profit taking

American  

noun

Stock Exchange.

1. the selling of securities that have risen in price above costs; selling in order to realize a profit.

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profit taking British  

noun

1. selling commodities, securities, etc, at a profit after a rise in market values or before an expected fall in values

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Etymology

Origin of profit taking

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It could also mark profit taking while the stock is still moving up.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

“This raises the risk of profit taking or mean reversion in both gold and silver over the near term,” he says.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

“Signs of a U.S.-China trade deal were enough to trigger profit taking after the 26% rise achieved since the start of September,” analysts at ANZ say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

That's because with very significant market moves, there's always the possibility of profit taking.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2025

The price spiked to $6.75 before profit taking knocked it down.

From Joe Burke's Last Stand by Wetterau, John Moncure