1. Informal; at a
discount. For example, if an
investor is trying to
sell a
stock very quickly, he/she may sell "in the hole," meaning at a deep discount from its
market value. One may do this if one needs to raise
cash immediately. The term is most common in
equities.
2. Informal; a
loss. A company that fails to generate enough
revenue to meet its
expenses is said to be "in the hole."