Glossary

Offer Price 

The price for which a seller is willing to sell his security holding (also called Ask Price).

Offering Date

Date on which a new set of stocks or bonds will first be sold to the public.

Offset

Elimination of a long or short position by making an opposite transaction.

One-Share-One-Vote Rule

The principle that all shareholders should have equal voting rights in public companies and each shareholder should have one vote.

Open-End Mutual Fund (Variable Capital Mutual Fund)

A mutual fund where the capitalization is not fixed. The mutual fund company will continually sell or redeem its own shares to meet investor demand, as opposed to a Closed-End Mutual Fund. 

Open Order 

An order that has been placed with the broker, but not yet filled or cancelled.

Open Price

The price of an order sent in the pre opening phase to buy or to sell a security at the opening price (IEP).

Opening Price

The price of the first trading transaction in a trading session, executed on a specific security.

Operating Expenses

The amount paid for asset maintenance or the cost of doing business, excluding depreciation.

Option 

The right to buy or sell a security at a particular ask or bid price.

Optional Dividend

A dividend that the shareholder can elect to receive either in cash or in stock.

Order

A request to buy or sell a security at a particular ask or bid price.

Ordinary Order

An order to buy or sell a specific security, which the broker can offer or demand through the trading system. 

Outstanding Dividends

Dividend checks which have been mailed to shareholders of record but not yet cashed. Funds are held until the check is paid or reissued.

Overnight Position

A broker-dealer's position in a security at the end of a trading day.

Oversubscribed Issue 

Investors are not able to buy all the shares or bonds they want, so underwriters must allocate the shares or bonds among investors. This occurs when a new issue is underpriced or in great demand because of growth prospects.

Oversubscription

The excess number of shares or bonds that investors want to buy but are not available due to high demand. 

Over-the-Counter Market 

The market where securities are bought and sold directly between the purchaser and seller.

Owners' Equity

See Stockholders' Equity.

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