Free for everyoneReference

Glossary

Plain meanings for 621 market and trading terms, each linked to the lesson that teaches it.

621terms
10chapters
47linked lessons
Browse by chapter
Term ConsoleTap any term below and it loads here
Status
Data Pending

Scroll down and tap any term card. Its meaning, where it is taught, related terms and a visual load right here, and the return button takes you straight back to the card you tapped.

Bbounce between this console and your card/searchEscclear the console

Where this is taught

    Related terms

    Go deeper

    The chapters are part of the paid modules. Members read the full chapter.

    Visual
    Data pending

    Chapter 1: Market Structure and Order Flow

    87 terms, drawn from GhostWire Ch.1, 5, 16, 18, 19, 20

    A4 terms

    ADV#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Average daily volume, often over 20 trading days
    RelatedAverage-price or benchmark tradeMarketable orderWholesaler or internalizer
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Aggressor and tick test#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The side that initiated a trade, inferred by comparing price with the quote or with the previous trade price
    RelatedTrade side or aggressorLit marketPrice improvement
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    ATS or dark pool#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A venue that matches orders without displaying them first
    RelatedLiquidity pool and depthConsolidated tape and SIPPool spot price
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Average-price or benchmark trade#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A trade whose price is a computed average or a benchmark such as the day’s volume-weighted average price
    RelatedADVPrice improvementMarketable order
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1

    B2 terms

    Block#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A large trade, commonly 10,000 shares or $200,000
    RelatedSweep, block and complex orderAuthorized participant (AP)Creation unit
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Borrow fee and utilization#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The annual cost of borrowing shares, and the share of lendable shares already on loan
    RelatedSecurities lending reporting (SLATE)Open interestReg SHO threshold list
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16

    C11 terms

    Close-out#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A required purchase or delivery that clears a fail
    RelatedReg SHO threshold listFail to deliver (FTD)Net position and positioning index
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Closing auction#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The single-price match at 16:00 ET (15:00 CT) that sets the official close
    RelatedClosing windowOpening auctionOpening and closing cross
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20GhostWire Ch.24
    Closing window#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The final hour, 15:00 to 16:00 ET (14:00 to 15:00 CT), assumed to hold more deliberate orders
    RelatedClosing auctionOpening and closing crossOpening window
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    CME gap#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The weekly gap on Bitcoin futures that formed because the futures paused while spot kept trading, until CME moved crypto futures to round-the-clock trading in May 2026
    RelatedFunding rate and open interestGapExtended hours
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Commercial hedgers and small speculators#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Two categories in the weekly futures positioning report: businesses hedging real exposure, and small traders
    RelatedSmart Money Flow Index (SMFI)Contrarian readingSmart Money Index (SMI)
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Commitments of Traders (TFF)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The weekly census of open futures positions by trader type, as of Tuesday and released Friday at 15:30 ET (14:30 CT)
    RelatedSpreadingOpen interestRMSE
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Common, breakaway, runaway and exhaustion gaps#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The four classic gap types, told apart by where they occur in a trend and by volume
    RelatedPreferred and common stockFunding rate and open interestLULD
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Consolidated tape#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The combined stream of trades and quotes from all venues
    RelatedConsolidated tape and SIPProfessional and non-professionalEscalator
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Consolidated tape and SIP#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The single stream that combines every venue’s trades and quotes
    RelatedConsolidated tapeTRFATS or dark pool
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Contrarian reading#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Treating an extreme in a crowd as a warning rather than a confirmation
    RelatedLagging indicatorSmart Money and Dumb Money ConfidenceIntraday momentum
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Cumulative line#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A series that keeps adding each day’s change without resetting
    RelatedCumulative creditOpening windowLagging indicator
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20

