Short selling is a strategy used by investors to profit from the decline in the value of a stock. Essentially, when you short sell a stock, you are betting that its price will decrease in the future. To execute this strategy, you borrow shares of the stock from your broker and immediately sell them on the market. This allows you to sell the stock without actually owning it.
The mechanism behind short selling involves selling borrowed shares at the current market price with the expectation that the price will fall in the future. If the price does indeed decline as anticipated, the short seller can then repurchase the shares at the lower price and return them to the lender, pocketing the difference between the selling price and the buying price as profit. However, it’s crucial to note that short selling involves substantial risk, as there is no limit to how much a stock‘s price can rise.
In summary, short selling involves borrowing shares of a stock, selling them on the market with the hope that the price will decline, and then buying them back at a lower price to return them to the lender. The profit is made from the difference between the selling price and the buying price. However, it’s important for investors to exercise caution when short selling, as it can result in significant losses if the stock price rises instead of falls.
(Response: Short selling involves betting on a stock’s decline by borrowing and selling shares, with the aim of buying them back at a lower price to make a profit.)