4 min read
What Is the Financial Stability Oversight Council?
John McDowell
:
July 14, 2026
Day Trading Terms
4 min read
What Is a Block Trade? [Updated July 2026]
John McDowell
:
July 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A block trade is an order of more than 10,000 shares or more than $200,000 in value, by NYSE and NASDAQ definitions.
- Block trades...
8 min read
Stock Halts and Circuit Breaker Halts Explained [Updated July 2026]
John McDowell
:
July 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- A stock halt is a temporary suspension of trading in a stock, used by exchanges to curb extreme volatility and stabilize the market.
- ...
4 min read
What Is Alpha in Trading? [Updated June 2026]
John McDowell
:
June 7, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Alpha measures the excess return a trader, strategy, or portfolio earns above (or below) a benchmark such as the S&P 500. (As of June...
5 min read
What Is A Stock Market Flash Crash? [Updated May 2026]
John McDowell
:
May 23, 2026
A flash crash is a rapid and sudden downfall in the prices of electronically-traded securities in a stock market due to an overwhelming number of...
7 min read
What Does Capitulate Mean in Trading? [Updated May 2026]
John McDowell
:
May 16, 2026
The word capitulate means to give up or stop trying. It’s easy to see how this would apply to trading, especially considering the current market...
4 min read
The Plunge Protection Team Explained [Updated May 2026]
John McDowell
:
May 6, 2026
What is the Plunge Protection Team?
The Plunge Protection Team (PPT) is an informal term for the Working Group on Financial Markets. The working...