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

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

The fall was triggered by profit taking and coincided with largest single-day outflow from gold-backed exchange-traded funds in five months, Kim writes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 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