Investing terms can often feel confusing, especially for beginners. This glossary is designed to give you clear, simple definitions of the most important concepts in fundamental investing so you can understand how markets work and make better financial decisions.
Fundamental investing focuses on analyzing businesses based on their financial performance, competitive advantage, and long-term value. To do that effectively, you need to understand the language investors use—from basic terms like assets and cash flow to more advanced concepts like return on invested capital (ROIC) and discounted cash flow (DCF).
In this investing glossary, each term is explained in plain language with a focus on real-world understanding—not technical jargon. Whenever possible, definitions are connected to broader investing concepts so you can see how each idea fits into the bigger picture.
You’ll learn key terms related to:
Financial statements and accounting concepts
Business analysis and valuation methods
Stock market fundamentals and investment strategies
Risk, return, and long-term decision-making
If you’re just getting started, this glossary is the perfect place to build your foundation. If you’re already learning, it will help reinforce and clarify the concepts that matter most.
Start with our complete guide: What Is Fundamental Investing
Then explore deeper topics in Investing Basics and Business Analysis
Common stock refers to the equity units of a corporation. Each stock is called a share. When a company creates its main formation document, known as the articles of incorporation, it states within the articles the number of authorized stock shares. Authorized shares are the maximum number of shares which the company can legally issue. […]
Cash flow from financing activities, also called financing cash flow, is the net cash flow associated with payments made from and to the firm’s capital providers. Cash flow from financing activities is one of three sections in the cash flow statement, the other two being cash flow from operating activities and cash flow from investing
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Assets are resources that are expected to provide the firm with future economic benefits. Assets may be categorized as long-term or current. A current asset is an economic resource expected to be consumed or converted to cash within one year or an operating cycle, whichever is longer. A long-term asset is an economic resource not
Cash equivalents are financial securities which can be sold quickly and without impairment in value. Common cash equivalent securities include U.S. Treasury bills and commercial paper. For accounting purposes, cash (bank balances and petty cash) and cash equivalents are lumped together into a single account on the balance sheet. This account is usually called cash
Cash flow from operations, also called operating cash flow, refers to the difference between cash received from operating sources and cash disbursed for inventory and operating expenses. Cash flow from operations is one of three sections on a firm’s cash flow statement. The other two sections are cash flow from financing activities and cash flow
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Accounts payable represent obligations of the firm to pay for goods purchased and services consumed but not yet paid for. Accounts payable is listed as a current liability on the firm’s balance sheet. Suppliers often provide goods and services to their business customers on terms which call for future payment. For example, an inventory wholesaler
Amortization is the periodic expensing of an intangible asset over the asset’s estimated useful life. Common intangible assets include copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Like depreciation, amortization is accumulated into an account which offsets the carrying value of the intangible asset. However, unlike tangible assets, intangible assets generally do not have residual value. Thus, amortized intangible
Accumulated depreciation refers to the aggregate amount of depreciation expense occurred since the fixed assets were placed on the company’s books. Accumulated depreciation is a contra asset account because it reduces the carrying value of the underlying asset. For an example of accumulated depreciation, consider the following scenario. A company purchases a vehicle for $50,000.
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Accelerated depreciation refers to methods of calculating an asset’s depreciation which recognize greater depreciation in the earlier years of an asset’s useful life. Accelerated depreciation differs from straight-line depreciation, which recognizes an equal amount of depreciation expense each period. In contrast with straight-line depreciation, accelerated depreciation recognizes higher depreciation expense in the asset’s earlier years
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A contra account is an account which reduces the balance of an account to which it is paired. Contra accounts can exist for all of the five account types: asset, liability, equity, income, and expense accounts. However, some contra accounts are more common than others. A contra account has the opposite normal balance as the
