speculation

finance

Learn about this topic in these articles:

financial markets

  • In financial market

    …financial market contains no destabilizing speculation. Indeed, in the classic statement of the case for efficient markets, made in the 1950s, Milton Friedman ruled out the possibility of the very existence of destabilizing speculation. He argued that, to destabilize markets, speculators would have to buy assets for more than the…

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international trade

  • OPEC headquarters, Vienna
    In commodity trade: Operation of the market

    …to make a profit by speculating on the price trend. If a speculator believes that prices will rise, he buys a futures contract and sells it when he wishes (e.g., at a more distant delivery date). The speculator either gains (if prices have risen) or loses (if they have fallen),…

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  • In international payment and exchange: Speculation

    The movements so far considered are of a precautionary nature. It is sometimes suggested, when there is a big movement of funds out of a currency, that those prompting it are actuated by some motive hostile to the suspect currency. This is usually quite…

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  • In futures: The theory and practice of hedging

    …hedgers, the futures market includes speculators, and these can also be classified in two categories, namely, long and short speculators. The long speculators are those who expect the price to rise above the current level and assume risks by purchasing futures contracts. Short speculators are those who expect the price…

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prohibition by Islamic law

    relationship to price system

    • relationship of price to supply and demand
      In price system: Distribution

      …early splurging and richly rewards speculators who correctly anticipate a crop failure and hold grain that will alleviate it. In the same way, the desires of every sizable group of consumers (or resource owners) are registered through the price system; entrepreneurs are incited by price offers to provide opera and…

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