手仕舞い

• Reading: てじまい
• Romaji: tejimai
• Kanji breakdown: 手 (te) — hand; 仕 (shi) — to do; 舞 (mai) — dance, conclude
• Pronunciation: /te.dʑi.ma.i/

Meaning

Closing a position; winding up; squaring off. Settling open trades or concluding business before a deadline.

A noun used in financial trading to describe closing out open positions — buying back short positions or selling long holdings — typically before market close, end of settlement period, or ahead of holidays. Also used more broadly for wrapping up a business deal or transaction. Common in securities, futures, and foreign exchange markets.

Examples

1. 週末を前に手仕舞いの売りが出て、株価は下落した。 Ahead of the weekend, closing sells emerged and stock prices declined.
2. 決算期末に向けて、機関投資家が手仕舞いを急いでいる。 Approaching the fiscal year-end, institutional investors are rushing to close out their positions.
3. 相場の先行きが不透明なため、早めに手仕舞いすることにした。 With the market outlook uncertain, we decided to close out positions early.

Usage Guide

Context: securities trading, futures, market commentary

Tone: technical

Origin & History

From 手 (te) meaning 'hand' and 仕舞い (shimai) meaning 'conclusion, finishing.' The compound evokes the image of 'putting one's hands together to finish' a transaction.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Traders, investors

Social background: Financial professionals