空売り

• Reading: からうり
• Romaji: karauri
• Kanji breakdown: 空 (kara) — empty, void; 売 (uri) — selling
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɾa.ɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Short selling; selling short. A trading strategy in which an investor borrows shares and sells them, hoping to buy them back later at a lower price.

A sophisticated investment technique primarily used by professional and institutional investors. 空売り carries high risk because losses are theoretically unlimited if the price rises. The term is also used more loosely to mean selling something one does not yet possess (e.g., in real estate). Regulators impose restrictions on 空売り during periods of market stress.

Examples

1. ヘッジファンドが大量の空売りを仕掛け、当該銘柄の株価急落を引き起こした。 A hedge fund initiated a massive short-selling campaign, triggering a sharp fall in the target stock's price.
2. 空売り規制が強化されたことで、市場の安定性が一定程度高まったとの見方もある。 Some observers believe that the tightening of short-selling regulations has improved market stability to a certain degree.
3. 株価の下落を予測して空売りを行うのは、損失が無限大になりうるリスクの高い戦略だ。 Short selling in anticipation of a price decline is a high-risk strategy in which losses can theoretically be unlimited.

Usage Guide

Context: securities trading, hedge funds, financial regulation, investing

Tone: technical

Origin & History

Compound of 空 (kara — empty, nothing) and 売り (uri — selling). The 'empty' element reflects that the seller does not actually own the asset at the time of sale.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Finance/Investment