The occasion on which a company’s shares are offered on the market for the first time.
Forward rate agreement (FRA)
An agreement to borrow or lend at a specified future date at an interest rate that is fixed today. The borrowing and lending is purely notional as the contract allows the purchaser to fix interest costs for a specific future period.
Fourth market
The direct trading of securities between institutional investors without the use of brokers or dealers.
Free float
The number of shares not held by corporate insiders that are freely tradable in the public market or markets on which a company's securities are listed.
Freimakler
Independent dealers admitted to trade on German stock exchanges by the board of governors of the individual exchange. Freimakler participate in stock exchange dealings as intermediaries. They do not conclude business directly with buyers or sellers of securities. Freimakler, unlike Kursmakler, are not subject to any legal restriction with regard to the execution of business on their own account. The main area of trading of Freimakler is trading in the securities on other markets than the official trade. They may, however, also deal in officially listed securities.
Freiverkehr
The free market section of German stock exchanges.
Front month
The nearest active contract month of a futures contract.
Front running
A situation where the employees of a brokerage firm or a bank trade in equity shares using price-sensitive information that is privately available to the firm.
Front running
Front-running is where a trader buys or sells an investment using advance knowledge that a market-moving sale is expected.
Fully paid
Applied to new issues, when the total amount payable in relation to the new shares has been paid to the company.
