Here are some of the most common acronyms used and referenced in the finance world:
- IPO – Initial Public Offering
- M&A – Merger and Acquisition
- PE – Private Equity
- VC – Venture Capital
- IB – Investment Banking
- ECM – Equity Capital Markets
- DCM – Debt Capital Markets
- LBO – Leveraged Buyout
- FX – Foreign Exchange
- FICC – Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities
- CDO – Collateralized Debt Obligation
- CDS – Credit Default Swap
- ABS – Asset-Backed Security
- CMBS – Commercial Mortgage-Backed Security
- MBS – Mortgage-Backed Security
- ROE – Return on Equity
- ROA – Return on Assets
- EPS – Earnings Per Share
- P/E – Price-to-Earnings Ratio
- ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance
- FCF – Free Cash Flow
- DCF – Discounted Cash Flow
- CAGR – Compound Annual Growth Rate
- AUM – Assets Under Management
- NAV – Net Asset Value
- IRR – Internal Rate of Return
- WACC – Weighted Average Cost of Capital
- EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization
- GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
- SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission
- FINRA – Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
- CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst
- CPA – Certified Public Accountant
- FINTECH – Financial Technology
- ETF – Exchange-Traded Fund
- REIT – Real Estate Investment Trust
- PWM – Private Wealth Management
- HNW – High Net Worth
- D/E Ratio – Debt-to-Equity Ratio
- LIBOR – London Interbank Offered Rate
- S&P – Standard & Poor’s
- IRS – Internal Revenue Service
- FDIC – Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- IPO – Initial Public Offering
- SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission
- FINRA – Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
- IRS – Internal Revenue Service
- FINCEN – Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
- AML – Anti-Money Laundering
- KYC – Know Your Customer