Annuity

Contracts issued and distributed by financial institutions in which the funds are invested with the goal of returning fixed payments at a later date.  Annuities are typically used by retirees to prevent savings accounts expiring before their owner.  Annuities begin in...

Wyckoff

A 5-step method for market analysis and decision making developed by Richard D. Wyckoff in the 1930s.  The 5 steps of the method are as follows: 1. Determine the present position and probably future trend of the market. 2. Select stocks in harmony with this trend (ie,...

World Bank

An international organization providing financing, advice, and research to the governments and economies of developing nations.  The World Bank was founded along with the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) under the Bretton Woods Agreement.  It supplies qualifying...

Wedges

A price pattern created by converging trend lines on a price chart.  The two lines are drawn to connect the highs and lows of a price over the course of 10-50 trading periods.  These lines display the highs and lows as either rising or falling and create a wedge shape...

Small Cap

Companies with a relatively small market capitalization (or between $300 million and $2 billion market caps).  Small cap companies may be appealing to investors looking to beat institutional investors to new or emerging companies.  Though small cap stocks have...

Mid Cap

A term used for companies with a market cap of between $2 and $10 billion.  These Middle Capitalization companies fall between large capitalization (or companies with <$10 billion market cap) and small capitalization (or companies with $300 million – $2...