on rocketing share prices. 쑗 Prices have rocketed on the commodity markets. ROE abbreviation return on equity ROI abbreviation return on investment roll /rəυl/ noun something which has been turned over and over to wrap round itself 쑗 The desk calculator uses a roll of paper. 쑗 We need to order some more rolls of fax paper. 쐽 verb to make something go forward by turning it over or pushing it on wheels 쑗 They rolled the computer into position. rolled-up coupons /rəυld p kupɒnz/ plural noun interest coupons on securities, which are not paid out, but added to the capital value of the security rolling account /rəυlŋ əkaυnt/ noun a system where there are no fixed account days, but stock exchange transactions are paid at a fixed period after each transaction has taken place (as opposed to the British system, where an account day is fixed each month) rolling budget /rəυlŋ bd$t/ noun a budget which moves forward on a regular basis (such as a budget covering a twelve-month period, which moves forward each month or quarter) rolling plan /rəυlŋ pln/ noun a plan which runs for a period of time and is updated regularly for the same period

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308

settlement /rəυlŋ set(ə)lmənt/ noun US same as rolling account roll over /rəυl əυvə/ verb 왍 to roll over a credit to make credit available over a continuing period 왍 to roll over a debt to allow a debt to stand after the repayment date rolling

‘…at the IMF in Washington, officials are worried that Japanese and US banks might decline to roll over the principal of loans made in the 1980s to Southeast Asian and other developing countries’ [Far Eastern Economic Review]

rollover /rəυləυvə/ noun an exten-

sion of credit or of the period of a loan, though not necessarily on the same terms as previously rollover credit /rəυləυvə kredt/ noun credit in the form of a medium-term loan, covered by a series of short-term loans rollover mortgage /rəυləυvə mɔd$/ noun a short-term mortgage which is renegotiated with different terms every five years or so roll up /rəυl p/ verb to extend a loan, by adding the interest due to be paid to the capital Romalpa clause noun a clause in a contract, whereby the seller provides that title to the goods does not pass to the buyer until the buyer has paid for them COMMENT: Called after the case of Aluminium Industrie Vaassen BV v Romalpa Ltd.

rotation /rəυteʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taking turns 왍 to fill the post of chair-

man by rotation to let each member of the group act as chairman for a period then give the post to another member 왍 two directors retire by rotation two directors retire because they have been directors longer than any others, but can offer themselves for re-election Roth account /rɒθ əkaυnt/, Roth IRA /rɒθ arə/ noun an individual retirement account in which earnings can be withdrawn tax free at age 59½ provided that they have been invested in the account for more than five years rouble /rub(ə)l/ noun a unit of currency used in Russia and Belarus (NOTE: The US spelling is ruble.)

RPI

rough /rf/ adjective approximate, not very accurate rough calculation /rf klkjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun a way of working out a mathematical problem approximately, or the approximate result arrived at 쑗 I made some rough calculations on the back of an envelope. rough draft /rf drɑft/ noun a plan of a document which may have changes made to it before it is complete rough estimate /rf estmət/ noun a very approximate calculation rough out /rf aυt/ verb to make a draft or a general design of something, which may be changed later 쑗 The finance director roughed out a plan of investment. round /raυnd/ adjective 왍 in round figures not totally accurate, but correct to the nearest 10 or 100 쐽 verb to make a fractional figure a full figure, by increasing or decreasing it 쑗 Some figures have been rounded to the nearest cent. round down /raυnd daυn/ verb to decrease a fractional figure to the nearest full figure round-tripping /raυnd trpŋ/ noun 1. the practice of borrowing at one rate of interest and lending the same money short-term at a higher rate (used to borrow on overdraft, when short-term deposit rates are higher) 2. US the practice of buying securities and then selling them quickly round up /raυnd p/ verb to increase a fractional figure to the nearest full figure 쑗 to round up the figures to the nearest pound ‘…each cheque can be made out for the local equivalent of œ100 rounded up to a convenient figure’ [Sunday Times]

routing /rutŋ/

쒁 check routing

symbol

royalty /rɔəlti/ noun money paid to an inventor, writer or the owner of land for the right to use their property, usually a specific percentage of sales, or a specific amount per sale 쑗 The country will benefit from rising oil royalties. 쑗 He is still receiving substantial royalties from his invention. RPB abbreviation recognised professional body RPI abbreviation retail price index

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309

RPM abbreviation resale price maintenance RRP abbreviation recommended retail price RSP abbreviation retail service provider RTGS abbreviation real-time gross settlement rubber check /rbə tʃek/ noun US a cheque which cannot be cashed because the person writing it does not have enough money in the account to pay it (NOTE: The UK term is bouncing cheque.) rubber stamp /rbə stmp/ noun

a stamp with rubber letters or figures on it to put the date or a note on a document 쑗 He stamped the invoice with the rubber stamp ‘Paid’. 쐽 verb to agree to something without discussing it 쑗 The board simply rubber stamped the agreement. rule /rul/ noun a statement that directs how people should behave 쑗 It is a company rule that smoking is not allowed in the offices. 쑗 The rules of the organisation are explained during the induction sessions. 왍 as a rule usually 쑗 As a rule, we do not give discounts over 20%. 쐽 verb 1. to give an official decision 쑗 The commission of inquiry ruled that the company was in breach of contract. 쑗 The judge ruled that the documents had to be deposited with the court. 2. to be in force or to be current 쑗 Prices which are ruling at the moment. 쑗 The current ruling agreement is being redrafted. rulebook /rulbυk/ noun a book which lists the rules by which the members of a union or self-regulatory organisation must operate rule of 72 /rul əv sev(ə)nti tu/ noun a calculation that an investment will double in value at compound interest after a period shown as 72 divided by the interest percentage (so interest at 10% compound will double the capital invested in 7.2 years) ruling /rulŋ/ adjective in operation at the moment, current 쑗 We will invoice at ruling prices. 쐽 noun a decision 쑗 The inquiry gave a ruling on the case. 쑗 According to the ruling of the court, the contract was illegal.

run to settlement

run noun /rn/ 1. a period of time during which a machine is working 왍 a

cheque run a series of cheques processed through a computer 2. a rush to buy something 쑗 The Post Office reported a run on the new stamps. 왍 a run on the bank a rush by customers to take deposits out of a bank which they think may close down 왍 a run on the pound a rush to sell pounds and buy other currencies 쐽 verb /rn/ to manage or to organise something 쑗 She runs a mail-order business from home. 쑗 They run a staff sports club. 쑗 He is running a multimillion-pound company. 쐽 1. to be in a particular state or to be taking place in a particular way 쑗 The meeting was running late. 2. to continue or to last 쑗 The lease runs for twenty years. 쑗 The lease has only six months to run. (NOTE: running – ran – has run) ‘…applications for mortgages are running at a high level’ [Times] ‘…with interest rates running well above inflation, investors want something that offers a return for their money’ [Business Week]

runaway inflation /rnəwe n-

fleʃ(ə)n/ noun very rapid inflation, which is almost impossible to reduce run down /rn daυn/ verb 1. to reduce a quantity gradually 쑗 We decided to run down stocks or to let stocks run down at the end of the financial year. 2. to slow down the business activities of a company before it is going to be closed 쑗 The company is being run down. run into /rn ntυ/ verb 1. 왍 to run into debt to start to have debts 2. to amount to 쑗 Costs have run into thousands of pounds. 왍 he has an income running into five figures he earns more than £10,000 running costs /rnŋ kɒsts/ plural noun money spent on the day-to-day cost of keeping a business going running total /rnŋ təυt(ə)l/ noun the total carried from one column of figures to the next running yield /rnŋ jild/ noun a yield on fixed interest securities, where the interest is shown as a percentage of the price paid run to settlement /rn tə set(ə)lmənt/ noun a futures sale which runs until the actual commodity is delivered

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310

run up /rn p/ verb to make debts

or costs go up quickly 쑗 He quickly ran up a bill for £250. rupee /rupi/ noun a unit of currency used in India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (NOTE: Written Rs before the figure: Rs. 250) rupiah /rupiə/ noun a unit of cur-

rency used in Indonesia

Russell index

Russell index /rs(ə)l ndeks/

noun any of various indices published by the Russell Company in Tacoma, Washington COMMENT: The Russell 3000 Index lists

the 3000 largest companies (almost all the companies whose shares are traded in the USA); this index is subdivided into two, the Russell 1000 Index lists the 1000 largest companies in the 3000 Index, and the Russell 2000 Index lists the remainder. There are other indices.

S SA abbreviation société anonyme or sociedad anónima s.a.e. abbreviation a stamped addressed envelope 쑗 Send your application form to the personnel officer, with an s.a.e. for reply. safe /sef/ noun a heavy metal box which cannot be opened easily, in which valuable documents and money can be kept 쑗 Put the documents in the safe. 쑗 We keep the petty cash in the safe. 쐽 adjective out of danger 왍 keep the documents in a safe place in a place where they cannot be stolen or destroyed safe deposit /sef dpɒzt/ noun a bank safe where you can leave jewellery or documents safe deposit box /sef dpɒzt bɒks/ noun a small box which you can rent to keep jewellery or documents in a bank’s safe safeguard /sefɑd/ verb to protect something or someone 쑗 The duty of the directors is to safeguard the interests of the shareholders. 쐽 noun something that provides protection safe investment /sef nvestmənt/ noun something, e.g. a share, which is not likely to fall in value safe keeping /sef kipŋ/ noun the fact of being looked after carefully 쑗 We put the documents into the bank for safe keeping. safety /sefti/ noun 1. the fact of being free from danger or risk 왍 to take safety precautions or safety measures to act to make sure something is safe 2. 왍 for safety to make something safe, to be safe 쑗 to take a copy of the disk for safety 쑗 Put the documents in the cupboard for safety. safety margin /sefti mɑd$n/ noun a time or space allowed to make sure that something can be done safely

safety regulations /sefti rejυleʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun rules to make a place of work safe for the employees SAIF abbreviation savings association insurance fund salami fraud /səlɑmi frɔd/ noun a fraud where a very small amount of money is removed from each transaction and put into a suspense account (the amounts – 1p or 1c per transaction – are so small that no one notices them, but over a period of time they build up to large sums of money) salaried /slərid/ adjective earning a salary 쑗 The company has 250 salaried staff. salaried partner /slərid pɑtnə/ noun a partner, often a junior one, who receives a regular salary in accordance with the partnership agreement salary /sləri/ noun 1. a regular payment for work done, made to an employee usually as a cheque at the end of each month 쑗 The company froze all salaries for a six-month period. 쑗 If I get promoted, my salary will go up. 쑗 The salary may be low, but the fringe benefits attached to the job are good. 쑗 She got a salary increase in June. 왍 scale of salaries or salary scale a list of salaries showing different levels of pay in different jobs in the same company 2. an amount paid to an employee, shown as a monthly, quarterly or yearly total (NOTE: The plural is salaries.) salary cheque /sləri tʃek/ noun a

monthly cheque by which an employee is paid salary cut /sləri kt/ noun a sudden reduction in salary salary deductions /sləri ddkʃənz/ plural noun money which a company removes from salaries to pay to the government as tax, National Insurance contributions, etc.

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312

salary package /sləri pkd$/

noun same as pay package salary reduction /sləri rdkʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of removing money from an employee’s salary to put into a pension plan salary review /sləri rvju/ noun same as pay review 쑗 She had a salary review last April or Her salary was reviewed last April. salary scale /sləri skel/ noun same as pay scale 쑗 He was appointed at the top end of the salary scale. salary structure /sləri strktʃə/ noun the organisation of salaries in a company with different rates of pay for different types of job ‘…the union of hotel and personal service workers has demanded a new salary structure and uniform conditions of service for workers in the hotel and catering industry’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

sale /sel/ noun 1. an act of giving an

item or doing a service in exchange for money, or for the promise that money will be paid 왍 for sale ready to be sold 왍 to offer something for sale or to put something up for sale to announce that something is ready to be sold 쑗 They put the factory up for sale. 쑗 His shop is for sale. 쑗 These items are not for sale to the general public. 왍 on sale ready to be sold in a shop 쑗 These items are on sale in most chemists. 2. an act of selling goods at specially low prices 쑗 The shop is having a sale to clear old stock. 쑗 The sale price is 50% of the normal price. ‘…the latest car sales for April show a 1.8 per cent dip from last year’s total’ [Investors Chronicle]

sale and lease-back /sel ən lis

bk/ noun the sale of an asset, usually a building, to somebody else who then leases it back to the original owner sales /selz/ plural noun 1. money received for selling something 쑗 Sales have risen over the first quarter. 2. items sold, or the number of items sold sales analysis /selz ənləss/ noun an examination of the reports of sales to see why items have or have not sold well sales book /selz bυk/ noun a record of sales

sales manager

sales budget /selz bd$t/ noun a plan of probable sales

sales chart /selz tʃɑt/ noun a dia-

gram showing how sales vary from month to month sales curve /selz k%v/ noun a graph showing how sales increase or decrease sales department /selz dpɑtmənt/ noun the section of a company which deals with selling the company’s products or services sales drive /selz drav/ noun a vigorous effort to increase sales sales executive /selz zekjυtv/ noun a person in a company or department in charge of sales sales figures /selz fəz/ plural noun total sales sales force /selz fɔs/ noun a group of sales staff sales forecast /selz fɔkɑst/ noun an estimate of future sales sales invoice /selz nvɔs/ noun an invoice relating to a sale sales journal /selz d$%n(ə)l/ noun the book in which non-cash sales are recorded with details of customer, invoice, amount and date (these details are later posted to each customer’s account in the sales ledger) sales ledger /selz led$ə/ noun a book in which sales to each customer are entered sales ledger clerk /selz led$ə klɑk/ noun an office worker who deals with the sales ledger sales literature /selz lt(ə)rətʃə/ noun printed information which helps sales, e.g. leaflets or prospectuses salesman /selzmən/ noun a man who sells an organisation’s products or services to customers, especially to retail shops 쑗 He is the head salesman in the carpet department. 쑗 His only experience is as a used-car salesman. 쑗 Salesmen are paid a basic salary plus commission. 쑗 We have six salesmen calling on accounts in central London. sales manager /selz mnd$ə/ noun a person in charge of a sales department

sales mix

313

sales mix /selz mks/ noun the sales

and profitability of a wide range of products sold by a single company sales mix profit variance /sels mks prɒft veəriəns/ noun the differing profitability of different products within a product range salesperson /selzp%s(ə)n/ noun a person who sells products or services to retail shops on behalf of a company (NOTE: The plural is salespeople.) sales representative /selz reprzentətv/, sales rep /selz rep/ noun same as salesperson 쑗 We have six

sales representatives in Europe. 쑗 They have vacancies for sales representatives to call on accounts in the north of the country. sales return /selz rt%n/ noun a report of sales made each day or week or quarter sales returns /selz rt%nz/ plural noun items sold which are returned by the purchaser sales returns book /sels rt%nz bυk/ noun a ledger giving details of goods returned by purchasers, including invoice number, credit notes, quantities, etc. Abbreviation SRB sales revenue /selz revənju/ noun US the income from sales of goods or services (NOTE: The UK term is turnover.) sales slip /selz slp/ noun a paper

showing that an article was bought at a certain shop 쑗 Goods can be exchanged only on production of a sales slip. sales target /selz tɑt/ noun the amount of sales a sales representative is expected to achieve sales tax /selz tks/ noun a tax which is paid on each item sold (and is collected when the purchase is made). Also called turnover tax sales value /selz vlju/ noun the amount of money which would be received if something is sold sales volume /selz vɒljum/ noun the number of units sold (NOTE: The UK term is turnover.)

sales volume profit variance

/selz vɒljum prɒft veəriəns/ noun the difference between the profit

on the number of units actually sold and the forecast figure

sample

saleswoman /selzwυmən/ noun a

woman who sells an organisation’s products or services to customers salvage /slvd$/ noun 1. the work of saving a ship or a cargo from being destroyed 2. goods saved from a wrecked ship, from a fire or from some other accident 쑗 a sale of flood salvage items (NOTE: no plural) 쐽 verb 1. to save goods or a ship from being destroyed 쑗 We are selling off a warehouse full of salvaged goods. 2. to save something from loss 쑗 The company is trying to salvage its reputation after the managing director was sent to prison for fraud. 쑗 The receiver managed to salvage something from the collapse of the company. salvage money /slvd$ mni/ noun payment made by the owner of a ship or a cargo to the person who has saved it salvage vessel /slvd$ ves(ə)l/ noun a ship which specialises in saving other ships and their cargoes same /sem/ adjective being or looking exactly alike ‘…previously, only orders received by 11 a.m. via the Internet could be delivered the same day, and then only for a limited range of items. With fast packaging and inspection, same-day delivery is now possible anywhere in Tokyo’ [Nikkei Weekly]

same-day funds /sem de fndz/

plural noun money which can be withdrawn from an account the same day as it is deposited same-store sales /sem stɔ selz/ noun sales for the same stores over an earlier period ‘…it led the nation’s department stores over the crucial Christmas season with an 11.7% increase in same-store sales’ [Fortune] ‘…its consistent double-digit same-store sales growth also proves that it is not just adding revenue by adding new locations’ [Fortune]

sample /sɑmpəl/ noun 1. a small

part of an item which is used to show what the whole item is like 쑗 Can you provide us with a sample of the cloth or a cloth sample? 2. a small group which is studied in order to show what a larger group is like 쑗 We interviewed a sample of potential customers. 쐽 verb 1. to test or to try something by taking a small amount of it 쑗 to sample a product before buying it 2. to ask a representative group of people questions to find out

sampling

314

what the reactions of a much larger group would be 쑗 They sampled 2,000 people at random to test the new drink. sampling /sɑmplŋ/ noun 1. the testing of a product by taking a small amount 쑗 a sampling of European Union produce 2. the testing of the reactions of a small group of people to find out the reactions of a larger group of consumers samurai bond /smυra bɒnd/ noun an international bond in yen launched on the Japanese market by a non-Japanese corporation. Compare bulldog bond, shogun bond, Yankee bond S&L abbreviation savings and loan

(association) S&P abbreviation Standard and Poor’s SARL abbreviation société anonyme à responsabilité limitée save /sev/ verb to keep (money), not to spend (money) 쑗 He is trying to save money by walking to work. 쑗 She is saving to buy a house. save-as-you-earn /sev əz ju %n/ noun GB a scheme where employees can save money regularly by having it deducted automatically from their wages and invested in National Savings. Abbreviation SAYE saver /sevə/ noun a person who saves money save up /sev p/ verb to put money aside for a special purpose 쑗 They are saving up for a holiday in the USA. savings /sevŋz/ plural noun money saved (i.e. money which is not spent) 쑗 He put all his savings into a deposit account. savings account /sevŋz əkaυnt/ noun an account where you put money in regularly and which pays interest, often at a higher rate than a deposit account savings and loan /sevŋz ən ləυn/, savings and loan association /sevŋz ən ləυn əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun US a financial association which accepts and pays interest on deposits from investors and lends money to people who are buying property. The loans are in the form of mortgages on the security of the property being bought. S&Ls are regulated by the Office of

scale

Thrift Supervision and are protected by the Savings Association Insurance Fund. Abbreviation S&L. Also called thrift (NOTE: The UK term is building society.) COMMENT: Because of deregulation of

interest rates in 1980, many S&Ls found that they were forced to raise interest on deposits to current market rates in order to secure funds, while at the same time they still were charging low fixed-interest rates on the mortgages granted to borrowers. This created considerable problems and many S&Ls had to be rescued by the Federal government.

Savings Association Insurance Fund /sevŋz əsəυsieʃ(ə)n n-

ʃυərəns fnd/ noun an insurance fund set up in 1989 to provide insurance to savings and loan associations. Abbreviation SAIF savings bank /sevŋz bŋk/ noun a bank where you can deposit money and receive interest on it savings bond /sevŋs bɒnd/ noun in the USA, a document showing that money has been invested in a government savings scheme. Interest on US savings bonds is tax exempt. (NOTE: The UK term is savings certificate.) savings certificate /sevŋz sətfkət/ noun a document showing that

you have invested money in a government savings scheme (NOTE: The US term is savings bond.)

savings-related share option scheme /sevŋz rletd ʃeə

ɒpʃən skim/ noun a scheme which allows employees of a company to buy shares with money which they have contributed to a savings scheme SAYE abbreviation save-as-you-earn SBA abbreviation small business administration SBF abbreviation Société des Bourses Françaises scale /skel/ noun 1. a system which is graded into various levels 왍 scale of charges or scale of prices a list showing various prices 왍 scale of salaries a list of salaries showing different levels of pay in different jobs in the same company 2. 왍 to start in business on a small scale to start in business with a small staff, few products or little capital

scale down

315

scale down /skel daυn/ verb to lower something in proportion

COMMENT: If a share issue is oversub-

scribed, applications may be scaled down; by doing this, the small investor is protected. So, in a typical case, all applications for 1,000 shares may receive 300; all applications for 2,000 shares may receive 500; applications for 5,000 shares receive 1,000, and applications for more than 5,000 shares will go into a ballot.

scale up /skel p/ verb to increase something in proportion

scalp /sklp/ verb US to buy or sell to

make a quick profit scalper /sklpə/ noun 1. US a person who buys and sells something to make a large rapid profit (e.g. by buying and reselling tickets for a popular sporting event) 2. a trader who buys and sells the same futures on the same day scam /skm/ noun a fraud, an illegal or dishonest scheme (informal ) 쑗 Many financial scams only come to light by accident. scarce currency /skeəs krənsi/ noun same as hard currency scarcity value /skeəsti vlju/ noun the value something has because it is rare and there is a large demand for it scatter diagram /sktə daərm/ noun a chart where points are plotted according to two sets of variables to see if a pattern exists scenario /snɑriəυ/ noun the way in which a situation may develop, or a description or forecast of possible future developments .

‘…on the upside scenario, the outlook is reasonably optimistic, bankers say, the worst scenario being that a scheme of arrangement cannot be achieved, resulting in liquidation’ [Irish Times]

schedule /ʃedjul/ noun 1. a timeta-

ble, a plan of how time should be spent, drawn up in advance 쑗 The managing director has a busy schedule of appointments. 쑗 Her secretary tried to fit me into her schedule. 왍 on schedule at the time or stage set down in the schedule 쑗 The launch took place on schedule. 왍 to be ahead of schedule to be early 쑗 The building was completed ahead of schedule. 왍 to be on schedule to be on time 쑗 The project is on schedule. 쑗 We are on schedule to complete the project at the

scorched earth policy

end of May. 왍 to be behind schedule to be late 쑗 I am sorry to say that we are three months behind schedule. 2. a list, especially a list forming an additional document attached to a contract 쑗 the schedule of territories to which a contract applies 쑗 Please find enclosed our schedule of charges. 쑗 See the attached schedule or as per the attached schedule. 3. a list of interest rates 4. a form relating to a particular kind of income liable for UK income tax

Schedule A /ʃedjul e/ noun a

schedule under which tax is charged on income from land or buildings Schedule B /ʃedjul bi/ noun a schedule under which tax was formerly charged on income from woodlands Schedule C /ʃedjul si/ noun a schedule under which tax is charged on profits from government stock scheduled /ʃed$uld/ adjective listed in a separate schedule Schedule D /ʃedjul di/ noun a schedule under which tax is charged on income from trades or professions, interest and other earnings not derived from being employed Schedule E /ʃedjul i/ noun a schedule under which tax is charged on income from salaries, wages or pensions Schedule F /ʃedjul ef/ noun a schedule under which tax is charged on income from dividends scheme /skim/ noun a plan, arrangement or way of working 쑗 Under the bonus scheme all employees get 10% of their annual pay as a Christmas bonus. 쑗 He has joined the company pension scheme. 쑗 We operate a profit-sharing scheme for managers. 쑗 The new payment scheme is based on reward for individual effort. scheme of arrangement /skim əv ərend$mənt/ noun a scheme drawn up by an individual or company to offer ways of paying debts, so as to avoid bankruptcy proceedings. Also called voluntary arrangement schilling /ʃlŋ/ noun a unit of currency used before the euro in Austria scorched earth policy /skɔtʃt %θ pɒlsi/ noun a way of combating a takeover bid, where the target company

scout

316

sells valuable assets or purchases unattractive assets. 쏡 poison pill

scout /skaυt/ noun a person who

searches for something, especially someone who looks for promising new members of staff scrap /skrp/ noun 1. material left over after an industrial process, and which still has some value (as opposed to waste, which has no value) 쑗 to sell a ship for scrap 2. pieces of metal to be melted down to make new metal ingots scrap value /skrp vlju/ noun the value of an asset if sold for scrap 쑗 Its scrap value is £2,500. screen /skrin/ noun 1. a glass surface on which computer information or TV pictures can be shown 쑗 She brought up the information on the screen. 쑗 I’ll just call up details of your account on the screen. 2. a flat panel which acts as a form of protection 쐽 verb 1. to examine something carefully to evaluate or assess it 2. to consider a range of items or people and only select some 왍 to screen out to consider things and remove some screening /skrinŋ/ noun the act of evaluating or assessing new product ideas 쑗 Representatives from each department concerned will take part in the screening process. 쑗 Screening showed the product idea to be unrealistic for our production capacity. screen trading /skrin tredŋ/ noun trading using a monitor, as opposed to the old open outcry system scrip /skrp/ noun a security (a share, bond, or the certificate issued to show that someone has been allotted a share or bond) ‘…under the rule, brokers who fail to deliver stock within four days of a transaction are to be fined 1% of the transaction value for each day of missing scrip’ [Far Eastern Economic Review]

scrip issue /skrp ʃu/ noun an

issue of shares whereby a company transfers money from reserves to share capital and issues free extra shares to the shareholders (the value of the company remains the same, and the total market value of shareholders’ shares remains the same, the market price being adjusted to account for the new shares). Also called free issue, capitalisation

issue

seasonal

scripophily /skrpɒfli/ noun the

practice of collecting old share certificates and bond certificates as a hobby and investment SDB abbreviation sales day book Sdn abbreviation Sendirian Sdn berhad abbreviation Sendirian berhad, a Malay term for a private limited company SDRs abbreviation special drawing rights sea freight /si fret/ noun the transportation of goods in ships, or goods sent by sea seal /sil/ noun 1. a special symbol, often one stamped on a piece of wax, which is used to show that a document is officially approved by the organisation that uses the symbol 왍 contract under seal a contract which has been legally approved with the seal of the company 2. a piece of paper, metal or wax attached to close something, so that it can be opened only if the paper, metal or wax is removed or broken 쐽 verb 1. to close something tightly 쑗 The computer disks were sent in a sealed container. 2. to attach a seal, to stamp something with a seal 쑗 Customs sealed the shipment. SEAQ noun a computerised information system giving details of current share prices and stock market transactions on the London Stock Exchange. Dealers list their offer and bid prices on SEAQ, and transactions are carried out on the basis of the information shown on the screen and are also recorded on the SEAQ database in case of future disputes. Full form Stock Exchange Automated Quotations system search /s%tʃ/ noun an examination of

records by the lawyer acting for someone who wants to buy a property, to make sure that the vendor has the right to sell it season /siz(ə)n/ noun a period of time when some activity usually takes place 쑗 the selling season seasonal /siz(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective which lasts for a season or which only happens during a particular season 쑗 seasonal variations in sales patterns 쑗 The demand for this item is very seasonal.

seasonal demand

317

seasonal demand /siz(ə)n(ə)l d-

mɑnd/ noun demand which exists only during the high season

seasonal

unemployment

/siz(ə)nəl nmplɔmənt/ noun un-

employment which rises and falls according to the season seasoned /siz(ə)nd/ adjective US referring to securities which are reputable or a loan which is safe for the long term seat /sit/ noun membership of a stock exchange SEC abbreviation Securities and Exchange Commission second noun, adjective /sekənd/ (the thing) which comes after the first 쐽 verb 1. /sekənd/ 왍 to second a motion to be the first person to support a proposal put forward by someone else 쑗 Mrs Smith seconded the motion or The motion was seconded by Mrs Smith. 2. /skɒnd/ to lend a member of staff to another company, organisation or department for a fixed period of time 쑗 He was seconded to the Department of Trade for two years. secondary /sekənd(ə)ri/ adjective second in importance secondary auditor /sekənd(ə)ri ɔdtə/ noun an auditor for a subsidiary company who has no connection with the primary auditor who audits the accounts of the main company secondary bank /sekənd(ə)ri bŋk/ noun a finance company which provides money for hire-purchase deals secondary industry /sekənd(ə)ri ndəstri/ noun an industry which uses basic raw materials to produce manufactured goods secondary market /sekənd(ə)ri mɑkt/ noun a market where existing securities are bought and sold again and again, as opposed to a primary market, where new issues are launched

secondary

mortgage

market

/sekənd(ə)ri mɔd$ mɑkt/ noun US a nationwide system organised by

various federal mortgage associations for polling mortgages and selling them to investors secondary products /sekənd(ə)ri prɒdkts/ plural noun products which

second-tier

have been processed from raw materials (as opposed to primary products)

secondary

properties

/ sekənd(ə)ri prɒpətiz/ plural noun

commercial properties which are not in prime sites and therefore are not as valuable second-class /sekənd klɑs/ adjective, adverb referring to a less expensive or less comfortable way of travelling 쑗 The group will travel second-class to Holland. 쑗 The price of a second-class ticket is half that of a first class. second-class mail /sekənd klɑs mel/ noun a less expensive, slower mail service 쑗 The letter took three days to arrive because he sent it second-class. second earner /sekənd %nə/ noun a second person in a household, usually a spouse, who also earns a salary seconder /sekəndə/ noun a person who seconds a proposal 쑗 There was no seconder for the motion so it was not put to the vote. second half /sekənd hɑf/ noun a period of six months from 1st July to 31st December 쑗 The figures for the second half are up on those for the first part of the year. second half-year /sekənd hɑf jə/ noun the six-month period from July to the end of December secondment /skɒndmənt/ noun the fact or period of being seconded to another job for a period 쑗 He is on three years’ secondment to an Australian college. second mortgage /sekənd mɔd$/ noun a further mortgage on a property which is already mortgaged second quarter /sekənd kwɔtə/ noun a period of three months from April to the end of June second-ranker /sekənd rŋkə/ noun a company which occupies the second rank, i.e. not one of the top companies second round /sekənd raυnd/ noun a new tranche of venture capital raised for a new project after the start-up finance second-tier /sekənd tə/ adjective not in the first and most important group

second-tier bank

318

bank /sekənd tə bŋk/ noun a bank which is not as large as the main banks in a country second-tier market /sekənd tə mɑkt/ noun a secondary market, such as the AIM, where securities which are not listed on the main Stock Exchange can be traded secret /sikrət/ adjective which is deliberately kept hidden from people, or which is not known about by many people 쑗 The MD kept the contract secret from the rest of the board. 쑗 The management signed a secret deal with a foreign supplier. 쐽 noun something which is kept hidden or which is not known about by many people 쑗 to keep a secret secretariat /sekrteəriət/ noun an important office and the officials who work in it 쑗 the United Nations secretariat second-tier

‘…a debate has been going on over the establishment of a general secretariat for the G7. Proponents argue that this would give the G7 a sense of direction and continuity’ [Times]

secretary /sekrət(ə)ri/ noun 1. an

official of a company or society whose job is to keep records and write letters 2. a member of the government in charge of a department 쑗 the Trade Secretary 쑗 the Foreign Secretary 쑗 the Education Secretary Secretary of State /sekrət(ə)ri əv stet/ noun 1. a member of the government in charge of a department 쑗 the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 2. US a senior member of the government in charge of foreign affairs (NOTE: The UK term is Foreign Secretary.)

