Corporate actions

• Analyst ratingA published recommendation on a share, typically buy, hold or sell.
• Consensus estimateThe average of analysts’ forecasts for a company’s revenue or earnings.
• Corporate actionAny company event that changes the shares you hold or their terms.
• DelistingA company’s shares being removed from an exchange.
• DilutionThe reduction in your ownership share when a company issues new shares.
• Dividend coverHow many times over a company’s earnings could pay its dividend.
• Dividend cutA company reducing or suspending its dividend.
• Dividend reinvestmentAutomatically using dividends to buy more shares instead of taking the cash.
• Dividend yieldAnnual dividends per share as a percentage of the share price.
• Earnings announcementA company’s scheduled publication of its financial results for a quarter or year.
• Earnings revisionAnalysts changing their forecasts for a company’s future earnings.
• Earnings surpriseThe gap between reported earnings and what analysts expected.
• Ex-dividend dateThe first day a share trades without the right to the next dividend.
• GuidanceA company’s own forecast of its future results.
• IPOA private company selling shares to the public and listing on an exchange for the first time.
• Lock-up periodA window after an IPO during which insiders are barred from selling their shares.
• Merger and acquisitionOne company buying another, for cash, shares, or a combination.
• Payment dateThe date a declared dividend is actually paid to shareholders.
• Payout ratioThe share of earnings a company pays out as dividends rather than reinvesting.
• Proxy voteVoting on company resolutions without attending the meeting in person.
• Record dateThe date on which a company checks its register to see who is entitled to a dividend.
• Rights issueAn offer letting existing shareholders buy new shares at a discount, in proportion to their holding.
• Share buybackA company buying its own shares in the market, reducing the number in issue.
• Spin-offA company separating part of itself into a new, independently listed company.
• Stock splitDividing existing shares into more, smaller shares, leaving the total value unchanged.
• UnderwriterThe investment bank that arranges a share or bond issue and often guarantees to buy what is unsold.

Educational reference only. Nothing here is investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything, and tax treatment depends on your own circumstances and the country you are in.