Animal symbols on the stock market describing every type of investor

Fierce, competitive and unforgiving – the stock market is much like a jungle when it comes to the different characters involved. From optimistic individuals, who charge like bulls, to sheepish traders who follow the herd mentality, the variety of investor traits often noted makes it easy to draw parallels with the animal kingdom. No wonder zoological jargon is a common part of the stock market symbols.

Whether you’re a novice investor or someone who knows your way around the stock market, you’ve probably come across the metaphors “bull” and “bear”. To the uninitiated, a bull market symbolizes a period of consistent market expansion, while a bear market represents times of economic downturn when stock prices fall rapidly.

In addition, individuals who believe that the market will do well are known as bulls. Such investors adopt an optimistic attitude and buy securities with the expectation that they can later sell them for a higher price. While a bear is an investor who expects a fall in price and sells a borrowed security or commodity with the hope of buying it back at a lower price in the future.

However, these two are not the only symbols used by investors, traders and institutions to describe the market and its players. Let’s take a look at the other animal expressions in the stock market to find out which investment name is right for you.

Animal symbols on the stock market you should know

Wolf

Complex and highly intelligent, wolves have rightfully lent their name to the investment world. Any stubborn person who often adopts unethical money-making practices is called a wolf. Such investors may also engage in stock market scams.

Harshad Mehta, who earned the nickname ‘The Wolf of Dalal Street’ for his deceptive trading strategies that led to the 1992 stock market scandal, is an ideal example.

Moreover, when several people work together to manipulate the market, it is called a wolf market. For example, a group of investors may use wolf hunting strategies to short a company’s stock to destroy its value.

Pigs

Often associated with greed, pigs are often used as a stock market metaphor. Trading jargon is used to describe an investor, who is insatiable and always looking for more. Such individuals are likely to invest in very high-risk stocks with the greed of earning greater returns.

Unfortunately, such traders usually suffer significant losses. However, they also occasionally generate profits, and those are often quite substantial.

Ostrich

Ostriches are known for running away from danger rather than facing it head-on. Similarly, investors are called ostriches if they choose to ignore bad market conditions. This type of individual patiently waits for the market to stabilize, hoping that once things start growing again, their investment portfolio will automatically balance.

Deer

Deer have a natural ability to be intuitive and mature. Similarly, investors who approach the possibility of investing in the market regardless of the bull or bear market conditions are referred to as bachelors. Such characters look for short-term gains by quickly buying and selling new stocks.

Single investors are also known to keep a close and expert eye on the stocks in which they prefer to invest.

Turtle

Slow and steady wins the race. Turtles are long-term investors, who achieve a greater return on their investments with disciplined investing. They are not attracted to quick profits on short-term investments and do not view market volatility as a risk.

Such people usually buy old index funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or invest through systematic investment plans (SIPs) in mutual funds and stocks.

Sheep

Sheep are often associated with the herd mentality. Hence, investors who carelessly follow advice from unqualified financial experts or fellow traders deserve this moniker. They don’t do their best to study the market and miss out on the latest market shifts as a result. Such investment characteristics can sometimes lead to huge losses.

Rabbit

The exact opposite of turtles, stock market rabbits are intraday traders looking for quick cash. They are the most active market participants because of their cheerful disposition, just like rabbits. Individuals represented by this animal symbol on the stock market quickly buy and sell stocks to make an instant profit.

Whale

Whales are huge creatures that have a significant impact on the marine ecosystem. In the stock market, the whale is a nickname for any prominent institutional investor who has access to huge funds to invest. With their massive deals, they have the ability to influence market volatility.

(Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy of Alankitassigments/CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons)