A body corporate is a type of corporation consisting of a body of persons legally authorized to act as one person, distinct from its individual members.
Nonverbal and often unintended communication that includes facial expressions, head movements, eye contact, hand gestures, body positions and acts, tones of voice, and other physical behaviors. It expresses an individual's emotions, feelings, and attitudes.
A colloquial name for a fraudulent brokerage firm that uses high-pressure sales tactics to sell worthless or overpriced securities to unwary investors.
A copy intended for repetitive use in making other copies. Often used in programming, legal documents, and contracts.
The term 'Bolsa' refers to a stock exchange in Spanish-speaking countries. Just like the term Bourse in French and Borsa in Italian, it traces back to the meaning 'purse'.
India's leading stock exchange, listing over 5000 companies. The main index is the BSE Sensex of 30 representative stocks. Derivatives have been traded since 2000.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is one of the largest and oldest stock exchanges in the world, providing a crucial platform for the trading of a wide array of market assets.
Bona fide refers to actions done in good faith, honestly, and without collusion or fraud. In legal contexts, a bona fide purchaser for value is someone who buys property without knowledge of any prior claims on it.
A Bona Fide Purchaser (BFP) is an individual or entity that buys property in good faith and without knowledge of any existing claims or rights of others on the property. This legal concept is essential in real estate and commercial law to protect the rights of an innocent party acquiring a property.
Bonds are IOUs issued by borrowers to lenders. These instruments come in various forms and are typically used by governments, local authorities, or companies to raise funds, offering fixed or variable interest rates and different terms.
A bond broker is a financial professional who specializes in buying and selling bonds on behalf of clients. They execute bond trades on the floor of exchanges or trade corporate, U.S. government, or municipal debt issues over the counter, often acting for large institutional accounts.
The bond discount is the difference between a bond's current market price and its higher face value or maturity value. This phenomenon occurs when bonds are issued below par value or due to market conditions such as rising interest rates or heightened default risk.
A bond premium refers to the amount the purchaser pays in buying a bond that exceeds the face or call value of the bond. This premium can be amortized, reflecting the true interest rate being less than the coupon rate.
Bond rating refers to the method of evaluating the possibility of default by a bond issuer, such as a corporation or government body. Prominent agencies like Fitch Ratings, Standard & Poor's, and Moody's assess the financial strength of issuers and provide ratings that range from AAA (highly unlikely to default) to D (in default). Bonds rated BB or below are considered non-investment grade.
Bond yield refers to the return an investor realizes on a bond. Various types of bond yields provide investors with insight into the return they could potentially receive if they hold the bond until maturity or sell it earlier.
Bonded debt refers to the portion of a corporation's or government's overall debt that is represented by bonds it has issued. It specifically concerns the indebtedness that is contracted under the obligation of these bonds.
Goods brought into a country that are placed in a bonded warehouse until all duties are paid.
A bonus is compensation paid to an employee or employees for achieving a particular sales goal or organizational objective. This is in addition to a commission or salary.
A bonus dividend is a special dividend issued to shareholders in addition to the regular dividends, often due to extraordinary circumstances such as a takeover or exceptionally high profits.
A bonus issue is the issuance of additional shares to existing shareholders at no cost, based on the number of shares that a shareholder already owns. It's also known as a scrip issue.
Bonus shares are additional shares issued to existing shareholders of a company at no extra cost, based on the number of shares that a shareholder already owns.
In finance and accounting, the term 'book' may refer to preliminary indications of interest in underwriting securities, a record maintained by a specialist of buy and sell orders, the action of giving accounting recognition to transactions, or collectively, the journals, ledgers, and other accounting records of a business.
Book depreciation, also known as accounting depreciation, refers to the allocation of the cost of tangible assets over their useful lives, reflecting the wear and tear, deterioration, or obsolescence of these assets.
Book Inventory refers to the stock of books that a business has in hand according to recorded figures. It is an essential component in inventory management, impacting both financial reporting and operational efficiency.
