Stock Market Help
Here is a list of common financial terms. Click on the letter that corresponds with the first letter of the financial term to get the definition.
General Obligation Bond
A municipal bond which is backed by the full faith and credit of a municipality. It includes the authority to raise taxes and/or borrow to pay back interest and principal.
Ginnie Mae
Nickname for Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), a wholly-owned corporation of the U.S. Government that functions as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Also means a security that represents a pool of mortgages exceeding $1 million that is packaged from individual home mortgages and resold to investors who receive both principal and interest, just like a bank that holds a home mortgage. These securities are liquid and U.S. Government insured.
Glamour Stock
A stock with a wide public and institutional following. You may want to avoid investing in these stocks because they are over-hyped and extremely vulnerable to a downward slide.
Global Bonds
Mutual fund investing primarily in debt obligations (i.e. bonds) of foreign governments and/or corporations. Global bond funds can also be subject to foreign currency exchange risks.
Global Equities
Stocks purchased from companies all over the world, including the Unites States. Global equities can also expose you to foreign currency risk.
Gold
A precious metal usually sought after during times of rapidly rising inflation. For mutual fund investors, gold can also refer to the stock of gold mining companies, as well as bullion.
Government Bonds
Mutual fund investing primarily in debt obligations (i.e. bonds) of the U.S. government. Government bond funds can be short-term, intermediate-term or long-term, reflecting the average maturity of the bonds held in the portfolio.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
A measure of the economy which includes the value of all products and services produced by a nation in a given year. The growth rate of GDP is used to compare the economic progress of various nations.
Growth & Income
A security purchased for long-term price appreciation (similar to long-term growth) and also for potential dividend (or interest) income.
Growth Rate
The percentage rate of change in some financial characteristic of a company. See Historical 5-year Growth Rate, Projected 5-year Growth Rate, Dividend Growth Rate, Sales 3-year Growth Rate, and Net Income 3-year Growth Rate.