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FINANCIAL DICTIONARY & GLOSSARY: WE - ZZ
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weighted - (of elements in a price index, or currencies in a basket): considered according to their relative importance.

welfare - condition of general well-being; and government spending designed to achieve this.

white-collar worker - person who works in an office: i.e. most people working in finance (as opposed to blue-collar workers, Who work in factories).

white knight - an alternative buyer that comes to the rescue (or is persuaded to rescue) a company from a threatened hostile takeover.

wholesale - connected with buying and selling goods in large quantifies.

wholesale banking - banks' dealings (making loans, accepting deposits) with other banks and financial institutions.

wholesaler - intermediary between producers and retailers, who stocks goods, and delivers them when ordered.

windfall - an unexpected profit.

winding up - see liquidation.

window dressing - see creative accounting.

wind up - to liquidate a failing business by selling its assets.

withdraw - to take money out of a bank account.

withholding tax - tax deducted at source from payments such as dividends.

working capital or funds - the stock of money (cash and liquid resources), required by a business to continue producing or trading.

working capital ratio - see current ratio.

work in progress - partially manufactured goods.

write off - to abandon a debt as bad or uncollectable (to recognize that it will never be paid).

wrongful trading - continuing to trade after it is obvious that there is no reasonable prospect of avoiding bankruptcy.

yield - the rate of income an investor receives from a security; to produce or provide income.

yield gap - the difference between the average yield on equities and on bonds.

zero coupon bond - pays no interest, but is sold at a large discount and ultimately redeemed at face value, providing a capital gain.

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