
Definitions of Long, Short, Bullish, and Bearish
- Long. If you're "going long" in a stock, it means you're buying it. ...
- Bull or Bullish. Being long, or buying, is a bullish action for a trader to take. ...
- Short and Shorting. ...
- Bear or Bearish. ...
- Frequently Asked Questions. ...
- The Bottom Line. ...
What is going long on a stock?
Oct 03, 2014 · Long Position If an investor has long positions, it means that the investor has bought and owns those shares of stocks. By contrast, if the investor has short positions, it means that the investor...
What is long stock value?
Being "long" means that you have purchased a stock with the intention of selling it for a profit in the future at a higher price through capital appreciation and dividends. Being "short" means that you have borrowed a stock from someone else (through a broker) and sold it with the intention of making a profit if the price goes down, buying or covering the stock at a lower price and …
What is a long stock position?
Having a “long” position in a security means that you own the security. Investors maintain “long” security positions in the expectation that the stock will rise in value in the future. The opposite of a “long” position is a “short” position. A "short" position is generally the sale of a stock you do not own. Investors who sell short believe the price of the stock will decrease in value.
What is the definition of Long Term Stock?
Long means buy or bought. If someone says “I’m long WXYZ stock” it means that person owns (they bought) shares in WXYZ. If someones says “I’m going long WXYZ at $14” it means they intend to buy WXYZ stock at $14. In this case they don’t own it yet, but they plan to. You buy or “go long” stocks (or any other asset) you believe will rise in value.

Is it better to short or long a stock?
What is considered long stock?
What does it mean to be short on a stock?
How long should you hold on to a stock?
Can you hold stocks forever?
How long is a long position?
In this investment strategy, an investor who owns 100 shares of a company is said to be long 100 shares. After taking a long position in a company, an investor would hold the shares and sell them once the stock price has risen.Nov 1, 2021
What happens when you short a stock and it goes up?
Can you short stocks on Robinhood?
What does it mean when an investor has long positions?
If an investor has long positions, it means that the investor has bought and owns those shares of stocks. By contrast, if the investor has short positions, it means that the investor owes those stocks to someone, but does not actually own them yet.
What happens when you short a stock?
Oftentimes, the short investor borrows the shares from a brokerage firm in a margin account to make the delivery. Then, with hopes the stock price will fall, the investor buys the shares at a lower price to pay back the dealer who loaned them. If the price doesn't fall and keeps going up, the short seller may be subject to a margin call from their broker.
Why are long and short positions bullish?
Long call option positions are bullish, as the investor expects the stock price to rise and buys calls with a lower strike price.
How many shares does a short investor owe?
The short investor owes 100 shares at settlement and must fulfill the obligation by purchasing the shares in the market to deliver. Oftentimes, the short investor borrows the shares from a brokerage firm in a margin account to make the delivery.
What is a long call option?
Long call option positions are bullish, as the investor expects the stock price to rise and buys calls with a lower strike price. An investor can hedge his long stock position by creating a long put option position, giving him the right to sell his stock at a guaranteed price.
What is a long position?
When speaking of stocks and options, analysts and market makers often refer to an investor having long positions or short positions. While long and short in financial matters can refer to several things, in this context, rather than a reference to length, long positions and short positions are a reference to what an investor owns ...
Do you need margin accounts for short positions?
It is important to remember that short positions come with higher risks and, due to the nature of certain positions, may be limited in IRAs and other cash accounts. Margin accounts are generally needed for most short positions, and your brokerage firm needs to agree that more risky positions are suitable for you.
What does it mean to be long on a stock?
If you are long a stock, it means that you have purchased a share of that stock with the intention of holding it and selling it at a later date for a profit if the price of the stock increases.
What does it mean to go short or long?
Broadly, going long means you are on the side of bulls for that stock (not necessarily just buying the stock, you can also buy call options or sell put options) and going short means you are on the side of bears (short selling the stock, selling calls and buying puts).
What happens when a stock goes down without justification?
When a stock goes down without justification, the bulls (or the long guys) just buy the stock and bring it to the point where the price justifies the intrinsic value. However, when a stock goes up without justification too, there must be people who should be able to bring the stock to the right level.
What happens if you short a stock?
When you think that the stock price is about to fall in near future, you establish a short position. Again, if your forecast turns out to be correct and the stock price goes down, you make a profit. But if the price goes up, covering your short will leave you with a loss, and the loss can be unlimited as a stock can go any unimaginable price.
What does it mean when friend A bets on a stock?
So notice here, friend A is betting the stock upward, means when the stock rises up, he will make money but friend B is betting downward, means when the stock will fall down, then only he will make money & will win the bet.
What does it mean to be short?
Being "short" means that you have borrowed a stock from someone else (through a broker) and sold it with the intention of making a profit if the price goes down, buying or covering the stock at a lower price and making the difference. 2.1K views. ·. View upvotes. Sponsored by The Motley Fool.
What does "bet on stock" mean?
It refer to whether you are betting your money on the stock's rising or it's falling.
What does it mean to short a stock?
A "short" position is generally the sale of a stock you do not own. Investors who sell short believe the price of the stock will decrease in value. If the price drops, you can buy the stock at the lower price and make a profit. If the price of the stock rises and you buy it back later at the higher price, you will incur a loss. Short selling is for the experienced investor.