Secretary

the

Treasury

/sekrət(ə)ri əv ðə tre$əri/ noun US a

senior member of the government in charge of financial affairs secret ballot /sikrət blət/ noun an election where the voters vote in secret secret reserves /sikrət rz%vz/ plural noun reserves which are illegally kept hidden in a company’s balance sheet, as opposed to ‘hidden reserves’ which are simply not easy to identify section /sekʃən/ noun 1. a part of something 쑗 You should read the last section of the report – it is very interest-

securities

ing. 2. one of the parts of an Act of Parliament

sector /sektə/ noun 1. a part of the

economy or the business organisation of a country 쑗 All sectors of the economy suffered from the fall in the exchange rate. 쑗 Technology is a booming sector of the economy. 2. a section of a stock market, listing shares in one type of industry (such as the banking sector) ‘…government services form a large part of the tertiary or service sector’ [Sydney Morning Herald] ‘…in the dry cargo sector, a total of 956 dry cargo vessels are laid up – 3% of world dry cargo tonnage’ [Lloyd’s List]

sector fund /sektə fnd/ noun a

fund which is invested in only one sector of the stock market secure /skjυə/ adjective safe, which cannot change 왍 secure job a job from which you are not likely to be made redundant 왍 secure investment an investment where you are not likely to lose money 쐽 verb 1. 왍 to secure a loan to pledge an asset as a security for a loan 2. to get something safely into your control 쑗 He is visiting several banks in an attempts to secure funds for his project. 쑗 He secured the backing of an Australian group. secured creditor /skjυəd kredtə/ noun a person who is owed money by someone, and can legally claim the same amount of the borrower’s property if the borrower fails to pay back the money owed secured debt /skjυəd det/ noun a debt which is guaranteed by assets which have been pledged secured loan /skjυəd ləυn/ noun a loan which is guaranteed by the borrower giving assets as security secure sockets layer /skjυə sɒkts leə/ noun full form of SSL secure website /skjυə websat/ noun a website on the Internet that encrypts the messages between the visitor and the site to ensure that no hacker or eavesdropper can intercept the information securities /skjυərtiz/ plural noun 1. investments in stocks and shares 2. certificates to show that someone owns stocks or shares

securities

319

Securities and Exchange Commission /skjυərtiz ən kstʃend$

kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun the official body which regulates the securities markets in the USA. Abbreviation SEC

Securities and Futures Authority /skjυərətiz ən fjutʃəz

ɔθɒrəti/ noun in the UK, a self-regulatory organisation which supervises the trading in shares and futures, now part of the FSA. Abbreviation SFA

Securities and Investments Board /skjυərtiz ən nvestmənts

bɔd/ noun formerly, the name of the regulatory body which supervised the securities markets in the UK (now the FSA). Abbreviation SIB securities broker /skjυərətiz brəυkə/ noun same as securities trader

house /skjυərtiz haυs/ noun a firm which buys and sells securities for clients securities market /skjυərtiz mɑkt/ noun a Stock Exchange, a place where stocks and shares can be bought or sold securities trader /skjυərtiz tredə/ noun a person whose business is buying and selling stocks and shares securitisation /skjυərtazeʃ(ə)n/, securitization noun the process of making a loan or mortgage into a tradeable security by issuing a bill of exchange or other negotiable paper in place of it securitise /skjυrətaz/, securitize verb to make a loan into a security which can be traded (e.g. by issuing an IOU for a loan) security /skjυərti/ noun 1. the fact of being protected against attack 왍 office security the act of protecting an office against theft 2. the fact of being kept secret 왍 security in this office is nil nothing can be kept secret in this office 3. a guarantee that someone will repay money borrowed 쑗 to give something as security for a debt 쑗 to use a house as security for a loan 쑗 The bank lent him £20,000 without security. 왍 to stand security for someone to guarantee that if the person does not repay a loan, you will repay it for him 4. a stock or share securities

self-financing

security guard /skjυərti ɑd/

noun a person who protects an office or factory against burglars security of employment /skjυərti əv mplɔmənt/ noun a feeling by an employee that he or she will be able to stay in the same job until retirement security of tenure /skjυərti əv tenjə/ noun a right to keep a job or rented accommodation provided certain conditions are met security printer /skjυərti prntə/ noun a printer who prints material that has to be kept secure, such as paper money, share prospectuses or secret government documents seedcorn /sidkɔn/, seed money /sid mni/ noun venture capital invested when a new project is starting up (and therefore more risky than secondary finance or mezzanine finance) 쑗 They had their ranch house to operate out of, a used printer and seed money from friends. segment noun /semənt/ a section of a market defined by certain criteria 쐽 verb /sem*nt/ to divide a potential market into different segments segmentation /semənteʃ(ə)n/ noun the division of the market or consumers into categories according to their buying habits

selected personal information

/slektd p%s(ə)nəl nfəmeʃ(ə)n/ noun information, such as the post code

of your home or the maiden name of your mother, used for identification purposes self- /self/ prefix referring to yourself self-employed /self mplɔd/ adjective working for yourself or not on the payroll of a company 쑗 a self-employed engineer 쑗 He worked for a bank for ten years but is now self-employed. 쐽 plural noun 왍 the self-employed people who work for themselves self-financed /self fannst/ adjective 왍 the project is completely self-financed the project pays its development costs out of its own revenue, with no subsidies self-financing /self fannsŋ/ noun the financing of development

self-insurance

320

costs, the purchase of capital assets, etc. by a company from its own resources 쐽 adjective 왍 the company is completely self-financing the company finances its development costs, capital assets, etc. from its own resources self-insurance /self nʃυərəns/ noun insuring against a probable future loss by putting money aside regularly, rather than by taking out an insurance policy self-made man /self med mn/ noun a man who is rich and successful because of his own work, not because he inherited money or position self-regulating organisation /self rejuletŋ ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun same as self-regulatory organisation self-regulation /self rejυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the regulation of an industry by itself, through a committee which issues a rulebook and makes sure that members of the industry follow the rules (NOTE:

semi-variable cost

sell-by date /sel ba det/ noun a

date on a food packet which is the last date on which the food is guaranteed to be good seller /selə/ noun a person who sells 쑗 There were few sellers in the market, so prices remained high. seller’s market /seləz mɑkt/ noun a market where the seller can ask high prices because there is a large demand for the product (NOTE: The opposite is a buyer’s market.)

sell forward /sel fɔwəd/ verb to

self-service banking /self s%vs bŋkŋ/ noun a situation where a bank’s customers arrange transactions by themselves, without involving bank staff, e.g. by using ATMs for cash withdrawals self-supporting /self səpɔtŋ/ adjective which finances itself from its own resources, with no subsidies sell /sel/ verb 1. to give goods in exchange for money 쑗 to sell something on credit 쑗 The shop sells washing machines and refrigerators. 쑗 They tried to sell their house for £100,000. 쑗 Their products are easy to sell. 2. to be sold 쑗 These items sell well in the pre-Christmas period. 쑗 Those packs sell for £25 a dozen. 쏡 hard sell (NOTE:

sell foreign currency, commodities, etc. for delivery at a later date selling costs /selŋ kɒsts/, selling overhead /selŋ əυvəhed/ plural noun the amount of money to be paid for the advertising, reps’ commissions and other expenses involved in selling something selling price /selŋ pras/ noun the price at which someone is willing to sell something selling price variance /selŋ pras veəriəns/ noun the difference between the actual selling price and the budgeted selling price sell off /sel ɒf/ verb to sell goods quickly to get rid of them sell out /sel aυt/ verb to sell your business 쑗 They sold out and retired to the seaside. sellout /selaυt/ noun 왍 this item has been a sellout all the stock of the item has been sold sell up /sel p/ verb to sell a business and all the stock 쑗 He sold up and bought a farm. semi- /semi/ prefix half or part semiannual /seminjuəl/ adjective referring to interest paid every six months semi-fixed cost /semi fkst kɒst/ noun same as semi-variable cost semi-variable cost /semi veəriəb(ə)l kɒst/ noun money paid to produce a product which increases, though less than proportionally, with the quantity of the product made 쑗 Stepping up production will mean an increase in semi-variable costs. Also called

selling – sold)

semi-fixed cost

For example, the Stock Exchange is regulated by the Stock Exchange Council.) self-regulatory /self rejυlet(ə)ri/ adjective referring to an or-

ganisation which regulates itself

self-regulatory organisation /self

rejυlət(ə)ri ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun an organisation, such as the Securities and Futures Authority, which regulates the way in which its own members carry on their business. Abbreviation SRO self-select PEP /self slekt/ noun 쒁 Personal Equity Plan

Sendirian

321

Sendirian noun a Malay term meaning ‘limited’

Sendirian berhad noun a Malay term meaning ‘private limited company’ senior /siniə/ adjective 1. referring to an employee who is more important 2. referring to an employee who is older or who has been employed longer than another 3. referring to a sum which is repayable before others senior capital /siniə kpt(ə)l/ noun capital in the form of secured loans to a company (it is repaid before junior capital, such as shareholders’ equity, in the event of liquidation) senior debt /siniə det/ noun a debt which must be repaid in preference to other debts (such as a first mortgage over a second mortgage) seniority /siniɒrti/ noun 1. the fact of being more important 쑗 in order of seniority 2. the fact of being older or having been an employee of the company longer senior manager /siniə mnd$ə/, senior executive /siniər zekjυtv/ noun a manager or director who has a higher rank than others senior partner /siniə pɑtnə/ noun the most important partner in a firm of solicitors or accountants sensitive /senstv/ adjective able to feel something sharply 쑗 The market is very sensitive to the result of the elections. 쏡 price-sensitive sensitivity analysis /sensətvəti ənləss/ noun the analysis of the effect of a small change in a certain calculation on the final result separable /sep(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be separated separable

net

assets

/sep(ə)rəb(ə)l net sets/ plural noun

assets which can be separated from the rest of the assets of a business and sold off separate /sep(ə)rət/ adjective not connected with something separate estate /sep(ə)rət stet/ noun the property of one of the partners in a partnership, as opposed to the property belonging to the partnership itself separation /sepəreʃ(ə)n/ noun US the act of leaving a job (resigning, retiring or being fired or made redundant) 쑗

service

The interviewer asked the candidate whether the separation mentioned in his CV was due to resignation, redundancy or dismissal. 쑗 The exit interviews attempted to find out what employees really felt about separation. sequester /skwestə/, sequestrate /sikwstret, skwestret/ verb to take and keep a bank account or property because a court has ordered it 쑗 The union was fined for contempt of court and its funds have been sequestrated. sequestration /sikwestreʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taking and keeping property on the order of a court, especially of seizing property from someone who is in contempt of court sequestrator /sikwstretə, skwestretə/ noun a person who takes and keeps property on the order of a court series /səriz/ noun a group of bonds or savings certificates, issued over a period of time but all bearing the same interest Serious Fraud Office /sərəs frɔd ɒfs/ noun a British government department in charge of investigating major fraud in companies. Abbreviation SFO

serve /s%v/ verb 왍 to serve someone with a writ or to serve a writ on someone to give someone a writ officially, so that they have to receive it service /s%vs/ noun 1. a piece of work done to help someone as a duty or a favour 쑗 After a lifetime’s service to the company he was rewarded with a generous golden handshake. 2. a form of business (e.g. insurance, banking, or transport) that provides help in some form when it is needed, as opposed to making or selling goods 3. the fact of working for an employer, or the period of time during which an employee has worked for an employer 쑗 retiring after twenty years service to the company 쑗 The amount of your pension depends partly on the number of your years of service. 4. the work of dealing with customers 쑗 The service in that restaurant is extremely slow 5. payment for help given to the customer 쑗 to add on 10% for service 왍 the bill includes service the bill includes a charge added for the work involved 쑗 The service in that res-

service bureau

322

taurant is extremely slow. 쐽 verb 왍 to service a debt to pay interest on a debt 쑗 The company is having problems in servicing its debts.

service bureau /s%vs bjυərəυ/

noun an office which specialises in helping other offices service charge /s%vs tʃɑd$/ noun 1. a charge added to the bill in a restaurant to pay for service 2. an amount paid by tenants in a block of flats or offices for general maintenance, insurance and cleaning 3. US a charge which a bank makes for carrying out work for a customer (NOTE: The UK term is bank charge.)

contract /s%vs kɒntrkt/ noun a contract between a company and a director showing all conditions of work 쑗 He worked unofficially with no service contract. service cost centre /s%vs kɒst sentə/, service centre /s%vs sentə/ noun a section of a company considered as a cost centre, which provides a service to other parts of the company service department /s%vs dpɑtmənt/ noun 1. the section of a company which keeps customers’ machines in good working order 2. a department of a company which does not deal with production or sales (e.g. accounts or human resources) service industry /s%vs ndəstri/ noun an industry which does not produce raw materials or manufacture products but offers a service (such as banking, retailing or accountancy) services /s%vsz/ plural noun benefits which are sold to customers or clients, e.g. transport or education 쑗 We give advice to companies on the marketing of services. 쑗 We must improve the exports of both goods and services. service sector /s%vs sektə/ noun the part of an economy that consists of service industries session /seʃ(ə)n/ noun a period of time spent on a specific activity, especially as part of a larger event 쑗 The morning session or the afternoon session will be held in the conference room. service

‘…statistics from the stock exchange show that customer interest in the equity market has

settlement averaged just under £700m in recent trading sessions’ [Financial Times]

set /set/ adjective fixed or which cannot be changed 쑗 There is a set fee for all our consultants. 쐽 verb to fix or to arrange something 쑗 We have to set a price for the new computer. 쑗 The price of the calculator has been set low, so as to achieve maximum unit sales. (NOTE: setting – set) 왍 the auction set a record for high prices the prices at the auction were the highest ever reached set against /set əenst/ verb to balance one group of figures against another group to try to make them cancel each other out 쑗 to set the costs against the sales revenue 쑗 Can you set the expenses against tax? set aside /set əsad/ verb to decide not to apply a decision 쑗 The arbitrator’s award was set aside on appeal. setback /setbk/ noun something that stops progress 쑗 The company has suffered a series of setbacks over the past two years. 쑗 The shares had a setback on the Stock Exchange. ‘…a sharp setback in foreign trade accounted for most of the winter slowdown’ [Fortune]

SET Index /set ndeks/ noun an index of share prices on the Bangkok Stock Exchange set off /set ɒf/ verb to use a debt owed by one party to reduce a debt owed to them Sets abbreviation Stock Exchange Electronic Trading System settle /set(ə)l/ verb 1. 왍 to settle an account to pay what is owed 2. to place a property in trust settled account /set(ə)ld əkaυnt/ noun an arrangement between two parties who agree the accounts between them settled property /set(ə)ld prɒpəti/ noun property which is held in trust settlement /set(ə)lmənt/ noun 1. the payment of an account 왍 we offer an extra 5% discount for rapid settlement we take a further 5% off the price if the customer pays quickly 왍 settlement in cash or cash settlement payment of an invoice in cash, not by cheque 2. an agreement after an argument or negotiations 쑗 a wage settlement 왍 to effect a settlement

settlement date

323

between two parties to bring two parties together to make them agree ‘…he emphasised that prompt settlement of all forms of industrial disputes would guarantee industrial peace in the country and ensure increased productivity’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

settlement date /set(ə)lmənt det/

noun a date when a payment has to be made settlement day /set(ə)lmənt de/ noun 1. the day on which shares which have been bought must be paid for (on the London Stock Exchange the account period is three business days from the day of trade) 2. in the USA, the day on which securities bought actually become the property of the purchaser settle on /set(ə)l ɒn/ verb to leave property to someone when you die 쑗 He settled his property on his children. settlor /set(ə)lə/ noun a person who settles property on someone set up /set p/ verb to begin something, or to organise something new 쑗 to set up an inquiry or a working party 왍 to set up a company to start a company legally 왍 to set up in business to start a new business 쑗 She set up in business as an insurance broker. 쑗 He set himself up as a freelance representative. ‘…the concern announced that it had acquired a third large tanker since being set up’ [Lloyd’s List]

seven-day money /sev(ə)n de mni/ noun an investment in financial instruments which mature in seven days’ time severally /sev(ə)rəli/ adverb separately, not jointly 왍 they are jointly and severally liable they are liable both as a group and as individuals for the total amount severance pay /sev(ə)rəns pe/ noun money paid as compensation to an employee whose job is no longer needed SFA abbreviation Securities and Futures Authority SFO abbreviation Serious Fraud Office shadow director /ʃdəυ darektə/ noun a person who is not a director of a company, but who tells the directors of the company how to act shady /ʃedi/ adjective not honest 쑗 The newspapers reported that he had been involved in several shady deals.

share buyback

shake /ʃek/ verb to move something quickly from side to side 왍 to shake hands to hold someone’s hand when meeting to show you are pleased to meet them or to show that an agreement has been reached 쑗 The two negotiating teams shook hands and sat down at the conference table. 왍 to shake hands on a deal to shake hands to show that a deal has been agreed shakeout /ʃekaυt/ noun 1. a reorganisation in a company, where some people are left, but others go 쑗 a shakeout in the top management 2. the process of revising prices on a stock market, usually at the end of a sharp rise or fall shakeup /ʃekp/ noun a total reorganisation 쑗 The managing director ordered a shakeup of the sales departments. shaky /ʃeki/ adjective not very sure or not very reliable 쑗 He only has the shakiest idea of what he should be doing. 쑗 The new issue got off to a shaky start on the market. share /ʃeə/ noun 1. a part of something that has been divided up among several people or groups 왍 to have a share in to take part in or to contribute to 쑗 to have a share in management decisions 2. one of many equal parts into which a company’s capital is divided 쑗 He bought a block of shares in Marks and Spencer. 쑗 Shares fell on the London market. 쑗 The company offered 1.8m shares on the market. 왍 to allot shares to give a certain number of shares to people who have applied to buy them ‘…falling profitability means falling share prices’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the share of blue-collar occupations declined from 48 per cent to 43 per cent’ [Sydney Morning Herald]

share account /ʃeə əkaυnt/ noun

an account with a credit union which pays dividends instead of interest share at par /ʃeə ət pɑ/ noun a share whose value on the stock market is the same as its face value share buyback /ʃeə babk/ noun an arrangement where a company buys its own shares on the stock market

share capital

324

share capital /ʃeə kpt(ə)l/ noun

the value of the assets of a company held as shares share certificate /ʃeə sətfkət/ noun a document proving that you own shares shareholder /ʃeəhəυldə/ noun a person who owns shares in a company 쑗 to call a shareholders’ meeting (NOTE: The US term is stockholder.) ‘…as of last night the bank’s shareholders no longer hold any rights to the bank’s shares’ [South China Morning Post] ‘…the company said that its recent issue of 10.5% convertible preference shares at A$8.50 has been oversubscribed, boosting shareholders’ funds to A$700 million plus’ [Financial Times]

shareholders’ equity /ʃeəhəυldəz

ekwti/ noun 1. the value of a company which is the property of its ordinary shareholders (the company’s assets less its liabilities) 2. a company’s capital which is invested by shareholders, who thus become owners of the company shareholders’ funds /ʃeəhəυldəz fndz/ noun the capital and reserves of a company shareholding /ʃeəhəυldŋ/ noun a group of shares in a company owned by one owner share incentive scheme /ʃeər nsentv skim/ noun same as share option scheme

share index /ʃeər ndeks/ noun an

index figure based on the current market price of certain shares on a stock exchange share issue /ʃeər ʃu/ noun an act of selling new shares in a company to the public share option /ʃeər ɒpʃən/ noun a right to buy or sell shares at a certain price at a time in the future share option scheme /ʃeər ɒpʃən skim/ noun a scheme that gives company employees the right to buy shares in the company which employs them, often at a special price shareout /ʃeəraυt/ noun an act of dividing something among many people 쑗 a shareout of the profits share premium /ʃeə primiəm/ noun an amount to be paid above the nominal value of a share in order to buy it

shell company

share premium account /ʃeə

primiəm əkaυnt/ noun a part of shareholders’ funds in a company, formed of the premium paid for new shares sold above par (the par value of the shares is the nominal capital of the company) share register /ʃeə red$stə/ noun a list of shareholders in a company with their addresses share split /ʃeə splt/ noun the act of dividing shares into smaller denominations share warrant /ʃeə wɒrənt/ noun a document which says that someone has the right to a number of shares in a company sharing /ʃeərŋ/ noun the act of dividing up shark repellent /ʃɑk rpelənt/ noun an action taken by a company to make itself less attractive to takeover bidders sharp /ʃɑp/ adjective sudden 쑗 There was a sharp rally on the stock market. 쑗 Last week’s sharp drop in prices has been reversed. sharply /ʃɑpli/ adverb suddenly 쑗 Shares dipped sharply in yesterday’s trading. sharp practice /ʃɑp prkts/ noun a way of doing business which is not honest, but is not illegal shekel /ʃek(ə)l/ noun a unit of currency used in Israel shelf /ʃelf/ noun a horizontal flat surface attached to a wall or in a cupboard on which items for sale are displayed 쑗 The shelves in the supermarket were full of items before the Christmas rush. shelf registration /ʃelf red$streʃ(ə)n/ noun a registration of a corporation with the SEC some time (up to two years is allowed) before it is offered for sale to the public shell company /ʃel kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which does not trade, but exists only as a name with a quotation of the Stock Exchange (NOTE: The US term is shell corporation.) ‘…shell companies, which can be used to hide investors’ cash, figure largely throughout the twentieth century’ [Times]

shelter

325

shelter /ʃeltə/ noun a protected place 쐽

verb to give someone or something protection sheriff’s sale /ʃerfs sel/ noun US a public sale of the goods of a person whose property has been seized by the courts because he has defaulted on payments shilling /ʃlŋ/ noun a unit of currency used in Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda shipment /ʃpmənt/ noun an act of sending goods 쑗 We make two shipments a week to France. shipping company /ʃpŋ kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose business is in transporting goods or passengers in ships shogun bond /ʃəυn bɒnd/ noun a bond issued in Japan by a non-Japanese company in a currency which is not the yen. Compare samurai bond shoot up /ʃut p/ verb to go up fast 쑗 Prices have shot up during the strike. (NOTE: shooting – shot) shop /ʃɒp/ noun 1. a retail outlet where goods of a certain type are sold 쑗 a computer shop 쑗 an electrical goods shop 쑗 All the shops in the centre of town close on Sundays. 쑗 She opened a women’s clothes shop. 2. a workshop, the place in a factory where goods are made 쐽 verb to go to shops to make purchases (NOTE: shopping – shopped) shop around /ʃɒp əraυnd/ verb to go to various shops or suppliers and compare prices before making a purchase or before placing an order 쑗 You should shop around before getting your car serviced. 쑗 He’s shopping around for a new computer. 쑗 It pays to shop around when you are planning to get a mortgage. shopper /ʃɒpə/ noun a person who buys goods in a shop 쑗 The store stays open to midnight to cater for late-night shoppers. shoppers’ charter /ʃɒpəz tʃɑtə/ noun a law which protects the rights of shoppers against shopkeepers who are not honest or against manufacturers of defective goods shopping /ʃɒpŋ/ noun 1. goods bought in a shop 쑗 a basket of shopping

short-dated securities

2. the act of going to shops to buy things 쑗 to do your shopping in the local supermarket shopping basket /ʃɒpŋ bɑskt/ noun a basket used for carrying shopping (NOTE: Its imaginary contents are

used to calculate a consumer price index.) shopping cart /ʃɒpŋ kɑt/ noun a

software package that records the items that an online buyer selects for purchase together with associated data, e.g. the price of the item and the number of items required shop price /ʃɒp pras/ noun same as retail price short /ʃɔt/ adjective, adverb 1. for a

small period of time 왍 in the short term in the near future or quite soon 왍 to borrow short to borrow for a short period 2. not as much as should be 쑗 The shipment was three items short. 쑗 My change was £2 short. 왍 when we cashed up we were £10 short we had £10 less than we should have had 왍 to give short weight to sell something which is lighter than it should be 왍 to be short of a stock not to have shares which you will need in the future (as opposed to being ‘long’ of a stock) 왍 to sell short, to go short to agree to sell at a future date something (such as shares) which you do not possess, but which you think you will be able to buy for less before the time comes when you have to sell them 쐽 verb to sell short 쑗 He shorted the stock at $35 and continued to short it as the price moved up. short bill /ʃɔt bl/ noun a bill of exchange payable at short notice short-change /ʃɔt tʃend$/ verb to give a customer less change than is right, either by mistake or in the hope that it will not be noticed short credit /ʃɔt kredt/ noun terms which allow the customer only a little time to pay short-dated bill /ʃɔt detd bl/ noun a bill which is payable within a few days short-dated gilts /ʃɔt detd lts/ plural noun same as shorts short-dated securities /ʃɔt detd skjυərtiz/ plural noun same as shorts

shorten

326

shorten /ʃɔt(ə)n/ verb to make

shorter 쑗 to shorten credit terms shortfall /ʃɔtfɔl/ noun an amount which is missing which would make the total expected sum 쑗 We had to borrow money to cover the shortfall between expenditure and revenue. short lease /ʃɔt lis/ noun a lease which runs for up to two or three years 쑗 We have a short lease on our current premises. short position /ʃɔt pəzʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation where an investor sells short (i.e. sells forward shares which he or she does not own). Compare long position

short-range forecast /ʃɔt rend$

fɔkɑst/ noun a forecast which covers a period of a few months shorts /ʃɔts/ plural noun government stocks which mature in less than five years’ time short sale /ʃɔt sel/, short selling /ʃɔt selŋ/ noun arranging to sell something in the future which you think you can buy for less than the agreed selling price short sellers /ʃɔt seləz/ plural noun people who contract to sell a share in the future, expecting the price to fall so that they can it buy more cheaply before they have to close the sale short-term /ʃɔt t%m/ adjective 1. for a period of weeks or months 쑗 to place money on short-term deposit 쑗 She is employed on a short-term contract. 왍 on a short-term basis for a short period 2. for a short period in the future 쑗 We need to recruit at once to cover our short-term manpower requirements. short-term forecast /ʃɔt t%m fɔkɑst/ noun a forecast which covers a period of a few months short-termism /ʃɔt t%mz(ə)m/ noun the fact of taking a short-term view of the market, i.e. not planning for a long-term investment short-term loan /ʃɔt t%m ləυn/ noun a loan which has to be repaid within a few weeks or some years short-term paper /ʃɔt t%m pepə/ noun a promissory note, draft, etc. payable at less than nine months

sight draft

short-term security /ʃɔt t%m skjυərti/ noun a security which matures in less than 5 years short-term support /ʃɔt t%m səpɔt/ noun support for a currency in the international market, where the central bank can borrow funds from other central banks for a short period show of hands /ʃəυ əv hndz/ noun a vote where people show how they vote by raising their hands 쑗 The motion was carried on a show of hands. COMMENT: If it is difficult to decide which

side has won in a show of hands, a ballot may be taken.

shrink /ʃrŋk/ verb to get smaller

쑗

The market has shrunk by 20%. 쑗 The company is having difficulty selling into a shrinking market. (NOTE: shrinking – shrank – has shrunk) shrinkage /ʃrŋkd$/ noun 1. the

amount by which something gets smaller 쑗 to allow for shrinkage 2. losses of stock through theft, especially by the shop’s own staff (informal ) shroff /ʃrɒf/ noun (in the Far East) an accountant SIB abbreviation Securities and Investments Board SICAV abbreviation société d’investissem*nt à capital variable side /sad/ noun a part of something near the edge sideline /sadlan/ noun a business which is extra to your normal work 쑗 He runs a profitable sideline selling postcards to tourists. sight /sat/ noun the act of seeing 왍 bill payable at sight a bill which must be paid when it is presented 왍 to buy something sight unseen to buy something without having inspected it .

