NADER’S RAIDERS. People working with noted consumer advocate and environmental lawyer Ralph Nader.
NAKED CALL. An option to buy a stock that is not actually owned by the seller of the option.
“Writing, or selling, covered calls is a fairly conservative strategy. A much riskier strategy is to sell naked calls - options on shares that the seller does not already own.” (Barron’s. July 3, 2000, p. 13)
NAME OF THE GAME. The basic purpose or idea.
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“The challenge for Dominican leaders is to free themselves from the harmful ideology that holds that income redistribution and the nanny state can make people better off.” (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 27, 2004, p. A9)
NARROWCASTING. Broadcasting to a small, specific audience. Technological advances increasingly allow marketers to appeal to small target markets.
NARROWING THE SPREAD. Reducing of the difference between the bid and asked prices for a stock.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PURCHASING MANAGEMENT (NAPM). Trade organization of purchasing managers.
“Prices paid for services climbed in March, with a reading of 53 compared with 50 in February, according to the ISM, formerly known as the National Association of Purchasing Management.” (Wall Street Journal,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITIES DEALERS AND AUTOMATED QUOTATIONS (NASDAQ). Computerized market for securities of smaller companies in the
NATIONAL BANK. A commercial bank operating under a charter from the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency. National banks were created during the Civil War and are an alternative to state-chartered banks.
NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION (NCUA). Federal agency supervising credit unions in the
NATIONAL
NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD (NLRB). The NLRB administers the National Labor Relations Act (1935), which prohibited employers and employees from engaging in unfair labor practices.
NEAR MONEY. Liquid assets, assets that can be quickly turned into cash.
NECK-AND-NECK (TO BE). In close competition.
“WPP's acquisition of Grey Global would push WPP neck-and-neck with Omnicom as the biggest ad-holding company.” (Wall Street Journal,
NEGATIVE CASH FLOW. A business situation requiring more cash than it produces from existing sales.
NEGATIVE INCOME TAX. A federal program providing tax refunds greater than taxes withheld for lower-income families, also called earned-income credit.
NEGAWATT. The conservation of electrical power. The term was coined by Amory Lovins, leader of the Snowmass Institute and critic of government energy policies that encourage production rather than conservation.
NERVE. Self-importance; willingness to take risks.
“A Fed retreat now might do more damage to financial markets by showing a failure of anti-inflation nerve and lead to even higher oil and commodity prices.” (Wall Street Journal,
NEST EGG. Funds set aside for a specific purpose, often for retirement.
“This 56-page publication is designed for people who are about five years from retirement and helps you estimate (among other tasks) your expenses later in life, and whether your nest egg will cover those expenses.” (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 8, 2004, p. 2)
NET. Amount left after expenses and taxes; abbreviation of Internet.
NET ASSET VALUE (NAV). The value per share of a mutual fund; the total assets of a company less liabilities and intangible assets, divided by the number of shares outstanding.
NETIQUETTE. Internet etiquette.
“Many Internet recruiting seminars teach ‘netiquette.’ Consultants try to encourage polite online behavior to prevent recruiters from, say, spamming every user of a popular chat room about a job vacancy, according to Barbara Ling, president of RISE Internet Recruiting Seminars Inc. in
NET LEASE. A rental agreement under which the renter is responsible for property taxes, maintenance costs, insurance and other cost associated with the property.
NET-NET. The end result.
NET THIRTY. The balance is due in thirty days.
“Throughout that period our standard terms were 1/3 with purchase order, 1/3 on delivery and the final 1/3 net 30.” (Canadian Plastics, Feb. 2003, p. 15)
NETWORKING. Building friends and contacts; linking of computer systems.
NEWBIE. Someone new to an online computer network.
NEW BLOOD. People who bring new ideas or energy to a situation.
NEW DEAL. The economic programs of the Franklin Roosevelt administration (1932–1945). Elected during the height of the Great Depression,
NEW ECONOMY. 1990s term for fast-paced, technology-driven globalization.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK. New competitor.
NEWLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES (NICs). Developing countries that pursue an outward-oriented market strategy. The original NICs included
NEWT. Referring to or related to Newt Gingrich.
“Newt Portfolio, stocks that would do well with the policies Congressman Gingrich advocates.” (Wall Street Journal, Feb. 14, 1995, p. C1)
NEW YORK MINUTE (IN A). Without hesitation.
NIBBLING. Sales negotiation strategy in which the buyer requests a small add-on or extra to the deal that has been negotiated.
NICE GUYS FINISH LAST. Look out for yourself (Leo Durocher, famous baseball manager).
NICKEL-AND-DIME (TO). Small amounts; quibble over minor issues.
