Glossary
Definitions used in DiviTracker. Each entry is written to be neutral and practical: Meaning → Why it matters (reading) → Where you’ll see it → Common misread.
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Meaning: The timestamp for the latest processed snapshot (often aligned to the last U.S. market close).
Why it matters (reading): Holidays/delays can keep the same “as-of” date. Don’t assume “today” unless the label updated.
Common misread: treating stale “as-of” as a live feed.
CYCLE
Meaning: The active accumulation window used to summarize cashflow evidence (often ex-date → next ex-date).
Why it matters (reading): The same fund can look different depending on where you are in the window.
Common misread: comparing two dates without matching the same cycle window.
EX-DATE
Meaning: Ex-dividend date (market convention). Price mechanics around this date can confuse interpretations.
Why it matters (reading): DiviTracker uses ex-date as a practical boundary for cycle labeling and comparisons.
Common misread: assuming “ex-date = funding result” (it’s a calendar boundary, not cashflow proof).
RECORD DATE
Meaning: The date used to determine which shareholders are entitled to receive the distribution.
Why it matters (reading): Often close to ex-date; don’t confuse record date with pay date or funding evidence.
Common misread: interpreting record date as “money received.”
PAY DATE
Meaning: The date the distribution is paid out to eligible shareholders.
Why it matters (reading): Pay date is a settlement/payment event; it is not proof of how the funding was formed.
Common misread: treating pay date as the “start of a new cycle.”
DTE (Days To Expiry)
Meaning: Days remaining until an option contract’s expiry.
Why it matters (reading): Time-to-expiry affects option pricing and roll timing; DTE changes fast.
Common misread: treating DTE as a quality signal rather than a timing variable.
NOTIONAL
Meaning: Approximate exposure size (often underlying price × contracts × multiplier).
Why it matters (reading): Helps understand scale, but not the full risk picture.
Common misread: “higher notional = better income.”
UNDERLIER
Meaning: The underlying reference asset/security for the option strategy.
Why it matters (reading): Many cashflow outcomes are path-dependent on the underlier’s movement.
Common misread: ignoring underlier moves and focusing only on the distribution number.
AUM
Meaning: Assets under management (approximate fund size).
Why it matters (reading): Scale can change how trades/holdings look; it’s context, not a buy/sell signal.
Common misread: “bigger AUM = safer outcome.”
SHARES OUT
Meaning: Shares outstanding (share count used for per-share scaling).
Why it matters (reading): Per-share figures can move when share counts change.
Common misread: assuming per-share changes always come from trading only.
CASHFLOW (/SH)
Meaning: Per-share view of realized cashflow evidence within the active cycle window.
Why it matters (reading): It helps compare tickers with different scale. It is not a promise of the next distribution.
Common misread: treating it as “guaranteed next payout.”
INTRADAY
Meaning: The price move within the day (often shown vs prior close).
Why it matters (reading): Useful for context, but not a cashflow proof. Don’t mix “today’s move” with cycle funding.
Common misread: treating intraday as a weekly income predictor.
COVERAGE
Meaning: A label describing how complete the dataset is for the stated window (e.g., cycle-to-date coverage).
Why it matters (reading): If coverage is partial, conclusions are weaker. Treat numbers as “in-progress.”
Common misread: assuming partial coverage equals final results.
ROLL
Meaning: Adjusting an existing position by closing and reopening with different terms (e.g., expiry or strike).
Why it matters (reading): Activity may appear across multiple rows/days; interpret the change as a sequence, not a single line.
Common misread: reading one line item as the “result” without considering the sequence.
SETTLE
Meaning: Settlement at expiry or close of a contract’s life.
Why it matters (reading): Values can change around settlement timing; always check the “as-of” label.
Common misread: treating a settlement-day snapshot as a stable long-term pattern.
ITM (In-The-Money)
Meaning: A status describing whether a contract has intrinsic value at a given underlying price.
Why it matters (reading): Useful as a “temperature check” of exposure, but it can change quickly.
Common misread: interpreting ITM as certainty about future outcomes.
OTM (Out-Of-The-Money)
Meaning: A status describing whether a contract has no intrinsic value at a given underlying price.
Why it matters (reading): OTM status is time-sensitive; treat it as a snapshot rather than a conclusion.
Common misread: assuming OTM today implies OTM at expiry.
