Category: Investments glossary

The market approach is a method of determining the value of an asset based on the selling price of similar assets. It is one of three popular valuation methods, along with the cost approach and discounted cash-flow analysis (DCF).

Brand personality is a set of human characteristics that are attributed to a brand name. A brand personality is something to which the consumer can relate; an effective brand increases its brand equity by having a consistent set of traits that a specific consumer segment enjoys. This personality is a qualitative value-add that a brand gains in addition to its functional benefits.

An equated monthly installment (EMI) is a fixed payment amount made by a borrower to a lender at a specified date each calendar month. Equated monthly installments are used to pay off both interest and principal each month so that over a specified number of years, the loan is paid off in full. With most common types of loans—such as real estate mortgages, auto loans, and student loans—the borrower makes fixed periodic payments to the lender over the course of several years with the goal of retiring the loan. read more

A zero coupon swap is an exchange of cash flows in which the stream of floating interest-rate payments is made periodically, as it would be in a plain vanilla swap, but where the stream of fixed-rate payments is made as one lump-sum payment at the time when the swap reaches maturity, instead of periodically over the life of the swap.

An evergreen contract automatically renews after the expiry date. The parties involved in the contract agree that it rolls over automatically until one gives the notice to terminate it.

Risk analysis is the process of assessing the likelihood of an adverse event occurring within the corporate, government, or environmental sector. Risk analysis is the study of the underlying uncertainty of a given course of action and refers to the uncertainty of forecasted cash flow streams, the variance of portfolio or stock returns, the probability of a project’s success or failure, and possible future economic states. Risk analysts often work in tandem with forecasting professionals to minimize future negative unforeseen effects. read more

An equated monthly installment (EMI) is a fixed payment amount made by a borrower to a lender at a specified date each calendar month. Equated monthly installments are used to pay off both interest and principal each month so that over a specified number of years, the loan is paid off in full. With most common types of loans—such as real estate mortgages, auto loans, and student loans—the borrower makes fixed periodic payments to the lender over the course of several years with the goal of retiring the loan. read more

Money laundering is the illegal process of making large amounts of money generated by a criminal activity, such as drug trafficking or terrorist funding, appear to have come from a legitimate source. The money from the criminal activity is considered dirty, and the process launders it to make it look clean.

The credit default swap index (CDX)—formerly the Dow Jones CDX—is a benchmark financial instrument made up of credit default swaps (CDS) that have been issued by North American or emerging markets companies. The CDX was the first CDS index, which was created in 2002 and was based on a basket of single issuer CDSs.

An interim dividend is a dividend payment made before a company’s annual general meeting (AGM) and the release of final financial statements. This declared dividend usually accompanies the company’s interim financial statements. The interim dividend is issued more frequently in the United Kingdom where dividends are often paid semi-annually. The interim dividend is typically the smaller of the two payments made to shareholders.