A second, unsolicited bidder in a corporate takeover. A gray knight enters the scene in order to take advantage of any problems between the first bidder and the target company. Think of a gray knight as a circling vulture waiting to pick clean the leftovers. In some parts of the world gray is spelled "grey."
The period near the end of a prolonged bear market. In a graveyard market, long-time investors have taken large losses, while new investors prefer to stay liquid by sitting on the sidelines and keeping their money in cash or cash-equivalent securities until market conditions improve. The term graveyard market is an apt description of this market phenomenon: the investors in a graveyard market can't get out of it, and the investors who aren't in it don't want to be. Therefore, until a positive outlook becomes more conclusive, the overall market conditions will be slow to improve.
The issuance of an award, such as a stock option, to key employees under a stock plan. A stock option grants the employee the right to purchase a certain number of shares of the company's stock at a predetermined price. There is usually a waiting period before an employee can exercise their stock options. The idea behind stock option grants is to give employees the incentive to align their interests with that of the stockholders. In the past, however, some stock option grants have been set at such low levels that executives ended up enriching themselves, not the shareholders.
A company that dominates an industry without having a complete monopoly. This term is a reference to the old jokes about the 800-pound gorillas, who "does whatever it wants." For example, you'll hear people say that Microsoft is an 800-pound gorilla.
The deposit of money into an account by a buyer to show that he or she has the intention of completing the deal. In most cases, the deposit amount will be a percent of the amount owed. The money in an account can also be known as "margin" or a "performance bond", depending on the type of transaction. An example would be a homebuyer depositing money into an escrow account. When this is done, the seller of the home knows that the buyer will fulfill the terms of the contract and make the purchase.
When a company, government or other group promotes green-based environmental initiatives or images but actually operates in a way that is damaging to the environment or in an opposite manner to the goal of the announced initiatives. This can also include misleading customers about the environmental benefits of a product through misleading advertising and unsubstantiated claims. The general idea behind greenwashing is to create a benefit by appearing to be a green company, whether that benefit comes in the form of a higher stock price, more customers or favored partnerships with green organizations. Even many energy companies - some of the world's biggest carbon emitters - have attempted rebrand themselves as environmentally friendly. The tools used in greenwashing can include press releases about green projects or task forces put into place, energy reduction or pollution reduction efforts, and rebranding of consumer products and advertising materials. In actuality, the company or group may be operating in damaging ways or may simply be unwilling to make a meaningful commitment to green initiatives.
A description of the perceived attempt of then-chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, of propping up the securities markets by lowering interest rates and thereby helping money flow into the markets. Investors assumed that they would be able to liquidate their stocks at a set price at or before a future date as if there was a built-in put option. They believed that Greenspan would manipulate monetary policy and continue to maintain market stability. While the former Fed chair's actions did have an effect on the markets, it was not necessarily his objective. The term was coined in 1998 after the Fed lowered interest rates following the collapse of the investment firm Long-Term Capital Management. The effect of this rate reduction was that investors borrowed funds more cheaply to invest in the securities market, thereby averting a potential downswing in the markets. On February 1, 2006, Ben Bernanke replaced Alan Greenspan as the Federal Reserve Board chairman.
An information circular prepared by an underwriter that summarizes the main components of a new issue's prospectus. A greensheet contains both advantages and disadvantages of a new issue so salespeople can attempt to solicit the issue to the public. A greensheet is created solely for the use of the employees of the underwriting firm.