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

See Examples For:

profit taking

A positive for Nvidia investors is that shares haven’t seen the kind of pre-earnings surge that could lead to profit taking even if it delivers good news.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Yet these shares still are up threefold and fivefold respectively over the last year, leading many to conclude that some caution and profit taking after such massive gains was inevitable – and indeed healthy.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Net income for the quarter more than doubled year-on-year to $42.96 billion, causing a share price bump that was quickly erased by apparent investor profit taking.

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

Hirsch said he thinks recent strong stock-market performance has led to more profit taking after New Year’s Day.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 4, 2026

In the same way that profit taking did.

From Equality by Edward Bellamy