Glossary of terms
Plain-English definitions for the terms used across the briefs, alerts and Portfolio 360.
4 min readFull guide (PDF)
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Unusual options activity (UOA) | Options orders that are far larger or more urgent than normal for that contract, suggesting informed positioning. |
| Sweep | An options order split across multiple exchanges to fill immediately. Signals urgency. |
| Block | A single large, often negotiated options print, typically institutional. |
| Open interest | The number of contracts currently outstanding in a given option. |
| Implied volatility | The market's expectation of future movement, priced into an option. |
| Greeks | Delta, gamma, theta and vega — how an option's price reacts to price, time and volatility. |
| Cost basis | What you originally paid for a position, used to calculate gain or loss. |
| TWR | Time-weighted return — strategy performance, ignoring the timing of deposits. |
| IRR | Money-weighted return — performance of your actual dollars, including timing. |
| Drawdown | The peak-to-trough decline in your portfolio value. |
| Correlation | How closely two holdings move together. High correlation means less real diversification. |
| Tax-loss harvesting | Realising a loss to offset gains, subject to wash-sale rules. |
| Wash sale | Repurchasing a substantially identical security within 30 days, which disallows the loss for tax purposes. |
| Time in force | How long an order stays live — for example day, or good-till-cancelled. |
| Paper trading | Simulated trading with no real money at risk. |
Related guides
- Whale watch and unusual options activityHow unusual options flow is detected, what sweeps and blocks mean, and how it ties to your holdings.
- Reading your holdings, cash and performanceHow positions are grouped, what each performance number means and where your cash and institutions show up.
- The options chain and options ordersFilter strikes and expiries, read the Greeks, use keyboard navigation and place single-leg options orders.
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