paper profit

American  

noun

1. an unrealized profit due to the appreciation of something owned but not yet sold.

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Etymology

Origin of paper profit

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

By 2001 the paper profits pushed Ireland’s gross domestic product per capita ahead of Britain’s, fed a housing boom, and turned Dublin from a dirty backwater into a glossy tourist hub.

From The Wall Street Journal

Buyers in such cases can reap eye-popping one-day paper profits by restating their holdings back to the managers’ estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal

And when the stock inevitably pulled back, my paper profits shrank.

From MarketWatch

They can actually not have paid the money back, but just have the paper profits and take profits on that.

From The Verge

The shares have since fallen, but he’s still sitting on a paper profit of about $120 and doesn’t plan to sell.

From New York Times