Distribute

Distribution

1. A situation in which a security's or market's trading volume is higher on a given trading day than the previous trading day without any price appreciation. This is taken as an indicator that the security or market has hit its highest price and will soon decline.

2. The payment of the assets in an IRA or other retirement account to the account holder or his/her beneficiary. Distributions usually begin after retirement, but may begin before with the payment of applicable penalties.

3. A dividend paid to a company's or mutual fund's shareholders.

4. An institution's consistent sale of a single security over a long period of time as opposed to all at once. This is done to avoid causing fluctuations in price. See also: Accumulation.

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distribute

To sell a relatively large amount of stock in a firm during a given period. For example, a mutual fund may liquidate a position in a security over a period of days or weeks so as not to drive down the market price of the security. Compare accumulate.