What Is the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)? The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a non-profit organization that regulates auditors of publicly traded companies. The purpose of PCAOB is to minimize audit risk. In particular, the PCAOB oversees the audits of public companies, brokers, and dealers registered with the U.S. Securities and
What Is Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE)? Personal consumption expenditures (PCE), also known as consumer spending, is a measure of the spending on goods and services by people of the United States. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), a U.S. government agency, PCE accounts for about two-thirds of domestic spending and is a significant
What Is PCI Compliance? Payment card industry (PCI) compliance is mandated by credit card companies to help ensure the security of credit card transactions in the payments industry. Payment card industry compliance refers to the technical and operational standards that businesses follow to secure and protect credit card data provided by cardholders and transmitted through card processing transactions.
What Is a Probability Density Function (PDF)? Probability density function (PDF) is a statistical expression that defines a probability distribution (the likelihood of an outcome) for a discrete random variable (e.g., a stock or ETF) as opposed to a continuous random variable. The difference between a discrete random variable is that you can identify an exact value of
What Is the P/E 10 Ratio? The P/E 10 ratio is a valuation measure generally applied to broad equity indices that use real per-share earnings over 10 years. The P/E 10 ratio also uses smoothed real earnings to eliminate the fluctuations in net income caused by variations in profit margins over a typical business cycle.
What Is a Peace Dividend? A peace dividend is an economic boost a country will get from a peace that follows a war. In theory, at that time the government can afford to reduce defense spending and reallocate the money to domestic policy priorities. This assumes that the money recouped from defense spending is generally used
What Is a Peak? A peak is the highest point between the end of an economic expansion and the start of a contraction in a business cycle. The peak of the cycle refers to the last month before several key economic indicators, such as employment and new housing starts, begin to fall. It is at
What Is a Patent Troll? A patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe a company that uses patent infringement claims to win court judgments for profit or to stifle competition. The term may be used to describe a number of business activities that utilize patents and the court system to earn money. While
What Is the Protecting Americans From Tax Hikes (PATH) Act? The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 was an Obama-era law that expanded or renewed several tax credits for individuals, families, and businesses while implementing measures to prevent fraudulent claims for those credits. The act remains in force. The act primarily affects
What Is the USA PATRIOT Act? The Patriot Act, or USA PATRIOT Act, was passed shortly after the terrorist attacks in the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001, and gave law enforcement agencies broader powers to investigate, indict, and bring terrorists to justice. It also led to increased penalties for committing and supporting terrorist
