Hold

Used to indicate that a certain amount of a customer's balance may not be withdrawn until an item has been collected, or until a specific check or debit is posted.

Used to indicate that a certain amount of a member's balance may not be withdrawn until an item has been collected, or until a specific check or debit is posted.

A securities analyst's recommendation to hold appears to take a middle ground between encouraging investors to buy and suggesting that they sell.

However, in an environment where an analyst makes very few sell recommendations, you may interpret that person's hold as an indication that it is time to sell.

Hold is also half of the investment strategy known as buy and hold. In this context, it means to keep a security in your portfolio over an extended period, perhaps ten years or more.

The logic is that if you purchase an investment with long-term potential and keep it through short-term ups and downs in the marketplace, you increase the potential for building portfolio value.

See Legal Hold.

An informal practice by which a Senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. The Majority Leader need not follow the Senator's wishes, but is on notice that the opposing Senator may filibuster any motion to proceed to consider the measure.

See legal hold.