What does it mean to be a long position?
Having a “long” position in a security means that you own the security. Investors maintain “long” security positions in the expectation that the stock will rise in value in the future. The opposite of a “long” position is a “short” position. A "short" position is generally the sale of a stock you do not own. Investors who sell short believe the ...
Why do people short sell stocks?
Investors who sell stock short typically believe the price of the stock will fall and hope to buy the stock at the lower price and make a profit. Short selling is also used by market makers and others to provide liquidity in response to unanticipated demand, or to hedge the risk of an economic long position in the same security or in ...
What is short selling?
Short selling is for the experienced investor. Short Sales. A short sale is the sale of a stock that an investor does not own or a sale which is consummated by the delivery of a stock borrowed by, or for the account of, the investor.
What is a broker lending stock?
Brokerage firms typically lend stock to customers who engage in short sales, using the firm’s own inventory, the margin account of another of the firm’s customers, or another lender. As with buying stock on margin, short sellers are subject to the margin rules and other fees and charges may apply (including interest on the stock loan).
How do short sales work?
Short sales are normally settled by the delivery of a security borrowed by or on behalf of the investor. The investor later closes out the position by returning the borrowed security to the stock lender, typically by purchasing securities on the open market. Investors who sell stock short typically believe the price of the stock will fall ...
What does "long" mean in stock?
Long means buy or bought. If someone says “I’m long WXYZ stock” it means that person owns (they bought) shares in WXYZ. If someones says “I’m going long WXYZ at $14” it means they intend to buy WXYZ stock at $14. In this case they don’t own it yet, but they plan to.
What does it mean when someone says they are long?
When someone says they are long it usually infers that they believe the stock (or other asset) will rise in value. When you are long (own shares), to exit the position you sell the shares. For example, if you go long 100 shares at $10, you need to sell them at some point to collect your profit.
What does it mean when you short something?
You short or short sell assets you believe will fall in value. When someone says they are going short it usually infers that they believe the price of an asset will fall in value.
What are the two words that describe the long and short term?
Two words related to long and short are “bullish” and “bearish.”. These words also indicate which direction the price of an asset is moving, or which direction a trader thinks it will move. The term bull or bullish comes from the animal, attacking with an upward thrust. Therefore, “bull” means upward trend or price direction.
Why do traders short sell?
Short selling allows traders to make money when prices are falling, and going long allows them to make money in rising markets.
What does it mean when you sell 100 shares?
When you sell the 100 shares you are “flat.”. Flat means you have no position–you are neither long or short. Selling is flattening or reducing a long position, which is a bit different than going short….
What does "goigng short" mean?
Goigng short means to sell without first owning. It is also referred to as short selling or shorting.
What does it mean to go long in forex?
In forex trading, to go long means to buy with the expectation that your purchase will rise in value. When you are long on a currency, it means you are betting the base currency will strengthen against the quote currency. Some of the reasons traders go long in forex include in response to economic news and because currency prices are breaking ...
Why do forex traders go long?
Another reason forex traders may decide to go long a currency pair is when a central bank announces its plans for monetary tightening, which historically tends to lift its currency's value.
Why do you go long on one currency and short on the other?
Because every currency trade involves a pair, you will always simultaneously go long on one currency and short on the other when making a trade. When you are long on a currency, it means you are betting the base currency will strengthen against the quote currency.
Can you sell a stock back and short?
Also, when you sell your stock back, you can think of it as going long in the US dollar, and short on the stock because for one reason or another you now believe it is more valuable to have cash in dollars than it is to hold the stock.
Is it worth buying a currency?
Therefore, it may be worth buying the currency, or going long.
What does it mean to go short on a stock?
Going short, on the other hand, is what some investors do when they believe the stock is about to decrease and think they can take advantage of that. In short selling a stock, the investor doesn't actually own it.
What is short selling a stock?
Short-selling a stock is how some investors try to take advantage of a declining company stock price. But it's risky, to say the least. Here's what you need to know. Short-selling a stock is how some investors try to take advantage of a declining company stock price. But it's risky, to say the least.
What are the pros and cons of shorting a stock?
A lot can happen. What if you short-sell a fledgling company that is suddenly bought out by a larger company and the shares rise? What if a company you view as overvalued doesn't come back down to earth as quickly as you thought it would? Your investment is not only at a loss, but your margin increases too.
Why do short sellers sell?
Many short-sellers are hedge funds, trying to protect themselves during a bearish market or worse. Short-selling is done at times, not just to possibly make a profit, but try to avoid any more disastrous losses. When the market is in a downturn, it can be difficult to find a stock you can profit from while buying.
Why is short selling a stock important?
Short-selling a stock gives investors the option to make money in environments where it has become harder to do so. It is also done to mitigate losses from a declining stock in your portfolio.
How much can you lose on a short sale?
There's no limit to how much you could lose on an attempted short-sale. Waiting too long to stop a failed short-sale could devastate an investor financially, especially if they made too large an investment in it.
Which company has a lot of short sellers?
One recent example of a company with a lot of short-sellers is Tesla. As backlash against Elon Musk's tweets about his most recent earnings call grew and he continued to respond to it through tweeting, short-sellers increased.
