AI

Artificial intelligence.

Bond

A debt security issued by a company or a government used as a way of raising money. The investor buying the bond is effectively lending money to the issuer of the bond. Bonds offer a return to investors in the form of fixed-periodic payments (a coupon), and the eventual return at maturity of the original amount invested—the par value. Because of their fixed-periodic interest payments, they are also often called fixed-income instruments.

Capital

When referring to a portfolio, the capital reflects the net-asset value of a fund. More broadly, it can be used to refer to the financial value of an amount invested in a company or an investment portfolio.

CPI (Consumer Prices Index)

A measure that examines the price change of a basket of consumer goods and services over time. It is used to estimate inflation. ‘Headline’ CPI inflation is a calculation of total inflation in an economy, and includes items such as food and energy where prices tend to be more volatile. ‘Core’ CPI inflation is a measure of inflation that excludes transitory or volatile items such as food and energy.

Diversification

A way of spreading risk by mixing different types of assets or asset classes in a portfolio on the assumption that these assets will behave differently in any given scenario. Assets with low correlation should provide the most diversification.

Dividend

A variable discretionary payment made by a company to its shareholders.

Earnings per share (EPS)

EPS is the bottom-line measure of a company’s profitability, defined as net income (profit after tax) divided by the number of outstanding shares.

Equity

A security representing ownership, typically listed on a stock exchange. ‘Equities’ as an asset class means investments in shares, as opposed to, for instance, bond. To have ‘equity’ in a company means to hold shares in that company and therefore have part ownership.

Fixed income/fixed interest

See bond.

Inflation

The rate at which the prices of goods and services are rising in an economy. The consumer price index (CPI) and retail price index (RPI) are two common measures; the opposite of deflation.

Liquidity/Liquid assets

Liquidity is a measure of how easily an asset can be bought or sold in the market. Assets that can be easily traded in the market in high volumes (without causing a major price move) are referred to as ‘liquid’.

NAV total return (investment trusts)

The theoretical total return on shareholders’ funds per share reflecting the change in NAV assuming that dividends paid to shareholders were reinvested at NAV at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend. A way of measuring investment management performance of investment trusts which is not affected by movements in discounts/premiums.

Ongoing charges (investment trusts)

The total expenses for the financial year (excluding performance fee), divided by the average daily-net assets, multiplied by 100.

Passive investing

An investment approach that involves tracking a particular market or index. It is called passive because it seeks to mirror an index, either fully or partially replicating it, rather than actively picking or choosing stocks to hold. The primary benefit of passive investing is exposure to a particular market with generally lower fees than you might find on an actively-managed fund, the opposite of active investing.

Portfolio

A grouping of financial assets such as equities, bonds, commodities, properties, or cash. Also often called a ‘fund’.

Share buybacks

Where a company buys back their own shares from the market, thereby reducing the number of shares in circulation, with a consequent increase in the value of each remaining share. It increases the stake that existing shareholders have in the company, including the amount due from any future dividend payments. It typically signals the company’s optimism about the future and a possible undervaluation of the company’s equity.

Share price total return (investment trusts)

The theoretical total return to the investor assuming that all dividends received were reinvested in the shares of the company at the time the shares were quoted ex-dividend. Transaction costs are not taken into account.

Valuation metrics

Metrics used to gauge a company’s performance, financial health, and expectations for future earnings, e.g. P/E ratio and ROE.

Volatility

The rate and extent at which the price of a portfolio, security, or index, moves up and down. If the price swings up and down with large movements, it has high volatility. If the price moves more slowly and to a lesser extent, it has lower volatility. The higher the volatility, the higher the risk of the investment.

Yield

The level of income on a security over a set period, typically expressed as a percentage rate. For equities, a common measure is the dividend yield, which divides recent dividend payments for each share by the share price. For a bond, in its simplest form, this is calculated as the coupon payment divided by the current bond price.