bearer stock
- noun
- /ˈbɛrər stɑk/
- Specialized
:
acción al portador
- Ownership of bearer stock is established simply by possessing the certificate.
Examples
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In some jurisdictions, the use of bearer stock is prohibited to prevent money laundering.
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He transferred the bearer stock to a trusted associate for safekeeping overseas.
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He received a bearer stock as a gift.
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The company issued bearer stocks to increase liquidity.
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The investor sold her bearer stock at the market without needing to provide any identification.
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Because he owned the bearer stock, he could sell it without disclosing his identity.
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The bearer stock grants the holder full rights to dividends without needing to register ownership.
Synonyms
∞
3.5
A part of a company that people buy and sell
416
3.7
One equal part of a company that you can buy
3
5.4
A paper that shows you own shares in a company
1
9.9
A share certificate that has no owner's name and makes the person who holds it the owner
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'bearer' (the person who physically holds something) + 'stock' (a share) yields a share that belongs to whoever holds it. Although the term is technical/legal, its sense follows straightforward English composition and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Bearer stock comes from bearer meaning 'the one who carries' and a paper stock certificate that people could pass by hand; whoever held the paper was seen as the owner. So bearer stock today means ownership is decided 'by possession', which is why it can keep the owner 'secret'.