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Good ‘Til Canceled Abbreviated GTC. This is an order to buy or sell a security that is good until the investor cancels it. Most brokerage firms let GTC orders automatically expire after 30 - 60 days.

Going Public The process of selling shares -- that were formerly privately-held -- to new investors for the first time.

GNMA Pass-Through Certificate Fixed-income securities that represent an undivided interest in a pool of federally insured mortgages put together by GNMA, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae).

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Abbreviated GAAP. The standard guidelines for financial accounting, including rules and standards for summarizing and recording transactions, and for the preparation of financial statements. GAAP accepts various accounting methods, and simply serves as a...

General Obligation Bond Abbreviated GO. A municipal bond backed by the full faith, credit, and “taxing power” of the issuing unit rather than the revenue from a given project.

Futures Market A continuous auction market in which participants buy and sell commodities contracts for delivery on a specified future date. Trading is traditionally carried on through open outcry and hand signals in a trading pit or ring.

Futures Contract A standardized, exchange-traded agreement to buy or sell a particular type and grade of commodity for delivery at an agreed-upon place and time in the future. Futures contracts are transferable between parties.

Funds From Operations Abbreviated FFO. Used by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) to define the cash flow from their operations. It is calculated by adding Depreciation and Amortization expenses to earnings, and can be represented as Funds From Operations Per Share (FFO/S). FFO/S should be...

Front-End Load (1) A mutual fund commission or sales fee that is charged at the time shares are purchased. The load is added to the net asset value of the shares when calculating the public offering price. See also back-end load. (2) A system of sales charge for contractual plans that permits...

Free Cash Flow per Share Net income plus all non-cash expenses, minus dividends and capital expenditures, on a per share basis. A measure of a firm’s financial flexibility.

Fundamental Analysis A method of security analysis based on fundamental facts found in a company’s balance sheet and income statement e.g. sales, earnings, dividends. These past records are examined to attempt to predict the company’s future growth of sales and earnings as well as stock price...

Form 10-Q The quarterly report of a company with listed securities, required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is less comprehensive than the 10-K annual report and does not require that figures be audited. It may cover the specific quarter or it may be...

Form 10-K The annual report required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the U.S. for every company with 500 or more shareholders or with $1 million or more in gross assets. This form becomes public information when filed with the SEC. It is available on the Internet or from the...

Foreign Currency Effects Returns on foreign investments will increase (in terms of dollars) to the extent a foreign currency appreciates relative to the dollar. The opposite would be true for declining foreign currencies.

Foreign A non U.S. company with securities trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market.

Float The total number of outstanding shares available on the market. Floor Trader An exchange member who executes transactions from the floor of the exchange only for his own account.

Flat Yield Curve A chart showing the yields of bonds with short maturities as equal to the yields of bonds with long maturities

Fixed Asset A tangible, long term asset such as land or building, held for use rather than sale. Fixed Asset A tangible, long term asset such as land or building, held for use rather than sale.

Fixed Annuity An insurance contract in which the insurance company makes fixed dollar payments to the annuitant for the term of the contract, usually until the annuitant dies. The insurance company guarantees both Earnings and Principal.

Fiscal Year Abbreviated FY. A corporation’s accounting year that may differ from the calendar year. Fiscal year is defined in various ways, according to the source of the data. Value Line: If FY ends prior to May 15/09, the label will be FY 2008. May 15/09 or later will be FY 2009. Standard &...