Long Position vs. Short Position: What's the Difference?
When speaking of stocks and options, analysts and market makers often refer to an investor having long positions or short positions. While long and short in financial matters can refer to several things, in this context, rather than a reference to length, long positions and short positions are a reference to what an investor owns and stocks an investor needs to own.
Understanding a Long Position vs. a Short Position:
Long Position
If an investor has long positions, it means that the investor has bought and owns those shares of stocks. By contrast, if the investor has short positions, it means that the investor owes those stocks to someone, but does not actually own them yet.
For instance, an investor who owns 100 shares of Tesla (TSLA) stock in their portfolio is said to be long 100 shares. This investor has paid in full the cost of owning the shares.
Short Position
Continuing the example, an investor who has sold 100 shares of TSLA without yet owning those shares is said to be short 100 shares. The short investor owes 100 shares at settlement and must fulfill the obligation by purchasing the shares in the market to deliver.
Oftentimes, the short investor borrows the shares from a brokerage firm in a margin account to make the delivery. Then, with hopes the stock price will fall, the investor buys the shares at a lower price to pay back the dealer who loaned them. If the price doesn't fall and keeps going up, the short seller may be subject to a margin call from their broker.
A margin call occurs when an investor's account value falls below the broker's required minimum value. The call is for the investor to deposit additional money or securities so that the margin account is brought up to the minimum maintenance margin.
Key Differences
When an investor uses options contracts in an account, long and short positions have slightly different meanings. Buying or holding a call or put option is a long position because the investor owns the right to buy or sell the security to the writing investor at a specified price.
