Use uptick for an upward change that can be noticed or measured, especially in reports, trends, and comparisons.
Use uptick for an upward change that can be noticed or measured, especially in reports, trends, and comparisons.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The survey showed an uptick customer confidence. | The survey showed an uptick in customer confidence. |
| Sales upticked after the campaign. | Sales rose after the campaign. |
| The team saw an uptick of complaints. | The team saw an uptick in complaints. |
| A downturn in orders is an uptick. | A downturn in orders is a decline. |
Use uptick precisely for the next quoted or traded price moving above the previous price, especially when discussing short-sale rules.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The stock fell on an uptick. | The stock fell on a downtick. |
| Every rising market is an uptick. | An uptick is a higher price than the previous trade or quote. |
| The uptick rule restricts ordinary buying. | The uptick rule restricts some short selling. |
| A zero uptick is lower than the last trade. | A zero uptick is unchanged after a prior upward move. |
Use uptick for a noticeable upward movement, and keep the finance sense tied to a price compared with the immediately previous trade or quote.
uptick in is the usual pattern, and uptick is normally a noun rather than a standard verb.
Formed from up and tick, first recorded in mid-20th-century financial and economic use, probably from the ticks and marks used to record price movements.
What does uptick mean?
uptick means an increase or improvement, often one seen in numbers, activity, or a trend.
Is uptick always a small increase?
uptick often suggests a modest or incremental rise, but it can also be used with words like sharp or big when the rise is notable.
What preposition follows uptick?
The usual pattern is uptick in, as in an uptick in sales or an uptick in complaints.
What does uptick mean in finance?
In finance, an uptick is a trade or quote at a higher price than the previous one for the same security.
What is the uptick rule?
The uptick rule is a short-selling restriction tied to selling only when the market price has moved upward under the relevant rule.
Is uptick a verb?
uptick is normally a noun. Verbal uses such as sales upticked occur informally, but sales rose is usually cleaner.