Nifty Fifty
"Nifty Fifty" was a term popular in early 1970s to represent fifty growth stocks, with high price-to-earnings ratios, that drove the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The "Nifty…
Nifty Nine
The name "Nifty Fifty" referred to 50 popular large-cap stocks on the New York Stock Exchange in the 1960s and 1970s that were regarded as the major movers of the Dow Jones Industrial…
NIRP (Negative Interest Rate Policy)
"NIRP" (Negative Interest Rate Policy) has been cited in print since at least May 2008 and December 2008, but began appearing with frequency in the financial press in 2012. A central bank…
Noflation (no + deflation/inflation)
"Noflation" (no + deflation/inflation) is another term for "zero inflation." "Inflation or noflation?" was cited in print in 2007. "There appears to be…
NOSH (Nike, O’Reilly, Starbucks and Home Depot)
Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research invented the acronym "NOSH" (Nike, O'Reilly, Starbucks and Home Depot) in November 2015 to describe four important companies in the S&P…
Nostradumbass (Nostradamus + dumbass)
Nostradamus (1503-1566) was a famous seer who was known for his predictions. To call someone who makes predictions a "Nostradamus" is similar to calling a smart person an…
Not-So-Great Reset
The "Great Reset" planned in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic wasn't welcomed as "great" by everyone. Some critics called it the "Not-So-Great Reset."…
Number Cruncher
A "number cruncher" (also "number-cruncher") was originally a computer that can process raw data and produce reports. This definition has been cited in print since at least…
NYCE (New York Cash Exchange)
"NYCE" is the New York Cash Exchange. It's probably on your ATM card. It started in 1985, when several large New York banks allowed transactions by any member bank customer at any…
Occupocalypse (Occupy Wall Street + apocalypse)
The "Occupocalypse" (Occupy Wall Street + apocalypse) is an infrequently used name for the Occupy Wall Street protests. A caller to the Jeff Ward Show on Newsradio KLBJ (Austin, TX)…
Octaper (October + taper)
The stock market had all eyes on the Federal Reserve in 2013, speculating when its quantitative easing program -- involving as much as $85 billion a month -- would lessen or "taper." The…
One-Armed Economist (who doesn’t say “on the other hand”)
A joke is often told that U.S. President Harry Truman (1884-1972) wanted to hire a one-armed economist. Why a one-armed economist? Truman's economists kept telling him: "On the one hand…
Operation Twist (Operation Nudge)
The Federal Reserve's "Operation Nudge" (cited in print from April 9, 1961) was renamed "Operation Twist" (cited in print from August 20, 1963), after a song and dance…
OpEx (Operational Expenditure)
"OpEx" (also "OPEX" and "opex") stands for "operational expenditure" or "operational expense" or "operating expenditure" or…
OPM (Other People’s Money)
Entry in progress -- B.P. BusinessDictionary.comother people's money (OPM) Money borrowed as unsecured loans, or contributed by smaller stockholders (shareholders). Equated with its…
Ostrich Economics
People who refuse to see what is happening are compared to the ostrich, an animal that -- according to the myth -- buries its head in the sand. "Ostrich economics" is a policy promoted by…
Out-of-Pocket Expenses
An "out-of-pocket" expense or cost is something that someone has to pay himself or herself. For example, on a business trip, there could be out-of-pocket expenses such as gas and meals.…
Pain Trade
The term "pain trade" was defined in a Barron's May 2008 article, "Rx for the 'Pain Trade.'" as "the market conditions that will cause the most discomfort…
Pajama Trader
There are two kinds of traders who have been called "pajama" (or "pyjama") traders. A "pajama trader" is a small investor, who might trade from home (while wearing…
Paperati (paper + -ati)
"Paperari" is a portmanteau of "paper" and perhaps "literati," forming a word that resembles "paparazzi." The term comes from the precious metals blog…