A Book of Account refers to the formal record maintained by a business entity to document its financial transactions. These records are essential for bookkeeping and accounting, ensuring that all financial activities are accurately tracked and reported. Books of account typically include journals, ledgers, and other financial documents that reflect the business's financial performance and position.
A book or record where specific types of transactions are logged before being integrated into the double-entry bookkeeping system. Common examples include the day book, cash book, and journal.
Book profit or loss, also known as accounting profit or loss, is the net income or deficit as recorded in the financial statements of a company before accounting for any unrealized gains or losses.
Book value represents the net asset value of a company, calculated as the total assets minus intangible assets and liabilities. It provides a historical measure of value and is frequently compared to market value to gauge intangible assets' and management's effectiveness.
Book-entry refers to the electronic system of recording ownership of securities instead of issuing physical certificates. This system facilitates easier and more secure transactions within financial markets.
Book-entry securities are securities that exist only as electronic records and do not have a physical certificate, facilitating efficient trading and ownership transfer.
A Book-Keeper is a person responsible for recording the financial transactions and maintaining the books of account for a business. This role is vital for the accurate and efficient tracking of all financial events in an organization.
Book-keeping is the meticulous recording and organization of a business's financial transactions. It provides a foundation for critical financial statements such as the profit and loss account and the balance sheet.
The book-to-bill ratio is a crucial metric in many industries, particularly in semiconductors, that measures the ratio of orders booked for future delivery to orders being shipped immediately and billed.
A bookkeeper is a professional responsible for recording financial transactions and maintaining accurate financial records for an organization. Bookkeepers use accounting systems to track expenses, income, and other monetary movements, aiding in the financial management of a business.
A bookmark is a marker within a file that allows a user to easily return to a specific position or a remembered address (URL) that enables the user to revisit a site on the Internet.
Books of account refer to the ledgers, journals, and other accounting records in which a business records its transactions. These records form the backbone of a company's financial information, ensuring that their financial status can be understood at any time.
The Boomerang Effect refers to the phenomenon where exported technology is used to manufacture products that compete with those produced by the original exporter.
A boondoggle refers to a project that is considered wasteful or useless, often involving unnecessary or redundant work with little practical value.
The term 'BOOT' has distinct meanings in both computing and taxation. In computing, it refers to the process of starting a computer. In taxation, it refers to additional property or money included to balance the values in a tax-deferred exchange.
A boot disk, also known as a startup disk, is a storage device from which a computer can start or boot an operating system. The boot disk contains the necessary files and code to load the operating system into memory, allowing the computer to become operational.
A bootstrap acquisition is a type of buyout where the buyer uses the target company's excess cash or liquid assets to help finance the acquisition.
Bootstrapping involves starting a company with minimal capital, expecting to fund the business operations through subsequent profits and revenues.
Borrowed capital refers to funds obtained by a firm through loans or other forms of debt to finance its operations or investments. Compared to equity financing, borrowed capital involves a fixed cost in terms of interest payments.
The concept of a borrowed reserve involves funds that member banks borrow from a Federal Reserve Bank to maintain their required reserve ratios, ensuring they meet regulatory requirements while managing liquidity needs.
A borrower is a person who has received a loan and is obligated to repay the amount borrowed (principal) with interest and other fees, according to the loan terms.
Borrowing costs refer to the expenses incurred by an organization when it borrows money. These costs typically include interest payments and may also encompass arrangement fees and intermediary fees. Depending on accounting standards and conditions, they can either be expensed immediately or capitalized as an asset.
The Borrowing Power of Securities refers to the ability of a client to borrow funds from a financial institution, using the purchased securities as collateral for the loan.
The term 'Bottom' refers to a support level for market prices of any type, representing the lowest point in various finance and economic contexts.
An investor who seeks to purchase securities, commodities, or other assets that are at their lowest market prices and are expected to rise in value.
An essential figure representing net profit after tax, utilized in financial performance metrics such as earnings per share.
The bottom-up approach to investing prioritizes the performance and fundamentals of individual companies over broader market or industry trends. This method involves selecting stocks based on their individual merits rather than focusing on the macroeconomic environment.
A method of raising capital where a company sells new shares to an underwriter, who then resells them to the market.
