Widow-and-Orphan Stock (Widows’-and-Orphans’ Stock)
A "widow-and-orphan stock" (or "widows'-and-orphans' stock") is a well-known, low-risk stock that pays high dividends. Widows and orphans have long been thought to be…
Wildcat Bank (Wildcat Money)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wildcat banking refers to the unusual practices of banks chartered under state law during the periods of non-federally regulated state banking between 1816 and 1863 in the…
Window Dressing
Financial "window dressing" occurs when money managers try to improve their performance at the end of a quarter or year, so that financial statements look better. Some "window…
Wire House (Wirehouse)
A "wire house" (or "wirehouse") is a brokerage house that has a communication network; originally, a "wire house" meant a brokerage house with a telegraph line or a…
Witch of Wall Street
The moniker "Witch of Wall Street" is usually associated with Hetty Green (1834-1916), who was one of the world's richest women during his lifetime. Many stories were written about…
Wolf of Wall Street
Wall Street has had bulls, bears, lambs and other animals. Several people have been called a "wolf of Wall Street." "As the wolf of Wall street has a leaning toward lambs with mint…
Womenomics (women + economics)
"Womenomics" (women + economic) is a term to describe the influence of women on the economy. "Womenomics" has been cited in print since at least 1981 and 1983, when the term was…
Worst Boston (First Boston nickname)
First Boston was a New York City-based investment bank, founded in 1932. First Boston was acquired by Credit Suisse in 1990; First Boston was called "CS First Boston" from 1993 until…
Wreckovery (wreck + economic recovery)
"Wreckovery (wreck + recovery) has been used since the 1990s to mean the "recovery" of "shipwrecks." In 2009, the U.S. Congress passed the American Recovery and…
Wunch of Bankers
The collective noun for a group of bankers is sometimes said to be "a wunch of bankers" -- a spoonerism for "a bunch of wankers." The "wunch of bankers" joke has been…
Yankee Bond
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Bond (finance)In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged…
Yellen Call or Yellen Covered Call
The "Yellen call" (also called the "Yellen covered call") is a call option named after Janet Yellen, who became Federal Reserve chairwoman in 2014. KPP Financial wrote in 2016:…
Yellow Dog or Yellow Dawg or Yaller Dawg (gold nickname)
Gold is sometimes nicknamed "yellow dog" or "yellow dawg" or "yaller dawg." "Not bad considering everyone was slamming the yellow dawg" was cited in print in…
Yellow Knight
Entry in progress -- B.P. InvestopediaWhat Does Yellow Knight Mean?A company that was once making a takeover attempt but ends up discussing a merger with the target company. The Free…
Yentervention (Yen + intervention)
"Yentervention" (Yen + Intervention) is when a bank (such as the Bank of Japan) intervenes in the financial markets to support the Yen (Japan's official currency). The intervention…
Yourgage (your + mortgage)
"Yourgage" or "YOURgage" (your + mortage) is not a slang term, but a registered service mark (since May 2011) of Quicken Loans. Rather than a 15-year or a 30-year mortgage, a…
YOYO Economics (“You’re On Your Own”)
"YOYO" has been cited since at least 1988 to mean "You're On Your Own." "YOYO" has been used in medical slang as a saying to patients who leave a hospital. Jared…
Zero (financial industry worker who doesn’t receive an annual bonus)
Many employees on Wall Street expect to see annual bonuses. A December 2010 article in the New York (NY) Times reported on a new club called "the Zeros" -- people who didn't receive…
Zero Hedgie or Zero Head (Zero Hedge blog reader)
Zero Hedge is a popular financial blog that began in 2009. People who read and comment on ZH were given a nickname from the title of the article "The Zero Hedgies," by financial writer…
ZIRP (Zero Interest Rate Policy)
"ZIRP" (or "Zirp") stands for "Zero Interest Rate Policy." The Bank of Japan used ZIRP in 1999-2000, and the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States used ZIRP in…