“Each manager was given the 29-page playbook laying out ‘Five Steps to Victory,’ against WaMu. One: Blunt the appeal of WaMu's ‘no nickel and dime fees’ advertising campaign.” (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 6, 2003, p. A1)
NICHE MARKETING. Marketing strategy of serving a unique (often small) market segment. Niche marketing is considered a step toward RELATIONSHIP MARKETING, because it reinforces the concept that companies must anticipate and satisfy customer needs.
NIELSEN. A.C. Nielsen rating of the number of households watching a television program.
“Nielsen feels it's being unfairly pilloried but isn't getting much sympathy. Major clients -- including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, Viacom Inc.'s CBS and General Electric Co.'s NBC -- say Nielsen made the switch unnecessarily difficult by allowing its current system to become so outdated.” (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 16, 2004, p. A1)
NIFTY. Creative, well done.
911. Pronounced nine-one-one; emergency telephone number in the
NINE-TO-FIVE. A regular day job, usually salaried.
NINTH INNING. At the last moment (baseball).
“Even though Schwab, based in
NITTY GRITTY. Most basic parts.
“Once specific medical conditions are mentioned, television drug ads are required to discuss all sorts of medical nitty-gritty. Why do pharmaceutical concerns tap this technique?” (Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2004, p. 1)
NO-BRAINER. An easy decision.
“Still, ‘those two weeks would cost me $10,000, an enormous splurge,’ she says. ‘Compared to that, the insurance was a no-brainer.’” (Wall Street Journal, Aug. 15, 2004, p. 2)
NO CEILING. No limit.
“Since there is no ceiling on the number of accounts, dollar amounts accumulated, or the number of contributions, conversions, rollovers or beneficiaries, each taxpayer should consider factors which may influence the optimal number of Roth IRAs to be maintained.” (The National Public Accountant, Nov. 1999, p. 26)
NO-FRILLS. Without any extra features. See also VANILLA MODEL.
“Founded in 1982, Nicole Miller Ltd. for years followed a no-frills, low-key strategy, in sharp contrast to today's young designers who often jump into the fray with pricey, avant-garde collections and fashion shows.” (Wall Street Journal,
NOISE. Anything that distracts from a marketer’s message.
NO LOAD. Without any added fees.
NOLO CONTENDERE. Choosing not to contest (Latin), as in a legal dispute. Many Americans first learned the term when Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned from office in 1973, pleading nolo contendere to charges of tax evasion.
NON-ACCELERATING INFLATION RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT (Nairu). An inflation rate that creates jobs but not pressure to raise wages.
“Inflation phobes at the Federal Reserve and on Wall Street 10 years ago were obsessed with something called the Non Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. Widely known as Nairu, this was supposed to be the economy's natural rate of joblessness. Now, with Nairu mostly discredited, the buzz in financial circles is about a different kind of natural rate: the natural rate of interest.” (Business Week, April 22, 2002, p. 32)
NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT. A clause in a buy-out or employment agreement preventing an owner or former employee from working in or starting a business in direct competition with the firm they were associated with.
NONCOMPETITIVE BID. A bid accepting the average price at an auction.
NONLINEAR (to go). To take a problem or issue to upper management without going through the organizational hierarchy.
NONPERFORMING ASSET. An asset that is not generating income. Under accounting rules, banks and other businesses are required to list non-performing assets when payments are overdue for more than a set period of time, often 90 days.
NO SCRAPS HIT THE FLOOR. Competitors will immediately replace firms which make mistakes.
“There is so much competition out there that no scraps will hit the floor.” (Jami Martin, USC Corp., 1995)
NOSE DIVE. A steep, rapid decline.
NOTE. A promise to pay.
NOT IN MY BACKYARD (NIMBY). Local opposition to environmental threats. Critics have suggested that environmentalists are not really concerned with pollution but instead are interested in making sure it is not in their backyards.
“The affordable housing crisis squeezing working-class families in the
NUKE (TO). Eliminate, terminate.
“‘I know what you're thinking,’ it tells Burgess. ‘You're going to nuke me.’ (Canadian Business, April 17, 2000, p. 46)
NUMBER-CRUNCHER. Accountant; technical financial analyst.
“Investors also have a sense that the quality of earnings isn't high -- and they are correct. Traditionally, the difference between generally accepted accounting principles net income and operating earnings is 12% to 18%, according to S&P's number-cruncher Howard Silverblatt.” (Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2003, p. C1)
NUMERO UNO. One’s own self; Spanish/Italian for “number one.”
“Before he left for Westchester and
NURSE AN ACCOUNT (TO). Give special attention or consideration to a problem account.