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Are you in the market for a pet name? Why resort to Sparky or Fido when you could give your furry, feathered, or scaly companion a finance-inspired moniker instead? Take a look at a few (animal) spirited suggestions below.
Bear: While real bears may destroy campgrounds, bear markets destroy rallies...so if you're prone to short-selling or just have a tendency toward pessimism, this may be the pet name for you. It's also a good option if you prefer to keep your finance fandom on the down-low -- less market-savvy friends will simply assume you named your sweet fur ball after a ferocious forest creature, and your secret is safe with us.
Beta: Beta is best known as the second letter of the Greek alphabet, but in finance it's a measure of volatility in relation to the stock market. Securities with a beta of more than 1 are considered more volatile than the market, while those with a beta of less than 1 are considered less volatile. In recent years, the term beta has also been associated with "Smart Beta," an investment strategy that tracks the performance of alternatively structured indexes. But if your four-legged Beta fetches the newspaper or brings you your slippers, feel free to call her a "Smart Beta," too!
Buck: Your pet likely didn't cost you seven figures, but is it worth that much in your eyes? If so, consider this name. Generally speaking, buck is slang for a single dollar, but, as Barron's Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms notes, buck is actually slang for $1 million in the world of trading.
Bull: Your pet may not have the horns or temperament of a real bull, but if you're bullish (that is, optimistic) about market returns and want to pass that sentiment on to your animal buddy, then this name is for you.
COLA: While some might think this moniker was inspired by a fizzy drink, it's actually about economics: COLA is an acronym for cost-of-living adjustment, which describes wage or benefit increases paid to workers or government beneficiaries to compensate for rising prices stemming from inflation.
Contango: When the prices of longer-term futures contracts on a specific commodity are higher than the prices of short-term futures contracts on that commodity, the market for it is said to be "in contango." The term itself is rather technical, but there's no denying that it has a certain ring to it.
EDGAR: Here's a name for unabashed research geeks. While many associate the name Edgar with the famous poet Edgar Allan Poe, the acronym EDGAR is short for Electronic Data Gather, Analysis and Retrieval. It's the Securities and Exchange Commission's database of more than 21 million filings by publicly traded companies and funds that are required to submit various forms to the Commission. You can use the database to find valuable information about current or potential investments. Your pet EDGAR won't provide the same insights, but at least it can cuddle with you while you comb through the original EDGAR.
Loonie: Pet owners with an affinity for our neighbors to the north will like this currency-inspired moniker -- as long as they don't get it confused with its homophone. While the word "loony" refers to unhinged behavior, "loonie" is the name of the Canadian one-dollar coin.
Muni: Short for municipal security, this term is most often associated with muni bonds, or municipal bonds -- debt instruments issued by state or local governments to support their various expenses or projects. Give your pet this short name, and it might be forever in your debt.
Proxy: Consider it a business twist on the popular pet name "Roxy." While the word proxy, in general, means someone authorized to represent another person, in the world of investing, a proxy is someone authorized to vote on behalf of a shareholder when he or she isn't present at shareholder meetings. Many shareholders do decide to skip meetings and specify their voting preferences to their proxies -- often corporations themselves -- by phone, by mail, or over the Internet during proxy season.
Quant: Short for quantitative analysts, quants are known for their mathematical and analytical prowess. As securities and trading strategies have become more complex, Wall Street's demand for quants has soared. If you're harboring the sneaking suspicion that your pet is secretly a math prodigy, choosing this name just adds up.
