The Continent: An abbreviated description often used by the United Kingdom, Icelanders and other European island nations, such as Cyprus and Malta, to describe the “mainland” continent of Europe. It is often disputed among Europeans what is considered the eastern boundary of the Continent.
Source: Wikipedia
CFA: Acronym for Chartered Financial Analyst. An individual who has passed tests in economics, accounting, security analysis and money management, administered by the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of the Association for Investment Management and Research. CFAs are also expected to have at least three years of investments-related experience and meet certain standards of professional conduct. CFAs have an extensive economic and investing background and are competent at a high level of analysis. Individuals or corporations utilize their services as security analysts, portfolio managers or investment advisors.
Source: InvestorWords.com, CFA Institute
Chinese A-Share: Mainland China’s two stock exchanges, in Shenzhen and Shanghai, both have A- and B-share markets. The major difference is that the A-shares are denominated in the renminbi currency and the B-shares are denominated in foreign currency (Hong Kong dollars in Shenzhen and U.S. dollars in Shanghai).
Source: Investopedia, Wikipedia
The Cloud: A model for delivering information technology services in which resources are retrieved from the internet through web-based tools and applications, rather than a direct connection to a server. These services are offered from data centers all over the world, which are collectively referred to as the “cloud.”
Sources: Investopedia, Tech Terms.com, TechnoBuffalo.com
Commerce Department: The department was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903 and was renamed the Department of Commerce in 1913 when its bureaus and agencies specializing in labor were transferred to the new Department of Labor. Its mission today is to “promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness and sustainable development.” The department is tasked with gathering economic and demographic data for business and government decision-making, issuing patents and trademarks and helping set industrial standards.
Sources: Investopedia, Wikipedia
Consumer Discretionary Sector: One of 10 economic sectors that comprises the S&P 500 Index and serves as a gauge for the general health and performance of the underlying industries. The consumer discretionary sector includes the following industries: advertising, autos and auto parts, broadcasting and cable, general merchandise, hotels, movies and entertainment, publishing and printers, restaurants and retail.
Sources: Ferguson Wellman Glossary of Investment Terms, Investopedia
Consumer Staples: Products that are essential to consumers. Examples include household goods, food, beverages and tobacco. Because consumers view these products as essential, they purchase them regardless of the state of the economy. As a result, they are considered a consistent investment platform for investors.
Sources: Investopedia and Investing Answer
Consumer Price Index (CPI): measures prices of a fixed basket of goods bought by a typical consumer. It is widely used as a cost-of-living benchmark to adjust Social Security payments and other payment schedules, and to measure and gauge inflation. Economists also look at the CPI excluding volatile food and energy components that they call the “core” CPI.
Source: Ferguson Wellman Glossary of Investment Terms
Corporate Bond: a debt instrument issued by a corporation to raise money effectively in order to expand its business. The term “corporate bonds” tend to refer to longer-term debt with a maturity date falling at least one year after the issue date. “Commercial paper” typically refers to debt with a short maturity.
Source: Wikipedia
Cyclical Sector: A sector that is sensitive to economic fluctuations and tends to exhibit more radical swings, correlated with the overall business cycle, such that revenues are generally higher in periods of economic prosperity and expansion, lower in periods of economic downturn and contraction. There are nine sectors considered cyclical: basic materials, capital goods, communications, consumer cyclical, energy, financial, health care, technology and transportation.
Sources: Investopedia, About.com, Mindxpansion