The Bought Ledger, also known as Creditors’ Ledger, is a sub-ledger accounting record that details all the credit purchases a company makes from its suppliers, providing a clear view of all owed amounts and due dates.
Boulewarism refers to a 'take-it-or-leave-it' offer made by management to labor in the context of collective bargaining, circumventing union negotiations. It has been ruled illegal as a violation of the Wagner Act (National Labor Relations Act of 1935).
The term 'Bounce' pertains to various scenarios in finance, securities, and communications where an action is invalidated or not executed as intended. It includes returned checks due to insufficient funds, rejected securities, sudden stock price moves, and undelivered emails.
A bounce message is a notification returned to the sender indicating that an email message could not be delivered. It is usually automatically generated by the Postmaster at the recipient's site and sometimes includes an indication of what went wrong.
A boundary is an officially recognized and defined line that indicates the limits of a piece of property. It is often synonymous with the term 'property line' and is essential in real estate for establishing ownership, resolving disputes, and creating legal descriptions of land parcels.
Bounded rationality describes the type of rationality that individuals and organizations utilize when confronted with complex decisions in real-life, fast-moving situations where perfect information is unavailable. Instead of aiming to maximize profits, decision-makers seek acceptable solutions that yield satisfactory results.
Term used by Marxist economists to denote the social class that owns property and financial assets and thus derives income from investments. Also may be used to refer to the middle and upper classes and the prevailing social values of mainstream society.
The term 'Bourse' refers to a stock exchange, particularly derived from the French term used for stock markets. It is fundamentally a place where securities, commodities, derivatives, and other financial instruments are traded.
A boutique is a small, specialized shop that deals with a limited clientele and offers a limited product line. It stands in contrast to larger retail establishments like department stores, supermarkets, or warehouse clubs, which offer a wide array of products or services. The term can also apply to small, specialized brokerage firms as compared to financial supermarkets.
A boycott is a form of protest involving the refusal to engage in commercial or social relations with a particular organization, business, or country as a means of expressing disapproval or coercing change.
Business Performance Management (BPM) is a set of performance management and analytic processes that enables the management of an organization's performance to achieve strategic and operational goals.
Bracket creep occurs when taxpayers move into higher tax brackets due to inflationary increases in their nominal income without a real increase in their purchasing power. This phenomenon increases government revenue without any changes in tax rates.
Brain drain refers to the migration of highly skilled and educated individuals from one country to another, often in search of better career prospects, living conditions, or educational opportunities.
Brainstorming is a group session of executives from different business disciplines, where new ideas are expressed to solve a business situation or formulate corporate policy. Originated by Alex Osborn, it focuses on generating a multitude of ideas in a non-critical environment.
Branch accounting involves an accounting system for separate departments or branches within a business. This system ensures accurate tracking of net profit for each branch, which can be combined to determine the overall profitability of the organization.
A branch office is a place of operation for a firm that is located apart from the main office. It is owned by the firm owner but is managed by another person.
A branch office manager is responsible for overseeing the operations of a branch of a securities brokerage firm or bank, ensuring it runs efficiently and complies with regulations.
A brand serves as an identifying mark, symbol, word(s), or a combination that distinguishes one company's products or services from those of another. It encompasses brand names and trademarks.
Brands, as intangible assets, play a crucial role in a company's strategic differentiation and financial performance. The accounting treatment of brands varies globally and has evolved to address the complexity in valuing and amortizing these assets.
Brand association refers to the degree to which a particular brand is connected with the general product category in the minds of consumers. It often leads to consumers referring to the product by brand name rather than its generic name.
Brand Development is a measure of the infiltration of a product's sales, usually per thousand population. It indicates the percentage of market penetration or how well a brand is doing in a specific region.
The Brand Development Index (BDI) measures the sales performance of a brand within a specific market area compared to its average sales performance across all markets. It highlights the relative strength and potential of a brand in a specific geographic area.
Brand equity refers to the value premium that a company generates from a product with a recognizable name compared to a generic equivalent. It underscores the intangible aspects that influence consumer perception and allow businesses to charge higher prices, thereby enhancing profit margins.
