shadow stock

noun

Virtual stock having a calculated value, without real-world fluctuations, used to motivate and compensate employees.

Similar
phantom stockunit stock

Meanings

nounshadow stock (countable and uncountable, plural shadow stocks)

plural shadow stocks

  1. countableuncountablebusinessVirtual stock having a calculated value, without real-world fluctuations, used to motivate and compensate employees.

    The IRS characterized the plan as a classic phantom stock or shadow stock plan. Under the plan, the corporation would grant “units” to certain employees, officers, and directors.

    2008, Sydney S. Traum, The S Corporation Answer Book

    Synonyms: phantom stock, unit stock

  2. countableuncountablebusinessStock from smaller companies that is not highly tracked by financial analysts or professional investors.

    Table 1.8 shows a data set containing information for 25 of the shadow stocks tracked by the American Association of Individual Investors. Shadow stocks are common stocks of smaller companies that are not closely followed by Wall Street analysts.

    2017, David R. Anderson, Modern Business Statistics with Microsoft Office Excel, page 33
    1 more example

    In addition, the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) scanned its list of "shadow stocks"—smallish companies with relatively low coverage by financial analysts—for those with price-earnings ratios of less than 20 and an annual growth rate in earnings per share during the past five years of more than 20%. From the shadow stocks meeting these criteria, we chose several other companies to profile.

    1991 June, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, volume 45, number 6, page 51

Synonyms & antonyms

nounVirtual stock having a calculated value, without real-world fluctuations, used to motivate and compensate employees.

Similar
phantom stockunit stock
Cite this entry
APA

shadow stock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shadow%20stock

MLA

“shadow stock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shadow%20stock. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shadow stock,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shadow%20stock.

Source: shadow stock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.