BUY TO COVER

Stock transaction which closes out a prevailing short position. Short sale entails selling shares of a firm that one does not own as stocks are borrowed and need to be paid out at certain point. By purchasing an equal number of shares and borrowed ones, the order covers the sale and the share can be given back to the original lender. Typically, the lender is the investor’s own broker or dealer but the latter may have to borrow the shares from a third party.