    D5 terms

    Dealer hedging#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Option dealers trading the stock to stay close to delta-neutral
    RelatedMarket maker (dealer)DeltaDelta-adjusted notional
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    Delta-adjusted notional#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Contracts × 100 × delta × stock price
    RelatedHeadline and delta-adjusted notionalDeltaNotional and multiplier
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    Depth#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    GhostWire Ch.5The sizes resting at each price in the order book, not just the best bid and ask
    GhostWire Ch.8The dollars of net buying needed to lift the price 1%
    RelatedBid and askBid, ask and order bookOrder book imbalance
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5GhostWire Ch.8GhostWire Ch.29
    Display and non-display use#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Display means a person reads the data on a screen; non-display means software uses it
    RelatedProfessional and non-professionalLevel 1 and depthConsolidated tape
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Divergence#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Price and an indicator moving in opposite directions over the same window
    RelatedLagging indicatorIntraday momentumSmart Money Index (SMI)
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20

    E5 terms

    Early-termination penalty#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A share of the remaining fees due if the buyer leaves before the term ends
    RelatedEarly assignmentLock-up and early releaseMinimum term
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    ECN#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    An electronic network that matches orders automatically; extended-hours trades run on these
    RelatedExtended hoursOpening auctionImbalance
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    EDGAR#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The regulator’s free public database of company filings
    RelatedMinimum termLevel 1 and depthFee cap
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Escalator#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A contractual yearly increase in price
    RelatedHurdle returnConsolidated tapeTerminal
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Extended hours#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Trading outside the 09:30 to 16:00 ET (08:30 to 15:00 CT) regular session, split into pre-market, after-hours and, at some brokers, overnight
    RelatedECNGigawatt and terawatt-hourOpening range
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18

    F3 terms

    Fail to deliver (FTD)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A trade whose shares did not arrive by the settlement date; the published figure is the aggregate balance as of each date
    RelatedSettlement dateNowcastReg SHO threshold list
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Fee cap#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A ceiling on what a large firm pays per month for a data product
    RelatedEDGARMinimum termHurdle return
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Funding rate and open interest#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A periodic payment between longs and shorts of a perpetual crypto contract, and the number of contracts outstanding
    RelatedFunding rateOpen interestOpen interest and volume
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18

    G2 terms

    Gap#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    GhostWire Ch.18The open minus the prior close, shown in dollars, percent or ATR units
    GhostWire Ch.25A move in price with no trading in between, such as from the close to the next open
    RelatedATRGap fillExtended hours
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18GhostWire Ch.25
    Gap fill#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Price returning to the prior close after a gap
    RelatedFill assumptionGapCommon, breakaway, runaway and exhaustion gaps
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18

    H2 terms

    Headline and core#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    All items, and all items less food and energy
    RelatedHeadline and core inflationCore and supercoreHeadline and delta-adjusted notional
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Hurdle return#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The extra yearly return needed just to cover a fixed cost
    RelatedEscalatorMinimum termFee cap
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19

    I3 terms

    Imbalance#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The unmatched shares left on one side at the auction price
    RelatedOrder book imbalanceOpening auctionGap
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Intraday momentum#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The tendency, found in one study, for the first half-hour return to predict the last half-hour return in the same direction
    RelatedSmart Money Index (SMI)DivergenceClosing window
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Intrinsic and extrinsic value#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Intrinsic is what exercising would be worth now; extrinsic (time value) is the rest of the price
    RelatedExtrinsic value and ex-dividend dateSweep, block and complex orderDelta-adjusted notional
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5

    L6 terms

    Lagging indicator#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A measure that confirms a move only after it is under way rather than at it
    RelatedDivergenceContrarian readingCumulative line
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Level 1 and depth#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Level 1 is the best bid, best ask and last sale; depth shows orders beyond the best price
    RelatedEDGARDisplay and non-display useOpportunity cost
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Lifting the offer, hitting the bid#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Buying at the ask, selling at the bid
    RelatedATS or dark poolTime and salesLit market
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Limit order and market order#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A limit order sets the worst acceptable price; a market order accepts whatever the book offers
    RelatedLoss limitPre-trade limits and kill switchOpening auction
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Lit market#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    An exchange that shows its orders and quotes publicly before they trade
    RelatedConsolidated tape and SIPAggressor and tick testPrice improvement
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    LULD#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Limit Up-Limit Down, the price-band rule that pauses a stock after a fast move; it has long applied only in the regular session
    RelatedExtended hoursOpening rangeVWAP and ADX
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18