‘…if your company needed a piece of equipment priced at about $50,000, would you buy it sight unseen from a supplier you had never met?’ [Nation’s Business]

sight bill /sat bl/ noun a bill of exchange which is payable at sight sight deposit /sat dpɒzt/ noun a bank deposit which can be withdrawn on demand sight draft /sat drɑft/ noun a bill of exchange which is payable when it is presented

sight letter of credit

sight letter of credit /sat letə əv

327

kredt/ noun a letter of credit which is paid when the necessary documents have been presented sight note /sat nəυt/ noun a demand note, a promissory note which must be paid when it is presented sign /san/ verb to write your name in a special way on a document to show that you have written it or approved it 쑗 The letter is signed by the managing director. 쑗 Our company cheques are not valid if they have not been signed by the finance director. 쑗 The new recruit was asked to sign the contract of employment. signal /sn(ə)l/ noun a warning message 쑗 The Bank of England’s move sent signals to the currency markets. 쐽 verb to send warning messages about something 쑗 The resolutions tabled for the AGM signalled the shareholders’ lack of confidence in the management of the company. signatory /snət(ə)ri/ noun a person who signs a contract, etc. 쑗 You have to get the permission of all the signatories to the agreement if you want to change the terms. signature /sntʃə/ noun a person’s name written by themselves on a cheque, document or letter 쑗 He found a pile of cheques on his desk waiting for signature. 쑗 All our company’s cheques need two signatures. 쑗 The contract of employment had the personnel director’s signature at the bottom. signature guarantee /snətʃə rənti/ noun a guarantee, such as a company stamp, that someone’s signature is authorised as correct silent partner /salənt pɑtnə/ noun a partner who has a share of the business but does not work in it silver /slvə/ noun a precious metal traded on commodity markets such as the London Metal Exchange simple average /smp(ə)l v(ə)rd$/ noun same as average simple interest /smpəl ntrəst/ noun interest calculated on the capital invested only, and not added to it single /sŋ(ə)l/ adjective 1. one alone 2. 왍 in single figures less than ten 쑗 Sales are down to single figures. 쑗 In-

SKA Index

flation is now in single figures. 쐽 noun a person who is not married single-company PEP /sŋ(ə)l kmp(ə)ni pep/ noun a PEP which holds shares in one single company (up to £3,000 can be invested in the shares of just one company and protected from tax in this way)

single-entry

bookkeeping

/sŋ(ə)l entri bυkkipŋ/ noun a

method of bookkeeping where payments or sales are noted with only one entry per transaction (usually in the cash book) single European market /sŋ(ə)l jυərəpiən mɑkt/, single market /sŋ(ə)l mɑkt/ noun the EU considered as one single market, with no tariff barriers between its member states single-figure inflation /sŋ(ə)l fə nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation rising at less than 10% per annum single filer /sŋ(ə)l falə/ noun US an unmarried individual who files an income tax return single-life annuity /sŋ(ə)l laf ənjuti/ noun an annuity which is paid only to one beneficiary, and stops when he or she dies (as opposed to a ‘joint-life annuity’) single premium policy /sŋ(ə)l primiəm/ noun an insurance policy where only one premium is paid rather than regular annual premiums sink /sŋk/ verb 1. to go down suddenly 쑗 Prices sank at the news of the closure of the factory. 2. to invest money (into something) 쑗 He sank all his savings into a car-hire business. (NOTE: sinking – sank – sunk) sinking fund /sŋkŋ fnd/ noun a

fund built up out of amounts of money put aside regularly to meet a future need, such as the repayment of a loan sister company /sstə kmp(ə)ni/ noun another company which is part of the same group sitting tenant /stŋ tenənt/ noun a tenant who is occupying a building when the freehold or lease is sold 쑗 The block of flats is for sale with four flats vacant and two with sitting tenants. SKA Index noun an index of prices on the Zurich Stock Exchange

slam

328

slam /slm/ verb US to switch (unlawfully) a customer’s telephone service without his or her consent 쑗 We suddenly realised we’d been slammed. slash /slʃ/ verb to reduce something sharply 쑗 We have been forced to slash credit terms. 쑗 Prices have been slashed in all departments. 쑗 The banks have slashed interest rates. sleeper /slipə/ noun a share which has not risen in value for some time, but which may suddenly do so in the future sleeping partner /slipŋ pɑtnə/ noun a partner who has a share in the business but does not work in it slide /slad/ verb to move down steadily 쑗 Prices slid after the company reported a loss. (NOTE: sliding – slid) sliding /sladŋ/ adjective which rises in steps sliding scale /sladŋ skel/ noun a list of charges which rises gradually according to value, quantity, time, etc. slight /slat/ adjective not very large, not very important 쑗 There was a slight improvement in the balance of trade. 쑗 We saw a slight increase in sales in February. slightly /slatli/ adverb not very much 쑗 Sales fell slightly in the second quarter. 쑗 The Swiss bank is offering slightly better terms. slip /slp/ noun a small piece of paper 쐽 verb to go down and back 쑗 Profits slipped to £1.5m. 쑗 Shares slipped back at the close. (NOTE: slipping – slipped) ‘…with long-term fundamentals reasonably sound, the question for brokers is when does cheap become cheap enough? The Bangkok and Taipei exchanges offer lower p/e ratios than Jakarta, but if Jakarta p/e ratios slip to the 16–18 range, foreign investors would pay more attention to it’ [Far Eastern Economic Review]

slip-up /slp p/ noun a mistake

쑗

There has been a slip-up in the customs documentation. (NOTE: The plural is slip-ups.)

slow /sləυ/ adjective not going fast

쑗

The sales got off to a slow start, but picked up later. 쑗 Business is always slow after Christmas. 쑗 They were slow to reply or slow in replying to the customer’s complaints. 쑗 The board is slow to come to a decision. 쑗 There was a slow improvement in sales in the first half of the year. 쐽 verb to go less fast

small business incubator ‘…cash paid for stock: overstocked lines, factory seconds, slow sellers’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…a general price freeze succeeded in slowing the growth in consumer prices’ [Financial Times] ‘…the fall in short-term rates suggests a slowing economy’ [Financial Times]

slow down /sləυ daυn/ verb to stop rising, moving or falling, or to make something go more slowly 쑗 Inflation is slowing down. 쑗 The fall in the exchange rate is slowing down. 쑗 The management decided to slow down production. slowdown /sləυdaυn/ noun a reduction in business activity 쑗 a slowdown in the company’s expansion slow payer /sləυ peə/ noun a person or company that does not pay debts on time 쑗 The company is well known as a slow payer. slump /slmp/ noun 1. a rapid fall 쑗 the slump in the value of the pound 쑗 We experienced a slump in sales or a slump in profits. 쑗 The pound’s slump on the foreign exchange markets. 2. a period of economic collapse with high unemployment and loss of trade 쑗 We are experiencing slump conditions. 쐽 verb to fall fast 쑗 Profits have slumped. 쑗 The pound slumped on the foreign exchange markets. slush fund /slʃ fnd/ noun money kept to one side to give to people to persuade them to do what you want 쑗 The government was brought down by the scandal over the slush funds. 쑗 The party was accused of keeping a slush fund to pay foreign businessmen. small /smɔl/ adjective not large small ads /smɔl dz/ plural noun short private advertisem*nts in a newspaper (e.g. selling small items or asking for jobs) small business /smɔl bzns/ noun a little company with low turnover and few employees Small Business Administration /smɔl bzns ədmnstreʃ(ə)n/ noun US a federal agency which pro-

vides finance and advice to small businesses. Abbreviation SBA small business incubator /smɔl bzns ŋkjυbetə/ noun a centre

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329

which provides support for new businesses before they become really viable small businessman /smɔl bznsmn/ noun a man who owns a small business small-cap /smɔl kp/ noun a share in a company with small capitalisation. 쏡 cap, mega-cap, micro-cap, mid-cap small change /smɔl tʃend$/ noun

coins

small claim /smɔl klem/ noun a

claim for less than £5000 in the County Court small claims court /smɔl klemz kɔt/ noun GB a court which deals with disputes over small amounts of money small companies /smɔl kmp(ə)niz/ plural noun companies which are quoted on the Stock Exchange, but which have a small capitalisation small company /smɔl kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company with at least two of the following characteristics: a turnover of less than £2.0m; fewer than 50 staff; net assets of less than £975,000 small investor /smɔl nvestə/ noun a person with a small sum of money to invest small-scale /smɔl skel/ adjective working in a small way, with few staff and not much money small shopkeeper /smɔl ʃɒpkipə/ noun an owner of a small shop smart card /smɑt kɑd/ noun a credit card with a microchip, used for withdrawing money from ATMs, or for purchases at EFTPOS terminals SMI abbreviation the stock market index of the Zurich stock exchange in Switzerland

smokestack

industries

/sməυkstk ndəstriz/ plural noun

heavy industries, such as steel-making smurf /sm%f/ noun US a person who launders money (informal ) snake /snek/ noun formerly, the group of currencies within the European Exchange Rate Mechanism whose exchange rates were allowed to fluctuate against each other within certain bands or limits (informal ) .

société

snap up /snp p/ verb to buy something quickly 쑗 to snap up a bargain 쑗 She snapped up 15% of the company’s shares. (NOTE: snapping – snapped)

snip /snp/ noun a bargain (informal ) .

쑗

These printers are a snip at £50. soar /sɔ/ verb to go up rapidly 쑗 Share prices soared on the news of the takeover bid or the news of the takeover bid sent share prices soaring. 쑗 The news of the takeover bid sent share prices soaring. 쑗 Food prices soared during the cold weather. social /səυʃ(ə)l/ adjective referring to society in general social costs /səυʃ(ə)l kɒsts/ plural noun the ways in which something will affect people social investing /səυʃ(ə)l nvestŋ/ noun the practice of investing in companies which follow certain moral standards

socially

responsible

fund

/səυʃ(ə)li rspɒnsəb(ə)l fnd/ noun US a fund which only invests in compa-

nies that have a good environmental or employment or social record social security /səυʃ(ə)l skjυərti/, social insurance /səυʃ(ə)l nʃυərəns/ noun a government scheme where employers, employees and the self-employed make regular contributions to a fund which provides unemployment pay, sickness pay and retirement pensions 쑗 He gets weekly social security payments. 쑗 She never worked but lived on social security for years. social system /səυʃ(ə)l sstəm/ noun the way society is organised sociedad anónima noun the Spanish word for a public limited company. Abbreviation SA società per azioni noun the Italian word for a public limited company. Abbreviation SpA société noun the French word for company société anonyme noun the French word for a public limited company. Abbreviation SA

société anonyme à responsabilité limitée noun the

société

330

French word for a private limited company. Abbreviation SARL

Société des Bourses Françaises noun a company which operates the French stock exchanges and derivatives exchanges. Abbreviation SBF

société d’investissem*nt à capital variable noun the French word for a unit trust. Abbreviation SICAV society /səsaəti/ noun 1. the way in which the people in a country are organised 2. a club for a group of people with the same interests 쑗 We have joined a computer society.

Society for Worldwide Interbank Telecommunications /səsaəti fə

w%ldwad ntəbŋk telikəmjunkeʃ(ə)nz/ noun an international organisation which makes the rapid exchange of payments between banks and stockbrokers possible on a worldwide scale. Abbreviation SWIFT socio-economic /səυʃiəυ ikənɒmk/ adjective referring to social and economic conditions, social classes and income groups 쑗 the socio-economic system in capitalist countries 쑗 We have commissioned a thorough socio-economic analysis of our potential market. socio-economic groups /səυʃiəυ ikənɒmk rups/ plural noun groups in society divided according to income and position COMMENT: The British socio-economic

groups are: A: upper middle class: senior managers, administrators, civil servants and professional people; B: middle class: middle-ranking managers, administrators, civil servants and professional people; C1: lower middle class: junior managers and clerical staff; C2: skilled workers: workers with special skills and qualifications; D: working class: unskilled workers and manual workers; E: subsistence level: pensioners, the unemployed and casual manual workers.

soft /sɒft/ adjective not hard 왍 to take

the soft option to decide to do something which involves least risk, effort or problems soft commodities /sɒft kəmɒdtiz/ plural noun foodstuffs which are traded as commodities (such as rice, coffee, etc.)

solvency

soft currency /sɒft krənsi/ noun

the currency of a country with a weak economy, which is cheap to buy and difficult to exchange for other currencies (NOTE: The opposite is hard currency.) soft dollars /sɒft dɒləz/ plural noun

rebates given by brokers to money management firms in return for funds’ transaction business soft landing /sɒft lndŋ/ noun a change in economic strategy to counteract inflation, which does not cause unemployment or a fall in the standard of living, and has only minor effects on the bulk of the population soft loan /sɒft ləυn/ noun a loan (from a company to an employee or from one government to another) at a very low rate of interest or with no interest payable at all soft market /sɒft mɑkt/ noun a market where there is not enough demand, and where prices fall soft sell /sɒft sel/ noun the process of persuading people to buy, by encouraging and not forcing them to do so sol /sɒl/ noun a unit of currency used in Peru sole /səυl/ adjective only sole agency /səυl ed$ənsi/ noun an agreement to be the only person to represent a company or to sell a product in a particular area 쑗 He has the sole agency for Ford cars. sole agent /səυl ed$ənt/ noun a person who has the sole agency for a company in an area 쑗 She is the sole agent for Ford cars in the locality. sole distributor /səυl dstrbjυtə/ noun a retailer who is the only one in an area who is allowed to sell a product sole owner /səυl əυnə/ noun a person who owns a business on their own, with no partners, and has not formed a company sole proprietor /səυl prəpraətə/, sole trader /səυl tredə/ noun a person who runs a business, usually by themselves, but has not registered it as a company solvency /sɒlv(ə)nsi/ noun the state of being able to pay all debts on due date (NOTE: The opposite is insolvency.)

solvent

331

solvent /sɒlv(ə)nt/ adjective having

assets which are more than your liabilities som /sɒm/ noun a unit of currency used in Kyrgystan sorter/reader /sɔrtə ridə/ noun a machine in a bank which reads cheques and sorts them automatically source /sɔs/ noun the place where something comes from 쑗 What is the source of her income? 쑗 You must declare income from all sources to the tax office. 왍 income which is taxed at source income where the tax is removed and paid to the government by the employer before the income is paid to the employee

source and application of funds statement /sɔs ən plkeʃ(ə)n əv

fndz stetmənt/, sources and uses of funds statement /sɔsz ən juzz əv fndz stetmənt/ noun a statement in a company’s annual accounts, showing where new funds came from during the year, and how they were used sovereign /sɒvrn/ noun a British gold coin, with a face value of £1 쐽 adjective referring to an independent country sovereign bond /sɒvrn bɒnd/ noun a bond issued by a government sovereign risk /sɒvrn rsk/ noun a risk that a government may default on its debts (a government cannot be sued if it defaults) sovereign state /sɒvrn stet/ noun an independent state which governs itself SpA abbreviation società per azioni spare /speə/ adjective extra, not being used 쑗 He has invested his spare capital in a computer shop. 왍 to use up spare capacity to make use of time or space which has not been fully used Sparkasse noun the German word for a savings bank spec /spek/ noun same as specification 왍 to buy something on spec to buy something without being sure of its value special /speʃ(ə)l/ adjective 1. better than usual 쑗 He offered us special terms. 쑗 The car is being offered at a

special resolution

special price. 2. referring to one particular thing ‘…airlines offer special stopover rates and hotel packages to attract customers to certain routes’ [Business Traveller]

Special Commissioner /speʃ(ə)l

kəmʃ(ə)nə/ noun an official appointed by the Treasury to hear cases where a taxpayer is appealing against an income tax assessment special deposits /speʃ(ə)l dpɒzts/ plural noun large sums of money which commercial banks have to deposit with the Bank of England special drawing rights /speʃ(ə)l drɔŋ rats/ plural noun units of account used by the International Monetary Fund, allocated to each member country for use in loans and other international operations. Their value is calculated daily on the weighted values of a group of currencies shown in dollars. Abbreviation SDRs specialist /speʃəlst/ noun 1. a person or company that deals with one particular type of product or one subject 쑗 You should go to a specialist in computers or to a computer specialist for advice. 쑗 We need a manager who can grasp the overall picture rather than a narrow specialist. 2. a trader on the NYSE who deals in certain stocks for his own account, selling to or buying from brokers special mention assets /speʃ(ə)l menʃ(ə)n sets/ plural noun loans made by a bank without the correct documentation special notice /speʃ(ə)l nəυts/ noun notice of a proposal to be put before a meeting of the shareholders of a company which is made less than 28 days before the meeting special offer /speʃ(ə)l ɒfə/ noun a situation where goods are put on sale at a specially low price 쑗 We have a range of men’s shirts on special offer. special resolution /speʃ(ə)l rezəluʃ(ə)n/ noun a resolution concerning an important matter, such as a change to the company’s articles of association which is only valid if it is approved by 75% of the votes cast at a meeting COMMENT: 21 days’ notice must be given

for a special resolution to be put to a meeting, as opposed to an ‘extraordinary

specie

332

resolution’ for which notice must be given, but no minimum period is specified by law. An extraordinary resolution could be a proposal to wind up a company voluntarily, but changes to the articles of association, such as a change of name, or of the objects of the company, or a reduction in share capital, need a special resolution. specie /spiʃi/ noun money in the

form of coins

/spesfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun detailed information about what or who is needed or about a product to be supplied 쑗 to detail the specifications of a computer system 왍 to work to standard specifications to work to specifications which are acceptable anywhere in an industry 왍 the work is not up to specification or does not meet our specifications the product is not made in the way which was detailed specify /spesfa/ verb to state clearly what is needed 쑗 to specify full details of the goods ordered 쑗 Do not include VAT on the invoice unless specified. 쑗 Candidates are asked to specify which of the three posts they are applying for. (NOTE: specifies – specifying – specified) specimen /spesmn/ noun something which is given as a sample 왍 to give specimen signatures on a bank mandate to write the signatures of all the people who can sign cheques for an account so that the bank can recognise them speculate /spekjυlet/ verb to take a risk in business which you hope will bring you profits 왍 to speculate on the Stock Exchange to buy shares which you hope will rise in value speculation /spekjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun a risky deal which may produce a short-term profit 쑗 He bought the company as a speculation. 쑗 She lost all her money in Stock Exchange speculations. speculative share /spekjυlətv ʃeə/ noun 1. a share which may go sharply up or down in value 2. a bond with a low credit rating speculator /spekjυletə/ noun a person who buys goods, shares or foreign currency in the hope that they will rise in value 쑗 a property speculator 쑗 a currency speculator 쑗 a speculator on

specification

spiral

the Stock Exchange or a Stock Exchange speculator spend verb /spend/ to pay money 쑗 They spent all their savings on buying the shop. 쑗 The company spends thousands of pounds on research. 쐽 noun an amount of money spent 쑗 What’s the annual spend on marketing? spending /spendŋ/ noun the act of paying money for goods and services 쑗 Both cash spending and credit card spending increase at Christmas. spending money /spendŋ mni/ noun money for ordinary personal expenses spending power /spendŋ paυə/ noun 1. the fact of having money to spend on goods 쑗 the spending power of the student market 2. the amount of goods which can be bought for a sum of money 쑗 The spending power of the pound has fallen over the last ten years. spin /spn/ noun a special meaning given to something spin control /spn kəntrəυl/ noun the ability to give a special meaning to information spin doctor /spn dɒktə/ noun a person who explains news in a way that makes it flattering to the person or organisation employing him or her (informal ) 쑗 Government spin doctors have been having some difficulty in dealing with the news items about the rise in unemployment. spin off /spn ɒf/ verb 왍 to spin off a subsidiary company to split off part of a large company to form a smaller subsidiary, giving shares in this to the existing shareholders spinoff /spnɒf/ noun 1. a useful product developed as a secondary product from a main item 쑗 One of the spinoffs of the research programme has been the development of the electric car. 2. a corporate reorganisation in which a subsidiary becomes an independent company spiral /sparəl/ noun something which twists round and round getting higher all the time 쐽 verb to twist round and round, getting higher all the time 쑗 a period of spiralling prices 왍 spiralling inflation inflation where price rises make employees ask for higher wages which then increase prices again .

split

333

split /splt/ noun 1. an act of dividing up 왍 the company is proposing a five

for one split the company is proposing that each existing share should be divided into five smaller shares 2. a lack of agreement 쑗 a split in the family shareholders 쐽 verb 왍 to split shares to divide shares into smaller denominations 왍 the shares were split five for one five new shares were given for each existing share held 쐽 adjective which is divided into parts COMMENT: A company may decide to

split its shares if the share price becomes too ‘heavy’ (i.e. each share is priced at such a high level that small investors may be put off, and trading in the share is restricted). In the UK, a share price of £10.00 is considered ‘heavy’, though such prices are common on other stock markets.

split-capital trust /splt kpt(ə)l

trst/ noun same as split-level investment trust split commission /splt kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun a commission which is

divided between brokers or agents

split-level investment trust /splt

lev(ə)l nvestmənt trst/ noun an investment trust with two categories of shares: income shares which receive income from the investments, but do not benefit from the rise in their capital value; and capital shares, which increase in value as the value of the investments rises, but do not receive any income. Also called split trust, split-capital trust

split payment /splt pemənt/ noun

a payment which is divided into small units split trust /splt trst/ noun same as split-level investment trust sponsor /spɒnsə/ noun 1. a com-

pany which pays part of the cost of making a TV programme by taking advertising time on the programme 2. a person or company which pays money to help research or to pay for a business venture 3. a company which pays to help a sport, in return for advertising rights 4. an organisation, such as a merchant bank, which backs a new share issue 쐽 verb 1. to act as a sponsor for something 쑗 a government-sponsored trade exhibition 쑗 The company has sponsored the football match. 쑗 Six of

spread

the management trainees have been sponsored by their companies. 2. US to play an active part in something, such as a pension plan for employees 쑗 If you’re single and not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan. sponsorship /spɒnsəʃp/ noun the act of sponsoring 쑗 the sponsorship of a season of concerts 쑗 The training course could not be run without the sponsorship of several major companies. spot noun /spɒt/ 1. a place 2. a place for an advertisem*nt on a TV or radio show 3. the buying of something for immediate delivery 쐽 adjective done immediately spot cash /spɒt kʃ/ noun cash paid for something bought immediately spot market /spɒt mɑkt/ noun the market for buying oil for immediate delivery ‘…with most of the world’s oil now traded on spot markets, Opec’s official prices are much less significant than they once were’ [Economist]

spot price /spɒt pras/, spot rate /spɒt ret/ noun a current price or rate

for something which is delivered immediately (also called ‘cash price’) ‘…the average spot price of Nigerian light crude oil for the month of July was 27.21 dollars per barrel’ [Business Times (Lagos)]

spousal /spaυz(ə)l/ adjective US referring to a spouse

spousal IRA /spaυz(ə)l arə/ noun

US an IRA set up in the name of a spouse. Full form spousal Individual Retirement Account spouse /spaυs/ noun a husband or

wife 쑗 All employees and their spouses are invited to the staff party. spread /spred/ noun 1. same as range 2. the difference between buying and selling prices (i.e. between the bid and offer prices) 쐽 verb to space something out over a period of time 쑗 to spread payments over several months 왍 to spread a risk to make the risk of insurance less great by asking other companies to help cover it ‘…dealers said markets were thin, with gaps between trades and wide spreads between bid and ask prices on the currencies’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…to ensure an average return you should hold a spread of different shares covering a wide

spreadsheet cross-section Chronicle]

334 the

market’

[Investors

spreadsheet /spredʃit/ noun a

computer printout showing a series of columns of figures square /skweə/ verb to balance your position by selling futures to balance purchases Square Mile /skweə mal/ noun the City (of London), the British financial centre squeeze /skwiz/ noun government control carried out by reducing the availability of something 쐽 verb to crush or to press; to make smaller 쑗 to squeeze margins or profits or credit ‘…the real estate boom of the past three years has been based on the availability of easy credit. Today, money is tighter, so property should bear the brunt of the credit squeeze’ [Money Observer]

SRB abbreviation sales returns book SRO abbreviation self-regulatory organisation

SSAPs abbreviation Statements of Standard Accounting Practice SSI abbreviation standing settlement instructions SSL abbreviation a method of providing a safe channel over the Internet to allow a user’s credit card or personal details to be safely transmitted 쑗 I only purchase goods from a web site that has SSL security installed. 쑗 The little key logo on my web browser appears when I am connected to a secure site with SSL. Full form secure sockets layer stabilisation /steblazeʃ(ə)n/, stabilization noun the process of making something stable, e.g. preventing sudden changes in prices 왍 stabilisation of the economy keeping the economy stable by preventing inflation from rising, cutting high interest rates and excess money supply stabilise /stebəlaz/, stabilize verb to become steady, or to make something steady 왍 prices have stabilised prices have stopped moving up or down 왍 to have a stabilising effect on the economy to make the economy more stable stability /stəblti/ noun the state of being steady or not moving up or down 쑗 price stability 쑗 a period of economic stability 쑗 the stability of the currency markets

stagnate

stable /steb(ə)l/ adjective steady or not moving up or down 쑗 stable prices 쑗 a stable exchange rate 쑗 a stable currency 쑗 a stable economy staff appraisal /stɑf əprez(ə)l/, staff assessment /stɑf əsesmənt/ noun a report on how well a member of staff is working staffer /stɑfə/ noun US a member of the permanent staff staff incentives /stɑf nsentvz/ plural noun higher pay and better conditions offered to employees to make them work better staff training /stɑf trenŋ/ noun the process of teaching staff better and more profitable ways of working stag /st/ noun 1. a person who buys new issues of shares and sells them immediately to make a profit 2. US a dealer in stocks who is not a member of a Stock Exchange 쐽 verb 왍 to stag an issue to buy a new issue of shares not as an investment, but to sell immediately at a profit stage /sted$/ noun a period, one of several points in a process of development 쑗 the different stages of the production process 왍 the contract is still in the drafting stage the contract is still being drafted 왍 in stages in different steps 쑗 The company has agreed to repay the loan in stages. staged payments /sted$d peməntz/ plural noun payments made in stages stagflation /stfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation and stagnation happening at the same time in an economy stagger /stə/ verb to arrange holidays or working hours so that they do not all begin and end at the same time 쑗 Staggered holidays help the tourist industry. 쑗 We have to stagger the lunch hour so that there is always someone on the switchboard. 쑗 We asked our supplier to stagger deliveries so that the warehouse can cope. stagnant /stnənt/ adjective not active, not increasing 쑗 Turnover was stagnant for the first half of the year. 쑗 A stagnant economy is not a good sign. stagnate /stnet/ verb not to increase, not to make progress 쑗 The

stagnation

335

standby credit

economy is stagnating. 쑗 After six hours the talks were stagnating.

/stndəd kɒntrkt/ noun a normal

stagnation /stneʃ(ə)n/ noun the

Standard & Poor’s /stndəd ən

state of not making any progress, especially in economic matters 쑗 The country entered a period of stagnation. stake /stek/ noun an amount of money invested 왍 to have a stake in a business to have money invested in a business 왍 to acquire a stake in a business to buy shares in a business 쑗 He acquired a 25% stake in the company. 쐽 verb 왍 to stake money on something to risk money on something ‘…her stake, which she bought at $1.45 per share, is now worth nearly $10 million’ [Times] ‘…other investments include a large stake in a Chicago-based insurance company, as well as interests in tobacco products and hotels’ [Lloyd’s List]

stale /stel/ adjective referring to a

cheque which is so old, that the bank will not clear it unless it has been confirmed as correct by the payer stale bull /stel bυl/ noun an investor who bought shares hoping that they would rise, and now finds that they have not risen and wants to sell them stamp /stmp/ noun a device for making marks on documents; a mark made in this way 쑗 The invoice has the stamp ‘Received with thanks’ on it. 쑗 The customs officer looked at the stamps in his passport. 쐽 verb 1. to mark a document with a stamp 쑗 to stamp an invoice ‘Paid’ 쑗 The documents were stamped by the customs officials. 2. to put a postage stamp on an envelope or parcel stamp duty /stmp djuti/ noun a tax on legal documents such as those used e.g. for the sale or purchase of shares or the conveyance of a property to a new owner stamp pad /stmp pd/ noun a soft pad of cloth with ink on which a stamp is pressed, before marking the paper standard /stndəd/ noun the normal quality or normal conditions which other things are judged against 쐽 adjective normal or usual 쑗 a standard model car 쑗 We have a standard charge of £25 for a thirty-minute session. standard agreement /stndəd ərimənt/, standard contract

printed contract form

pυəz/ noun an American corporation which rates bonds according to the credit-worthiness of the organisations issuing them. Abbreviation S&P COMMENT: Standard and Poor’s also is-

sues several stock market indices: the Standard and Poor’s Composite Index (or S&P 500 or Standard & Poor’s 500-stock Index ) is an index of 500 popular American stocks; other indices are the S&P SmallCap and S&P MidCap.

standard cost /stndəd kɒst/

noun a future cost which is calculated in advance and against which estimates are measured standard deviation /stndəd divieʃ(ə)n/ noun the way in which the results of a sample deviate from the mean or average

standard

direct

labour

cost

/stndəd drekt lebə kɒst/ noun

the cost of labour calculated to produce a product according to specification (used to measure estimates) standard letter /stndəd letə/ noun a letter which is sent without change to various correspondents standard of living /stndəd əv lvŋ/ noun the quality of personal home life (such as amount of food or clothes bought, size of family car, etc.) standard rate /stndəd ret/ noun a basic rate of income tax which is paid by most taxpayers standard risk /stndəd rsk/ noun a normal risk on a loan which is likely to be repaid on time standby arrangements /stndba ərend$mənts/ plural noun plans for what should be done if an emergency happens, especially money held in reserve in the International Monetary Fund for use by a country in financial difficulties standby credit /stndba kredt/ noun 1. credit which is available if a company needs it, especially credit guaranteed by a euronote 2. credit which is available and which can be drawn on if a country needs it, especially credit guaranteed by a lender (a group of banks or the IMF in the case of a member country) usually in dollars

standby loan

336

standby loan /stndba ləυn/ noun

a loan which is available if needed standing /stndŋ/ noun a good reputation 쑗 The financial standing of a company. 왍 company of good standing very reputable company standing order /stndŋ ɔdə/ noun an order written by a customer asking a bank to pay money regularly to an account 쑗 I pay my subscription by standing order.

standing settlement instructions /stndŋ set(ə)lmənt n-

strkʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun instructions given by one bank to other banks as to the procedure to be followed when making payments to it. Abbreviation SSIs standstill agreement /stndstl ərimənt/ noun an agreement between a borrower and a lender that it is better to rengotiate the terms of the loan than for the lender to foreclose on the property used as security staple commodity /step(ə)l kəmɒdti/ noun a basic food or raw material start /stɑt/ noun the beginning 쐽 verb to begin to do something 왍 to start a business from cold or from scratch to begin a new business, with no previous turnover to base it on starting /stɑtŋ/ noun the act of beginning starting date /stɑtŋ det/ noun a date on which something starts starting salary /stɑtŋ sləri/ noun a salary for an employee when he or she starts work with a company start-up /stɑt p/ noun 1. the beginning of a new company or new product 쑗 We went into the red for the first time because of the start-up costs of the new subsidiary in the USA. 2. a new, usually small business that is just beginning its operations, especially a new business supported by venture capital and in a sector where new technologies are used start-up financing /stɑt p fannsŋ/ noun the first stage in financing a new project, which is followed by several rounds of investment capital as the project gets under way (NOTE: The plural is start-ups.) state /stet/ noun 1. an independent country 2. a semi-independent section

state-owned

of a federal country (such as the USA) 3. the government of a country 쐽 verb

to say clearly 쑗 The document states that all revenue has to be declared to the tax office. ‘…the unions had argued that public sector pay rates had slipped behind rates applying in state and local government areas’ [Australian Financial Review]

state bank /stet bŋk/ noun in the USA, a commercial bank licensed by the authorities of a state, and not necessarily a member of the Federal Reserve system (as opposed to a national bank) state-controlled /stet kəntrəυld/ adjective run by the state 쑗 state-controlled television state enterprise /stet entəpraz/ noun a company run by the state statement /stetmənt/ noun 1. something said or written which describes or explains something clearly 왍 to make a false statement to give wrong details 왍 statement of expenses a detailed list of money spent 2. 왍 statement (of account) a list of invoices and credits and debits sent by a supplier to a customer at the end of each month 왍 monthly or quarterly statement a statement which is sent every month or every quarter by the bank 왍 statement balance, balance per statement a balance in an account on a given date as shown in a bank statement statement of affairs /stetmənt əv əfeəz/ noun a financial statement drawn up when a person is insolvent Statements of Standard Accounting Practice /stetmənts əv

stndəd əkaυntŋ prkts/ plural noun rules laid down by the Accounting Standards Board for the preparation of financial statements. Abbreviation SSAPs

stuffer /stetmənt stfə/ noun an advertising leaflet enclosed with the monthly bank statement state monopoly /stet mənɒpəli/ noun a situation where the state is the only supplier of a product or service state of indebtedness /stet əv ndetdnəs/ noun the fact of being in debt, owing money state-owned /stet əυnd/ adjective owned by the state or by a state statement

state-owned industry

337

‘…state-owned banks cut their prime rates a percentage point to 11%’ [Wall Street Journal]

state-owned industry /stet əυnd

ndəstri/ noun an industry which is nationalised state ownership /stet əυnəʃp/ noun a situation in which an industry is nationalised statistical /stətstk(ə)l/ adjective based on statistics 쑗 statistical information 쑗 They took two weeks to provide the statistical analysis of the opinion-poll data. statistical discrepancy /stətstk(ə)l dskrepənsi/ noun the amount by which sets of figures differ statistician /sttstʃ(ə)n/ noun a person who analyses statistics statistics /stətstks/ plural noun 1. facts or information in the form of figures 쑗 to examine the sales statistics for the previous six months 쑗 Government trade statistics show an increase in imports. 쑗 The statistics on unemployment did not take school-leavers into account. (NOTE: takes a plural verb) 2. the study of facts in the form of figures (NOTE: takes a singular verb)

status /stetəs/ noun 1. the impor-

tance of someone or something relative to others, especially someone’s position in society 왍 the chairman’s car is a status symbol the size of the car shows how important the chairman is 왍 loss of status the act of becoming less important in a group 2. 왍 legal status legal position status inquiry /stetəs nkwaəri/ noun an act of checking on a customer’s credit rating status quo /stetəs kwəυ/ noun the state of things as they are now 쑗 The contract does not alter the status quo. 쑗 The union tried to alter the status quo by forcing the management to change its policies. statute /sttʃut/ noun an established written law, especially an Act of Parliament statute-barred /sttʃut bɑd/ adjective referring to legal action which cannot be pursued because the time limit for it has expired

steady

statute book /sttʃut bυk/ noun

all laws passed by Parliament which are still in force statute law /sttʃut lɔ/ noun same as statute statute of limitations /sttʃut əv lmteʃ(ə)nz/ noun a law which allows only a certain amount of time (usually six years) for someone to start legal proceedings to claim property or compensation for damage statutory /sttʃυt(ə)ri/ adjective fixed by law 쑗 There is a statutory period of probation of thirteen weeks. 쑗 Are all the employees aware of their statutory rights? statutory holiday /sttʃυt(ə)ri hɒlde/ noun a holiday which is fixed by law 쑗 The office is closed for the statutory Christmas holiday.

