=BORROWING STOCK:= A broker borrows stock when he has made a contract to deliver and the stock which he has sold, for any one of various reasons cannot be delivered at the time agreed.
=BREAK IN THE MARKET:= A sudden and considerable decline in price.
=BROKEN LOT:= Same as _odd lot_ in reference to stocks and less than ten thousand dollars par value in bonds.
=BUCKET SHOPS:= Offices run by irresponsible brokers not members of any stock exchange and who do a marginal business upon one dollar per share and upwards. As a matter of fact the stock itself is neither purchased nor sold for the customer by these operators. If the order is actually executed upon a _bonâ fide_ exchange then the _bucket shop_ puts in a contrary order for a like amount. For example: This kind of a dealer would sell an amount equivalent to a customer's purchase or purchase an amount equivalent to a customer's sale, thus, in no event carrying stocks.
=BULL:= One who believes that conditions are ripe for an advance in prices or one who desires such an advance and talks _bullish_ in consequence. One writer defines a bull as a man who has something to sell, consequently he is anxiously waiting for prices to go up that he may sell at a good price.
=BUY AT MARKET:= An order to buy at the lowest prices at which the security can be obtained without any price limit being set by the one giving the order.
=BUYER'S OPTION:= A contract under the terms of which the buyer of a security need not receive delivery until the end of a specified time, but he has the right to demand delivery at any time within the period covered by the contract by giving the seller one day's notice. The understanding is briefly expressed as "buyer 4," "buyer 10," the figures indicating the number of days provided for in the agreement.
=BUYING ORDER:= An order given to a broker to buy a certain security with or without limit as to price as the case may be. An order to buy is good for the date for which it was given only, unless otherwise specified. Sometimes an order is given "until countermanded" or "until cancelled" by which the broker understands that there is no definite limit as to time; but brokers usually remind their customers regarding orders to be sure that they still desire them to be kept in force.