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THE STOCKMEMBERS MARKET GLOSSARY

Learn the language.
Read the move.

Plain-English definitions for the phrases, filings, patterns, and halt updates you see every trading day.

BASICS TRADES FILINGS PATTERNS HALTS
01

Market basics

Bull / Bullish

A trader or view expecting price to rise.

Bear / Bearish

A trader or view expecting price to fall.

DD

Due diligence: researching the company, catalyst, filings, chart, and risks.

FOMO

Fear of missing out. A common reason traders chase without a plan.

PM / AH

Premarket / after-hours trading sessions.

EOD / HOD

End of day / high of day.

NHOD / NHOY / ATH

New high of day / new high of year / all-time high.

PT

Price target—an estimate, not a guarantee.

Power Hour

The final hour of the regular market session, often abbreviated PH.

Watchlist

A prepared list of symbols to research and monitor for a possible setup.

Backburner

A symbol being monitored with less immediate attention.

02

Trading & orders

Day trade

Generally, opening and closing the same security on the same trading day. Account type and current rules matter.

Swing trade

A position held beyond the day it was opened, often for days or weeks.

GTC

Good ’til canceled—an order instruction that remains active until filled or canceled, subject to broker limits.

Call option

A contract whose value can benefit from a rise in the underlying asset; options involve special risks.

Put option

A contract whose value can benefit from a decline in the underlying asset; options involve special risks.

Block trade

A large securities transaction, sometimes arranged to reduce market impact.

VWAP

Volume-weighted average price, a commonly watched intraday reference combining price and volume.

Oversold / Overbought

Momentum descriptions suggesting unusually heavy selling or buying. Neither guarantees a reversal.

03

News, filings & activity

PR

Press release—company-issued information that should still be verified.

ER

Earnings report.

Form 4

An SEC filing reporting certain transactions by company insiders.

Schedule 13D / 13G

SEC ownership filings generally associated with holders above a reporting threshold; filing rules and deadlines vary.

Volume spike

A sudden rush of trading activity that can signal a catalyst or increased attention.

Volume increase

Trading activity building above a symbol’s recent norm.

Reverse split

A corporate action reducing share count while proportionally increasing per-share price, before market effects.

Post reverse split

The period after an announced reverse split has taken effect.

MM

Market maker—a firm that posts bids and offers and facilitates liquidity.

04

Chart patterns

Flag / Flag break

A consolidation after a strong move; a break occurs when price leaves that structure.

Double bottom

Two similar lows followed by a rebound; traders may interpret it as a possible reversal pattern.

Triple bottom

Three similar lows followed by a move through resistance.

Cup and handle

A rounded consolidation followed by a smaller pullback and potential breakout.

Pennant

Converging consolidation after a sharp move, sometimes followed by continuation.

Head and shoulders

A pattern commonly associated with a potential bullish-to-bearish reversal.

Inverse head and shoulders

The inverted version, commonly associated with a potential bearish-to-bullish reversal.

05

Trading halts

Volatility halt

A temporary pause after rapid price movement. StockMembers may say a symbol ‘halted up’ or ‘halted down.’

T1

News pending—the exchange has paused trading while material news is awaited.

T12

Additional information requested by an exchange before trading may resume.

Symbol open

StockMembers shorthand indicating the exchange has reopened the symbol for trading.

SSR

Short-sale restriction, a rule affecting how short sales may be executed after a qualifying decline.

About the PDT rule and account types

Day-trading limits, settlement rules, and buying-power requirements depend on current regulation, your broker, security, and account type. Do not rely on an old summary. Before trading, confirm the current rules directly with your broker and FINRA or the relevant regulator.

FROM “WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?” TO “I SEE THE SETUP.”

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