statutory

regulations

/sttʃυt(ə)ri rejυleʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun regulations covering financial

dealings which are based on Acts of Parliament, such as the Financial Services Act (as opposed to the rules of self-regulatory organisations which are non-statutory) stay of execution /ste əv ekskjuʃ(ə)n/ noun the temporary stopping of a legal order 쑗 The court granted the company a two-week stay of execution. steadily /stedli/ adverb in a regular or continuous way 쑗 Output increased steadily over the last two quarters. 쑗 The company has steadily increased its market share. steadiness /stednəs/ noun the fact of being firm, not fluctuating 쑗 The steadiness of the markets is due to the government’s intervention. steady /stedi/ adjective continuing in a regular way 쑗 The company can point to a steady increase in profits. 쑗 The market stayed steady in spite of the collapse of the bank. 쑗 There is a steady demand for computers. 쑗 He has a steady job in the supermarket. 쐽 verb to become firm, to stop fluctuating 쑗 The markets steadied after last week’s fluctuations. 쑗 Prices steadied on the commodity markets. 쑗 The government’s figures had a steadying influence on the exchange rate.

steep

338

stock dividend

steep /stip/ adjective referring to an increase which is very great and usually sudden or a price which is very high 쑗 a steep increase in interest charges 쑗 a steep decline in overseas sales step /step/ noun a movement forward 쑗 Becoming assistant to the MD is a step up the promotion ladder. 왍 in step with moving at the same rate as 쑗 The pound rose in step with the dollar. 왍 out of step with not moving at the same rate as 쑗 The pound was out of step with other European currencies. 쑗 Wages are out of step with the cost of living. sterling /st%lŋ/ noun a standard currency used in the United Kingdom 쑗 to quote prices in sterling or to quote sterling prices

pay on the date stipulated in the contract. 쑗 The contract stipulates that the seller pays the buyer’s legal costs. stipulation /stpjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun a condition in a contract 쑗 The contract has a stipulation that the new manager has to serve a three-month probationary period. stock /stɒk/ noun 1. the quantity of goods for sale in a warehouse or retail outlet 왍 to buy a shop with stock at valuation when buying a shop, to pay a price for the stock which is the same as its value as estimated by the valuer 왍 to purchase stock at valuation to pay the price that stock has been valued at 왍 to take stock to count the items in a warehouse 2. shares in a company

‘…it is doubtful that British goods will price themselves back into world markets as long as sterling labour costs continue to rise faster than in competitor countries’ [Sunday Times]

‘US crude oil stocks fell last week by nearly 2.5m barrels’ [Financial Times]

sterling area /st%lŋ eəriə/ noun

formerly, an area of the world where the pound sterling was the main trading currency sterling balances /st%lŋ blənsz/ plural noun a country’s trade balances expressed in pounds sterling sterling crisis /st%lŋ krass/ noun a fall in the exchange rate of the pound sterling sterling index /st%lŋ ndeks/ noun an index which shows the current value of sterling against a basket of currencies sterling silver /st%lŋ slvə/ noun an official quality of silver for use in articles made and sold (it is 92.5% pure silver) stimulate /stmjυlet/ verb to make something or someone become more active 쑗 What can the government do to stimulate the economy? 쑗 The aim of the subsidies is to stimulate trade with the Middle East. stimulus /stmjυləs/ noun a thing which encourages activity (NOTE: The plural is stimuli.) stipulate /stpjυlet/ verb to state

something specifically as a binding condition in a contract 쑗 to stipulate that the contract should run for five years 쑗 They found it difficult to pay the stipulated charges. 쑗 The company failed to

‘…the stock rose to over $20 a share, higher than the $18 bid’ [Fortune]

stockbroker /stɒkbrəυkə/ noun a

person who buys or sells shares for clients stockbroker’s commission /stɒkbrəυkəz kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun the payment to a broker for a deal carried out on behalf of a client stockbroking /stɒkbrəυkŋ/ noun the business of dealing in shares for clients 쑗 a stockbroking firm stock certificate /stɒk sətfkət/ noun a document proving that someone owns stock in a company stock code /stɒk kəυd/ noun a set of numbers and letters which refer to an item of stock stock control /stɒk kəntrəυl/ noun the process of making sure that the correct level of stock is maintained, to be able to meet demand while keeping the costs of holding stock to a minimum (NOTE: The US term is inventory control.) stock controller /stɒk kəntrəυlə/ noun a person who notes movements of

stock

stock depreciation /stɒk dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun a reduction in value of stock which is held in a warehouse for some time stock dividend /stɒk dvdend/ noun US a dividend in the form of stock (i.e. a bonus issue of shares)

Stock Exchange

339

Exchange /stɒk kstʃend$/ noun a place where stocks and shares are bought and sold 쑗 He works on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 Shares in the company are traded on the Stock Exchange.

Stock

‘…the news was favourably received on the Sydney Stock Exchange, where the shares gained 40 cents to A$9.80’ [Financial Times]

Stock Exchange Automated Quotations System /stɒk ks-

tʃend$ ɔtəmetd kwəυteʃ(ə)nz sstəm/ noun full form of SEAQ Stock Exchange Council /stɒk kstʃend$ kaυnsəl/ noun a committee which runs the London International Stock Exchange and regulates the way in which its members work

Stock Exchange Electronic Trading System /stɒk kstʃend$

elektrɒnk tredŋ sstəm/ noun the London Stock Exchange’s electronic share trading system in major shares. Buyers and sellers are automatically matched by computer. Abbreviation

Sets

Stock Exchange listing /stɒk kstʃend$ lstŋ/ noun the fact of being on the official list of shares which can be bought or sold on the Stock Exchange 쑗 The company is planning to obtain a Stock Exchange listing. Stock Exchange operation /stɒk kstʃend$ ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun buying or selling of shares on the Stock Exchange stock figures /stɒk fəz/ plural noun details of how many goods are in the warehouse or store stockholder /stɒkhəυldə/ noun a person who holds shares in a company stockholding /stɒkhəυldŋ/ noun the shares in a company held by someone stock-in-trade /stɒk n tred/ noun goods held by a business for sale stock jobber /stɒkd$ɒbə/ noun formerly, a person who bought and sold shares from other traders on the Stock Exchange stock jobbing /stɒkd$ɒbŋ/ noun formerly, the business of buying and selling shares from other traders on the Stock Exchange

stock-purchasing loans

stock level /stɒk lev(ə)l/ noun the

quantity of goods kept in stock 쑗 We try to keep stock levels low during the summer. stock market /stɒk mɑkt/ noun a place where shares are bought and sold (i.e. a stock exchange) 쑗 stock market price or price on the stock market stock market launch /stɒk mɑkt lɔntʃ/ noun the occasion when shares in a new company are first sold on the Stock Exchange stock market manipulation /stɒk mɑkt mənpjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the practice of trying to influence the price of shares by buying or selling in order to give the impression that the shares are widely traded stock market manipulator /stɒk mɑkt mənpjυletə/ noun a person who tries to influence the price of shares in his or her own favour stockmarket rating /stɒkmɑkt retŋ/ noun the price of a share on the stock market, which shows how investors and financial advisers generally consider the value of the company stock market valuation /stɒk mɑkt vljueʃ(ə)n/ noun a value of a company based on the current market price of its shares stock mutual funds /stɒk mjutʃuəl fndz/ plural noun mutual funds where the money is invested in corporate stocks as opposed to bonds or government securities stock option /stɒk ɒpʃən/ noun a right to buy shares at a cheap price given by a company to its employees stockout /stɒkəυt/ noun a situation where an item is out of stock stock picker /stɒk pkə/ noun a person whose job is to choose which shares to buy stockpicking /stɒkpkŋ/ noun the task of making a choice as to which shares to buy (NOTE: The counterpart, deciding how much money to spend on shares, is called asset allocation.) stock-purchasing loans /stɒk p%tʃsŋ ləυnz/ plural noun loans

from a company to members of staff to allow them to buy shares in the company

stock quote

340

stock quote /stɒk kwəυt/ noun a

current price of a share on a stock exchange stocks and shares /stɒks ən ʃeəz/ plural noun shares in ordinary companies stocktaking /stɒktekŋ/, stocktake /stɒktek/ noun the counting of goods in stock at the end of an accounting period 쑗 The warehouse is closed for the annual stocktaking. stocktaking sale /stɒktekŋ sel/ noun a sale of goods cheaply to clear a warehouse before stocktaking stock transfer form /stɒk trnsf% fɔm/ noun a form to be signed by the person transferring shares stock turn /stɒk t%n/, stock turnround /stɒk t%nraυnd/, stock turnover /stɒk t%nəυvə/ noun the total value of stock sold in a year divided by the average value of goods in stock stock valuation /stɒl vljueʃ(ə)n/ noun an estimation of the value of stock at the end of an accounting period stop /stɒp/ noun a situation where someone is not supplying or not paying something 왍 account on stop an account which is not supplied because it has not paid its latest invoices 쑗 We put their account on stop and sued them for the money they owed. 왍 to put a stop on a cheque to tell the bank not to pay a cheque which you have written 쐽 verb 왍 to stop an account not to supply an account any more on credit because bills have not been paid 왍 to stop payments not to make any further payments stop-go /stɒp əυ/ noun an economic policy leading to short periods of expansion followed by short periods of squeeze stop-loss order /stɒp lɒs ɔdə/ noun an instruction to a stockbroker to sell a share if the price falls to a certain level (NOTE: The US term is stop order.)

stoppage /stɒpd$/ noun a sum of

money taken regularly from an employee’s wages for insurance, tax, etc. storage capacity /stɔrd$ kəpsti/ noun the space available for storage

strike price

store card /stɔ kɑd/ noun a credit card issued by a large department store, which can only be used for purchases in that store straddle /strd(ə)l/ noun 1. a spread, the difference between bid and offer price 2. the act of buying a put option and a call option at the same time straight bonds /stret bɒndz/ plural noun normal fixed-interest bonds which can be redeemed at a certain date straight line depreciation /stret lan dpriʃieʃ(ə)n/ noun depreciation calculated by dividing the cost of an asset, less its remaining value, by the number of years it is likely to be used straight paper /stret pepə/ noun same as straight bonds straights /strets/ plural noun same as straight bonds Straits Times index /strets tamz ndeks/ an index of prices on the Singapore Stock Exchange strapped /strpt/ adjective 왍 strapped for cash short of money street /strit/ noun a road in a town 쑗 Their new address is 25 Broad Street. 왍 the Street US Wall Street (informal ) street directory /strit darekt(ə)ri/ noun a list of people living in a street; a map of a town which lists all the streets in alphabetical order in an index street name /strit nem/ noun a nominee name for holding securities street price /strit pras/ noun same as retail price strength /streŋθ/ noun the fact of being strong, or being at a high level 쑗 the underlying strength of the market 쑗 The company took advantage of the strength of the demand for mobile phones. 쑗 The strength of the pound increases the possibility of high interest rates. (NOTE: .

The opposite is weakness.)

strike /strak/ verb 왍 to strike a bar-

gain with someone to come to an agreement 왍 a deal was struck at £25 a unit we agreed the price of £25 a unit strike price /strak pras/, striking price /strakŋ pras/ noun 1. a price at which a new issue of shares is offered for sale 2. the lowest selling price when selling a new issue of shares by tender (applicants who tendered at a higher

strip

341

price will get shares; those who tendered at a lower price will not) strip /strp/ noun 1. a band of a colour. 쏡 magnetic strip 2. US an action of separating coupons from a bond strong /strɒŋ/ adjective with a lot of force or strength 쑗 This Christmas saw a strong demand for mobile phones. 쑗 The company needs a strong chairman. ‘…everybody blames the strong dollar for US trade problems’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…in a world of floating exchange rates the dollar is strong because of capital inflows rather than weak because of the nation’s trade deficit’ [Duns Business Month]

/strɒŋbɒks/ noun a heavy metal box which cannot be opened easily, in which valuable documents and money can be kept strong currency /strɒŋ krənsi/ noun a currency which has a high value against other currencies strong market /strɒŋ mɑkt/ noun a market where prices are moving up strong pound /strɒŋ paυnd/ noun a pound which is high against other currencies strongroom /strɒŋrum/ noun a special room (in a bank) where valuable documents, money and gold can be kept structural /strktʃ(ə)rəl/ adjective referring to a structure 쑗 to make structural changes in a company

strongbox

structural

unemployment

/strktʃ(ə)rəl nmplɔmənt/ noun

unemployment caused by the changing structure of an industry or the economy structure /strktʃə/ noun the way in which something is organised 쑗 the price structure in the small car market 쑗 the career structure within a corporation 쑗 The paper gives a diagram of the company’s organisational structure. 쑗 The company is reorganising its discount structure. 왍 capital structure of a company way in which a company’s capital is set up stub /stb/ noun a slip of paper left after writing a cheque, an invoice or a receipt, as a record of the deal which has taken place student loan /stjud(ə)nt ləυn/ noun a loan made to a student to help him or her through university (the loan is repayable later from earnings)

sublessee

stuffer /stfə/ noun advertising material that is put in an envelope for mailing style /stal/ noun a way of doing or making something 쑗 a new style of product 쑗 old-style management techniques 쑗 Managers are expected to stick to a specific style of investing. sub /sb/ noun 1. wages paid in advance 2. same as subscription sub- /sb/ prefix under or less important sub-account /sb əkaυnt/ noun one of several separate investment accounts on which a variable annuity is based. 쏡 annuity sub-agency /sb ed$əns/ noun a small agency which is part of a large agency sub-agent /sb ed$ənt/ noun a person who is in charge of a sub-agency subcontract noun /sbkɒntrkt/ a contract between the main contractor for a whole project and another firm who will do part of the work 쑗 They have been awarded the subcontract for all the electrical work in the new building. 쑗 We will put the electrical work out to subcontract. 쐽 verb /sbkəntrkt/ (of a main contractor ) to agree with a company that they will do part of the work for a project 쑗 The electrical work has been subcontracted to Smith Ltd. subcontractor /sbkəntrktə/ noun a company which has a contract to do work for a main contractor subject to /sbd$kt tu/ adjective 1. depending on 왍 the contract is subject to government approval the contract will be valid only if it is approved by the government 왍 offer subject to availability the offer is valid only if the goods are available 2. 왍 these articles are subject to import tax import tax has to be paid on these articles sublease noun /sblis/ a lease from a tenant to another tenant 쑗 They signed a sublease for the property. 쐽 verb /sblis/ to lease a leased property from another tenant 쑗 They subleased a small office in the centre of town. sublessee /sblesi/ noun a person or company that takes a property on a sublease .

sublessor

342

sublessor /sblesɔ/ noun a tenant who leases a leased property to another tenant sublet /sblet/ verb to let a leased property to another tenant 쑗 We have sublet part of our office to a financial consultancy. (NOTE: subletting – sublet)

subordinated loan /səbɔdnətd

ləυn/ noun a loan which ranks after all other borrowings as regards payment of interest or repayment of capital subscribe /səbskrab/ verb 왍 to subscribe for shares, to subscribe to a share issue to apply for shares in a new company subscriber /səbskrabə/ noun 왍 subscriber to a share issue a person who has applied for shares in a new company subscription /səbskrpʃən/ noun 1. money paid in advance for a series of issues of a magazine, for membership of a society or for access to information on a website 쑗 Did you remember to pay the subscription to the computer magazine? 쑗 She forgot to renew her club subscription. 2. 왍 subscription to a new share issue application to buy shares in a new company subscription list /səbskrpʃən lst/ noun a list of subscribers to a new share issue subscription price /səbskrpʃən pras/ noun a price at which new shares in an existing company are offered for sale subsidiary /səbsdiəri/ adjective which is less important 쑗 They agreed to most of the conditions in the contract but queried one or two subsidiary items. 쐽 noun same as subsidiary company 쑗 Most of the group profit was contributed by the subsidiaries in the Far East. subsidiary company /səbsdiəri kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which is more than 50% owned by a holding company, and where the holding company controls the board of directors subsidise /sbsdaz/, subsidize verb to help by giving money 쑗 The government has refused to subsidise the car industry.

subsidised

accommodation

/sbsdazd əkɒmədeʃ(ə)n/ noun

success

cheap accommodation which is partly paid for by an employer or a local authority

subsidy /sbsdi/ noun 1. money

given to help something which is not profitable 쑗 The industry exists on government subsidies. 쑗 The government has increased its subsidy to the car industry. 2. money given by a government to make something cheaper 쑗 the subsidy on rail transport (NOTE: The plural is subsidies.)

substantial /səbstnʃəl/ adjective

large or important subtenancy /sbtenənsi/ noun an agreement to sublet a property subtenant /sbtenənt/ noun a person or company to which a property has been sublet subtotal /sbtəυt(ə)l/ noun the total of one section of a complete set of figures 쑗 He added all the subtotals to make a grand total. subtract /səbtrkt/ verb to take away something from a total 쑗 The credit note should be subtracted from the figure for total sales. 쑗 If the profits from the Far Eastern operations are subtracted, you will see that the group has not been profitable in the European market. sub-underwriter /sb ndəratə/ noun a company which underwrites an issue, taking shares from the main underwriters subvention /səbvenʃən/ noun same as subsidy succeed /səksid/ verb 1. to do well, to be profitable 쑗 The company has succeeded best in the overseas markets. 쑗 His business has succeeded more than he had expected. 2. to do what was planned 쑗 She succeeded in passing her computing test. 쑗 They succeeded in putting their rivals out of business. success /səkses/ noun 1. an act of doing something well 쑗 The launch of the new model was a great success. 쑗 The company has had great success in the Japanese market. 2. an act of doing what was intended 쑗 We had no success in trying to sell the lease. 쑗 He has been looking for a job for six months, but with no success.

suitor

343

suitor /sutə/ noun a person or com-

pany that wants to buy another sum1 /sm/ noun 1. a quantity of money 쑗 A sum of money was stolen from the human resources office. 쑗 He lost large sums on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 She received the sum of £5000 in compensation. 왍 the sum insured the largest amount which an insurer will pay under the terms of an insurance 2. the total of a series of figures added together 쑗 The sum of the various subtotals is £18,752. sum2 /sm/ noun a unit of currency used in Uzbekistan

sums chargeable to the reserve

/smz tʃɑd$əb(ə)l tə ðə rz%v/ plural noun sums which can be debited to a

company’s reserves

Sunday closing /snde kləυzŋ/

noun the practice of not opening a shop on Sundays sundries /sndriz/ plural noun various small additional items, often of little value, that are not included under any of the main headings in accounts sundry /sndri/ adjective various sunrise industries /snraz ndəstriz/ plural noun companies in the fields of electronics and other high-tech areas sunset industries /snset ndəstriz/ plural noun old-style industries which are being replaced by new technology superannuation /supərnjueʃ(ə)n/ noun a pension paid to someone who is too old or ill to work any more supplementary benefit /splment(ə)ri benft/ noun formerly, payments from the government to people with very low incomes. It was replaced by Income Support. supplier /səplaə/ noun a person or company that supplies or sells goods or services 쑗 We use the same office equipment supplier for all our stationery purchases. 쑗 They are major suppliers of spare parts to the car industry. Also called producer supply /səpla/ noun the act of providing something which is needed supply and demand /səpla ən dmɑnd/ noun the amount of a product

support price

which is available and the amount which is wanted by customers Supply Bill /səpla bl/ noun a bill for providing money for government requirements supply estimates /səpla estməts/ plural noun British government expenditure which is voted by Parliament supply price /səpla pras/ noun the price at which something is provided supply shock /səpla ʃɒk/ noun a sudden rise in productivity which gives higher output and profits without inflation supply-side economics /səpla sad ikənɒmks/ plural noun an economic theory that governments should encourage producers and suppliers of goods by cutting taxes, rather than encourage demand by making more money available in the economy (NOTE: takes a singular verb) support /səpɔt/ noun 1. actions or money intended to help someone or something 쑗 The government has provided support to the car industry. 쑗 We have no financial support from the banks. 2. agreement or encouragement 쑗 The chairman has the support of the committee. 쐽 verb 1. to give money to help someone or something 쑗 The government is supporting the car industry to the tune of $2m per annum. 쑗 We hope the banks will support us during the expansion period. 왍 to support a share price to buy shares in order to help the price remain at the current level or even rise 2. to encourage someone, or to agree with someone 쑗 She hopes the other members of the committee will support her. 쑗 The market will not support another price increase. support level /səpɔt lev(ə)l/ noun a level below which a share, a commodity or the stock market will not fall, because of general support from investors support manager /səpɔt mnd$ə/ noun a manager of the back office of a securities firm support point /səpɔt pɔnt/ noun same as support level support price /səpɔt pras/ noun a price (in the EU) at which a government will buy agricultural produce to stop the price falling

surcharge

344

surcharge /s%tʃɑd$/ noun an extra

charge

surety /ʃυərəti/ noun 1. a person who

guarantees that someone will do something 쑗 to stand surety for someone 2. deeds, share certificates, etc., deposited as security for a loan surplus /s%pləs/ noun 1. more of something than is needed 2. an amount of money remaining after all liabilities have been met 왍 to absorb a surplus to take a surplus into a larger amount 쐽 adjective more than is needed 쑗 Profit figures are lower than planned because of surplus labour. 쑗 Some of the machines may have to be sold off as there is surplus production capacity. 쑗 We are proposing to put our surplus staff on short time. ‘Both imports and exports reached record levels in the latest year. This generated a $371 million trade surplus in June, the seventh consecutive monthly surplus and close to market expectations’ [Dominion (Wellington, New Zealand)]

surrender /sərendə/ noun the act of giving up of an insurance policy before the contracted date for maturity 쐽 verb 왍 to surrender a policy to give up an insurance policy before the date on which it matures surrender charge /sərendə tʃɑd$/, surrender fee /sərendə fi/ noun a charge levied when someone withdraws money invested before the date allowed (this is to deter early withdrawals) surrender value /sərendə vlju/ noun the money which an insurer will pay if an insurance policy is given up surtax /s%tks/ noun an extra tax on high income surveillance /səveləns/ noun a careful watch over people or buildings surveillance camera /səveləns km(ə)rə/ noun a camera which takes photographs of people in a bank sushi bond /suʃi bɒnd/ noun a bond issued in a foreign currency by a Japanese corporation. 쏡 samurai bond, shogun bond suspend /səspend/ verb to stop do-

ing something for a time 쑗 We have suspended payments while we are waiting for news from our agent. 쑗 Sailings have been suspended until the weather

syndicate

gets better. 쑗 Work on the construction project has been suspended. 쑗 The management decided to suspend negotiations. suspense account /səspens əkaυnt/ noun an account into which payments are put temporarily when the accountant cannot be sure where they should be entered suspension /səspenʃən/ noun an act of stopping something for a time 쑗 There has been a temporary suspension of payments. 쑗 We are trying to avoid a suspension of deliveries during the strike. swap /swɒp/ noun an exchange of one thing for another 쐽 verb to exchange one thing for another 쑗 He swapped his old car for a new motorcycle. swap arrangement /swɒp ərend$mənt/ noun an arrangement between central banks to allow each other credit in their respective currencies so as to make currency transactions easier swaption /swɒpʃən/ noun an option to arrange an interest rate swap at some time in the future sweetener /swit(ə)nə/ noun an incentive offered to help persuade somebody to take a particular course of action, a bribe (informal ) SWIFT abbreviation Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications Swiss franc /sws frŋk/ noun a unit of currency used in Switzerland and Liechtenstein (normally considered a very stable currency) switch /swtʃ/ verb to change, especially to change investment money from one type of investment to another Switch card /swtʃ kɑd/ noun a card linked to the UK Switch network but, unlike a credit card, when you pay for goods and services with a Switch card, the money leaves your account immediately syndicate noun /sndkət/ a group of people or companies working together to make money 쑗 a German finance syndicate 쐽 verb /sndket/ to arrange for a large loan to be underwritten by several international banks .

‘…over the past few weeks, companies raising new loans from international banks have been forced to pay more, and an unusually high

synergy

345

number of attempts to syndicate loans among banks has failed’ [Financial Times]

synergy /snəd$i/ noun the process

of producing greater effects by joining forces than by acting separately 쑗 There is considerable synergy between the two companies. system /sstəm/ noun an arrangement or organisation of things which work together 쑗 Our accounting system has worked well in spite of the large increase in orders. 쑗 What system is being used for filing data on personnel?

systems analyst

왍 to operate a quota system to regulate supplies by fixing quantities which are allowed 쑗 We arrange our distribution using a quota system – each agent is allowed only a specific number of units. systems analysis /sstəmz ənləss/ noun the process of using a computer to suggest how a company can work more efficiently by analysing the way in which it works at present systems analyst /sstəmz nəlst/ noun a person who specialises in systems analysis

T tab /tb/ noun same as tabulator (in-

formal ) table /teb(ə)l/ noun 1. a diagram or chart 2. a list of figures or facts set out in columns 쐽 verb to put items of information on the table before a meeting 쑗 The report of the finance committee was tabled. Table A /teb(ə)l e/ noun the model articles of association of a limited company set out in the Companies Act, 1985 Table B /teb(ə)l bi/ noun the model memorandum of association of a limited company set out in the Companies Act, 1985 Table C /teb(ə)l si/ noun the model memorandum and articles of association set out in the Companies Act, 1985 for a company limited by guarantee, having no share capital Table D /teb(ə)l di/ noun the model memorandum and articles of association of a public company with share capital limited by guarantee, set out in the Companies Act, 1985 Table E /teb(ə)l i/ noun the model memorandum and articles of association of an unlimited company with share capital, set out in the Companies Act, 1985 table of contents /teb(ə)l əv kɒntents/ noun a list of contents in a book tabular /tbjυlə/ adjective 왍 in tabular form arranged in a table tabulate /tbjυlet/ verb to set something out in a table tabulation /tbjυleʃ(ə)n/ noun the arrangement of figures in a table tabulator /tbjυletə/ noun a part of a typewriter or computer which sets words or figures automatically in columns .

tael /tal/ noun a measurement of the weight of gold, used in the Far East (= 1.20oz/38g) tail noun US 1. a spread between the bid price and the lowest acceptable price on US Treasury bills 2. the figures which come after the decimal point (in the quoted price of a bond) taka /tɑkə/ noun a unit of currency used in Bangladesh take /tek/ noun 1. the money received in a shop 쑗 Our weekly take is over £5,000. 2. a profit from any sale 쐽 verb 1. to receive or to get 왍 the shop takes £2,000 a week the shop receives £2,000 a week in cash sales 왍 she takes home £250 a week her salary, after deductions for tax etc. is £250 a week 2. to do a certain action 왍 to take action to do something 쑗 You must take immediate action if you want to stop thefts. 왍 to take a call to answer the telephone 왍 to take the chair to be chairman of a meeting 쑗 In the absence of the chairman his deputy took the chair. 왍 to take stock to count the items in a warehouse 왍 to take stock of a situation to examine the state of things before deciding what to do 3. to need a time or a quantity 쑗 It took the factory six weeks or The factory took six weeks to clear the backlog of orders. 쑗 It will take her all morning to do my letters. 쑗 It took six men and a crane to get the computer into the building. (NOTE: taking – took – has taken)

take away /tek əwe/ verb to re-

move one figure from a total 쑗 If you take away the home sales, the total turnover is down. take down /tek daυn/ verb US to receive a share allotment take-home pay /tek həυm pe/ noun pay received, after tax, etc., has been deducted 쑗 After all the deduc-

take off

347

tions, his take-home pay is only £300 a week. take off /tek ɒf/ verb 1. to remove

or to deduct something 쑗 He took £25 off the price. 2. to start to rise fast 쑗 Sales took off after the TV commercials. take out /tek aυt/ verb 1. to remove something 쑗 She’s taken all the money out of her account. 2. 왍 to take out a patent for an invention to apply for and receive a patent 왍 to take out insurance against theft to pay a premium to an insurance company, so that if a theft takes place the company will pay compensation ‘…capital gains are not taxed, but money taken out in profits and dividends is taxed’ [Toronto Star]

take-out /tek aυt/ noun the act of removing capital which you had originally invested in a new company by selling your shares take over /tek əυvə/ verb 1. to start to do something in place of someone else 쑗 Miss Black took over from Mr Jones on May 1st. 쑗 The buyer takes over the company’s liabilities. 2. 왍 to take over a company to buy a business by offering to buy most of its shares 쑗 The company was taken over by a large multinational. takeover /tekəυvə/ noun 1. an act of buying a controlling interest in a business by buying more than 50% of its shares. Compare acquisition 2. the act of starting to do something in place of someone else 왍 the take-over period is always difficult there are always problems during the period when one person is taking over work from another ‘…many takeovers result in the new managers/owners rationalizing the capital of the company through better asset management’ [Duns Business Month]

takeover bid /tekəυvə bd/ noun

an offer to buy all or a majority of the shares in a company so as to control it 쑗 They made a takeover bid for the company. 쑗 He had to withdraw his takeover bid when he failed to find any backers. 쑗 Share prices rose sharply on the disclosure of the takeover bid. 왍 to make a takeover bid for a company to offer to buy most of the shares in a company 왍 to withdraw a takeover bid to say that you no longer offer to buy the shares in a company 왍 the company re-

tally clerk

jected the takeover bid the directors recommended that the shareholders should not accept the offer 쑗 Share prices rose sharply on the disclosure of the takeover bid. takeover target /tekəυvə tɑt/ noun a company which is the object of a takeover bid takeover timetable /tekəυvə tamteb(ə)l/ noun a timetable of the various events during a takeover bid COMMENT: The timetable for a takeover

bid is regulated by the London Stock Exchange: the formal documents are sent out by the bidding company some days after it has announced that it is making the bid. From the date of sending out the formal documents, the Stock Exchange allows the company 60 days in which to try and persuade as many shareholders as possible to accept the offer. If less than 50% accept, then the bidder can extend the offer, or increase of the offer, or simply let the offer lapse. If another company now makes a rival offer, it too has 60 days to try to gain enough acceptances.

take-private /tek pravət/ noun US

an arrangement by which a quoted company leaves the Stock Exchange and becomes a privately owned investment 쑗 The law firm was figuring in six of the seven take-privates last year. 쏡 public-to-private deal

taker /tekə/ noun a person who

wants to buy something 쑗 There were very few takers for the special offer. take up /tek p/ verb 왍 to take up an option to accept an option which has been offered and put into action take up rate /tek p ret/ noun the percentage of acceptances for a rights issue takings /tekŋz/ plural noun the money received in a shop or a business 쑗 The week’s takings were stolen from the cash desk. tala /tɑlə/ noun a unit of currency used in Samoa tally /tli/ noun a note of things counted or recorded 쑗 to keep a tally of stock movements or of expenses 쐽 verb to agree, to be the same 쑗 The invoices do not tally. 쑗 The accounts department tried to make the figures tally. tally clerk /tli klɑk/ noun a person whose job is to note quantities of cargo

tally sheet

348

tally sheet /tli ʃit/ noun a sheet on which quantities are noted tangible assets /tnd$b(ə)l sets/, tangible fixed assets /tnd$b(ə)l fkst sets/, tangible property /tnd$b(ə)l prɒpəti/ plural noun assets which have a value and actually exist (such as buildings, machines, vehicles and fittings) tangible asset value /tnd$b(ə)l set vlju/, tangible net worth /tnd$b(ə)l net w%θ/ noun the value of all the assets of a company less its intangible assets (goodwill, patents, etc.). It is shown as a value per share. TAO abbreviation taxpayer assistance order tap /tp/ noun same as tap stock 쐽 verb to get finance by borrowing from investors, lenders, etc. taper /tepə/, tapering relief /tepərŋ rlif/ noun a new system of reducing capital gains tax payable when shares are sold, according to the length of time the shares have been held tap stock /tp stɒk/ noun a government stock issued direct to the Bank of England for sale to investors COMMENT: Government stocks are nor-

mally issued in tranches for sale by tender, but small amounts are kept as ‘tap stock’ for direct sale to investors; the term is applied to any government stocks sold in this way.

