Economics/Glossary

"(more specialised glossaries are available on the Related Articles subpages of other economics articles)

• Arbitrage [r]: transactions to take advantage of a price differences of a product in different markets by buying where it is cheap and selling where it is dear. The possibility of arbitrage often prevents the occurrence of price differences. ^[e]
• Beta [r]: A measure of the degree to which the rate of return of a share tracks that of the equity market as a whole (defined as the covariance between the share's rate of return and the average market rate, divided by the variance of the market rate). If beta = 1 the share's rate of return moves in line with the market rate; if it is negative, it falls when the market rate rises. ^[e]
• Capital (banking) [r]: A bank's assets minus its liabilities. ^[e]
• Capital adequacy ratio [r]: The ratio of a bank's capital to its risk weighted credit exposures. May be defined in terms of tier 1 (core) or tier 2 capital. ^[e]
• Capital adequacy ratio [r]: The ratio of a bank's capital to its risk weighted credit exposures. May be defined in terms of tier 1 (core) or tier 2 capital. ^[e]
• Central Bank [r]: A government agency that is responsible for monetary policy and the support of the banking system (for example the Federal Reserve Board and the Bank of England). Usually responsible for controlling a country's monetary policy and preserving the value of its currency. ^[e]
• Commercial paper [r]: unsecured debt_instruments that are issued by corporations to meet short term financing needs (usually repayable after 3 months). ^[e]
• Contagion (banking) [r]: the spread of a run, loss or insolvency from one bank to another, or the spread of a banking crisis from one country to another. ^[e]
• Corporation [r]: Please do not use this term in your topic list, because there is no single article for it. Please substitute a more precise term. See Corporation (disambiguation) for a list of available, more precise, topics. Please add a new usage if needed.
• Cost_of_capital [r]: The weighted average of the rates of return paid by a company on its equity (share issue) and on its debt (bonds and commercial borrowing). ^[e]
• Covariance [r]: A statistical parameter that indicates whether two random variables show a related linear trend. ^[e]
• Credit risk [r]: The risk that the value of a loan-based security will fall as a result of defaults on the part of borrowers (as distinct from interest rate risks and exchange rate risks). ^[e]
• Debt_instrument [r]: A formal obligation assumed by a borrower to replay the lender in accordance with the terms of an agreement, including bonds, debentures, promissory notes, leases and mortgages. ^[e]
• Derivative [r]: An asset whose value depends upon the expected value of another asset. ^[e]
• Discount window [r]: A facility provided by central banks that enables a bank to make secured short-term loans at its central bank's discount rate. ^[e]
• Discount_rate [r]: (i) The percentage by which current value exceeds value in a year's time. (ii) The rate at which banks may borrow at their central bank's discount window. ^[e]
• Financial asset [r]: An asset that derives it value from a legal claim - including stocks, bonds and loans. ^[e]
• Financial_Intermediary [r]: A go-between organisation that obtains finance from investors (or savers) and lends it to corporations (or other borrowers). Financial intermediaries include banks, building societies (or savings and loans associations) , life insurance companies and credit unions. ^[e]
• Financial_regulator [r]: The United States Securities and Exchange Commission gives as its mission "to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation". Financial regulators in other countries have similar responsibilities. ^[e]
• Freddie Mac [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Hedging [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Herding (banking) [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Insolvency [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Interbank market [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Interest rate risk [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Lender of last resort [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Leverage [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Liquidity [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Margin account [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Margin call [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Market risk [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Money market [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Moral hazard [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Option [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Portfolio insurance [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Prime rate [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Random_walk [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Recession (economics) [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Reserve ratio [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Risk premium [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Run (banking) [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Securitisation [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Selling short [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Standard deviation [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Structured investment vehicle [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Systemic failure (finance) [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Value at risk [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Variance [r]: Add brief definition or description
• Warrant [r]: Add brief definition or description