closing price: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumFormal/Business/Financial
Quick answer
What does “closing price” mean?
The final price at which a security (stock, bond, commodity, etc.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The final price at which a security (stock, bond, commodity, etc.) trades on a given trading day.
A financial metric used to assess market sentiment, calculate daily returns, and mark the value of investment portfolios at the end of a trading session. It serves as a key reference point for technical analysis and financial reporting.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both use 'closing price'. The concept and term are identical in global financial contexts.
Connotations
None beyond the standard financial meaning.
Frequency
Equally frequent in UK and US financial markets, news, and analysis.
Grammar
How to Use “closing price” in a Sentence
The [stock/asset] had a closing price of [amount].[Amount] was the closing price for [company/asset].Analysts watched the closing price closely.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “closing price” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The share is expected to close at a higher price tomorrow.
- It closed up five pence on the day.
American English
- The stock closed higher after the earnings report.
- We need to see where the market closes today.
adjective
British English
- The closing-price data is fed into the overnight analysis.
- He noted the closing-price movement.
American English
- The closing price figure was below expectations.
- Get me the closing price list for all S&P 500 constituents.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Fundamental for daily financial reports, portfolio valuation, and investor communications.
Academic
Used in finance research, econometric modeling of market behavior, and historical data analysis.
Everyday
Primarily encountered in news headlines about the stock market or personal investment apps.
Technical
A critical data point for charting, moving averages, and other technical indicators in trading.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “closing price”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “closing price”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “closing price”
- Using 'closing price' to refer to the price of a shop's closing-down sale.
- Confusing 'closing price' with 'closing value', which can refer to a fund's net asset value.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. During trading hours, the 'last price' is the most recent transaction. The 'closing price' is specifically the 'last price' at the moment the official trading session ends.
It is the definitive, widely reported value used to calculate daily performance (gains/losses), mark-to-market portfolios, set derivative settlement values, and serve as a baseline for the next day's opening.
Market regulators closely monitor 'marking the close', which is the illegal practice of placing trades near the end of the day to artificially influence the closing price. Such manipulation is punishable by law.
Exchanges have specific rules. Typically, if there is no trade in the final moments, the closing price may be set as the midpoint of the final bid and ask quotes (the closing quote), or the price of the last actual trade is used.
The final price at which a security (stock, bond, commodity, etc.
Closing price is usually formal/business/financial in register.
Closing price: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkləʊzɪŋ praɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkloʊzɪŋ praɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Close at a premium/discount”
- “Close up/down (referring to direction of price change from previous close)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a shop closing its doors at night. The 'closing price' is the last 'price tag' put on a stock before the market 'doors' close for the day.
Conceptual Metaphor
MARKET ACTIVITY IS A JOURNEY. The closing price is the destination point at the end of the day's journey.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'closing price' specifically refer to?