dead-cat bounce

American  

[ded-kat] / ˈdɛdˌkæt /

noun

1. Slang. a temporary recovery in stock prices after a steep decline, often resulting from the purchase of securities that have been sold short.

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dead-cat bounce British  

noun

1. informal stock exchange a temporary recovery in prices following a substantial fall as a result of speculators buying stocks they have already sold rather than as a result of a genuine reversal of the downward trend

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dead-cat bounce

Mark Newton, head of technical strategy at Fundstrat, has warned that the bounce in stocks following Friday’s rout is likely a dead-cat bounce because more stocks fell than rose on Monday, with reduced volume.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026

Is the vigorous Microsoft rally proving to be just a dead-cat bounce, as this week’s action suggests, or is it a pause in a potentially sustainable advance?

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

So you may be tempted to respond to one of the countless crypto sales pitches that land in your inbox and your browser, hoping that it’s a real rally and not a dead-cat bounce.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2023

"Futures have stabilised, so we might see a dead-cat bounce tonight."

From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 2022

And that could give him a dead-cat bounce going into Super Tuesday.

From Fox News ● Feb. 20, 2020