target /tɑt/ noun something to aim for 쑗 performance targets 왍 to be on

target to be heading towards the target that has been set 왍 to set targets to fix amounts or quantities which employees have to produce or reach 왍 to meet a target to produce the quantity of goods or sales which are expected 왍 to miss a target not to produce the amount of goods or sales which are expected 쑗 They missed the target figure of £2m turnover. 쐽 verb to aim something at someone, or to take someone or something as a target 쑗 a campaign that targets the over-50s ‘…he believes that increased competition could keep inflation below the 2.5 per cent target’ [Investors Chronicle] ‘…the minister is persuading the oil, gas, electricity and coal industries to target their advertising towards energy efficiency’ [Times]

Target /tɑt/, TARGET noun a system set up by the European Central

tax

Bank to deal with cross-border payments between member states of the EU. Full form trans-european automated real-time gross settlement express transfer target company /tɑt kmp(ə)ni/ noun same as takeover target ‘…in a normal leveraged buyout the acquirer raises money by borrowing against the assets of the target company’ [Fortune]

target market /tɑt mɑkt/ noun

the market in which a company is planning to sell its goods target price /tɑt pras/ noun a wholesale price within the EU for certain products, such as wheat, which market management is intended to achieve; it is linked to the intervention price COMMENT: Target prices are set in terms

of fixed agricultural units of account, which are converted into different national currencies using adjusted exchange rates known as ‘green rates’ (in the UK, the ‘green pound’ ). A system of levies on non-EU agricultural imports is used to protect target prices when they are set above the general level of world prices. In addition, the EU has established an internal price support system based on a set of intervention prices set slightly below the target price. If the level of supply is in excess of what is needed to clear the market at the target price, the excess supply is bought by the Community at the intervention price, thereby preventing overproduction from depressing the common price level as would normally happen in a free market.

tariff /trf/ noun a rate of charging

for something such as electricity, hotel rooms or train tickets tariff barrier /trf briə/ noun the customs duty intended to make imports more difficult 쑗 to impose tariff barriers on or to lift tariff barriers from a product task /tɑsk/ verb to give someone a task to do tax /tks/ noun an amount of money charged by government as part of a person’s income or on goods bought 왍 basic tax income tax paid at the normal rate 왍 to lift a tax to remove a tax 쑗 The tax on fuel charges has been lifted. 쑗 The tax on company profits has been

tax abatement

349

lifted. 왍 tax deducted at source tax which is removed from a salary or interest before the money is paid out 쐽 verb to make someone pay a tax, to impose a tax on something 쑗 Businesses are taxed at 40%. 쑗 Income is taxed at 35%. 쑗 Luxury items are heavily taxed. 쑗 The government is proposing to tax businesses at 50%. tax abatement /tks əbetmənt/ noun a reduction of tax taxable /tksəb(ə)l/ adjective which can be taxed taxable income /tksəb(ə)l nkm/ noun income on which a person has to pay tax taxable items /tksəb(ə)l atəmz/ plural noun items on which a tax has to be paid taxable supply /tksəb(ə)l səpla/ noun a supply of goods which are subject to VAT tax adjustments /tks əd$stmənts/ plural noun changes made to tax tax adviser /tks ədvazə/, tax consultant /tks kənsltənt/ noun a person who gives advice on tax problems tax allowance /tks əlaυəns/ noun a part of the income which a person is allowed to earn and not pay tax on tax assessment /tks əsesmənt/ noun a calculation by a tax inspector of the amount of tax a person owes taxation /tkseʃ(ə)n/ noun the act of taxing tax avoidance /tks əvɔd(ə)ns/ noun the practice of legally trying to pay as little tax as possible tax bill /tks bl/ noun an amount of tax (to be) paid tax bracket /tks brkt/ noun a section of people paying a particular level of income tax tax break /tks brek/ noun an allowance which can be set off against tax tax code /tks kəυd/ noun a number given to indicate the amount of tax allowance a person has tax concession /tks kənseʃ(ə)n/ noun an act of allowing less tax to be paid

tax-exempt special savings

tax court /tks kɔt/ noun US a

court which deals with disputes between taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service tax credit /tks kredt/ noun 1. a sum of money which can be offset against tax 2. the part of a dividend on which the company has already paid tax, so that the shareholder is not taxed on it tax-deductible /tks ddktb(ə)l/ adjective which can be deducted from an income before tax is calculated 왍 these expenses are not tax-deductible tax has to be paid on these expenses tax deductions /tks ddkʃənz/ plural noun US 1. money removed from a salary to pay tax 2. business expenses which can be claimed against tax tax-deferred /tks df%d/ adjective US where the payment of federal income tax is put back to a later date

tax-deferred

retirement

plan

/tks df%d rtaəmənt pln/, tax-deferred savings plan /tks df%d sevŋz pln/ noun US a savings

plan into which a person can regularly put a certain proportion of income, with tax only being payable on retirement tax deposit certificate /tks dpɒzt sətfkət/ noun a certificate showing that a taxpayer has deposited money in advance of a tax payment (the money earns interest while on deposit) tax-efficient /tks fʃ(ə)nt/ adjective referring to an investment which helps avoid tax tax evasion /tks ve$(ə)n/ noun the practice of illegally trying not to pay tax tax-exempt /tks zempt/ adjective 1. referring to a person or organisation not required to pay tax 2. which are not subject to tax tax exemption /tks zempʃən/ noun US 1. the fact of being free from payment of tax 2. the part of income which a person is allowed to earn and not pay tax on

tax-exempt special savings account /tks zempt speʃ(ə)l

sevŋz əkaυnt/ noun formerly, an account into which money can be placed to earn interest free of tax, provided it is left untouched for five years. Abbreviation TESSA

tax-favoured investment

350

tax-favoured investment /tks

fevəd nvestmənt/ noun an investment which offers tax-reducing incentives tax-filing program /tks falŋ prəυrm/ noun computer software to help draw up your income tax return tax form /tks fɔm/ noun a blank form to be filled in with details of income and allowances and sent to the tax office each year tax-free /tks fri/ adjective with no tax having to be paid 쑗 tax-free goods tax haven /tks hev(ə)n/ noun a country or area where taxes are low, encouraging companies to set up their main offices there tax holiday /tks hɒlde/ noun a period when a new business is exempted from paying tax tax inspector /tks nspektə/ noun an official of the Inland Revenue who examines tax returns and decides how much tax someone should pay tax loophole /tks luphəυl/ noun a legal means of not paying tax taxpayer /tkspeə/ noun a person or company that has to pay tax 쑗 basic taxpayer or taxpayer at the basic rate 쑗 Corporate taxpayers are being targeted by the government. taxpayer advocate /tkspeə dvəkət/ noun a government official whose duty is to adjudicate in cases where ordinary taxpayers complain of treatment by the tax authorities

Taxpayer

Assistance

Order

/tkspeə əsst(ə)ns ɔdə/ noun a

court order allowing a company to recover debts from a taxpayer’s salary before tax is paid 쑗 basic taxpayer or taxpayer at the basic rate Abbreviation

TAO

tax planning /tks plnŋ/ noun

planning how to avoid paying too much tax, by investing in, e.g., tax-exempt savings schemes or offshore trusts tax relief /tks rlif/ noun an allowance to pay less tax on certain parts of someone’s income tax schedules /tks ʃedjulz/ plural noun a six types of income as classified for tax tax shelter /tks ʃeltə/ noun a financial arrangement (such as a pension

technology stocks

scheme) where investments can be made without tax tax threshold /tks θreʃhəυld/ noun a point at which another percentage of tax is payable 쑗 The government has raised the minimum tax threshold from £4,000 to £4,500. tax year /tks jə/ noun a twelve month period on which taxes are calculated (in the UK, 6th April to 5th April of the following year) T-bill /ti bl/ US same as Treasury bill (informal ) teaser /tizə/, teaser ad /tizər d/ noun an advertisem*nt that gives a little information about a product in order to attract customers by making them curious to know more teaser rate /tizə ret/ noun a specially good interest rate on a new product, used to encourage savers to switch funds to that product. It is replaced by a normal rate when enough subscribers have invested in it. technical /teknk(ə)l/ adjective 1. referring to a particular machine or process 쑗 The document gives all the technical details on the new computer. 2. referring to influences inside a market (e.g. volumes traded and forecasts based on market analysis), as opposed to external factors, such as oil-price rises, wars, etc. .

‘…market analysts described the falls in the second half of last week as a technical correction’ [Australian Financial Review] ‘…at the end of the day, it was clear the Fed had not loosened the monetary reins, and Fed Funds forged ahead on the back of technical demand’ [Financial Times]

technical analysis /teknk(ə)l ənləss/ noun a study of the price movements and volumes traded on a stock exchange technical correction /teknk(ə)l kərekʃ(ə)n/ noun STOCK EXCHANGE a situation where a share price or a currency moves up or down because it was previously too low or too high technical decline /teknk(ə)l dklan/ noun a fall in share prices because of technical analysis technology stocks /teknɒləd$i stɒks/, tech stocks /tek stɒks/ plural noun shares in companies specialising in electronics, communications, etc.

telebanking

351

/telibŋkŋ/ noun same as telephone banking telegraphic transfer /telrfk trɑnsfə/ noun a transfer of money from one account to another by telegraph telephone banking /telfəυn bŋkŋ/ noun a service by which a bank customer can carry out transactions over the phone using a password. It may involve direct contact with a bank representative or may be automated used the phone dial. telephone order /telfəυn ɔdə/ noun an order received by telephone 쑗 Since we mailed the catalogue we have received a large number of telephone orders. teller /telə/ noun a person who takes cash from or pays cash to customers at a bank tem /tem/ 쒁 pro tem tenancy /tenənsi/ noun an agreement by which a tenant can occupy a property tenant /tenənt/ noun a person or company which rents a house, flat or office to live or work in 쑗 The tenant is liable for repairs. tender /tendə/ noun an offer to do something for a specific price 쑗 a successful tender 쑗 an unsuccessful tender 왍 to put a project out to tender, to ask for or invite tenders for a project to ask contractors to give written estimates for a job 왍 to put in or submit a tender to make an estimate for a job 왍 to sell shares by tender to ask people to offer in writing a price for shares 쐽 verb 왍 to tender for a contract to put forward an estimate of cost for work to be carried out under contract 쑗 to tender for the construction of a hospital tenderer /tendərə/ noun a person or company that tenders for work 쑗 The company was the successful tenderer for the project. tendering /tendərŋ/ noun the act of putting forward an estimate of cost 쑗 To be successful, you must follow the tendering procedure as laid out in the documents. tender offer /tendə ɒfə/ noun a method of selling new securities or bonds by asking investors to make of-

telebanking

terms

fers for them, and accepting the highest offers tenge /teŋe/ noun a unit of currency used in Kazakhstan tenor /tenə/ noun a time before a financial instrument matures or before a bill is payable term /t%m/ noun 1. a period of time when something is legally valid 쑗 during his term of office as chairman 쑗 the term of a lease 쑗 We have renewed her contract for a term of six months. 쑗 The term of the loan is fifteen years. 2. part of a legal or university year term account /t%m əkaυnt/ noun same as term deposit term assurance /t%m əʃυərəns/ noun a life assurance which covers a person’s life for a period of time (at the end of the period, if the person is still alive he receives nothing from the insurance) 쑗 He took out a ten-year term insurance. term CD /t%m si di/ noun a certificate of deposit which matures in more than twelve months term deposit /t%m dpɒzt/ noun money invested for a fixed period at a higher rate of interest terminal bonus /t%mn(ə)l bəυnəs/ noun a bonus received when an insurance comes to an end termination clause /t%mneʃ(ə)n klɔz/ noun a clause which explains how and when a contract can be terminated term insurance /t%m nʃυərəns/ noun same as term assurance term loan /t%m ləυn/ noun a loan for a fixed period of time terms /t%mz/ plural noun the conditions or duties which have to be carried out as part of a contract, or the arrangements which have to be agreed before a contract is valid 쑗 to negotiate for better terms 쑗 He refused to agree to some of the terms of the contract. 쑗 By or Under the terms of the contract, the company is responsible for all damage to the property. ‘…companies have been improving communications, often as part of deals to cut down demarcation and to give everybody the same terms of employment’ [Economist] ‘…the Federal Reserve Board has eased interest rates in the past year, but they are still at

term shares

352

historically high levels in real terms’ [Sunday Times]

term shares /t%m ʃeəz/ plural noun

a type of building society deposit for a fixed period of time at a higher rate of interest terms of payment /t%mz əv pemənt/ plural noun the conditions for paying something terms of reference /t%mz əv ref(ə)rəns / plural noun areas which a committee or an inspector can deal with 쑗 Under the terms of reference of the committee, it cannot investigate complaints from the public. 쑗 The committee’s terms of reference do not cover exports. terms of sale /t%mz əv sel/ plural noun the conditions attached to a sale terms of trade /t%mz əv tred/ plural noun the ratio of a country’s import prices to export prices tertiary industry /t%ʃəri ndəstri/ noun an industry which does not produce raw materials or manufacture products but offers a service such as banking, retailing or accountancy TESSA abbreviation tax-exempt special savings account test run /test rn/ noun a trial made on a machine thin market /θn mɑkt/ noun a market where there are not many shares available for sale, so the price is distorted (NOTE: The opposite is a liquid market.)

thin trading /θn tredŋ/ noun a

day’s trading where not many shares are offered for sale, so few bargains are made (NOTE: The opposite is a liquid

market.) third /θ%d/ noun one part of some-

thing which is divided into three 왍 to sell everything at one third off to sell everything at a discount of 33% 왍 the company has two thirds of the total market the company has 66% of the total market Third Market /θ%d mɑkt/ noun same as over-the-counter market third party /θ%d pɑti/ noun a person other than the two main parties involved in a contract (i.e. in an insurance contract, anyone who is not the insurance company nor the person who is in-

thrifty

sured) 왍 the case is in the hands of a third party the case is being dealt with by someone who is not one of the main interested parties third party insurance /θ%d pɑti nʃυərəns/ noun insurance to cover damage to any person who is not one of the people named in the insurance contract (that is, not the insured person nor the insurance company) third quarter /θ%d kwɔtə/ noun a period of three months from July to September Third World /θ%d w%ld/ noun the countries of Africa, Asia and South America which do not all have highly developed industries (dated ) 쑗 We sell tractors into the Third World or to Third World countries. 쑗 Third World loans are causing problems to banks in the main developed countries. Threadneedle Street /θrednid(ə)l strit/ noun a street in the City of London where the Bank of England is situated. 쒁 Old Lady of Threadneedle .

Street 3i abbreviation Investors in Industry three quarters /θri kwɔtəz/ noun

75% 쑗 Three quarters of the staff are less than thirty years old. threshold /θreʃhəυld/ noun the point at which something changes threshold agreement /θreʃhəυld ərimənt/ noun a contract which says that if the cost of living goes up by more than a certain amount, pay will go up to match it threshold price /θreʃhəυld pras/ noun in the EU, the lowest price at which farm produce imported into the EU can be sold thrift /θrft/ noun 1. a careful attitude towards money, shown by saving it spending wisely 2. US a private local bank, savings and loan association or credit union, which accepts and pays interest on deposits from small investors ‘…the thrift, which had grown from $4.7 million in assets in 1980 to 1.5 billion this year, has ended in liquidation’ [Barrons] ‘…some thrifts came to grief on speculative property deals, some in the high-risk junk bond market, others simply by lending too much to too many people’ [Times]

thrifty /θrfti/ adjective careful not to spend too much money

tick

353

tick /tk/ noun 1. credit (informal ) .

쑗

All the furniture in the house is bought on tick. 2. a mark on paper to show that something is correct or that something is approved 쑗 Put a tick in the box marked ‘R’. 3. one step (up or down) in the price of a government bond or of financial futures 쐽 verb to mark with a sign to show that something is correct 쑗 Tick the box marked ‘R’ if you require a receipt. (NOTE: The US term is check in this meaning.) ticker /tkə/ noun US a machine

(operated by telegraph) which prints details of share prices and transactions rapidly (formerly printed on paper tape called ‘ticker tape’, but is now shown online on computer terminals) ticker symbol /tkə smb(ə)l/ noun US a letter used to identify a stock on the ticker tape system COMMENT: All securities listed on the US

stock exchanges are identified by letter symbols on ticker tape. So shares in Hilton are referred to as HLT, Texaco as TX, Xerox as XRX, etc.

tie /ta/ verb to attach or to link something to something 쑗 The interest rate is tied to the RPI. tied loan /tad ləυn/ noun a loan which involves a guarantee by the borrower to buy supplies from the lender tie in /ta n/ verb to link an insurance policy to a mortgage tier /tə/ noun a level COMMENT: The British stock market is

said to have two tiers: the first is the London Stock Exchange, with its listed securities. The second tier (which is linked to the first) is the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) which has less strict criteria for admitting securities, and is often used as a first stage in obtaining a main Stock Exchange quotation.

Tier One /tə wn/ noun a first level

of core capital which banks have (covering basic equity capital and disclosed reserves) to conform to the guidelines of the Basle Agreement Tier Two /tə tu/ noun a second level of capital which banks have (this applies to undisclosed debts, and provisions against bad debts) to conform with the guidelines of the Basle Agreement tie up /ta p/ verb 1. to attach or to fasten something tightly 쑗 The parcel is

till float

tied up with string. 쑗 The ship was tied up to the quay. 2. to invest money in one way, so that it cannot be used for other investments 쑗 He has £100,000 tied up in long-dated gilts. 쑗 The company has £250,000 tied up in stock which no one wants to buy. ‘…a lot of speculator money is said to be tied up in sterling because of the interest-rate differential between US and British rates’ [Australian Financial Review]

tie-up /ta p/ noun a link or connection 쑗 The company has a tie-up with a German distributor. (NOTE: The plural is tie-ups.)

tight /tat/ adjective which is con-

trolled, which does not allow any movement 쑗 The manager has a very tight schedule today – he cannot fit in any more appointments. 쑗 Expenses are kept under tight control. ‘…mortgage [Times]

money

is becoming

tighter’

‘…a tight monetary policy by the central bank has pushed up interest rates and drawn discretionary funds into bank deposits’ [Far Eastern Economic Review] ‘…the UK economy is at the uncomfortable stage in the cycle where the two years of tight money are having the desired effect on demand’ [Sunday Times]

tighten /tat(ə)n/ verb to make something tight, to control something 쑗 The accounts department is tightening its control over departmental budgets.

‘…the decision by the government to tighten monetary policy will push the annual inflation rate above the previous high’ [Financial Times]

tighten up on /tat(ə)n p ɒn/ verb

to control something more strictly 쑗 The government is tightening up on tax evasion. 쑗 We must tighten up on the reps’ expenses. tight market /tat mɑkt/ noun a market where there is only a small spread between bid and offer prices tight money /tat mni/ noun same as dear money tight money policy /tat mni pɒlsi/ noun a government policy to restrict money supply till /tl/ noun a drawer for keeping cash in a shop till float /tl fləυt/ noun cash put into the cash box at the beginning of the day to allow business to start

till money

354

till money /tl mni/ noun cash held by banks time /tam/ noun 1. a period during which something takes place, e.g. one hour, two days or fifty minutes 2. the number of hours worked 3. a period before something happens 왍 to keep within the time limits or within the time schedule to complete work by the time stated time and a half /tam ənd ə hɑf/ noun the normal rate of pay plus 50% extra time and method study /tam ən meθəd stdi/ noun a process of examining the way in which something is done to see if a cheaper or quicker way can be found time and motion expert /tam ən məυʃ(ə)n eksp%t/ noun a person who analyses time and motion studies and suggests changes in the way work is done time and motion study /tam ən məυʃ(ə)n stdi/ noun a study in an office or factory of the time taken to do certain jobs and the movements employees have to make to do them time bill /tam bl/ noun a bill of exchange which is payable at a specific time after acceptance time deposit /tam dpɒzt/ noun a deposit of money for a fixed period, during which it cannot be withdrawn time limit /tam lmt/ noun the maximum time which can be taken to do something 쑗 to set a time limit for acceptance of the offer 쑗 The work was finished within the time limit allowed. 쑗 The time limit on applications to the industrial tribunal is three months. time limitation /tam lmteʃ(ə)n/ noun the restriction of the amount of time available time of peak demand /tam əv pik dmɑnd/ noun the time when something is being used most time rate /tam ret/ noun a rate for work which is calculated as money per hour or per week, and not money for work completed times /tamz/ preposition indicating the number of times something is multiplied by another 왍 shares selling at 10

title deeds

times earnings shares selling at a P or E ratio of 10

timescale /tamskel/ noun the

time which will be taken to complete work 쑗 Our timescale is that all work should be completed by the end of August. 쑗 He is working to a strict timescale. time share /tam ʃeə/ noun a system where several people each own part of a property (such as a holiday flat), each being able to use it for a certain period each year time-sharing /tam ʃeərŋ/ noun 1. same as time share 2. an arrangement for sharing a computer system, with different users using different terminals timetable /tamteb(ə)l/ noun a list of appointments or events 쑗 The manager has a very full timetable, so I doubt if he will be able to see you today. 쏡 takeover timetable tin /tn/ noun a valuable metal, for-

merly traded on commodity markets at an artificially high international price managed by the International Tin Council to protect tin producers from swings in the price tip /tp/ noun 1. money given to someone who has helped you 쑗 The staff are not allowed to accept tips. 2. a piece of advice on buying or doing something which could be profitable 쑗 The newspaper gave several stock market tips. 쑗 She gave me a tip about a share which was likely to rise because of a takeover bid. 쐽 verb 1. to give money to someone who has helped you 쑗 He tipped the receptionist £5. 2. to say that something is likely to happen or that something might be profitable 쑗 He is tipped to become the next chairman. 쑗 Two shares were tipped in the business section of the paper. (NOTE: [all verb senses] tipping – tipped)

tip sheet /tp ʃit/ noun a newspaper

which gives information about shares which should be bought or sold title /tat(ə)l/ noun a right to own a property 쑗 She has no title to the property. 쑗 He has a good title to the property. title deeds /tat(ə)l didz/ plural noun a document showing who is the owner of a property

TOISA

355

TOISA noun an ISA into which the capital from a matured TESSA can be put. Full form TESSA-only ISA token /təυkən/ noun something which acts as a sign or symbol token charge /təυkən tʃɑd$/ noun a small charge which does not cover the real costs 쑗 A token charge is made for heating. token payment /təυkən pemənt/ noun a small payment to show that a payment is being made token rent /təυkən rent/ noun a very low rent payment to show that some rent is being asked tolar /təυlɑ/ noun a unit of currency used in Slovenia toll /təυl/ noun a payment for using a service (usually a bridge or a road) 쑗 We had to cross a toll bridge to get to the island. 쑗 You have to pay a toll to cross the bridge. toll call /təυl kɔl/ noun US a long-distance telephone call toll free /təυl fri/ adverb, adjective US without having to pay a charge for a long-distance telephone call 쑗 to call someone toll free 쑗 a toll-free number COMMENT: Toll-free numbers usually

start with the digits 800.

tombstone /tumstəυn/ noun an of-

ficial announcement in a newspaper showing that a major loan or a bond issue has been subscribed, giving details of the banks which have underwritten it (informal ) top /tɒp/ noun the highest point or most important place 쑗 She rose to the top of her profession. 쐽 adjective highest or most important 왍 to give something top priority to make something the most important item, so that it is done very fast .

‘…the base lending rate, or prime rate, is the rate at which banks lend to their top corporate borrowers’ [Wall Street Journal] ‘…gross wool receipts for the selling season appear likely to top $2 billion’ [Australian Financial Review]

top-flight /tɒp flat/, top-ranking

/tɒp rŋkŋ/ adjective in the most important position 쑗 Top-flight managers can earn very high salaries. 쑗 He is the top-ranking official in the delegation.

total return

top-hat pension /tɒp ht penʃən/

noun a special extra pension for senior managers top management /tɒp mnd$mənt/ noun the main directors of a company top official /tɒp əfʃ(ə)l/ noun a very important person in a government department top-ranking /tɒp rŋkŋ/ adjective same as top-flight top-slicing /tɒp slasŋ/ noun the practice of selling part of a holding in a share which is equivalent to the original cost of the investment, leaving another part still held which represents the gain made top up /tɒp p/ verb to add to something to make it more complete 쑗 He topped up his pension contributions to make sure he received the maximum allowable pension when he retired. tort /tɔt/ noun harm done to a person or property which can be the basis of a civil lawsuit total /təυt(ə)l/ adjective complete or with everything added together 쑗 The total amount owed is now £1000. 쑗 The company has total assets of over £1bn. 쑗 The total cost was much more than expected. 쑗 Total expenditure on publicity is twice that of last year. 쑗 Our total income from exports rose last year. 왍 the cargo was written off as a total loss the cargo was so badly damaged that the insurers said it had no value 왍 total income all income from all sources 쐽 noun an amount which is complete, with everything added up 쑗 The total of the charges comes to more than £1,000. 쐽 verb to add up to 쑗 costs totalling more than £25,000 (NOTE: UK English is totalling – totalled, but the US spelling is totaling – totaled.) Total Index /təυt(ə)l ndeks/ noun

an index of share prices on the Oslo Stock Exchange total invoice value /təυt(ə)l nvɔs vlju/ noun the total amount on an invoice, including transport, VAT, etc. total return /təυt(ə)l rt%n/ noun the total capital growth and reinvested income on an investment at the end of any given period

touch

356

touch /ttʃ/ noun the narrowest

spread between the buy and sell prices of a share tour /tυə/ noun a (holiday) journey to various places, coming back in the end to the place the journey started from 쑗 The group went on a tour of Italy. 쑗 The minister went on a fact-finding tour of the region. 왍 to carry out a tour of inspection to visit various places, such as offices or factories, to inspect them tout /taυt/ noun a person who sells tickets (to games or shows) for more than the price printed on them 쐽 verb 왍 to tout for custom to try to attract customers track /trk/ verb to follow someone or something; to follow how something develops, such as one of the stock market indices 쑗 This fund tracks the Footsie Index. ‘…tracking the stock market is a good way of providing for the long term, if you’re prepared to ride the ups and downs’ [Investors Chronicle]

tracker fund /trkə fnd/ noun a

fund which tracks (i.e. follows closely) one of the stock market indices, such as the Footsie tracker PEP /trkə pep/ noun a PEP invested in funds which track a stock market index tracking /trkŋ/ noun the process of following a stock market closely tracking unit trust /trkŋ junt trst/ noun a trust which follows closely one of the stock market indices track record /trk rekɔd/ noun the success or failure of a company or salesperson in the past 쑗 He has a good track record as a secondhand car salesman. 쑗 The company has no track record in the computer market. 쑗 We are looking for someone with a track record in the computer market. trade /tred/ noun 1. the business of buying and selling 왍 adverse balance of trade situation when a country imports more than it exports 쑗 The country had an adverse balance of trade for the second month running. 왍 to do a good trade in a range of products to sell a large number of a range of products 2. a particular type of business, or people or companies dealing in the same type of product 쑗 He’s in the secondhand car trade. 쑗 She’s very well known in the

trade counter

clothing trade. 왍 to ask a company to supply trade references to ask a company to give names of traders who can report on the company’s financial situation and reputation 쐽 verb to buy and sell, to carry on a business 쑗 We trade with all the countries of the EU. 쑗 He trades on the Stock Exchange. 쑗 The company has stopped trading. 쑗 The company trades under the name ‘Eeziphitt’. ‘…a sharp setback in foreign trade accounted for most of the winter slowdown. The trade balance sank $17 billion’ [Fortune] ‘…at its last traded price, the bank was capitalized around $1.05 billion’ [South China Morning Post] ‘…with most of the world’s oil now traded on spot markets, Opec’s official prices are much less significant than they once were’ [Economist] ‘…the London Stock Exchange said that the value of domestic UK equities traded during the year was £1.4066 trillion, more than the capitalization of the entire London market and an increase of 36 per cent compared with previous year’s total of £1.037 trillion’ [Times] ‘…trade between Britain and other countries which comprise the Economic Community has risen steadily from 33% of exports to 50% last year’ [Sales & Marketing Management]

agreement /tred ərimənt/ noun an international agreement between countries over general terms of trade trade association /tred əsəυsieʃ(ə)n/ noun a group which links together companies in the same trade trade barrier /tred briə/ noun a limitation imposed by a government on the free exchange of goods between countries. Also called import restrictrade

tion (NOTE: NTBs, safety standards and tariffs are typical trade barriers.) trade bill /tred bl/ noun a bill of ex-

change between two companies who are trading partners (it is issued by one company and endorsed by the other) trade bureau /tred bjυərəυ/ noun an office which specialises in commercial inquiries trade commission /tred kəmʃ(ə)n/ noun same as broker’s commission

trade counter /tred kaυntə/ noun

a shop in a factory or warehouse where goods are sold to retailers

trade credit

357

trade credit /tred kredt/ noun a

credit offered by one company when trading with another trade creditors /tred kredtəz/ plural noun companies which are owed money by a company (the amount owed to trade creditors is shown in the annual accounts) trade cycle /tred sak(ə)l/ noun a period during which trade expands, then slows down, then expands again trade deficit /tred defst/ noun the difference in value between a country’s low exports and higher imports. Also called balance of payments deficit, trade gap

description /tred dskrpʃən/ noun a description of a product to attract customers Trade Descriptions Act /tred dskrpʃənz kt/ noun an act which limits the way in which products can be described so as to protect customers from wrong descriptions made by manufacturers trade directory /tred darekt(ə)ri/ noun a book which lists all the businesses and business people in a town trade discount /tred dskaυnt/ noun a reduction in price given to a customer in the same trade traded options /tredd ɒpʃənz/ plural noun options to buy or sell shares at a certain price at a certain date in the future, which themselves can be bought or sold trade fair /tred feə/ noun a large exhibition and meeting for advertising and selling a specific type of product 쑗 There are two trade fairs running in London at the same time – the carpet manufacturers’ and the mobile telephones. trade gap /tred p/ noun same as trade

trade deficit trade in /tred n/ verb to give in an

old item as part of the payment for a new one 쑗 The chairman traded in his old Rolls Royce for a new model. trade-in /tred n/ noun an old item, e.g. a car or washing machine, given as part of the payment for a new one 쑗 She bought a new car and gave her old one as a trade-in.

trading company

trademark /tredmɑk/, trade name /tred nem/ noun a particular name,

design design or symbol which has been registered by the manufacturer and which cannot be used by other manufacturers. It is an intangible asset. 쑗 You can’t call your beds ‘Softn’kumfi’ – it is a registered trademark. 쐽 verb to register something as a trademark 쑗 They trademarked the name after the family dispute. 쑗 You should trademark the design. trade mission /tred mʃ(ə)n/ noun a visit by a group of businesspeople to discuss trade 쑗 He led a trade mission to China. trade-off /tred ɒf/ noun an act of exchanging one thing for another as part of a business deal (NOTE: The plural is trade-offs.)

