Skip to content

Font size: A- | A | A+

Investor.gov Logo for Print
Press Alt + shift + h then Enter to skip to secondary navigation. Mac users press Control + shift + h

Click below to jump to glossary terms. If you are already within a glossary category, the results displayed by clicking the alphabet navigation are only related to that category.

 
| 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | Y

Short Sale

A short sale occurs when you sell stock you do not own. Investors who sell short believe the price of the stock will fall. If the price drops, you can buy the stock at the lower price and make a profit. If the price of the stock rises and you buy it back later at the higher price, you will incur a loss.

Term Category: