Definition

Noun: 1. A sale of a relatively large number of assets at a low price: A "selloff" refers to the rapid selling of a large volume of assets, such as stocks, bonds, or commodities, typically causing their prices to fall. This is often done to dispose of them quickly rather than as part of normal trading activity.

Usage

• A selloff is typically triggered by negative news, widespread pessimism, or a desire to exit positions quickly, leading to a sharp decline in market prices.
• It describes a market event characterized by intense selling pressure.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to trigger a selloff": to cause a rapid, large-scale sale of assets.
  • The CEO's sudden resignation triggered a selloff.
• "a broad-based selloff": a selloff affecting many different assets or sectors across the market.
  • The market panic led to a broad-based selloff.
• "profit-taking selloff": a selloff driven by investors selling assets to lock in gains after a price increase, which can be a normal part of market cycles rather than panic-driven.
  • The rally was followed by a brief profit-taking selloff.

Variants and Related Words

• Sell-off (noun): An alternative hyphenated spelling of "selloff." The meaning is identical.
  • The market sell-off was widespread.
• Sell (verb): The action of exchanging an asset for money. A selloff involves many "sell" orders.
• Liquidation (noun): The process of converting assets into cash. A selloff is a form of rapid liquidation in a market context.

Synonyms

• Dump: (informal, finance) to sell a large quantity of an asset quickly and often at a loss.
• Fire sale: a sale of assets at very low prices, typically due to an urgent need for cash.
• Market decline: a general decrease in market prices, which can be the result of a selloff.

Antonyms

• Buying spree: a period of aggressive or enthusiastic purchasing of assets.
• Rally: a period of sustained increases in the prices of stocks, bonds, or commodities.

Related Phrases

• To sell off (phrasal verb): to sell something, especially quickly or at a low price. This phrasal verb is the action that creates a "selloff" event.
  • The fund decided to sell off its holdings in the troubled company.
• Panic selling: a sudden, widespread urge to sell assets, often driven by fear, which is a key characteristic of a severe selloff.
  • The crash was exacerbated by panic selling.

Noun

1. a sale of a relatively large number of assets (stocks or bonds or commodities) at a low price typically done to dispose of them rather than as normal trade