Glossary

bid - the offer at a certain price for the shares of a company with the aim of taking control of that company

break-even point - the point in time, sales or production when total revenues equal total costs, i.e. the point after which a profit will be made

C.E.O. ( Chief Executive Officer) - the member of a company's board ultimately responsible for the decisions taken. This title now often replaces the term managing director in larger British companies

cash flow - the net difference between cash coming into a company and cash going out of a company at any one time, e.g. a negative cash flow means that there is more cash being spent by a company than is being received by a company at a particular point in time

corporate treasurer - the company executive responsible for the management of that company's overall finances

cumulative cash flow - the net difference between the total amount of cash that has flowed into a company over a period of time and the total amount that has flowed out of the company over the same period

first half figures - the balance sheets and profit and loss accounts relating to the first six months of a company's financial year

greenfield site - a site for a factory on new land as opposed to an existing industrial location

joint venture - a company established jointly by two separate companies with a view to sharing risks, costs and income

knock-down price - a very low price

launch expenses - the expenditure needed to launch a new product into the market, e.g. advertising, promotion, sales trips

licence - a legal agreement to allow the use or exploitation of an invention or patent for a particular period and/or in a defined territory

payback period - the period of time over which revenues from a project will pay back the money invested in that project

press release - an announcement prepared by any organisation for distribution to the press

quota restrictions - a limit, often in the form of maximum units, imposed by one country on the importation of goods from other countries

R&D - research and development

royalty - the income receivable from the ownership of a patent or licence assigned to another company

stake - a financial interest in a company or a property, e.g. a stake in a gold company

state of the art technology - the most up-to-date technology

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