trade price /tred pras/ noun a spe-

cial wholesale price paid by a retailer to the manufacturer or wholesaler trader /tredə/ noun 1. a person who does business 2. a person who buys or sells stocks, shares and options trade surplus /tred s%pləs/ noun the difference in value between a country’s high exports and lower imports ‘Brazil’s trade surplus is vulnerable both to a slowdown in the American economy and a pick-up in its own’ [Economist]

trade terms /tred t%mz/ plural

noun a special discount for people in the same trade trade-weighted index /tred wetd ndeks/ noun an index of the value of a currency calculated against a basket of currencies trading /tredŋ/ noun 1. the business of buying and selling 왍 adverse trading conditions bad conditions for trade 2. an area of a broking house where dealing in securities is carried out by phone, using monitors to display current prices and stock exchange transactions trading account /tredŋ əkaυnt/ noun an account of a company’s gross profit trading area /tredŋ eəriə/ noun a group of countries which trade with each other trading company /tredŋ kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company which specialises in buying and selling goods

trading estate

358

trading estate /tredŋ stet/

noun an area of land near a town specially for building factories and warehouses trading firm /tredŋ f%m/ noun a stockbroking house trading floor /tredŋ flɔ/ noun same as dealing floor trading for the account /tredŋ fə ði əkaυnt/ noun same as account trading trading limit /tredŋ lmt/ noun the maximum amount of something which can be traded by a single trader trading loss /tredŋ lɒs/ noun a situation where a company’s receipts are less than its expenditure trading partner /tredŋ pɑtnə/ noun a company or country which trades with another trading pattern /tredŋ pt(ə)n/ noun a general way in which trade is carried on 쑗 The company’s trading pattern shows high export sales in the first quarter and high home sales in the third quarter. trading post /tredŋ pəυst/ noun a position on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, where specialist traders operate trading profit /tredŋ prɒft/ noun a result where the company’ receipts are higher than its expenditure trading range /tredŋ rend$/ noun same as historical trading range trading screens /tredŋ skrinz/ plural noun computer monitors listing stock market prices trading session /tredŋ seʃ(ə)n/ noun one period (usually a day) during which trading takes place on a stock exchange trading stamp /tredŋ stmp/ noun a special stamp given away by a shop, which the customer can collect and exchange later for free goods trailing spouse /trelŋ spaυs/ noun US a successful working spouse of someone who works abroad (one of the two has to commute at weekends) trainee /treni/ noun a person who is learning how to do something 쑗 We take five graduates as trainees each year. 쑗 Office staff with leadership potential are

transfer

selected for courses as trainee managers. 쑗 We employ an additional trainee accountant at peak periods. traineeship /treniʃp/ noun a post as a trainee training /trenŋ/ noun the process of being taught how to do something 쑗 There is a ten-week training period for new staff. 쑗 The shop is closed for staff training. 쑗 After six months’ training he thought of himself as a professional salesman. training levy /trenŋ levi/ noun a tax to be paid by companies to fund the government’s training schemes training officer /trenŋ ɒfsə/ noun a person who deals with the training of staff in a company training unit /trenŋ junt/ noun a special group of teachers who organise training for companies tranche /trɑnʃ/ noun one of a series of instalments (used when referring to loans to companies, government securities which are issued over a period of time, or money withdrawn by a country from the IMF) 쑗 The second tranche of interest on the loan is now due for payment. tranchette /trɑnʃet/ noun a small amount of government stock put onto the market for sale to investors transact /trnzkt/ verb 왍 to transact business to carry out a piece of business transaction /trnzkʃən/ noun 왍 a transaction on the Stock Exchange a purchase or sale of shares on the Stock Exchange 쑗 The paper publishes a daily list of Stock Exchange transactions. 왍 fraudulent transaction a transaction which aims to cheat someone ‘…the Japan Financial Intelligence Office will receive reports on suspected criminal transactions from financial institutions, determine where a probe should be launched and provide information to investigators’ [Nikkei Weekly]

transfer noun /trnsf%/ an act of

moving an employee to another job in the same organisation 쑗 She applied for a transfer to our branch in Scotland. 쐽 verb /trnsf%/ to move someone or something to a different place, or to move someone to another job in the same organisation 쑗 The accountant

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359

was transferred to our Scottish branch. 쑗 He transferred his shares to a family trust. 쑗 She transferred her money to a deposit account. adjective /trnsf%rəb(ə)l/ which can be passed to someone else 쐽 noun a document such as a bearer bond which can be passed to someone else transfer of property /trnsf% əv prɒpəti/, transfer of shares /trnsf% əv ʃeəz/ noun the act of moving the ownership of property or shares from one person to another transferred charge call /trnsf%d tʃɑd$ kɔl/ noun a phone call where the person receiving the call agrees to pay for it transfer value /trnsf% vlju/ noun the value of a pension when it is moved from one scheme to another transit /trnst/ noun the movement of passengers or goods on the way to a destination 쑗 Some of the goods were damaged in transit. transit letter /trnst letə/ noun a letter sent with cheques or drafts, listing what is being sent translate /trnslet/ verb to change something into another form transnational /trnznʃ(ə)nəl/ noun same as multinational transparency /trnsprənsi/ noun the fact of being clear about making decisions and being open to the public about how decisions are reached traveller’s cheques /trv(ə)ləz tʃeks/ plural noun cheques bought by a traveller which can be cashed in a foreign country travelling expenses /trv(ə)lŋ ekspensz/ plural noun money spent on travelling and hotels for business purposes travel organisation /trv(ə)l ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a body representing companies in the travel business treasurer /tre$ərə/ noun 1. a person who looks after the money or finances of a club or society, etc. 2. US the main financial officer of a company 3. (in Australia) the finance minister in the government

transferable

trend

treasurer’s account /tre$ərəz əkaυnt/ noun an account of a club or society with a bank Treasuries /tre$əriz/ plural noun US treasury bonds and bills (informal ) Treasury /tre$əri/ noun 1. a government department which deals with the country’s finance (NOTE: The term is .

used in both the UK and the US; in most other countries this department is called the Ministry of Finance.) 2. US same as Treasury bill Treasury bill /tre$əri bl/ noun a

short-term financial instrument which does not give any interest and is sold by the government at a discount through the central bank (in the UK, their term varies from three to six months; in the USA, they are for 91 or 182 days, or for 52 weeks) (NOTE: In the USA, they are also called Treasuries or T-bills.) Treasury bond /tre$əri bɒnd/ noun a long-term bond issued by the British or US government Treasury note /tre$əri nəυt/ noun a medium-term bond issued by the US government Treasury Secretary /tre$əri sekrət(ə)ri/ noun US the member of the US government in charge of finance (NOTE: The equivalent of the Finance Minister in most countries, or of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK.) Treasury stocks /tre$əri stɒkz/ plural noun stocks issued by the British government. Also called Exchequer stocks treble /treb(ə)l/ verb to increase three

times, or to make something three times larger 쑗 The company’s borrowings have trebled. 쑗 The acquisition of the chain of stores has trebled the group’s turnover. 쐽 adverb three times 쑗 Our borrowings are treble what they were last year. trend /trend/ noun a general way in which things are developing 쑗 a downward trend in investment 쑗 There is a trend away from old-established food stores. 쑗 The report points to inflationary trends in the economy. 쑗 We notice a general trend towards selling to the student market. 쑗 We have noticed an upward trend in sales.

trend line

360

‘…the quality of building design and ease of accessibility will become increasingly important, adding to the trend towards out-of-town office development’ [Lloyd’s List]

trend line /trend lan/ noun a line on a graph or chart which shows which way a trend is going trial /traəl/ noun 1. a court case to judge a person accused of a crime 쑗 He is on trial or is standing trial for embezzlement. 2. a test to see if something is good 쐽 verb to test a product to see how good it is (NOTE: trialling – trialled) trial balance /traəl bləns/ noun the draft calculation of debits and credits to see if they balance tribunal /trabjun(ə)l/ noun an official court which examines special problems and makes judgements trigger /trə/ noun a thing which starts a process 쐽 verb to start a process ‘…the recovery is led by significant declines in short-term interest rates, which are forecast to be roughly 250 basis points below their previous peak. This should trigger a rebound in the housing markets and consumer spending on durables’ [Toronto Globe & Mail]

trigger point /trə pɔnt/ noun a

point in acquiring shares in a company where the purchaser has to declare an interest or to take certain action COMMENT: If an individual or a company

buys 5% of a company’s shares, this shareholding must be declared to the company. If 15% is acquired it is assumed that a takeover bid will be made, and no more shares can be acquired for seven days to give the target company time to respond. There is no obligation to make a bid at this stage, but if the holding is increased to 30%, then a takeover bid must be made for the remaining 70%. If 90% of shares are owned, then the owner can purchase all outstanding shares compulsorily. These trigger points are often not crossed, and it is common to see that a company has acquired 14.9% or 29.9% of another company’s shares.

trillion /trljən/ noun one million millions (NOTE: In the UK, trillion now has the same meaning as in the USA; formerly in UK English it meant one million million millions, and it is still sometimes used with this meaning; see also the note at billion.)

‘…if land is assessed at roughly half its current market value, the new tax could yield up to ¥10

troubleshooter trillion annually’ [Far Eastern Economic Review] ‘…behind the decline was a 6.1% fall in exports to ¥47.55 trillion, the second year of falls. Automobiles and steel were among categories showing particularly conspicuous drops’ [Nikkei Weekly] ‘…the London Stock Exchange said that the value of domestic UK equities traded during the year was £1.4066 trillion, more than the capitalization of the entire London market and an increase of 36 per cent compared with previous year’s total of £1.037 trillion’ [Times]

triple /trp(ə)l/ verb to become three

times larger, or to multiply something three times 쑗 The company’s debts tripled in twelve months. 쑗 The acquisition of the chain of stores has tripled the group’s turnover. 쐽 adjective three times as much 쑗 The cost of airfreighting the goods is triple their manufacturing cost. triple A rated /trp(ə)l e retd/ adjective referring to a bond or corporation which has the highest credit rating according to Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s (so called, because the rating is ‘AAA’) triple witching hour /trp(ə)l wtʃŋ aυə/ noun a day when three major types of futures contract fall due at the same time COMMENT: In the USA, this is the last

hour of trading on the third Friday of the months of March, June, September and December, when futures contracts on the Stock Exchange Index, options on these futures contracts, and ordinary stock option contracts all fall due; in the UK, it is a day when euro-options, Footsie options and Footsie futures contracts all expire at the same time. It is normally a day when stock market prices show greater volatility than usual.

triplicate /trplkət/ noun 왍 in tripli-

cate with an original and two copies 쑗 The invoices are printed in triplicate. 쑗 The application form should be completed in triplicate. 왍 invoicing in triplicate the preparing of three copies of invoices trophy hunter /trəυfi hntə/ noun an investor who looks for cheap shares troubled /trb(ə)ld/ adjective in a difficult financial position troubleshooter /trb(ə)lʃutə/ noun a person whose job is to solve problems in a company 쑗 They brought

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361

in a troubleshooter to try to sort out the management problems. trough /trɒf/ noun a low point in the

economic cycle

troy ounce /trɔ aυns/ noun a mea-

surement of weight (= 31.10 grammes)

(NOTE: In writing, often shortened to troy oz. after figures: 25.2 troy oz.) troy weight /trɔ wet/ noun a sys-

tem of measurement of weight used for gold and other metals, such as silver and platinum COMMENT: Troy weight is divided into

grains, pennyweights (24 grains = 1 pennyweight), ounces (20 pennyweights = 1 ounce) and pounds (12 troy ounces = 1 pound). Troy weights are slightly less than their avoirdupois equivalents; the troy pound equals 0.37kg or 0.82lb avoirdupois; see also avoirdupoids.

true /tru/ adjective correct or accurate true and fair view /tru ən feə

vju/ noun a correct statement of a company’s financial position as shown in its accounts and confirmed by the auditors true copy /tru kɒpi/ noun an exact copy 쑗 I certify that this is a true copy. 쑗 It is certified as a true copy. truncate /trŋket/ verb to operate a simplified banking system by not returning physical cheques to the paying bank truncation /trŋkeʃ(ə)n/ noun a simplified banking system, where actual cheques are not sent to the paying bank, but held in the receiving bank which notifies the paying bank by computer of the details of cheques received trust /trst/ noun 1. the fact of being confident that something is correct or will work 왍 we took his statement on trust we accepted his statement without examining it to see if it was correct 2. a legal arrangement to pass goods, money or valuables to someone who will look after them well 쑗 He left his property in trust for his grandchildren. 3. the management of money or property for someone 쑗 They set up a family trust for their grandchildren. 4. US a small group of companies which control the supply of a product 쐽 verb 왍 to trust someone with something to give something to someone to look after 쑗 Can he be trusted with all that cash?

turn over

trustbusting /trstbstŋ/ noun US

the breaking up of monopolies to encourage competition trust company /trst kmp(ə)ni/ noun US an organisation which supervises the financial affairs of private trusts, executes wills, and acts as a bank to a limited number of customers trust deed /trst did/ noun a document which sets out the details of a private trust trustee /trsti/ noun a person who has charge of money in trust 쑗 the trustees of the pension fund trust fund /trst fnd/ noun assets (money, securities, property) held in trust for someone Truth in Lending Act /truθ n lendŋ kt/ noun a US Act of 1969, which forces lenders to state the full terms of their interest rates to borrowers tugrik /turk/ noun a unit of currency used in the Mongolian Republic tune /tjun/ noun 왍 the bank is backing him to the tune of £10,000 the bank is helping him with a loan of £10,000 turkey /t%ki/ noun a bad investment, an investment which has turned out to be worthless (informal ) turn /t%n/ noun 1. a movement in a circle, or a change of direction 2. a profit or commission 쑗 He makes a turn on everything he sells. turnaround /t%nəraυnd/ noun especially US same as turnround turn down /t%n daυn/ verb to refuse something 쑗 The board turned down the proposal. 쑗 The bank turned down their request for a loan. 쑗 The application for a licence was turned down. 쑗 He turned down the job he was offered. turnkey operation /t%nki ɒpəreʃ(ə)n/ noun a deal where a company takes all responsibility for constructing, fitting and staffing a building (such as a school, hospital or factory) so that it is completely ready for the purchaser to take over turn over /t%n əυvə/ verb 1. to have a specific amount of sales 쑗 We turn over £2,000 a week. 2. US to pass something to someone 쑗 She turned over the documents to the lawyer. .

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362

(NOTE: In this meaning, the usual UK term is hand over.) ‘…a 100,000 square foot warehouse can turn its inventory over 18 times a year, more than triple a discounter’s turnover’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…he is turning over his CEO title to one of his teammates, but will remain chairman for a year’ [Duns Business Month]

turnover /t%nəυvə/ noun 1. the

amount of sales of goods or services by a company 쑗 The company’s turnover has increased by 235%. 쑗 We based our calculations on the forecast turnover.

(NOTE: The US term is sales volume.) 2. the number of times something is

used or sold in a period, usually one year, expressed as a percentage of a total turnover of shares /t%nəυvə əv ʃeəz/ noun the total value of shares bought and sold on the Stock Exchange during the year turnover tax /t%nəυvə tks/ noun same as sales tax turn round /t%n raυnd/ verb to make a company change from making a loss to become profitable 왍 they turned the company round in less than a year they made the company profitable in less than a year turnround /t%nraυnd/ noun 1. the value of goods sold during a year divided by the average value of goods held in stock 2. the action of emptying a ship, plane, etc., and getting it ready for another commercial journey 3. the act of making a company profitable again (NOTE: [all senses] The US term is turnaround.) ‘…the US now accounts for more than half our world-wide sales; it has made a huge

tycoon contribution to our [Duns Business Month]

earnings

turnround’

twenty-four-hour trading /twenti fɔ aυə tredŋ/ noun trading in bonds, currencies or securities that can take place at any time of day or night (NOTE: Twenty-four-hour trading does not involve one trading floor being open all the time, but instead refers to the possibility of conducting operations at different locations in different time zones.) 24-hour banking /twentifɔr aυə bŋkiŋ/ noun a banking service pro-

vided during the whole day (e.g. by cash dispensers in the street and online services) 24-hour service /twenti fɔr aυə s%vs/ noun help which is available for the whole day 24-hour trading /twenti fɔr aυə tredŋ/ trading in bonds, securities and currencies during the whole day COMMENT: 24-hour trading is now possi-

ble because of instant communication to Stock Exchanges in different time zones; the Tokyo Stock Exchange closes about two hours before the London Stock Exchange opens; the New York Stock Exchange opens at the same time as the London one closes.

two-tier market /tu tə mɑkt/

noun an exchange market where two rates apply (usually one for tourists and a commercial rate for businesses) two-way market /tu we mɑkt/ noun a market where there is active buying and selling tycoon /takun/ noun an important businessman

U UBR abbreviation uniform business rate

ultimatum /ltmetəm/ noun a

statement to someone that unless they do something within a period of time, action will be taken against them 쑗 The union officials argued among themselves over the best way to deal with the ultimatum from the management. 쑗 The banks issued an ultimatum to their largest borrowers. (NOTE: The plural is ultimatums or ultimata.) umbrella organisation /mbrelə ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun a large organi-

sation which includes several smaller ones unacceptable /nəkseptəb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be accepted 쑗 The terms of the contract are quite unacceptable. unaccounted for /nəkaυntd fɔ/ adjective lost without any explanation 쑗 Several thousand units are unaccounted for in the stocktaking. unanimous /junnməs/ adjective where everyone agrees or votes in the same way 쑗 There was a unanimous vote against the proposal. 쑗 They reached unanimous agreement. unanimously /junmməsli/ adverb with everyone agreeing 쑗 The proposals were adopted unanimously. unaudited /nɔdtd/ adjective which has not been audited 쑗 unaudited accounts unauthorised /nɔθərazd/, unauthorized adjective not permitted 쑗 unauthorised access to the company’s records 쑗 unauthorised expenditure 쑗 No unauthorised persons are allowed into the laboratory. 쑗 The bank charges 26.8% interest on unauthorised overdrafts.

unit trust /nɔθərazd junt trst/ noun a private unit trust operated by a stockbroking firm for its clients unbalanced /nblənst/ adjective referring to a budget which does not balance or which is in deficit unbanked /nbŋkt/ adjective 1. referring to a person who does not have a bank account 2. referring to a cheque which has not been deposited in a bank account unbundling /nbnd(ə)lŋ/ noun 1. the process of separating companies from a conglomerate (the companies were independent in the past, and have been acquired by the conglomerate over a period of time) 2. US the practice of charging separately for each different service provided uncalled /nkɔld/ adjective referring to capital which a company is authorised to raise and has been issued but for which payment has not yet been requested uncashed /nkʃt/ adjective which has not been cashed 쑗 uncashed cheques unchanged /ntʃend$d/ adjective which has not changed unauthorised

‘…the dividend is unchanged at L90 per ordinary share’ [Financial Times]

/ntʃekt/ adjective which has not been checked 쑗 unchecked figures uncollected /nkəlektd/ adjective which has not been collected 쑗 uncollected subscriptions 쑗 uncollected taxes uncollected funds /nkəlektd fndz/ plural noun deposits which have not yet cleared through the clearing system and so cannot be drawn on unconditional /nkəndʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective with no conditions or provi-

unchecked

unconditionally

364

sions attached 쑗 unconditional acceptance of the offer by the board 쑗 After the interview he got an unconditional offer of a job. 왍 the offer went unconditional last Thursday the takeover bid was accepted by the majority of the shareholders and therefore the conditions attached to it no longer apply COMMENT: A takeover bid will become

unconditional if more than 50% of shareholders accept it.

/nkəndʃ(ə)n(ə)li/ adverb without imposing any conditions 쑗 The offer was accepted unconditionally by the trade union. uncontrollable /nkəntrəυləb(ə)l/ adjective which cannot be controlled 쑗 uncontrollable inflation uncovered bear /nkvəd beə/ noun a person who sells stock which he does not hold, hoping to be able to buy stock later at a lower price when he needs to settle uncrossed cheque /nkrɒst tʃek/ noun a cheque which does not have two lines across it, and can be cashed anywhere (NOTE: They are no

unconditionally

longer used in the UK, but are still found in other countries.) undated /ndetd/ adjective with no

date indicated or written 쑗 He tried to cash an undated cheque. COMMENT: The only British government

stocks which are undated are the War Loan.

undated bond /ndetd bɒnd/

noun a bond with no maturity date under /ndə/ preposition 1. lower than or less than 쑗 The interest rate is under 10%. 쑗 Under half of the shareholders accepted the offer. 2. controlled by, according to 쑗 Under the terms of the agreement, the goods should be delivered in October. 쑗 He is acting under rule 23 of the union constitution. under- /ndə/ prefix less important than or lower than underbid /ndəbd/ verb to bid less than someone (NOTE: underbidding – underbid) underbidder /ndəbdə/ noun a person who bids less than the person who buys at an auction undercapitalised /ndəkptəlazd/, undercapitalized ad-

underperformance

jective without enough capital 쑗 The company is severely undercapitalised. undercharge /ndətʃɑd$/ verb to ask someone for too little money 쑗 She undercharged us by £25. undercut /ndəkt/ verb to offer something at a lower price than someone else 쑗 They increased their market share by undercutting their competitors. (NOTE: undercutting- undercut) underemployed /ndərmplɔd/ adjective with not enough work 쑗 The staff is underemployed because of the cutback in production.

underemployed

capital

/ndərmplɔd kpt(ə)l/ noun capi-

tal which is not producing enough interest underestimate noun /ndərestmət/ an estimate which is less than the actual figure 쑗 The figure of £50,000 in turnover was a considerable underestimate. 쐽 verb /ndərestmet/ to think that something is smaller or not as bad as it really is 쑗 They underestimated the effects of the strike on their sales. 쑗 He underestimated the amount of time needed to finish the work. underlease /ndəlis/ noun a lease from a tenant to another tenant

underlying

inflation

rate

/ndəlaŋ nfleʃ(ə)n ret/ noun the

basic inflation rate calculated on a series of prices of consumer items, petrol, gas and electricity and interest rates. Compare headline inflation rate underlying value /ndəlaŋ vlju/ noun the basic value of a company, including its assets, goodwill, etc. undermentioned /ndəmenʃ(ə)nd/ adjective mentioned lower down in a document 쑗 See the undermentioned list of countries to which these terms apply. underperform /ndəpəfɔm/ verb 왍 to underperform the market to perform worse than the rest of the market 쑗 The hotel group has underperformed the sector this year. underperformance /ndəpəfɔməns/ noun the fact of performing worse than others 쑗 The underperformance of the shares has worried investors. ‘Australia has been declining again. Because it has had such a long period of underperfomance,

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365

it is now not as vulnerable as other markets’ [Money Observer]

underrate /ndəret/ verb to value someone or something less highly than they should be 쑗 Do not underrate the strength of the competition in the European market. 쑗 The power of the yen is underrated. underreact /ndərikt/ verb not to react strongly enough to a situation 쑗 The markets underreacted to the oil crisis. undersell /ndəsel/ verb to sell more cheaply than someone 쑗 to undersell a competitor 왍 the company is never undersold no other company sells goods as cheaply as this one undersigned /ndəsand/ noun a person who has signed a letter 왍 we, the undersigned we, the people who have signed below underspend /ndəspend/ verb to spend less than you should have spent or were allowed to spend 왍 he has underspent his budget he has spent less than was allowed in the budget understanding /ndəstndŋ/ noun a private agreement 쑗 to come to an understanding about the divisions of the market understate /ndəstet/ verb to make something seem less than it really is 쑗 The company accounts understate the real profit. undersubscribed /ndəsbskrabd/ adjective referring to a share issue where applications are not made for all the shares on offer, and part of the issue remains with the underwriters undertake /ndətek/ verb to agree to do something 쑗 They are undertaki 쑗 We asked the research unit to undertake an investigation of the market. 쑗 They have undertaken not to sell into our territory. 쑗 The union has undertaken not to call a strike without further negotiation with the management. (NOTE: undertaking undertaken)

–

undertook

–

undertaking /ndətekŋ/ noun 1.

a business 쑗 He is the MD of a large commercial undertaking. 2. a promise, especially a legally binding one 쑗 They have given us a written undertaking not to sell their products in competition with ours.

underwriter

/ndəvljυeʃ(ə)n/ noun the state of being valued, or the act of valuing something, at less than the true worth undervalued /ndəvljud/ adjective not valued highly enough 쑗 The dollar is undervalued on the foreign exchanges. 쑗 The properties are undervalued on the company’s balance sheet.

undervaluation

‘…in terms of purchasing power, the dollar is considerably undervalued, while the US trade deficit is declining month by month’ [Financial Weekly]

underwater /ndəwɔtə/ adjective which has lost value

loan /ndəwɔtə ləυn/ noun a loan which is worth less than its book value, as when an item bought with a loan loses its value on the market underwater option /ndəwɔtə ɒpʃən/ noun an option which has no value underweight /ndəwet/ adjective not heavy enough 왍 the pack is twenty grams underweight the pack weighs twenty grams less than it should underwrite /ndərat/ verb 1. to accept responsibility for something 왍 to underwrite a share issue to guarantee that a share issue will be sold by agreeing to buy all shares which are not subscribed 쑗 The issue was underwritten by three underwriting companies. 2. to insure, to cover a risk 쑗 to underwrite an insurance policy 3. to agree to pay for costs 쑗 The government has underwritten the development costs of the project. underwater

(NOTE: underwriting – underwrote – has underwritten) ‘…under the new program, mortgage brokers are allowed to underwrite mortgages and get a much higher fee’ [Forbes Magazine]

underwriter /ndəratə/ noun a person or company that underwrites a share issue or an insurance COMMENT: When a major company flota-

tion or share issue or loan is prepared, a group of companies (such as merchant banks) will form a syndicate to underwrite the flotation: the syndicate will be organized by the ‘lead underwriter’, together with a group of main underwriters; these in turn will ask others (‘sub-underwriters’) to share in the underwriting.

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366

underwriting /ndəratŋ/ noun the

action of guaranteeing to purchase shares in a new issue if no one purchases them underwriting fee /ndəratŋ fi/ noun a fee paid by a company to the underwriters for guaranteeing the purchase of new shares in that company

underwriting

syndicate

/ndəratŋ sndkət/ noun a group

of underwriters who insure a large risk

undischarged

bankrupt

/ndstʃɑd$d bŋkrpt/ noun a

person who has been declared bankrupt and has not been released from that state

undistributed

profit

/ndstrbjutd prɒft/ noun a profit

which has not been distributed as dividends to shareholders unearned income /n%nd nkm/ noun same as investment income uneconomic /nikənɒmk/ adjective which does not make a commercial profit 왍 it is an uneconomic proposition it will not be commercially profitable uneconomic rent /nikənɒmk rent/ noun a rent which is not enough to cover costs unemployed /nmplɔd/ adjective not having any paid work 쐽 noun 왍 the unemployed the people without any jobs unemployment /nmplɔmənt/ noun the state of not having any work ‘…tax advantages directed toward small businesses will help create jobs and reduce the unemployment rate’ [Toronto Star]

unemployment benefit /nm-

plɔmənt benft/ noun a payment from the government made to someone who is unemployed (NOTE: The US term is unemployment compensation.) unemployment pay /nmplɔmənt pe/ noun money given by

the government to someone who is unemployed unemployment rate /nmplɔmənt ret/ noun the number of people out of work, shown as a percentage of the total number of people available for work. Also called rate of unemployment

United Nations

unencumbered /nnkmbəd/ adjective referring to property which is not mortgaged unfair competition /nfeə kɒmpətʃ(ə)n/ noun the practice of trying to do better than another company by using techniques such as importing foreign goods at very low prices or by wrongly criticising a competitor’s products unfavourable /nfev(ə)rəb(ə)l/ adjective not favourable (NOTE: The US spelling is unfavorable.) 왍 unfavourable balance of trade a situation where a country imports more than it exports 왍 unfavourable exchange rate an exchange rate which gives an amount of foreign currency for the home currency which is not good for trade 쑗 The unfavourable exchange rate hit the country’s exports. unfulfilled orders /nfυlfld ɔdəz/ plural noun orders received in the past and not yet supplied ungeared /nəd/ adjective with no borrowings uniform business rate /junfɔm bzns ret/ noun a tax levied on business property which is the same percentage for the whole country. Abbreviation UBR unincorporated /nnkɔpəretd/ adjective referring to a business which has not been made into a company (i.e. which is operating as a partnership or a sole trader) unissued capital /nʃud kptl/ noun capital which a company is authorised to issue but has not issued as shares unit /junt/ noun 1. a single product for sale 2. a single share in a unit trust unitary regulator /junt(ə)ri rejυletə/ noun a single regulator, where before there were several Unitas index an index of prices on the Helsinki Stock Exchange unit cost /junt kɒst/ noun the cost of one item, i.e. the total product costs divided by the number of units produced United Nations /junatd neʃ(ə)nz/ noun an organisation which links almost all the countries of the world to promote good relations between them

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367

unitise /juntaz/, unitize verb to

form investments into units which are sold to the public unit-linked insurance /junt lŋkd nʃυərəns/ noun an insurance policy which is linked to the security of units in a unit trust or fund unit of account /junt əv əkaυnt/ noun a standard unit used in financial transactions among members of a group, such as SDRs in the IMF unit price /junt pras/ noun the price of one item unit trust /junt trst/ noun an organisation which takes money from small investors and invests it in stocks and shares for them under a trust deed, the investment being in the form of shares (or units) in the trust (NOTE: The US term is mutual fund.) COMMENT: Unit trusts have to be author-

ised by the Department of Trade and Industry before they can offer units for sale to the public, although unauthorised private unit trusts exist.

