Stock Market Lingo
![Maria Bartiromo Maria Bartiromo](https://static.oprah.com/images/tows/200611/20061115/20061115_d_120x90.jpg)
Ready to take-on Wall Street? Maria Bartiromo, the host and managing editor of CNBC's The Wall Street Journal Report, shares insider terms and phrases that'll help you sound like a stock market expert.
The Big Board: The New York Stock Exchange is often called “the big board” because, all around the exchange, there are literally big boards of numbers that display what the market is doing.Bulls and Bears: Bulls means you're optimistic, "I'm bullish on that stock." Think about bulls charging forward—the stock is going to go up. Bears means you’re more cautious. Think about bears knocking you down, "You are bearish on that stock." It's going lower.
Buy Low, Sell High: This is how everybody makes their money on the stock market. Basically, you want to buy a stock at a bargain. You may love a sweater at $200 dollars, but you probably love it even more at $25. You want to buy it low and sell it after it has gained value.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: The Dow Jones Industrial Average is basically an average of 30 companies. These 30 companies represent the economy. They are large companies that we all know, and every day the average of what those companies' stocks did, gives you a window into how America's economy is doing.
Go Long: In other words, "I really want to be there. I want to own that stock. That stock is going higher." It's like, "I'm really long on those Manolo Blahnik shoes I just saw."
Owning a Seat: Means you're allowed to trade down on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Stock: The opportunity for people to own part of a company. Companies sell a portion of their company to the public in exchange for money.
Traded Down: Means stocks are traded at a lower price.
The Ticker: All around the New York Stock Exchange is what's called a ticker. It's named "ticker" because it goes tick-by-tick, moment-by-moment, where each stock traded is priced and is based on whether or not it's up or down from the last tick.