Acronyms & cultural references - U1

U1 voc Engels

AGM

Annual General Meeting, a gathering of stakeholders to discuss the company's performance and future plans.

Bank holiday

a public holiday during which banks and financial institutions are closed, often giving workers a day off.

CEO

Chief Executive Officer, the highest-ranking executive in a company responsible for making major corporate decisions.

Dow Jones industrial average

A number that represents an average of the share value of important companies in the US. It is used as a sign of how well the US economy is performing. Often simply called Dow Jones or the Dow.

ECB

the European Central Bank, which manages the euro and formulates monetary policy for the Eurozone.

Fed

the Federal Reserve, the central banking system of the United States that manages the country's monetary policy, American central bank

FTSE 100 index

Financial Times Stock Exchange, a stock market index that represents the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, reflecting their performance.

GDP

Gross Domestic Product, total value of goods and services produced by a nation

High Street

refers to the main shopping street or a area in a town or city

HR

Human Resources

IPO

Initial Public Offering, an occasion when shares in a company are first sold to the public

LSE

London Stock Exchange

NASDAQ

the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, a US stock exchange that mainly deals in shares of high-tech companies

NYSE

New York Stock Exchange

OECD

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

PR

Public Relations

R&D

Research and Developpment, the department in a large company that is responsible for studying new ideas and developing new products

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commission, a regulatory body for the securities industry in the US

SME

small and medium-sized enterprises

VAT

Value Added Tax

Wall street

name for the financial district in lower Manhattan, New York City and the street where NYSE, AMEX and many banks are located. Sometimes also used to refer to the investment community in general.

World Bank

an international organisation that lends money to countries that are members of the United Nations

WTO

World Trade Organisation, an international organisation that controls trade between contries

TTIP

the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a trade agreement between the EU and the US