/nlɔf(ə)l/ adjective against the law, not legal unlimited /nlmtd/ adjective with no limits 쑗 The bank offered him unlimited credit. unlimited liability /nlmtd laəblti/ noun a situation where a sole trader or each partner is responsible for all a firm’s debts with no limit on the amount each may have to pay unlisted company /nlstd kmp(ə)ni/ noun a company whose shares are not listed on the stock exchange unlisted securities /nlstd skjυərtiz/ plural noun shares which are not listed on the Stock Exchange Unlisted Securities Market /nlstd skjυərtiz mɑkt/ noun formerly, the market for buying and selling shares which were not listed on the main Stock Exchange, now replaced by the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). Abbreviation USM unload /nləυd/ verb 1. to take goods off a ship, lorry etc. 쑗 The ship is unloading at Hamburg. 쑗 We need a fork-lift truck to unload the lorry. 쑗 We unloaded the spare parts at Lagos. 쑗 There are no unloading facilities for

unlawful

unsecured loan

container ships. 2. to sell shares which do not seem attractive 쑗 We tried to unload our shareholding as soon as the company published its accounts. unlock /nlɒk/ verb 왍 to unlock value to sell undervalued assets and so increase the value of a company to its shareholders unpaid /nped/ adjective not paid unpaid balance /nped bləns/ noun a balance of a loan or invoice which still has to be paid after a part payment or instalment payment has been made unpaid cheque /nped tʃek/ noun a cheque which has been deposited but which is bounced by the bank on which it is written, so the account of the person who should receive is not credited unpaid invoices /nped nvɔsz/ plural noun invoices which have not been paid unprofitable /nprɒftəb(ə)l/ adjective not profitable ‘…the airline has already eliminated a number of unprofitable flights’ [Duns Business Month]

shares /nkwəυtd ʃeəz/ plural noun shares which have no Stock Exchange quotation unrealised /nrəlazd/, unrealized adjective not sold to make a profit unrealised capital gain /nrəlazd kpt(ə)l en/ noun an investment which is showing a profit but has not been sold unrealised profit /nrəlazd prɒft/ noun same as paper profit unredeemed pledge /nrdimd pled$/ noun a pledge which the borrower has not claimed back because he has not paid back his loan unregistered /nred$stəd/ adjective referring to a company which has not been registered unsecured creditor /nskjυəd kredtə/ noun a creditor who is owed money, but has no security from the debtor for the debt unsecured debt /nskjυəd det/ noun a debt which is not guaranteed by a charge on assets or by any collateral unsecured loan /nskjυəd ləυn/ noun a loan made with no security unquoted

unseen

unseen /nsin/ adverb not seen 왍 to

368

buy something sight unseen to buy something without having inspected it unsettled /nset(ə)ld/ adjective which changes often or which is upset unstable /nsteb(ə)l/ adjective not stable, changing frequently 쑗 unstable exchange rates unsubsidised /nsbsdazd/, unsubsidized adjective with no subsidy unsuccessful /nsəksesf(ə)l/ adjective not successful 쑗 an unsuccessful businessman 쑗 The project was expensive and unsuccessful. 쑗 He made six unsuccessful job applications before he finally got a job. unsuccessfully /nsəksesf(ə)li/ adverb with no success 쑗 The company unsuccessfully tried to break into the South American market. 쑗 He unsuccessfully applied for the job of marketing manager. unweighted /nwetd/ adjective without giving any extra value to a certain factor up /p/ adverb, preposition in or to a higher position 쑗 The inflation rate is going up steadily. 쑗 Shares were up slightly at the end of the day. 쑗 She worked her way up to become sales director. upcoming /pkmŋ/ adjective which will come in the near future 쑗 The company is banking on its upcoming new drug to treat strokes. update /pdet/ verb to revise something so that it is always up to date 쑗 The figures are updated annually. up front /p frnt/ adverb in advance uplift /plft/ noun an increase 쑗 The contract provides for an annual uplift of charges. up market /p mɑkt/ noun a stock market which is rising or is at its highest level 쑗 How your emerging growth fund performs in a down market is just as important as in an up market. upmarket /p mɑkt/ adverb, adjective more expensive or appealing to a wealthy section of the population 왍 the company has decided to move upmarket the company has decided to start to produce more luxury items

use

upscale /pskel/ adjective aimed at

customers at the top end of the socio-economic ladder, who are well-educated and have higher incomes upset price /pset pras/ noun the lowest price which the seller will accept at an auction upside potential /psad pətenʃəl/ noun the possibility for a share to increase in value (NOTE: The opposite is downside risk.)

upstream /pstrim/ adjective re-

ferring to the operations of a company at the beginning of a process (as drilling for oil as an operation of a petroleum company). Compare downstream upswing /pswŋ/ noun an upward movement of share prices (NOTE: The opposite is downswing.) uptick /ptk/ noun US a price of a

share sold, which is higher than the previous price up to /p tu/ preposition as far as, as high as 쑗 We will buy at prices up to £25. upturn /pt%n/ noun a movement towards higher sales or profits 쑗 an upturn in the economy 쑗 an upturn in the market upward /pwəd/ adjective towards a higher position 쑗 an upward movement upwards /pwədz/ adverb towards a higher position 쑗 The market moved upwards after the news of the budget. (NOTE: In the USA, upward is used as both adjective and adverb.) US, USA abbreviation United States

(of America) use noun /jus/ a way in which something can be used 왍 directions for use instructions on how to run a machine 왍 to make use of something to use something 왍 in use being worked 쑗 The computer is in use twenty-four hours a day. 왍 items for personal use items which a person will use for himself, not on behalf of the company 왍 he has the use of a company car he has a company car which he uses privately 쐽 verb /juz/ to take something, e.g. a machine, a company or a process, and work with it 쑗 We use airmail for all our overseas correspondence. 쑗 The photocopier is being used all the time. 쑗 They use freelancers for most of their work.

user

369

user /juzə/ noun a person who uses something

user-friendly /juzə frendli/ adjec-

tive which a user finds easy to work 쑗 These programs are really user-friendly. user’s guide /juzəz ad/, user’s handbook /juzəz hndbυk/, user’s manual /juzəz mnjυəl/ noun a book showing someone how to use something USM abbreviation Unlisted Securities Market US Treasury bonds /ju es tre$əri bɒndz/ plural noun bonds issued by the US Treasury usual /ju$υəl/ adjective normal or ordinary 쑗 Our usual terms or usual conditions are thirty days’ credit. 쑗 The usual practice is to have the contract

utility

signed by the MD. 쑗 The usual hours of work are from 9.30 to 5.30. usurious /juzjυəriəs/ adjective referring to usury 쑗 a usurious rate of interest usury /ju$əri/ noun lending money at high interest utilisation /jutlazeʃ(ə)n/, utilization noun the act of making use of something ‘…control permits the manufacturer to react to changing conditions on the plant floor and to keep people and machines at a high level of utilization’ [Duns Business Month]

utilise /jutlaz/, utilize verb to use something

utility /jutlti/ noun a public service

company, such as one that supplies water, gas or electricity or runs public transport 쑗 Shares in utility companies or utilities offer good dividends.

V vacant possession /vekənt pə-

zeʃ(ə)n/ noun being able to occupy a property immediately after buying it because it is empty 쑗 The property is to be sold with vacant possession. valorem /vəlɔrəm/ noun 쒁 ad valorem duty

/vljυəb(ə)l/ adjective which is worth a lot of money valuation /vljueʃ(ə)n/ noun an estimate of how much something is worth 쑗 to ask for a valuation of a property before making an offer for it 왍 to buy a shop with stock at valuation when buying a shop, to pay a price for the stock which is equal to the value as estimated by the valuer 왍 to purchase stock at valuation to pay the price for stock which it is valued at value /vlju/ noun the amount of money which something is worth 쑗 the fall in the value of sterling 쑗 He imported goods to the value of £2500. 쑗 The valuer put the value of the stock at £25,000. 왍 good value (for money) a bargain, something which is worth the price paid for it 쑗 That restaurant gives value for money. 쑗 Buy that computer now – it is very good value. 쑗 Holidays in Italy are good value because of the exchange rate. 왍 to rise or fall in value to be worth more or less 쐽 verb to estimate how much money something is worth 쑗 He valued the stock at £25,000. 쑗 We are having the jewellery valued for insurance. value added /vlju dd/ noun the amount added to the value of a product or service, being the difference between its cost and the amount received when it is sold. Also called net output Value Added Tax /vlju dd tks/ noun full form of VAT value investing /vlju nvestŋ/ noun basing investment strategy on the

valuable

value of a company rather than simply on its share price value investor /vlju nvestə/ noun a person who buys shares for the value of the company value-priced goods /vlju prast υdz/ noun goods which are good value for money valuer /vljυə/ noun a person who estimates how much money something is worth value stocks /vlju stɒks/ plural noun shares which provide a good return on investment vanilla /vənlə/ noun 쒁 plain vanilla swap

/veəriəb(ə)l/ adjective which changes 쐽 noun something which varies variable annuity /veəriəb(ə)l ənjuəti/ noun an annuity based on funds invested in common stock, which varies with the value of the stock, as opposed to a fixed annuity variable costs /veəriəb(ə)l kɒsts/ plural noun production costs which increase with the quantity of the product made, e.g. wages or raw materials variable rate /veəriəb(ə)l ret/ noun a rate of interest on a loan which is not fixed, but can change with the current bank interest rates. Also called

variable

floating rate

variable

redemption

bond

/veəriəb(ə)l rdempʃən bɒnd/ noun a

bond where the money to be repaid is linked to a variable, such as the price of gold at the time of payment variance /veəriəns/ noun the difference between what was expected and the actual results 왍 at variance with not in agreement with 쑗 The actual sales are at variance with the sales reported by the reps.

variation

371

variation /veərieʃ(ə)n/ noun the amount by which something changes 왍

seasonal variations variations which take place at different times of the year 쑗 seasonal variations in buying patterns 쑗 There are marked seasonal variations in unemployment in the hotel industry. VAT /vi e ti, vt/ noun a tax on goods and services, added as a percentage to the invoiced sales price 쑗 The invoice includes VAT at 17.5%. 쑗 The government is proposing to increase VAT to 22%. 쑗 Some items (such as books) are zero-rated for VAT. 쑗 He does not charge VAT because he asks for payment in cash. Full form Value Added Tax ‘…the directive means that the services of stockbrokers and managers of authorized unit trusts are now exempt from VAT; previously they were liable to VAT at the standard rate. Zero-rating for stockbrokers’ services is still available as before, but only where the recipient of the service belongs outside the EC’ [Accountancy] COMMENT: In the UK, VAT is organised

by the Customs and Excise Department, and not by the Treasury. It is applied at each stage in the process of making or selling a product or service. Company ‘A’ charges VAT for their work, which is bought by Company ‘B’, and pays the VAT collected from ‘B’ to the Customs and Excise; Company ‘B’ can reclaim the VAT element in Company ‘A’’s invoice from the Customs and Excise, but will charge VAT on their work in their invoice to Company ‘C’. Each company along the line charges VAT and pays it to the Customs and Excise, but claims back any VAT charged to them. The final consumer pays a price which includes VAT, and which is the final VAT revenue paid to the Customs and Excise. Any company or individual should register for VAT if their annual turnover or income is above a certain level.

declaration /vt dekləreʃ(ə)n/ noun a statement declaring VAT income to the VAT office VAT inspection /vt nspekʃ(ə)n/ noun a visit by officials of the Customs and Excise Department to see if a company is correctly reporting its VAT VAT inspector /vt nspektə/ noun a government official who examines VAT returns and checks that VAT is being paid VAT

venture capital fund

VAT invoice /vt nvɔs/ noun an invoice which includes VAT

VAT invoicing /vt nvɔsŋ/

noun the sending of an invoice including VAT VATman /vtmn/, vatman noun a VAT inspector VAT office /vt ɒfs/ noun the government office dealing with the collection of VAT in an area vault /vɔlt/ noun a strongroom in a bank, usually underground, where valuables can be deposited vault cash /vɔlt kʃ/ noun cash held by a bank in its vaults, used for day-to-day needs VC abbreviation venture capitalist VCT abbreviation venture capital trust velocity of money /vəlɒsti əv mni/ noun the rate at which money circulates in the economy, usually calculated as the GNP shown as a percentage of the stock of money supply vending /vendŋ/ noun selling vendor /vendə/ noun 1. a person who sells something, especially a property 쑗 the solicitor acting on behalf of the vendor 2. a company selling its shares on a stock market for the first time vendor placing /vendə plesŋ/ noun the act of arranging for an issue of new shares to be bought by institutions, as a means of financing the purchase of another company venture /ventʃə/ noun a commercial deal which involves a risk 쑗 They lost money on several import ventures. 쑗 She’s started a new venture – a computer shop. 쐽 verb to risk money venture capital /ventʃə kpt(ə)l/ noun capital for investment which may easily be lost in risky projects, but can also provide high returns. Also called risk capital

capital fund /ventʃə kpt(ə)l fnd/ noun a fund which invests in finances houses providing venture capital venture

‘…the Securities and Exchange Board of India allowed new companies to enter the primary market provided venture capital funds took up 10 per cent of the equity. At present, new companies are allowed to make initial public offerings provided their projects have been appraised by banks or financial institutions

venture capitalist

372

which take up 10 per cent of the equity’ [The Hindu]

capitalist /ventʃə kpt(ə)lst/ noun a finance house or private individual specialising in providing venture capital. Abbreviation VC

venture

‘…along with the stock market boom of the 1980s, the venture capitalists piled more and more funds into the buyout business, backing bigger and bigger deals with ever more extravagant financing structures’ [Guardian]

capital trust /ventʃə kpt(ə)l trst/ noun a trust which invests in smaller firms which need capital to grow. Abbreviation VCT verification /verfkeʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of checking if something is correct 쑗 The shipment was allowed into the country after verification of the documents by customs. verify /verfa/ verb to check to see if something is correct vertical /v%tk(ə)l/ adjective upright, straight up or down venture

vertical

communication

/v%tk(ə)l kəmjunkeʃ(ə)n/ noun

communication between senior managers via the middle management to the workforce vertical integration /v%tk(ə)l ntreʃ(ə)n/ noun same as backward integration

vested interest /vestd ntrəst/

noun a special interest in keeping an existing state of affairs 왍 she has a vested interest in keeping the business working she wants to keep the business working because she will make more money if it does vesting day /vestŋ de/ noun a day when a formerly nationalised industry becomes owned by its new shareholders vet /vet/ verb to examine something carefully 쑗 All candidates have to be vetted by the managing director. 쑗 The contract has been sent to the legal department for vetting. (NOTE: vetting – vetted) viability /vaəblti/ noun the fact of being viable or being able to make a profit viable /vaəb(ə)l/ adjective which can work in practice 왍 not commercially viable not likely to make a profit videoconference /vdiəυkɒnf(ə)rəns/ noun a system linking

void

video, audio and computer signals from different locations so that distant people can talk and see each other, as if in the same conference room view /vju/ noun a way of thinking about something 쑗 We asked the sales manager for his views on the reorganisation of the reps’ territories. 쑗 The chairman takes the view that credit should never be longer than thirty days. 왍 to take the long view to plan for a long period before your current investment will become profitable 왍 in view of because of 쑗 In view of the falling exchange rate, we have redrafted our sales forecasts. viewdata /vjudetə/ noun a service on TV which gives share prices. Some services also allow trading over the phone. virement /vaəmənt/ noun a transfer of money from one account to another or from one section of a budget to another virtual credit card /v%tʃυəl kredt kɑd/ noun a technology that allows a user to set up a new credit account with a bank on the Internet and then use this account number to purchase goods, also on the Internet virtual tokens /v%tʃυəl təυkənz/ plural noun banking technology that allows a user to transfer money from their normal bank to an Internet bank and then use this credit to purchase goods on the Internet VISA /vizə/ trademark a trademark for an international credit card system visible /vzb(ə)l/ adjective referring to real products which are imported or exported visible exports /vzəb(ə)l ekspɔts/ plural noun real products which are imported or exported, as opposed to services visible trade /vzəb(ə)l tred/ noun trade involving visible imports and exports

vivos 쒁 inter vivos voicemail /vɔsmel/ noun an elec-

tronic communications system which stores digitised recordings of telephone messages for later playback void /vɔd/ adjective not legally valid 왍 the contract was declared null and

voidable

373

void the contract was said to be no longer valid 쐽 verb 왍 to void a contract to make a contract invalid voidable /vɔdəb(ə)l/ adjective referring to a contract which can be annulled volatile /vɒlətal/ adjective referring to a market or price which is not stable, but which rises and falls sharply 쑗 The share has been very volatile since it was launched. ‘…blue chip stocks are the least volatile while smaller stocks are the most volatile’ [The Times] ‘…the investment markets appear to have become ever more volatile, with interest rates moving at times to extreme levels, and the stock market veering wildly from boom to slump and back again’ [Financial Times Review]

volume of trade /vɒljum əv tred/ noun same as volume of business volume-weighted

prices which are calculated according to the volume of turnover voluntarily /vɒlənt(ə)rəl/ adverb without being forced or paid voluntary /vɒlənt(ə)ri/ adjective 1. done freely without anyone forcing you to act 2. done without being paid voluntary liquidation /vɒlənt(ə)ri lkwdeʃ(ə)n/ noun a situation where a company itself decides it must close and sell its assets

voluntary

volatility /vɒlətlti/ noun the fact of

voluntary

‘…while the technology sector has certainly captured the imagination of private investors, the enthusiasm it has aroused among them is likely to cause extreme share price volatility in the short term’ [Financial Times]

volatility rating / vɒlətlti retŋ/

noun a calculation of how volatile a share is, by calculating how much its performance is different from the normal pattern volume /vɒljum/ noun 1. a quantity of items 2. the quantity of shares traded on a stock market 쑗 average daily volume: 130,000 shares volume discount /vɒljum dskaυnt/ noun the discount given to a customer who buys a large quantity of goods volume of business /vɒljum əv bzns/ noun the number of items sold, or the number of shares sold on the Stock Exchange during a day’s trading 쑗 The company has maintained the same volume of business in spite of the recession. volume of sales /vɒljum əv selz/ noun 1. the number of items sold 왍 low or high volume of sales a small or large number of items sold 2. US an amount of money produced by sales (NOTE: The UK term is turnover.)

prices

/vɒljum wetd prasz/ plural noun

‘…the FTSE 100 Index ended another volatile session a net 96.3 easier at 6027’ [Financial Times]

being volatile 쑗 Investors are recommended to keep their money in building society accounts because the increasing volatility of the stock market.

voting

organisation

/vɒlənt(ə)ri ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun

an organisation which has no paid staff

redundancy

/vɒlənt(ə)ri rdndənsi/ noun a sit-

uation where the employee asks to be made redundant, usually in return for a large payment vostro account /vɒstrəυ əkaυnt/ noun an account held by a correspondent bank for a foreign bank. 쏡 nostro account

vote /vəυt/ noun the act of marking

a paper or holding up your hand, to show your opinion or to show who you want to be elected 왍 to take a vote on a proposal, to put a proposal to the vote to ask people present at a meeting to say if they do or do not agree with the proposal 쐽 verb to show an opinion by marking a paper or by holding up your hand at a meeting 쑗 The meeting voted to close the factory. 쑗 52% of the members voted for Mr Smith as chairman. 쑗 Most of the staff voted for a strike. 왍 to vote for or against a proposal to say that you agree or do not agree with a proposal 왍 two directors were voted off the board at the AGM the AGM voted to dismiss two directors 왍 she was voted on to the committee she was elected a member of the committee voter /vəυtə/ noun a person who votes voting /vəυtŋ/ noun the act of making a vote

voting paper

374

voting paper /vəυtŋ pepə/ noun

a paper on which the voter puts a cross to show for whom he wants to vote voting rights /vəυtŋ rats/ plural noun the rights of shareholders to vote at company meetings

voucher

voting shares /vəυtŋ ʃeəz/ plural

noun shares which give the holder the right to vote at company meetings voucher /vaυtʃə/ noun 1. a piece of paper which is given instead of money 2. a written document from an auditor to show that the accounts are correct or that money has really been paid

W wage /wed$/ noun the money paid to an employee in return for work done, especially when it is paid weekly and in cash 쑗 She is earning a good wage or good wages for a young person. (NOTE: The plural wages is more usual when referring to the money earned, but wage is used before other nouns.) ‘European economies are being held back by rigid labor markets and wage structures’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…real wages have been held down dramatically: they have risen at an annual rate of only 1% in the last two years’ [Sunday Times] COMMENT: The term ‘wages’ refers to

weekly or hourly pay for workers, usually paid in cash. For employees paid by a monthly cheque, the term used is ‘salary’.

adjustments /wed$ əd$stmənts/ plural noun changes made to wages wage claim /wed$ klem/ noun an act of asking for an increase in wages wage differentials /wed$ dfərenʃəlz/ plural noun same as pay wage

differentials

wage drift /wed$ drft/ noun same as earnings drift

wage-earner /wed$ %nə/ noun a person who earns a wage

wage-earning /wed$ %nŋ/ adjective 왍 the wage-earning population

people who have jobs and earn money wage indexation /wed$ ndekseʃ(ə)n/ noun the linking of increases to the percentage rise in the cost of living wage negotiations /wed$ nəυʃieʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun same as pay negotiations wage packet /wed$ pkt/ noun same as pay packet wage-price spiral /wed$ pras spaərəl/ noun a situation where price

rises encourage higher wage demands which in turn make prices rise wage restraint /wed$ rstrent/ noun the act of keeping increases in wages under control

wages

and

prices

freeze

/wed$z ən prasz friz/ noun a

period when wages and prices are not allowed to be increased wage scale /wed$ skel/ noun same as pay scale wages clerk /wed$z klɑk/ noun same as payroll clerk wages drift /wed$s drft/ noun same as earnings drift wages policy /wed$z pɒlsi/ noun a government policy on what percentage increases should be paid to workers waive /wev/ verb to give up a right 쑗 He waived his claim to the estate. 왍 to waive a payment to say that payment is not necessary waiver /wevə/ noun an act of giving up a right or removing the conditions of a rule 쑗 If you want to work without a permit, you will have to apply for a waiver. waiver clause /wevə klɔz/ noun a clause in a contract giving the conditions under which the rights in the contract can be given up walk-in /wɔk n/ noun a person who approaches an organisation for a job, without knowing if any jobs are available (NOTE: The plural is walk-ins.) wall of money /wɔl əv mni/ noun a large amount of money ready to be invested on the stock market (especially, money from new investment funds, or foreign investors) (NOTE: Similar to the weight of money.) wallpaper /wɔlpepə/ noun shares

issued in large numbers during a take-

wall safe

376

over bid where the purchasing company offers them in exchange for the shares in the company being bought wall safe /wɔl sef/ noun a safe installed in a wall Wall Street /wɔl strit/ noun 1. a street in New York where the Stock Exchange is situated 2. the US financial centre 쑗 Wall Street analysts predict a rise in interest rates. 쑗 She writes the Wall Street column in the newspaper. warehouse /weəhaυs/ noun a large building where goods are stored warehouse capacity /weəhaυs kəpsti/ noun the space available in a warehouse warehousing /weəhaυzŋ/ noun 1. the act of storing goods in a warehouse 쑗 Warehousing costs are rising rapidly. 2. an illegal act where someone buys shares in a company on behalf of another company and holds them in readiness to be surrendered when the second company makes a takeover bid War Loan /wɔ ləυn/ noun a government loan issued in time of war warning /wɔnŋ/ noun a notice of possible danger 쑗 Warning notices were put up around the construction site. warrant /wɒrənt/ noun an official document which allows someone to do something ‘…the rights issue will grant shareholders free warrants to subscribe for further new shares’ [Financial Times]

warrantee /wɒrənti/ noun a person who is given a warranty warrant holder /wɒrənt həυldə/ noun a person who holds a warrant for shares warrantor /wɒrəntɔ/ noun a person who gives a warranty warrant premium /wɒrənt primiəm/ noun a premium paid to buy share warrants, above the price of the shares it entitles you to warranty /wɒrənti/ noun 1. a legal document which promises that a machine will work properly or that an item is of good quality 쑗 The car is sold with a twelve-month warranty. 쑗 The warranty covers spare parts but not labour costs. 2. a promise in a contract 3. a statement made by an insured person

weakness

which declares that the facts stated by him are true washing /wɒʃŋ/ noun US the practice of selling and buying back the same security, so as to reduce tax liability, or to increase trading volume. 쏡 bond-washing wash sale /wɒʃ sel/ noun US the

sale and then repurchase of a block of shares (similar to the British ‘bed-and-breakfast deal’, though in the US it may also be used as a means of creating fictitious trading volume) waste /west/ noun material left over from a production process which is of no value and is thrown away 쐽 verb to use more than is needed 쑗 to waste money or paper or electricity or time 쑗 The MD does not like people wasting his time with minor details. 쑗 We turned off all the heating so as not to waste energy. COMMENT: Industrial waste has no value,

as opposed to scrap which may be sold to a scrap dealer.

wasting asset /westŋ st/ noun

an asset which becomes gradually less valuable as time goes by (e.g. a short lease on a property) watchdog /wɒtʃdɒ/ noun a person or group that examines public spending or financial deals, etc. 왍 the City watchdog the Financial Services Authority (FSA), which supervises the financial institutions water down /wɔtə daυn/ verb to make something less strong 쑗 The family’s holdings have been watered down by the creation of the new shares. weak /wik/ adjective not strong, not active 왍 share prices remained weak share prices did not rise weak currency /wik krənsi/ noun a currency which is trading at a low level against other currencies weaken /wikən/ verb to become weak 왍 the market weakened share prices fell ‘…the Fed started to ease monetary policy months ago as the first stories appeared about weakening demand in manufacturing industry’ [Sunday Times]

weak market /wik mɑkt/ noun a

share market where prices tend to fall because there are no buyers weakness /wiknəs/ noun the fact of being weak

wealth tax

377

wholesale banking

‘…indications of weakness in the US economy were contained in figures from the Fed on industrial production’ [Financial Times]

‘…the share of white-collar occupations in total employment rose from 44 per cent to 49 per cent’ [Sydney Morning Herald]

wealth tax /welθ tks/ noun a tax

white-collar crime /wat kɒlə

on money, property or investments owned by a person web /web/ noun same as World Wide

Web

webpage /webped$/ noun a single file of text and graphics, forming part of a website website /websat/ noun a position on the web, which is created by a company, organisation or individual, and which anyone can visit 쑗 How many hits did we have on our website last week? Wechsel noun the German word for foreign exchange weight /wet/ noun a measurement of how heavy something is 왍 to sell fruit by weight the price is per pound or per kilo of the fruit 왍 to give short weight to give less than you should 쐽 verb to give an extra value to a certain factor weighted average /wetd v(ə)rd$/ noun an average which is calculated taking several factors into account, giving some more value than others weighted index /wetd ndeks/ noun an index where some important items are given more value than less important ones weighting /wetŋ/ noun additional salary or wages paid to compensate for living in an expensive part of the country 쑗 The salary is £15,000 plus London weighting. weight of money /wet əv mni/ noun a large amount of money ready to be invested on the stock market (especially cash available in pension funds) wheeler-dealer /wilə dilə/ noun a person who lives on money from a series of profitable business deals whisper number /wspə nmbə/ noun a figure which is mentioned as a rumour whistleblower /ws(ə)lbləυə/ noun a person who reveals dishonest practices (informal ) white-collar /wat kɒlə/ adjective referring to office workers .

kram/ noun crimes committed by business people or office workers (such as embezzlement, computer fraud or insider dealing) white-collar job /wat kɒlə d$ɒb/ noun a job in an office white-collar union /wat kɒlə junjən/ noun a trade union formed of white-collar workers white-collar worker /wat kɒlə w%kə/ noun a worker in an office, not in a factory white knight /wat nat/ noun a person or company which rescues a firm in financial difficulties, especially one which saves a firm from being taken over by an unacceptable purchaser White Paper /wat pepə/ noun a report issued by the UK government as a statement of government policy on a particular problem. Compare Green Paper

whizz-kid /wz kd/ noun a brilliant

young person who quickly becomes successful in business 쑗 She was a whizz-kid who reached head of department in five years. whole-life insurance /həυl laf nʃυərəns/, whole-life policy /həυl laf pɒlsi/ noun an insurance policy where the insured person pays a fixed premium each year and the insurance company pays a sum when he or she dies (also called ‘whole-of-life assurance’) wholesale /həυlsel/ adjective, adverb referring to the business of buying goods from manufacturers and selling them in large quantities to traders who then sell in smaller quantities to the general public 쑗 I persuaded him to give us a wholesale discount. 왍 he buys wholesale and sells retail he buys goods in bulk at a wholesale discount and then sells in small quantities to the public wholesale banking /həυlsel bŋkŋ/ noun banking services between merchant banks and other financial institutions (as opposed to retail banking)

wholesale dealer

378

wholesale dealer /həυlsel dilə/

noun a person who buys in bulk from manufacturers and sells to retailers wholesale market /həυlsel mɑkt/ noun an interbank money market, where banks and other financial institutions deal with each other wholesale price /həυlsel pras/ noun the price charged to customers who buy goods in large quantities in order to resell them in smaller quantities to others wholesale price index /həυlsel pras ndeks/ noun an index showing the rises and falls of prices of manufactured goods as they leave the factory wholesaler /həυlselə/ noun a person who buys goods in bulk from manufacturers and sells them to retailers wholly-owned subsidiary /həυlli əυnd səbsdjəri/ noun a subsidiary which belongs completely to the parent company will /wl/ noun a legal document where someone says what should happen to his or her property when he or she dies 쑗 He wrote his will in 1984. 쑗 According to her will, all her property is left to her children. COMMENT: A will should best be drawn

up by a solicitor; it can also be written on a form which can be bought from a stationery shop. To be valid, a will must be dated and witnessed by a third party (i.e. by someone who is not mentioned in the will).

windfall /wndfɔl/ noun a sudden winning of money or a sudden profit which is not expected windfall profit /wndfɔl prɒft/ noun a sudden profit which is not expected windfall profits tax /wndfɔl prɒfts tks/, windfall tax /wndfɔl tks/ noun a special tax on unexpected profits windfall wealth /wndfɔl welθ/ noun wealth which comes from a windfall winding up /wandŋ p/ noun liquidation, the act of closing a company and selling its assets 왍 a compulsory winding up order an order from a court saying that a company must be wound up

withdrawal

windmill /wndml/ noun same as

accommodation bill (informal ) window /wndəυ/ noun a short pe.

riod when something is available or possible window dressing /wndəυ dresŋ/ noun 1. the practice of putting goods on display in a shop window, so that they attract customers 2. the practice of putting on a display to make a business seem better or more profitable or more efficient than it really is window of opportunity /wndəυ əv ɒpətjunti/ noun a short period which allows an action to take place window shopping /wndəυ ʃɒpŋ/ noun the practice of looking at goods in shop windows, without buying anything wind up /wand p/ verb 1. to end a meeting 쑗 He wound up the meeting with a vote of thanks to the committee. 2. 왍 to wind up a company to put a company into liquidation 쑗 The court ordered the company to be wound up. WIP abbreviation work in progress wipe off /wap ɒf/ verb to remove something completely wire transfer /waə trnsf%/ noun a transfer of money from one account to another by telegraph witching hour /wtʃŋ aυə/ noun a critical moment on a stock exchange, where several options expire at the same time withdraw /wðdrɔ/ verb 1. to take money out of an account 쑗 to withdraw money from the bank or from your account 쑗 You can withdraw up to £50 from any cash machine by using your card. 2. to take back an offer 쑗 When he found out more about the candidate, the HR manager withdrew the offer of a job. 쑗 When the workers went on strike, the company withdrew its revised pay offer. (NOTE: withdrawing – withdrew) 왍

one of the company’s backers has withdrawn he or she stopped supporting the company financially 쑗 We expect they will withdraw their takeover bid. 쑗 The chairman asked him to withdraw the remarks he has made about the finance director. withdrawal /wðdrɔəl/ noun the act of removing money from an account 쑗

withholding tax

379

to give seven days’ notice of withdrawal 쑗 Withdrawals from bank accounts reached a peak in the week before Christmas. 왍 withdrawal without penalty at seven days’ notice money can be taken out of a deposit account, without losing any interest, provided that seven days’ notice has been given withholding tax /wðhəυldŋ tks/ noun US a tax which removes money from interest or dividends before they are paid to the investor (usually applied to non-resident investors) with-profit bond /wð prɒft bɒnd/ noun a bond which guarantees a capital return plus the profits which have accumulated during its lifetime with profits /wθ prɒfts/ adverb referring to an insurance policy which guarantees the policyholder a share in the profits of the fund in which the premiums are invested won /wn/ noun a unit of currency used in North and South Korea work /w%k/ noun 1. things done using the hands or brain 2. a job, something done to earn money 쑗 It is not the work itself that the employees are complaining about 쑗 He goes to work by bus. 쑗 She never gets home from work before 8 p.m. 쑗 His work involves a lot of travelling. 쑗 He is still looking for work. 쑗 She has been out of work for six months. ‘…the quality of the work environment demanded by employers and employees alike’ [Lloyd’s List]

worker /w%kə/ noun a person who is employed 왍 worker representation on

the board the fact of having a representative of the workers as a director of the company worker director /w%kə darektə/ noun a director of a company who is a representative of the workforce workforce /w%kfɔs/ noun the total number of employees in an organisation, industry or country working /w%kŋ/ adjective 1. referring to work 2. 왍 working control of a company having enough shares in a company to be able to control all its actions (usually, this means 51% of shares) working capital /w%kŋ kpt(ə)l/ noun capital in the form of cash, stocks and debtors (less creditors)

works

used by a company in its day-to-day operations. Also called circulating capital, floating capital, net current assets working conditions /w%kŋ kəndʃ(ə)nz/ plural noun the general state

of the place where people work (e.g. whether it is hot, noisy, dark or dangerous) working partner /w%kŋ pɑtnə/ noun a partner who works in a partnership working-time directive /w%kŋ tam darektv/ noun a directive concerning the maximum number of hours an employee can work in the EU working underwriter /w%kŋ ndəratə/ noun a member of a Lloyd’s syndicate who actively generates business (as opposed to the ‘names’ who put up the security) working week /w%kŋ wik/ noun the usual number of hours worked per week 쑗 Even though he is a freelance, he works a normal working week. work in progress /w%k n prəυres/ noun the value of goods being manufactured which are not complete at the end of an accounting period 쑗 Our current assets are made up of stock, goodwill and work-in-progress. Abbreviation WIP (NOTE: The US term is work in process.) ‘…the control of materials from purchased parts through work in progress to finished goods provides manufacturers with an opportunity to reduce the amount of money tied up in materials’ [Duns Business Month]