Addition of a new product to an already established line of products under the same brand name, allowing the new product to benefit from the established reputation of the older product.
Qualities that consumers associate with a specific brand, expressed in terms of human behavior and desires, which relate to the price, quality, and situational use of the brand.
Brand loyalty refers to the degree to which a consumer consistently purchases a specific brand over other brands. It is influenced by several factors such as quality, price, consumer attitudes, family or peer pressure, and relationships with salespeople.
A brand manager, also known as a product manager, is responsible for marketing and making key advertising decisions for a specific brand within a company.
A brand name is the vocalizable component of a brand, trademark, or service mark, setting it apart from visual identifiers. It can be a word, letter, or a combination of words and letters.
The Brand Potential Index (BPI) quantifies the relationship between a brand's Market Development Index (MDI) and Brand Development Index (BDI) within a specific market area. It is a key metric for predicting future sales and planning advertising budgets.
Brand share refers to the proportion of total sales in a market that is made up of a specific brand’s sales, expressed in percentage terms. It is also referred to as market share or share of market.
Branding entails creating a perception in the mind of consumers regarding the image and quality provided by a company’s name. It involves various strategies to build a distinct identity and distinguish a company's products or services from competitors.
BRASS refers to the top management of an organization, originating from military terminology. It's often used by individuals not in top management to describe a broad area of responsibility without a fixed point of reference.
The phrase 'get down to brass tacks' implies breaking off preliminaries and proceeding directly to the essential matters.
A breach refers to the failure to perform some contracted-for or agreed-upon act or to comply with a legal duty owed to another or to society.
A breach of contract occurs when a party fails to fulfill obligations under a legally binding agreement or indicates an intention not to do so. It can result in remedies like damages, injunctions, or specific performance.
A breach of trust occurs when a trustee acts contrary to their fiduciary obligations, which can involve misappropriation of trust assets or failure to act in the beneficiaries' best interests.
A breach of warranty occurs when there is an infraction of an express or implied agreement concerning the title, quality, content, or condition of a thing sold. It can result in legal ramifications for the seller if the warranty given does not hold true.
An individual capable of furnishing support to others who depend on the income earned. The breadwinner is the chief monetary achiever of the family.
A term used in both Finance and Investment contexts, referring to points where pricing structures change due to volume discounts or significant drops in market prices, among other uses.
Break-Even Analysis is a financial analysis that identifies the point at which expenses equal gross revenue, resulting in neither profit nor loss. It is a crucial tool for businesses to determine the minimum sales volume required to avoid losses.
A critical financial concept, the break-even point represents the point at which total revenues equal total costs, resulting in neither profit nor loss. It is widely used in finance, real estate, and securities to determine financial health.
Break-up value represents the asset value assuming an organization discontinues its business operations. Typically calculated for assets sold piecemeal, the break-up value encompasses the asset value per share and can affect financial decision-making.
Breakeven Analysis, also known as Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Analysis, is a managerial accounting technique in which costs are analyzed according to their fixed or variable nature and compared to sales revenue to determine the level of sales or production at which the business neither makes a profit nor incurs a loss.
A breakeven chart (or breakeven graph) is a visual tool used to depict the relationship between an organization's total costs—comprising fixed and variable costs—and its sales revenue across different levels of activity. The intersection point of these curves shows the breakeven point, where total costs equal total revenue.
The breakeven point is the level of production, sales volume, percentage of capacity, or sales revenue at which an organization makes neither a profit nor a loss. This critical financial metric helps businesses understand when they will start to become profitable.
Breaking the Buck refers to a decline in the normally constant $1 net asset value (NAV) of a money market fund. This can occur if the fund suffers severe losses or if investment income falls below operating expenses.
Dissolution of any unit, organization, or group of organizations. An antitrust action by the Justice Department may result in the breakup of a large corporation into smaller companies if it is found to be in violation of antitrust laws.
The Bretton Woods Conference was a landmark meeting during World War II where representatives from forty-four Allied nations gathered to establish a new framework for international economic cooperation, resulting in the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
