利食い

• Reading: りぐい
• Romaji: rigui
• Kanji breakdown: 利 (ri) — profit, gain; 食い (gui) — eating, consuming
• Pronunciation: /ɾigɯi/

Meaning

Profit-taking; selling to lock in gains; closing a position to realise accumulated profits.

A financial market term describing the deliberate act of selling appreciated assets to realise profit before the market reverses. 利食い売り (profit-taking selling) is frequently cited in market commentary as a reason for pullbacks after a rally. The term implies strategic intent rather than panic-driven selling, and is standard vocabulary in investment journalism.

Examples

1. 株価が高値圏に達したため、投資家の利食い売りが広がった。 As stock prices reached high levels, profit-taking selling by investors spread.
2. 利食いのタイミングを誤ると、利益が消えてしまうことがある。 If you misjudge the timing of taking profits, the gains can disappear.
3. 相場が急騰した翌日は、利食いを狙った売り注文が増える傾向がある。 The day after a sharp market rally, there tends to be an increase in sell orders aimed at taking profits.

Usage Guide

Context: stock market, trading, investment, forex

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 利 (profit, gain) and 食い (eating — from 食う, to eat/consume). The vivid metaphor of eating one's gains expresses realising profit before the market can take it back. Colloquial in origin but now standard in financial media.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Investors/Traders