    M5 terms

    Marketable order#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    An order that can trade at once: a market order, or a limit order at or through the opposite quote
    RelatedResting orderConsolidated tape and SIPLit market
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Microprice#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The best bid and ask weighted by the opposite side’s size
    RelatedBid and askDepthDealer hedging
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    Midpoint#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The price halfway between bid and ask; may fall on a half-cent
    RelatedBid and askPrice improvementATS or dark pool
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Minimum term#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The shortest period a contract can run without a penalty
    RelatedMinimum-variance ratio (h*)Early-termination penaltyEDGAR
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Month over month and annualized#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The change from the prior month, and that rate compounded over twelve months
    RelatedAnnualized rateSpreadingShort interest and days to cover
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16

    N4 terms

    Net position and positioning index#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Long minus short, and where today’s net sits between its low and high over a look-back window
    RelatedSpreadingSettlement dateFail to deliver (FTD)
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Net premium (tide)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Bullish premium minus bearish premium over an interval
    RelatedCapMaximum profit and lossPremium
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    Network effect#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A service whose value rises with the number of others on it
    RelatedEarly-termination penaltySeatMinimum term
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Nowcast#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A model estimate of a number that has not been published yet, refreshed as inputs arrive
    RelatedFail to deliver (FTD)Securities lending reporting (SLATE)RMSE
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16

    O7 terms

    Open interest#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    GhostWire Ch.16The number of contracts outstanding; each has one long and one short side
    Advanced Ch.15The total notional of open contracts
    RelatedOpen interest and volumeShort interest and days to coverFunding rate and open interest
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16GhostWire Ch.17Advanced Ch.15
    Opening and closing cross#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Single-price auctions near 09:30 ET (08:30 CT) and 16:00 ET (15:00 CT)
    RelatedClosing auctionOpening auctionClosing window
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Opening auction#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A single-price match of all queued orders that sets the official opening price at 09:30 ET (08:30 CT)
    RelatedClosing auctionOpening rangeOpening and closing cross
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Opening range#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The high and low of the first few minutes of the regular session, often 15
    RelatedOpening auctionMinutesExtended hours
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Opening window#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The first 30 minutes of trading, 09:30 to 10:00 ET (08:30 to 09:00 CT), assumed to be driven by reaction to overnight news
    RelatedMinutesSmart Money Index (SMI)Opening range
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Opportunity cost#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    What money tied up in an asset could have earned elsewhere
    RelatedSeatLevel 1 and depthEscalator
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Order book imbalance#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    (bid size − ask size) / (bid size + ask size), from −1 to +1
    RelatedImbalanceBid, ask and order bookNew-issue concession and order book
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5

    P5 terms

    Premium#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The price paid for an option, quoted per share and multiplied by 100 shares per contract
    RelatedNet premium (tide)Put/call ratioRoll and premium drag
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5Advanced Ch.2
    Price discovery#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The process of finding the price that clears the market after news
    RelatedVWAP and ADXLULDFunding rate and open interest
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Price improvement#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    An execution better than the quote, often by a fraction of a cent
    RelatedMidpointLit marketAggressor and tick test
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Professional and non-professional#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Exchange categories that carry different fees; trading for an employer or a business generally means professional
    RelatedCarryCarry (cash-and-carry)Terminal
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Put/call ratio#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Put volume divided by call volume, or put premium divided by call premium
    RelatedPremiumNet premium (tide)Dealer hedging
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5GhostWire Ch.20

