Held

A reference to a long position in a security. The term "held," in the investment context, refers to securities or assets owned by an investor or trader. It may also refer to a situation where a security is temporarily unavailable for trading. In the latter case, the term "held" may not be used in isolation, but may be part of a larger, more descriptive term such as "held at the opening."

Stocks "held" generally refer to long positions or securities owned by investors, as opposed to short positions which may be referred to as stocks "sold short."

The term also appears as a matter of routine disclosure in the investment press. For example, in an article where an investment guru or other individual is expounding on his or her top picks, the disclosure about whether the writer held a long position in the stocks being discussed, would usually appear at the end of the article.

"Held at the opening" refers to a stock with a temporary hold or restriction on trading at market open, due to an order imbalance or pending dissemination of some important information by the company or a regulatory body.