NAV
Meaning: Net Asset Value, typically calculated by the fund and reported with a specific timestamp.
Why it matters (reading): NAV and market price can reference different times; compare using the same “as-of” context.
Common misread: assuming NAV is always synchronized with the market price timestamp.
Premium / Discount
Meaning: The difference between market price and NAV, expressed as a percentage.
Why it matters (reading): It can be a useful context signal, especially when it is unusually large or persistent.
Common misread: treating premium/discount as an automatic “buy/sell” indicator.
CC (Covered Call)
Meaning: Selling call options against an existing exposure (covered by underlying or equivalent exposure).
Why it matters (reading): Premium can support weekly income, but upside is often capped and outcomes depend on volatility and path.
Common misread: “premium = guaranteed profit.”
CSPREAD (Call Spread)
Meaning: A call position using two strikes (buy one / sell one) to shape payoff.
Why it matters (reading): Payoff is bounded; leg-by-leg rows can look confusing without reading as one structure.
Common misread: judging each leg as a standalone bet.
PSPREAD (Put Spread)
Meaning: A put position using two strikes (buy one / sell one) to shape downside payoff.
Why it matters (reading): It can reduce cost or hedge exposure, but interpretation requires reading both legs together.
Common misread: “a put spread means bearish forever.”
DIA (Diagonal)
Meaning: Two-leg structure using different expiries (and often different strikes).
Why it matters (reading): Timing/expiry difference is the point; snapshots can mislead if you ignore term structure.
Common misread: thinking “diagonal = just a spread.”
SYN (Synthetic Position)
Meaning: Options combination designed to mimic underlying exposure (or a component of it).
Why it matters (reading): Exposure may exist without holding the underlying directly; read “what it behaves like,” not just holdings labels.
Common misread: assuming no underlying holding means “no exposure.”
DERIVED
Meaning: A derived/aggregated value or grouping used for readability (not necessarily an official fund label).
Why it matters (reading): Helpful for tracking “income source flow,” but confirm the as-of timestamp and data coverage.
Common misread: treating derived figures as audited fund reports.
BTO (Buy To Open)
Meaning: Opening a new position by buying.
Why it matters (reading): Open/close tags describe intent/position lifecycle, not whether the trade was profitable.
Common misread: “BTO means bullish/profitable.”
STO (Sell To Open)
Meaning: Opening a new short option position by selling.
Why it matters (reading): Often the step that produces option premium; risk interpretation depends on the overall structure.
Common misread: “STO is always safe income.”
BTC (Buy To Close)
Meaning: Closing an existing short position by buying back.
Why it matters (reading): Can reflect profit-taking, loss control, or roll preparation—read together with adjacent actions.
Common misread: “BTC = loss” (not always).
STC (Sell To Close)
Meaning: Closing an existing long position by selling.
Why it matters (reading): Often paired with new opens/rolls; interpret as part of a sequence.
Common misread: “STC means the strategy ended.”
CR (Credit)
Meaning: Net premium received (cash in) for a trade/leg.
Why it matters (reading): Credit is a cashflow component; the final outcome depends on subsequent closes/settlement and underlying moves.
Common misread: “credit equals realized profit.”
DB (Debit)
Meaning: Net premium paid (cash out) for a trade/leg.
Why it matters (reading): Debit can be a cost to close risk, reposition, or hedge—interpret within the sequence.
Common misread: “debit means the trade failed.”
B (Buy)
Meaning: A buy-side action label used in logs/badges.
Why it matters (reading): “Buy” describes an action, not a recommendation or a guaranteed positive expectation.
Common misread: treating it as a “bullish signal.”
S (Sell)
Meaning: A sell-side action label used in logs/badges.
Why it matters (reading): “Sell” often appears in option premium generation; risk depends on the whole structure, not the label.
Common misread: assuming “sell = bearish view.”
ROLL_UP
Meaning: Rolling a position to a higher strike (often with a new expiry).
Why it matters (reading): Usually part of risk/return reshaping; interpret together with the close/open rows.
Common misread: reading it as a single isolated event.
ROLL_DOWN
Meaning: Rolling a position to a lower strike (often with a new expiry).
Why it matters (reading): Often used to adjust exposure after price moves; meaning depends on the context and sequence.
Common misread: assuming it always indicates “panic.”