What It Is:
Uptick refers to the increase in the market price of a security over the preceding transaction.
How It Works/Example:
If a new trading price for a security is higher than the preceding one (even by one cent), the security is on an uptick. For example, stock XYZ is trading for $10.00 per share. If the next time stock XYZ is traded it sells for $10.01, it has had an uptick.
An uptick is also sometimes called a plus tick.
Why It Matters:
Upticks are most important when it comes to short-selling stocks. The "uptick rule," which was in place from 1938-2007, required every short-sale transaction be entered on an uptick. This rule was instated to keep short sellers from putting unjust pressure on a stock's price, adding to a security's downward spiral.
A coupon bond, frequently referred to as a bearer bond, is a bond with a certificate that has small detachable coupons. The coupons entitle the holder to interest payments from the borrower. Coupon bonds are rare today because most bonds are not issued in certificate form; rather, they are registered electronically (although some bondholders still choose to hold paper certificates). Thus, these days the term coupon refers to the rate of interest on a bond rather than the physical nature of the certificate.
In the 1980s, some financial institutions began purchasing coupon bonds and selling the coupons as separate securities, called strips.