/w%kləυd/ noun the amount of work which a person has to do 쑗 He has difficulty in coping with his heavy workload. work out /w%k aυt/ verb to calculate 쑗 He worked out the costs on the back of an envelope. 쑗 He worked out the discount at 15%. 쑗 She worked out the discount on her calculator. work permit /w%k p%mt/ noun an official document which allows someone who is not a citizen to work in a country works /w%ks/ noun a factory 쑗 There is a small engineering works in the same street as our office. 쑗 The steel works is expanding. (NOTE: takes a singular or

workload

plural verb)

works committee

380

works committee /w%ks kəmti/, works council /w%ks kaυnsəl/ noun

a committee of employees and management which discusses the organisation of work in a factory work-sharing /w%k ʃeərŋ/ noun a system that allows two or more part-timers to share one job, each doing part of the work for part of the pay works manager /w%ks mnd$ə/ noun a person in charge of a works workspace /w%kspes/ noun the memory or space available on a computer for temporary work workstation /w%ksteʃ(ə)n/ noun a desk with a computer terminal, printer, telephone, etc., at which an employee in an office works world /w%ld/ noun 1. the Earth 왍 the world market for steel the possible sales of steel throughout the world 2. the people in a specific business or people with a special interest 쑗 the world of big business 쑗 the world of lawyers or the legal world ‘…the EU pays farmers 27 cents a pound for sugar and sells it on the world market for 5 cents’ [Duns Business Month] ‘…manufactures and services were the fastest growing sectors of world trade’ [Australian Financial Review]

World Bank /w%ld bŋk/ noun a

central bank, controlled by the United Nations, whose funds come from the member states of the UN and which lends money to member states world rights /w%ld rats/ plural noun the right to sell the product anywhere in the world World Trade Organization /w%ld tred ɔənazeʃ(ə)n/ noun an international organisation set up with the aim of reducing restrictions in trade between countries. Abbreviation WTO worldwide /w%ldwad/ adjective, adverb everywhere in the world 쑗 The company has a worldwide network of distributors. 쑗 Worldwide sales or Sales worldwide have topped two million units. 쑗 This make of computer is available worldwide. World Wide Web /w%ld wad web/ noun an information system on the Internet that allows documents to be linked to one another by hypertext links

writedown

and accommodates websites and makes them accessible. Also called web worth /w%θ/ adjective having a value or a price 쑗 Don’t get it repaired – it’s worth only £25. 쑗 The car is worth £6,000 on the secondhand market. 왍 he is worth £10m he owns property, investments, etc., which would sell for £10m 왍 what are ten pounds worth in dollars? what is the equivalent of £10 in dollars? 쐽 noun a value 왍 give me ten pounds’ worth of petrol give me as much petrol as £10 will buy worthless /w%θləs/ adjective having no value 쑗 The cheque is worthless if it is not signed.

wraparound

mortgage

/rpəraυnd mɔd$/ noun US a type

of second mortgage where the borrower pays interest only to the second lender (who then pays the interest payments on the first mortgage to the first lender) wreck /rek/ noun 1. a ship which has sunk, which has been badly damaged and cannot float 쑗 They saved the cargo from the wreck. 쑗 Oil poured out of the wreck of the tanker. 2. the fact of collapsing, or a company which has collapsed 쑗 He managed to save some of his investment from the wreck of the company. 쑗 Investors lost thousands of pounds in the wreck of the investment trust. 쐽 verb to damage something badly or to ruin it 쑗 They are trying to salvage the wrecked tanker. 쑗 The negotiations were wrecked by the unions. writ /rt/, writ of summons /rt əv smənz/ noun a legal document which begins an action in the High Court 쑗 The court issued a writ to prevent the trade union from going on strike. 쑗 The company obtained a writ to prevent the trade union from going on strike. 왍 to serve someone with a writ, to serve a writ on someone to give someone a writ officially, so that he or she has to defend it write down /rat daυn/ verb to note an asset at a lower value than previously 쑗 written down value 쑗 The car is written down in the company’s books. writedown /ratdaυn/ noun the act of noting of an asset at a lower value ‘…the holding company has seen its earnings suffer from big writedowns in conjunction with its $1 billion loan portfolio’ [Duns Business Month]

write-down allowance

381

write-down allowance /rat daυn əlaυəns/ noun an allowance for the depreciation of an asset over a period of years write off /rat ɒf/ verb to cancel a debt, or to remove an asset from the accounts as having no value 쑗 We had to write off £20,000 in bad debts. 왍 two cars were written off after the accident the insurance company considered that both cars were a total loss 왍 the cargo was written off as a total loss the cargo was so badly damaged that the insurers said it had no value ‘$30 million from usual company borrowings will either be amortized or written off in one sum’ [Australian Financial Review]

write-off /rat ɒf/ noun 1. the total loss or cancellation of a bad debt, or the removal of an asset’s value from a company’s accounts 쑗 to allow for write-offs in the yearly accounts 2.

WTO

something which is so badly damaged that it cannot be repaired (informal ) 쑗 The car was a write-off. write out /rat aυt/ verb to write something in full 쑗 She wrote out the minutes of the meeting from her notes. 왍 to write out a cheque to write the words and figures on a cheque and then sign it writer /ratə/ noun a person who writes a cheque 왍 writer of an option person who sells an option writing /ratŋ/ noun something which has been written 쑗 to put the agreement in writing 쑗 He had difficulty in reading the candidate’s writing. written-down value /rt(ə)n daυn vlju/ noun a value of an asset in a company’s accounts after it has been written down WTO abbreviation World Trade Organization .

XYZ xa abbreviation ex-all xc abbreviation ex-capitalisation xd abbreviation ex dividend xr abbreviation ex-rights Yankee bank /jŋki bŋk/ noun a

foreign bank trading in the US Yankee bond /jŋki bɒnd/ noun a dollar bond issued in the American market by a non-US company. Compare bulldog bond, samurai bond year /jə/ noun a period of twelve

months

yearbook /jəbυk/ noun a reference

book which is published each year with updated or new information year end /jə end/ noun the end of the financial year, when a company’s accounts are prepared 쑗 The accounts department has started work on the year-end accounts. yearling bond /jəlŋ bɒnd/ noun a local authority bond which matures in 12 months yearly /jəli/ adjective happening once a year 쑗 We make a yearly payment of £1000. 쑗 His yearly insurance premium has risen to £250. 쑗 For the past few years he has had a yearly pay rise of 10%. Yellow Book /jeləυ bυk/ noun a publication by the London Stock Exchange which gives details of the regulations covering the listing of companies on the exchange yen /jen/ noun a unit of currency used in Japan (NOTE: It is usually written as ¥ before a figure: ¥2,700 (say two thousand seven hundred yen).) yield /jild/ noun the money produced

as a return on an investment, shown as a percentage of the money invested 쐽 verb to produce an amount or percentage as interest or dividend, 쑗 govern-

ment stocks which yield a small interest 쑗 shares which yield 10% ‘…if you wish to cut your risks you should go for shares with yields higher than average’ [Investors Chronicle] COMMENT: To work out the yield on an

investment, take the gross dividend per annum, multiply it by 100 and divide by the price you paid for it (in pence): an investment paying a dividend of 20p per share and costing £3.00, is yielding 6.66%.

yield curve /jild k%v/ noun a graph showing the yields on different types of investment yield to maturity /jild tə mətjυərti/ noun a calculation of the yield on a fixed-interest investment, assuming it is bought at a certain price and held to maturity yuan /juɑn/ noun a unit of currency used in China ZDPS abbreviation zero dividend preference shares zero /zərəυ/ noun 1. nought, the number 0 쑗 The code for international calls is zero zero (00). 2. same as zero dividend preference share

bond /zərəυ kupɒn bɒnd/ noun a bond which carries no interest, but which is issued at a discount and so provides a capital gain when it is redeemed at face value zero-coupon

zero dividend preference share

/zərəυ dvdend pref(ə)rəns ʃeəz/ noun a bond which pays no dividend, but has a fixed term and a fixed redemption price, which is a little higher than the redemption price on similar gilts though the redemption price is not in fact guaranteed. Abbreviation ZDPS. Also called zero

zero inflation

383

zero inflation /zərəυ nfleʃ(ə)n/ noun inflation at 0%

zero-rated /zərəυ retd/ adjective

referring to an item which has a VAT rate of 0% zero-rated bond /zərəυ retd bɒnd/ noun same as zero-coupon bond

zero-rating /zərəυ retŋ/ noun the

rating of an item at 0% VAT zinc /zŋk/ noun a metal which is traded on commodity markets, such as the London Metal Exchange

zone

ZIP code /zp kəυd/ noun US num-

bers in an address that indicate a postal delivery area (NOTE: The UK term is

postcode.)

zloty /zlɒti/ noun a unit of currency used in Poland

zone /zəυn/ noun an area of a town or

country for administrative purposes 쐽 verb to divide a town into different areas for planning and development purposes 왍 land zoned for light industrial use land where planning permission has been given to build small factories for light industry

SUPPLEMENTS

Central Banks Principal Stock Exchanges World Commodity Markets International Currencies

Central Banks Afghanistan da Afghanistan Bank, Kabul Albania Bank of Albania, Tirana Algeria Banque d’Algérie, Algiers Angola Banco Nacional de Angola, Luanda Argentina Banco Central de la República Argentina, Buenos Aires Armenia Central Bank of Armenia, Yerevan Australia Reserve Bank of Australia, Sydney Austria Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Vienna Azerbaijan National Bank of Azerbaijan, Baku Bahamas Central Bank of the Bahamas, Nassau Bahrain Bahrain Monetary Agency, Manama Bangladesh Bangladesh Bank, Dhaka Barbados Central Bank of Barbados, Bridgetown Belarus National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, Minsk Belgium Banque Nationale de Belgique, Brussels Bermuda Bermuda Monetary Authority, Hamilton Bhutan Royal Monetary Authority, Thimphu Bolivia Banco Central de Bolivia, La Paz Bosnia & Herzegovina Centralna Banka Bosne i Hercegovine, Sarajevo Botswana Bank of Botswana, Gaborone Brazil Banco Central do Brasil, Brasilia Brunei Brunei Currency Board Bulgaria Bulgarska Narodna Banka, Sofia Burundi Banque de la République du Burundi, Bujumbura Cambodia National Bank of Cambodia, Phnom Penh Cameroon Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale, Yaoundé Canada Bank of Canada, Ottawa Central African Republic Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale, Bangui Chad Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale, N’Djamena Chile Banco Central de Chile, Santiago China People’s Bank of China, Beijing Colombia Banco de la República de Colombia, Bogotá Congo (Republic of) Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale, Brazzaville Congo (Democratic Republic of) Banque Centrale du Congo, Kinshasa Costa Rica Banco Central de Costa Rica, San José Côte d’Ivoire Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Abidjan Croatia Hrvatska Narodna Banka, Zagreb Cuba Banco Central de Cuba, Havana Cyprus Kentrike Trapeza tes Kyprou, Nicosia Czech Republic Ceská Národní Banka, Prague Denmark Danmarks Nationalbank, Copenhagen Dominican Republic Banco Central de la República Dominicana, Santo Domingo Ecuador Banco Central del Ecuador, Quito Egypt Central Bank of Egypt, Cairo El Salvador Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador, San Salvador Estonia Eesti Pank, Tallinn Ethiopia National Bank of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa European Union European Central Bank, Frankfurt Finland Suomen Pankki, Helsinki France Banque de France, Paris Gabon Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale, Libreville The Gambia Central Bank of the Gambia, Banjul Georgia

National Bank of Georgia, Tbilisi

Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau

Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt Bank of Ghana, Accra Trapeza tes Ellados, Athens Banco de Guatemala, Guatemala City Banque Centrale de la République de Guinée, Conakry Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Bissau

Central Banks continued Guyana

Bank of Guyana, Georgetown

Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea (North)

Banque de la République d’Haïti, Port-au-Prince Banco Central de Honduras, Tegucigalpa Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Budapest Sedlabanki Islands, Reykjavik Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Bank Indonesia, Jakarta Bank Markazi Jomhouri Islami Iran, Teheran Central Bank of Iraq, Baghdad Bank Ceannais na hÉireann, Dublin Bank of Israel, Jerusalem Banca d’Italia, Rome Bank of Jamaica, Kingston Nippon Ginko (Bank of Japan), Tokyo Central Bank of Jordan, Amman National Bank of Kazakhstan, Almaty Central Bank of Kenya, Nairobi Central Bank of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang Bank of Korea, Seoul Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek Bank of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Vientiane Latvijas Banka, Riga Banque du Liban, Beirut Central Bank of Lesotho, Maseru National Bank of Liberia, Monrovia Central Bank of Libya, Tripoli Liechtensteinische Landesbank Lietuvos Bankas, Vilnius Banque Centrale du Luxembourg Narodna Banka na Republika Makedonja, Skopje Banque Centrale du Madagascar, Antananarivo Reserve Bank of Malawi, Lilongwe Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Bamako Central Bank of Malta, Valletta Banque Centrale de Mauritanie, Nouakchott Bank of Mauritius, Port Louis Banco de Mexico, Mexico National Bank of Moldova, Chisinau Bank of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar Central Bank of Montenegro, Podgorica Banque al-Maghrib, Rabat Banco de Moçambique, Maputo Central Bank of Myanmar, Yangon Bank of Namibia, Windhoek Nepal Rastra Bank, Kathmandu de Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Wellington Banco Central de Nicaragua, Managua Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Niamey Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos Norges Bank, Oslo

Korea (South) Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway

Central Banks continued Oman

Central Bank of Oman, Muscat

Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

State Bank of Pakistan, Karachi Banco Nacional de Panamá, Panama Bank of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby Banco Central de Paraguay, Asuncion Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, Lima Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila Narodowy Bank Polski, Warsaw Banco de Portugal, Lisbon Qatar Central Bank National Bank of Romania, Bucharest Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Moscow Banque Nationale du Rwanda, Kigali Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, Riyadh Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Dakar National Bank of Serbia, Belgrade Central Bank of the Seychelles, Victoria Bank of Sierra Leone, Freetown Monetary Authority of Singapore Národná Banka Slovenska, Bratislava Banka Slovenije, Ljubljana Baanka Somaliland, Mogadishu South African Reserve Bank, Pretoria Banco de España, Madrid Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Colombo Bank of Sudan, Khartoum Sveriges Riksbank, Stockholm Schweizerische Nationalbank, Banque Centrale Suisse, Berne Central Bank of Syria, Damascus Central Bank of China, Taipei Bank of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Bank of Thailand, Bangkok Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, Lomé Bank of Tonga, Nuku’alofa Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain Banque Centrale de Tunisie, Tunis Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankasi, Ankara Bank of Uganda, Kampala National Bank of Ukraine, Kiev Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Bank of England, London Federal Reserve System, Washington Banco Central del Uruguay, Montevideo Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent Banco Central de Venezuela, Caracas State Bank of Vietnam, Hanoi Central Bank of Yemen, Sana’a Bank of Zambia, Lusaka Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Harare

Principal Stock Exchanges Argentina Australia Austria Bangladesh Barbados Belgium Bermuda Botswana Brazil Bulgaria Canada

Chile Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Finland France Germany

Greece Hong Kong Hungary India

Indonesia Iran Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan

Bolsa de Comercio de Buenos Aires Australian Stock Exchange Wiener Börse AG, Vienna Dhaka Stock Exchange Barbados Securities Exchange, Bridgetown Euronext Brussels Bermuda Stock Exchange Botswana Stock Exchange Bolsa de Valores do Rio de Janeiro Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo Bulgarian Stock Exchange, Sofia Alberta Stock Exchange, Calgary Montreal Stock Exchange Toronto Stock Exchange Vancouver Stock Exchange Winnipeg Stock Exchange Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago Bolsa de Valores de Colombia Bolsa Nacional de Valores, San José Zagreb Stock Exchange Cyprus Stock Exchange Prague Stock Exchange Københavns Fondsbørs Bolsa de Valores de Quito Cairo Stock Exchange Alexandria Stock Exchange Bolsa de Valores de El Salvador Helsinki Stock Exchange Euronext Paris Deutsche Börse Börse Berlin-Bremer Börse Düsseldorf BÖAG Börse AG, Hamburg/Hanover Börse-Stuttgart Athens Stock Exchange Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Budapest Stock Exchange National Stock Exchange of India The Stock Exchange, Mumbai Calcutta Stock Exchange Delhi Stock Exchange Madras Stock Exchange Jakarta Stock Exchange Teheran Stock Exchange Dublin Stock Exchange Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Borsa Italiana Jamaica Stock Exchange f*ckuoka Stock Exchange Hiroshima Stock Exchange Nagoya Stock Exchange Osaka Stock Exchange Sapporo Stock Exchange Tokyo Stock Exchange

Principal Stock Exchanges continued Jordan

Amman Stock Exchange

Kenya Kuwait Lebanon Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malaysia Mexico Morocco Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan

Nairobi Stock Exchange Kuwait Stock Exchange Beirut Stock Exchange National Stock Exchange of Lithunia Bourse de Luxembourg Macedonian Stock Exchange Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Bolsa Mexicana de Valores Bourse de Casablanca Nepal Stock Exchange Euronext Amsterdam New Zealand Stock Exchange Nigerian Stock Exchange, Lagos Oslo Børs Karachi Stock Exchange Lahore Stock Exchange Bolsa de Valores de Panamá Bolsa de Valores de Lima Philippine Stock Exchange Warsaw Stock Exchange Euronext Lisbon Bucharest Stock Exchange Russian Exchange Singapore Exchange Burza cenných papierov v Bratislave Ljubljana Stock Exchange Johannesburg Stock Exchange Bolsa de Bilbao Bolsa de Madrid Bolsa de Barcelona Bolsa de Valencia Colombo Stock Exchange Stockholmbörsen Swiss Exchange Taiwan Stock Exchange Stock Exchange of Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange, Port of Spain Istanbul Menkul Kiymetler Borsasi London Stock Exchange American Stock Exchange, New York NASDAQ Boston Stock Exchange Chicago Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange Pacific Exchange, Los Angeles and New York Philadelphia Stock Exchange Bolsa de Valores de Montevideo Bolsa de Valores de Caracas Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, Harare

Panama Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Romania Russia Singapore Slovakia Slovenia South Africa Spain

Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Turkey United Kingdom United States

Uruguay Venezuela Zimbabwe

World Commodity Markets Argentina Australia Austria

Bolsa de Cereales, Buenos Aires Sydney Futures Exchange Wiener Börse

Brazil

Bolsa de Mercadorias & Futuros

Canada

Winnipeg Commodity Exchange

China

Shanghai Gold Exchange Shanghai Futures Exchange MATIF (Marché a Terme International de France)

France

German

Hong Kong Hungary India

Italy

Japan

Südwestdeutscher Warenbörsen (Mannheimer Produktenbörse, Stuttgarter Waren- und Produktenbörse, Frankfurter Getreide- und Produktenbörse, Wormser Getreide- und Produktenbörse) Warenterminbörse, Hanover Bremer Baumwollbörse Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Budapest Commodity Exchange Tobacco Board, Andhra Pradesh Coffee Board, Bangalore Central Silk Board, Mumbai Tea Board of India, Calcutta Cardamom Board, Cochin Coir Board, Cochin Rubber Board, Kerala Borsa Merci Telematicade Mediterraneo

Central Japan Commodity Exchange Hokkaido Grain Exchange Kanmon Commodity Exchange Kansai Commodities Exchange Osaka Mercantile Exchange

grains wool, cattle, electricity raw skins and hides, leather, driving belts, technical leather products, timber gold, coffee, alcohol, sugar, cotton, cattle, soybean, corn canola, canola meal, flaxseed, feed wheat, feed barley gold copper cathode, aluminium ingot European rapeseed futures, milling wheat futures, corn futures, sunflower seeds grain, fodder, oilseed, eggs, roughage, potatoes, fuel oil

potatoes, hogs, wheat, rapeseed, heating oil, recyclable paper cotton gold, silver grain, livestock, financials tobacco coffee silk tea cardamoms coir rubber bergamot orange, essential oil of bergamot, tangerine, orange, lemon, citron, mandarin, grapefruit, oil, wine gasoline, kerosene, eggs, azuki beans, soybeans corn, soybean, soybean meal, azuki bean, arabica coffee, robusta coffee, raw sugar futures broiler, corn, soybean, redbean, refined sugar frozen shrimp, coffee, corn, soybeans, azuki beans, raw sugar, raw silk aluminium, cotton, rubber

World Commodity Markets continued Japan cont’d

Tokyo Commodity Exchange

aluminium, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, gasoline, kerosene, crude oil, rubber Tokyo Grain Exchange corn, soybean, coffee, rawsugar, redbean Tokohashi Dried Cocoon Exchange silk cocoons Kenya Coffee Board of Kenya coffee East African Tea Trade Association tea Kenya Tea Development Authority tea Malaysia Malaysian Rubber Board rubber Malaysia Derivatives Exchange crude palm oil, interest rate futures, government securities futures Netherlands Euronext, Amsterdam pigs, potatoes Singapore Singapore Commodities Exchange rubber, coffee United Kingdom Liverpool Cotton Association raw cotton Euronext LIFFE cocoa, coffee, sugar, (London International Financial wheat, barley, weather futures Futures and Options Exchange) London Metal Exchange aluminium, copper International Petroleum Exchange crude oil, gas oil, natural gas United States Mid-American Commodity gold, silver, platinum Exchange Kansas City Board of Trade wheat, natural gas, stock indexes New York Board of Trade cocoa, coffee, cotton, sugar (NYBOT, parent company of Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange (CSCE), New York Cotton Exchange (NYCE), New York Futures Exchange (NYFE)) New York Mercantile Exchange crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, (NYMEX) natural gas, coal, propane, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, aluminium, copper Chicago Board of Trade corn, oats, soya bean oil, wheat, soya beans, rough rice, gold, silver, Treasury bonds, Treasury notes, other interest rates, and stock indexes Chicago Mercantile Exchange beef, dairy, forest, e-livestock, hogs, crude oil, natural gas, weather futures, chemical futures, foreign currencies Minneapolis Grain Exchange spring wheat BrokerTec Futures Exchange government securities Merchants Exchange barge freight rates, energy products NASDAQ LIFFE securities futures FutureCom cattle

International Currencies In the following list, units of currency marked (*) usually have no plural: e.g. 1 kyat (one kyat), 200 kyat (two hundred kyat), etc. Country Currency Divided into Abbreviation Afghanistan Afghani* puli Af or Afs Albania Lek* qindars Lk Algeria Algerian dinar centimes DA Andorra Euro cents € Angola Kwanza* lwei Kzrl Antigua East Caribbean dollar cents Ecar$ or EC$ Argentina Argentinian peso australes Australia Australian dollar cents A$ Austria Euro cents € Bahamas Bahamian dollar cents B$ Bahrain Bahraini dinar fils BD Bangladesh Taka* poisha Tk Barbados Barbados dollar cents Bd$ or BD$ Belarus Rouble kopeks Belgium Euro cents € Belize Belize dollar cents BZ$ Benin CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Bermuda Bermuda dollar cents Bda$ Bhutan Ngultrum* chetrum N Bolivia Boliviano or Bolivian peso centavos $b Bosnia Marka para Botswana Pula thebe P Brazil Real centavos R$ Brunei Brunei dollar sen B$ Bulgaria Lev* stotinki Lv Burkina Faso CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Burma (see Myanmar) Burundi Burundi franc centimes Bur Fr or FrBr Cambodia Riel* sen RI Cameroon CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Canada Canadian dollar cents Can$ or C$ Cape Verde Islands Escudo Caboverdiano centavos CV esc Cayman Islands Cayman Island dollar cents CayI$ Central African Republic CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Chad CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Chile Chilean peso centavos Ch$ China Yuan* or renminbi* fen Y Colombia Colombian peso centavos Col$ Comoros CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Congo (Republic of)CFA franc centimes CFA Fr Congo (Democratic Republic of) Congolese franc

centimes

Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark

centimos lipas centavos cents haleru öre

Colón* Kuna Cuban peso Cyprus pound Koruna Krone

C/ Cub$ £C or C£ K¢ DKr or DKK

International Currencies continued Country Djibouti

Currency Djibouti franc

Divided into centimes

Abbreviation Dj Fr

Dominica

East Caribbean dollar

cents

EC$

centavos centavos piastres

DR$ Su £E or E£

centavos centimes sents cents cents cents cents cents centimes butut cents pesewas tetri cents cents centavos centimes centimes cents centimes

ES¢ CFA Fr

Dominican RepublicDominican peso Ecuador Sucre* Egypt Egyptian pound Eire (see Irish Republic) El Salvador Colón* Equatorial Guinea CFA franc Estonia Kroon Ethiopia Birr* or Ethiopian dollar Fiji Fiji dollar Finland Euro France Euro French Guiana Euro Gabon CFA franc Gambia, The Dalasi* Germany Euro Ghana Cedi* Georgia Lari Greece Euro Grenada East Caribbean dollar Guatemala Quetzal Guinea Guinea franc Guinea-Bissau CFA franc Guyana Guyana dollar Haiti Gourde* Holland (see Netherlands) Honduras Lempira* Hong Kong Hong Kong dollar Hungary Forint Iceland Króna India Rupee Indonesia Rupiah* Iran Rial* Iraq Iraqi dinar Irish Republic Euro Israel Shekel Italy Euro Ivory Coast CFA franc Jamaica Jamaican dollar Japan Yen* Jordan Jordanian Dinar Kazakhstan Tenge Kenya Kenya shilling Korea (North) North Korean won* Korea (South) South Korean won* Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar Kyrgystan Som Laos Kip*

EB $F or F$ € € € CFA Fr Di € ¢ € Ecar$ or EC$ Q CFA Fr G$ or Guy$ Gde

centavos cents filler aurar paisa sen dinars fils cents agora cents centimes cents sen fils

La HK$ Ft Ikr R or Re or R$ representative RI ID € IS € CFA Fr J$ Y or ¥ JD

cents chon jeon fils tyin at

KSh or Sh NK W SK W KD K or Kp

International Currencies continued Country Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia

Currency Lat Lebanese pound Loti* Liberian dollar

Libya

Libyan dinar

Liechtenstein Swiss franc Lithuania Lita Luxembourg Euro Macedonia Dinar Macau Pataca* Madeira Euro Malagasy Republic Malagasy franc Malawi Kwacha* Malaysia Ringgit or Malaysian Dollar Maldives Rufiyaa Mali CFA franc Malta Maltese pound or lira Mauritania Ouguiya* Mauritius Mauritius rupee Mexico Peso Moldova Leu Monaco Euro Mongolian RepublicTugrik* Montserrat East Caribbean dollar Morocco Dirham Mozambique Metical* Myanmar Kyat* Namibia Namibian dollar Nauru Australian dollar Nepal Nepalese rupee Netherlands Euro New Hebrides (see Vanuatu) New Zealand New Zealand dollar Nicaragua Córdoba Niger CFA franc Nigeria Naira* Norway Krone Oman Rial Omani Pakistan Pakistan rupee Panama Balboa Papua New Guinea Kina* Paraguay Guarani* Peru Sol Philippines Philippine peso Poland Zloty Portugal Euro Puerto Rico US dollar Qatar Qatar Riyal Reunion CFA franc Romania Leu* Rwanda Rwanda franc

Divided into santims piastres lisente cents

Abbreviation £Leb or L£ L L$

dirhams

centimes

SFr or FS

cents paras avos cents centimes tambala sen laaris cents cents khoums cents centavos

€

cents möngös cents centimes centavos pyas cents cents paise cents

€ Tug Ecar$ or EC$ DH M Kt A$ NR or Nre €

cents centavos centimes kobo ore baizas paise centesimos toea centimos cents centavos groszy cents cents dirhams centimes bani centimes

NZ$ C$ or C CFA Fr N or N NKr RO R or Pak Re Ba Ka or K G S P or PP Zl € $ or US$ QR CFA Fr L or l Rw Fr

P or $ € FMG or Mal Fr K or MK M$ MvRe CFA Fr £M or M£ U Mau Rs or R Mex$

International Currencies continued Country Currency Russia Rouble St Lucia East Caribbean dollar St Vincent East Caribbean dollar Samoa Tala Saudi Arabia Saudi riyal or rial Senegal CFA franc Serbia & Montenegro Dinar Seychelles Seychelles rupee Sierra Leone Leone Singapore Singapore dollar Slovakia Koruna Slovenia Tolar Solomon Islands Solomon Island dollar Somalia Somali shilling South Africa Rand* Spain Euro Sri Lanka Sri Lankan rupee Sudan Sudanese dinar Suriname Suriname guilder Swaziland Lilangeni* Sweden Krona Syria Syrian pound Taiwan New Taiwan dollar Tanzania Tanzanian shilling Thailand Baht* Togo CFA franc Tonga Pa’anga Trinidad & Tobago Trinidad & Tobago dollar Tunisia Tunisian dinar Turkey Turkish lira Turkmenistan Manat Tuvalu Australian dollar Uganda Uganda Shilling Ukraine Hryvna United Arab Emirates UAE dirham United Kingdom Pound sterling USA Dollar Uruguay Uruguayan peso Uzbekistan Sum Vanuatu Vatu Venezuela Bolívar Vietnam Dong* Virgin Islands US dollar Yemen Riyal Zambia Kwacha* Zimbabwe Zimbabwe dollar

Divided into kopeks cents cents sene halala centimes paras cents cents cents haliers stotin cents cents cents cents cents pounds cents cents örer piastres cents cents satang centimes seniti cents millimes kurus tenesi cents cents kopiykas fils pence cents centesimos tiyin centimes centimos xu cents fils ngwee cents

Abbreviation Rub Ecar$ or EC$ Ecar$ or EC$ SA R CFA Fr DN Sre or R Le S$ or Sing$ Sk SIT SI$ Som Sh R € SC Re SD S Gld Li or E SKr S£ T$ or NT$ TSh Bt CFA Fr TT$ TD TL $A Ush UAE Dh or UD £ or £Stg $ or US$ N$

BS D US$ YR K Z$