    R5 terms

    Rebalancing flow#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Index and fund trades executed at the close because a rule requires them
    RelatedRebalancingSmart Money and Dumb Money ConfidenceCumulative line
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Reg SHO threshold list#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The daily list of stocks whose aggregate fail balance meets size tests for five consecutive settlement days
    RelatedWhale thresholdFail to deliver (FTD)Short interest and days to cover
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Relative importance (weight)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A component’s share of the whole index
    RelatedContributionRisk contributionConstant maturity
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.6GhostWire Ch.16
    Resting order#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A limit order that waits at its price
    RelatedMarketable orderWholesaler or internalizerTime and sales
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    RMSE#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The typical size of a forecast error, in the units of the forecast
    RelatedReg SHO threshold listCommitments of Traders (TFF)Short interest and days to cover
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16

    S11 terms

    Seat#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    One licensed user of a terminal, or historically one membership in an exchange
    RelatedTerminalProfessional and non-professionalOpportunity cost
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Securities lending reporting (SLATE)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The new FINRA (USA) reporting of loan transactions
    RelatedSecurities owned followingSection 13(f) securitiesBorrow fee and utilization
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Settlement date#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The day a trade is due to deliver; US equities settle one business day after the trade (T+1) since 28 May 2024
    RelatedFail to deliver (FTD)AM and PM settlementReg SHO threshold list
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Short interest and days to cover#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Shares sold short, and that number divided by average daily volume
    RelatedBid-to-cover, tail, dealer takedownOpen interestCoin days destroyed
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Smart Money and Dumb Money Confidence#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Two 0 to 100 indexes whose inputs are labelled by their historical record at extremes, not by who trades
    RelatedSmart Money Flow Index (SMFI)Smart Money Index (SMI)Contrarian reading
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Smart Money Flow Index (SMFI)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A Dow-based variant that uses 30 to 60-minute windows and accumulates the result
    RelatedSmart Money Index (SMI)Smart Money and Dumb Money ConfidenceMinutes
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Smart Money Index (SMI)#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A running total: yesterday’s value, minus the first-30-minute move, plus the last-hour move
    RelatedSmart Money Flow Index (SMFI)Smart Money and Dumb Money ConfidenceMinutes
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.20
    Spoofing#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Placing orders with no intent to trade them to create a false impression
    RelatedSweep, block and complex orderDepthIntrinsic and extrinsic value
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    Spread and depth#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Spread is the gap between best bid and best ask; depth is the number of shares waiting at each price
    RelatedOpening auctionGapECN
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18
    Spreading#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Offsetting long and short positions held by the same trader, often in different contract months
    RelatedError correctionCommitments of Traders (TFF)Month over month and annualized
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.16
    Sweep, block and complex order#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A sweep hits several exchanges at once, a block is a large negotiated trade, a complex order trades several legs together
    RelatedBlockDeposit address and sweepLeg
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5

    T4 terms

    Terminal#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A subscription workstation that bundles data, analytics and messaging for professionals
    RelatedSeatTerminal growth rate (g)Terminal value (TV)
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.19
    Time and sales#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    The running list of trades with time, price and size
    RelatedPrice-to-salesConsolidated tape and SIPTRF
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1
    Trade side or aggressor#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Whether the buyer or the seller crossed the spread, inferred from the price against the bid and ask
    RelatedBid and askAggressor and tick testOrder book imbalance
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    TRF#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A FINRA (USA) trade reporting facility where off-exchange trades are reported for the tape
    RelatedConsolidated tape and SIPLit marketTime and sales
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1

    V2 terms

    Volume and open interest#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    Contracts traded today, and contracts outstanding at the previous close
    RelatedFunding rate and open interestOpen interestOpen interest and volume
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.5
    VWAP and ADX#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    VWAP is the volume-weighted average price of the session; ADX measures trend strength on a 0 to 100 scale
    RelatedExtended hoursOpening rangeLULD
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.18

    W1 term

    Wholesaler or internalizer#
    Ch. 1Market Structure and Order Flow
    A market maker that buys retail order flow and fills it against its own inventory
    RelatedMarket maker (dealer)Resting orderADV
    Taught inGhostWire Ch.1

    These are short meanings only. Each linked chapter shows how the term is used and works through examples. The chapters belong to the GhostWire and Advanced modules, which unlock on The Path.