go public	to float the shares of a company
hard currency	a currency that is traded in a foreign exchange market and for which there is demand
haggle	to negotiate the price
hedge fund	a unit trust that takes considerable risk
high yield	a return on investment that is higher than average
hire purchase	a method of paying for a product or service where the buyer pays a series of instalments
hostile bid	a takeover bid that is opposed by the target company
hot issue	a new security that is expected to trade at a significant premium on its issue price
hyperinflation	very rapid growth in the rate of inflation
illiquid	not easily convertible into cash
IMF	International Monetary Fund
income redistribution	a government policy to redirect income to a targeted sector of a country's population
income tax	tax levied on any income
inflation rate	a rate at which the general price level increases
inheritance tax	tax payable on property inherited after somebody's death
initial public offering	the first instance of making shares available to the public
insolvency	the inability to pay debts
insurance broker	a person or company that sells insurance contracts
interest	the rate that a lender charges for a loan
interest rate cap	an upper limit on interest rates
interest yield	the annual rate of interest earned on a security
interim dividend	a dividend whose value is determined on the basis of a period less than a full fiscal year
Internal Revenue Service	tax office
invoice	document that the supplier sends to a customer detailing the cost of product and requesting payment
joint venture	a project undertaken by two or more parties
killer bee	somebody who helps a company avoid being taken over, especially a banker
ledger	a book in which transactions are recorded
legal tender	banknotes and coins accepted within a given jurisdiction
lessee	the person who uses a leased asset
lessor	the person who provides the asset being leased
letter of intent	a document in which a company indicates its desire to do something, e.g. to buy a business
liquidator	the person appointed to sell assets of an insolvent company
loan shark	somebody who lends money at excessively high rates of interest
long-term debt	loans that are due after at least one year
long-term liabilities	loans that are due after at least one year
luxury tax	a tax on goods or services that are non-essential
majority shareholder	a shareholder with a controlling interest in a company
management buy-out	purchase of an existing business by individual manager or management group from within that business
margin	the difference between the cost and the selling price of a service
market economy	an economy in which a free market in goods and services operates
mature economy	an economy that is no longer growing rapidly
money laundering	the process of making money obtained illegally appear legitimate
moral hazard	the risk that the existence of a contract will cause behavioural changes in one or both parties
mortgage	a credit to finance the acquisition of land and real property
multinational corporation	a corporation operating in different countries
national debt	the total borrowing of a country's government
near money	assets that can be quickly turned into cash, e.g. bank deposits, short-dated bonds
non-profit organisation	an organisation that does not have financial profits as a main strategic objective
NYSE	New York Stock Exchange
offer for sale	an invitation to buy