diff --git a/src/Documentation/doc/basic/stockmarket.md b/src/Documentation/doc/basic/stockmarket.md index be92a9f889..5ac855e064 100644 --- a/src/Documentation/doc/basic/stockmarket.md +++ b/src/Documentation/doc/basic/stockmarket.md @@ -14,11 +14,24 @@ So these concepts below should seem similar, but won't be exactly the same. ## Positions: Long vs Short +First off, note that _all_ transactions have a flat commission fee, so +high-frequency trading is not a good strategy. + When making a transaction on the stock market, there are two types of positions: Long and Short. A Long position is the typical scenario where you buy a stock and earn a profit if the price of that stock increases. Meanwhile, a Short position is the exact opposite. -In a Short position, you purchase shares of a stock and earn a profit if the price of that stock decreases. -This is also called 'shorting' a stock. + +In a Short position, you borrow shares of a stock to sell and earn a profit if the price of that stock decreases. +This is also called 'shorting' a stock. The proceeds from the sale are held as +collateral, called 'margin'. You also have to add additional margin equal to +the current value of the stock - this is the cost to 'purchase' the short. + +When you close a short position, you buy back the shares to pay back the securities loan. +You then get the margin back, minus whatever was used to repurchase the shares. +So, your profit is still the change in price times the number of shares. +Beware that, unlike Long positions which have unlimited upside and limited +downside, shorts have limited upside and unlimited downside, and selling a +sufficiently underwater short can cause your money to go negative. Shorting stocks is not available immediately, and must be unlocked later in the game.