Short Sale

Short sale

Selling a security that the seller does not own but is committed to repurchasing eventually. It is used to capitalize on an expected decline in the security's price.

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short sale

The sale of a security that must be borrowed to make delivery. Short sales usually, but not always, entail the sale of securities that are not owned by the seller in anticipation of profiting from a decline in the price of the securities. A short sale is not permitted when the last preceding different price was higher than the current price. Also called selling short, short. See also fictitious credit, ghost stock, lending at a premium, lending at a rate, odd-lot short sales, Rule 10a-1, short against the box, short cover, synthetic short sale.

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Short Sale

A sale in which the seller borrows the stock certificates or other property delivered to the buyer. At a later date, the seller either purchases similar stock or property necessary to "cover" the sale, and delivers it to the lender or delivers to the lender stock or property that he or she already held but did not wish to transfer at an earlier date. For income tax purposes, there is no gain or loss on the transaction until the short sale is covered by purchase and transfer. Special rules apply in determining whether the gain or loss on a short sale is a long-term or short-term capital gain or loss.