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
A corporation is a business entity which has a separate legal identity from its owners. As a separate legal entity, a corporation has many of the rights and responsibilities of an individual. Corporations have two important features which help attract capital. First, corporations offer their owners financial liability limited to the owners’ original investment. Second, […]
Depreciation represents the periodic expensing of the cost of a tangible asset. When a company purchases a fixed asset, the company capitalizes the cost of the asset on the balance sheet rather than directly expensing the cost on the income statement. However, fixed assets lose value as they age. Depreciation is thus a method for
The chart of accounts is a listing of all of the accounts a company uses in its accounting system. There are five types of accounts: assets accounts, liability accounts, equity accounts, income accounts, and expense accounts. Every account within the chart of accounts is one of these account types. The chart of accounts is used
Capital expenditures (“capex”) are investments made to acquire or enhance the value of long-term productive assets. Capital expenditures are not expensed on the income statement. Rather, capital expenditures are “capitalized” into the asset section of the balance sheet. Capital expenditures also appear within the cash flow statement under the cash flow from investing section. Capital
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Accounts receivable represent sales made to customers who have not yet paid for them. Accounts receivable are thus monies owed to the firm from customers. Accounts receivable is presented on the balance sheet under current assets. Under U.S. GAAP, accounts receivable must be presented at their net realizable value. This requires the company to create
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The statement of changes in equity is a financial statement which details the changes in the equity section of the balance sheet over a given period. For corporations, this statement is also called the statement of shareholder’s equity. The statement of changes in equity is required annually under U.S. GAAP. Thus, all companies which issue
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Financial accounting refers to the type of accounting concerned with reporting financial information to the firm’s shareholders and creditors. This information is provided through the financial statements and supplementary information prepared in accordance with relevant accounting standards. For companies which are domiciled or have issued securities in the U.S., the accounting standards are U.S. Generally
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The income statement, also known as the profit and loss statement, is a financial statement which conveys basic information regarding business operations over a given period. A company’s business operations consist primarily of revenues and expenses. A company’s revenues constitute sales of goods or services, while expenses are costs associated with the generation of revenues.
The cash flow statement is a financial statement which presents the company’s cash receipts and disbursements over a stated period. The net cash flow corresponds to the change in the cash balance on the balance sheet over the period. The cash flow statement has three sections: cash flow from operating activities, cash flow from investing
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Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, otherwise knows as U.S. GAAP, or just GAAP, are rules governing the financial reporting of firms which issue financial securities in the United States. The rules and guidelines which constitute GAAP are promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), a rule-setting body operating under the authority of the Securities and
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