over-the-counter market
1
6.6
- noun
- /ˈoʊvər ðə ˈkaʊntər ˈmɑrkɪt/
- Specialized
:
mercado extrabursátil
Don't go to the over the counter markets, don't buy pink sheet stocks.
- Don't go to the over the counter markets, don't buy pink sheet stocks.
Examples
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Don't go to the over the counter markets, don't buy pink sheet stocks.
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The daily trading activity in the over-the-counter market has reached significant levels, reflecting investors' interest.
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Companies often choose to issue their stocks on the over-the-counter market to avoid the strict regulations of major exchanges.
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Many small companies get their start by selling shares directly through the over-the-counter market instead of listing on a stock exchange.
Synonyms
1
6.4
A place where people trade stocks and bonds directly, not on an exchange
How Traded
Surface Forms
Morphology
over-the-counter + market
The meaning of 'over-the-counter market' relies on the idiomatic/technical sense of 'over-the-counter' (traded directly between parties, not on a centralized exchange), which is not transparently derived from the literal words 'over' and 'counter'. A B1 learner who knows 'market' and the literal meanings of the constituents would likely misinterpret it (e.g., as something to do with a physical counter) because the financial sense is specialized and non-compositional for general learners.
Etymology
Over-the-counter market comes from shops where over-the-counter meant buying directly at the shop counter and market meant a place for trading. So an over-the-counter market is where people or traders buy and sell stocks or bonds directly with each other, not on a big stock exchange.