Financial Vocabulary #1
In this week’s episode of the Art of Business English we are going to look at some vocabulary used in the financial sector. Some of these expressions are informal and you may not have heard them before, but they will make your English sound very native.
Understanding English vocabulary can be difficult at the best of times, but when you throw financial terms into the mix, then things can become even more confusing.
To help you understand these terms better, I have provided the meaning as well as an example to put things into context.
Let’s start learning.
Gangbusters
Meaning:
To be very successful.
Example:
“The stock price went gangbuster when the company announced they had won a massive public works project.”
To pop
Meaning:
To suddenly explode (upwards)
Example:
“The company’s stock price popped on Tuesday when their financial results beat analysts’ expectations.”
To crash
Meaning:
To suddenly drop in value or fail
Example:
“The company’s stock price crashed on Monday in after hours trading when regulators said they were investing the company over fraud.”
To spike
Meaning:
A sharp increase in something
Example:
“There has been a spike in sales over the summer.”
To collapse
Meaning:
To suddenly fall down
Example:
“The collapse in the price of gold left many investors out of pocket.”
To run hot
Meaning:
Very active economy
Example:
“The economy is running hot in the third quarter and will probably lead to inflation.”
To leave money on the table
Meaning:
Missing an opportunity to make money
Example:
“If we don’t upsell to our existing clients then we are leaving money on the table.”
Fintech
Meaning:
Financial technology, business who offer financial services using technology
Example:
“Fintech is all the rage lately; these companies will revolutionize the financial services sector.”
To lap something up
Meaning:
To respond enthusiastically
Example:
“Our customers are lapping up our latest offer.”
Risk tolerance
Meaning:
How much risk an investor is willing to accept on an investment
Example:
“The older you get the lower your risk tolerance.”
To leverage
Meaning:
Using borrowed money to make investments
Example:
“Leveraging your investment portfolio can lead to greater profits, but also carried greater risk.”
Venture capitalists
Meaning:
A private investor who invests in early-stage companies with high growth potential
Example:
“Many start-ups look to venture capitalist for funding when they are just starting out.”
Boom to bust
Meaning:
A period of great prosperity then followed by a sudden decline in the economy
Example:
“My company’s fortunes went from boom to bust.”
Final thoughts
Well, there you have my list of financial terms to get you sounding like a native. This is the first episode in a series of financial vocabulary I will be posting, so make sure you stay posted for future updates. If you haven’t subscribed to the AOBE yet, then now is a great time. You can subscribe here.
Before I go, make sure you also check out our course on Business Idioms. You can enroll in the free sample course below.
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See you all next week for more.
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