catalyst
noun
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Definition of catalyst
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Examples of catalyst in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As a matter of fact, that was also a catalyst for writing my first series of comic books, which are coming up. — Georgia Frances King, Quartz, "Proof of a successful life isn’t fame—it’s getting something done," 22 Aug. 2019 At the July meeting when the policy was first introduced, Gregory Bricca, chief of strategic planning and system performance, spoke about how state regulations for reporting graduation data had been a catalyst. — Catalina Righter, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Carroll County Public Schools puts two tech policies in place in time for start of school year," 21 Aug. 2019 Aliume is not the first artist to hope that his work can be a catalyst for some sort of enlightenment, one stunned observer at a time. — Duff Mcdonald, WIRED, "The Cosmic, Psychedelic, Glow-in-the-Dark Art of Alex Aliume," 20 Aug. 2019 His brutal murder and treatment was a catalyst for the civil rights movement. — Lolly Bowean, chicagotribune.com, "Descendants of iconic African American Chicago figures, like Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Fred Hampton, often struggle to manage the stories of their famous relatives," 19 Aug. 2019 Not to say that story was a catalyst, but look at what has happened since: • Brady has skipped organized team activities the past two offseasons. — Jonathan Jones, SI.com, "Tom Brady Is Playing His Hand," 8 Aug. 2019 Others welcomed the possibility of new jobs and say the facility could be a catalyst for the 6,000-acre Westphalia project, which developers said would include shops, restaurants and offices. — Rachel Chason, Washington Post, "Officials: Amazon exploring a massive logistics center in Prince George’s County," 5 July 2019 The land owner, along with the Surprise City Council, think that adding these unique water features will be a catalyst for development. — Jen Fifield, azcentral, "Waterfront development in West Valley? Land owner says it's coming," 29 June 2019 The store opened in 2008, providing the kind of destination shopping along the I-20 corridor that many thought would be a catalyst for further development. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al.com, "Buc-ee’s breaks ground at bustling Leeds interchange," 26 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catalyst.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for catalyst
catalyst
nounFinancial Definition of catalyst
What It Is
A catalyst is news or information that changes a pricing trend in a security.
How It Works
Let's assume that Company XYZ announces earnings that far exceed analysts' expectations. This information could serve as a catalyst that kick-starts trading in the stock and changes its perception from a "dog" to a "star" among investors.
Catalysts can drive an investment up or down. A favorable event can push a stock to new heights, but if events turn sour, the exit for these shares can be very narrow and very crowded.
Let's take the example of a classic investment catalyst: adverse press publicity. A fundamentally strong company can get unfairly beaten up by the press and by analysts, driving down its stock price to unjustified lows. In this case, the catalyst would signal a great opportunity for investors to buy, not sell.
Why It Matters
Catalysts can change the perception of a security. They can be almost anything: earnings releases, favorable or unfavorable economic reports, management changes, new products, product recalls, successful (or unsuccessful) marketing campaigns, lawsuits, etc.
Quite often, catalysts are the news or events that finally call attention to fundamentals or other intrinsic factors that have existed for some time in a security. When investors can identify what events or information will be catalysts for a particular security, they essentially are able to predict which way the security will go if and when the information becomes public knowledge.
However, catalysts must be considered within the context of investment strategy. Investors buy when they anticipate the market will rise; they sell when they anticipate the market will fall. Catalysts are only one factor in the equation.
Source: Investing Answers
catalyst
noun
English Language Learners Definition of catalyst
See the full definition for catalyst in the English Language Learners Dictionary
catalyst
noun
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Medical Definition of catalyst
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