Long position

Stock prices exhibit even greater volatility than the fluctuations in weather patterns. Each share of stock in a publicly traded company, a company whose stock is traded on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq market, is associated with a specific price. When an investor acquires a share, they essentially own a piece of that company.

The tried and true formula for successful sales, "buy low, sell high," applies equally to financial markets. Traders use various types of transactions to achieve this, including short positions (betting that the price will go down) and long positions (betting that the price will go up). These strategies are commonly referred to as "short" and "long" in professional circles. This article will explain the meaning of these terms, their purposes, and how they work.