What does stockjobber mean?
A stockjobber is someone who buys and sells company shares, especially in the hope of making a quick profit from changes in their value. The word belongs to an older financial vocabulary and is chiefly associated with British English, although it could once be understood across the English-speaking world. Its modern sound is distinctly historical: a stockjobber may evoke the aggressive traders, crowded exchanges, and speculative excesses of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century finance. In some contexts the term carries a negative implication, suggesting risky dealing or an unhealthy interest in market fluctuations. Today, “stockbroker” is the usual neutral term for a professional who deals in investments, while “share dealer” may be used for a firm or individual involved in trading shares. Stockjobber remains useful in historical writing and period fiction, where it conveys both a financial role and a distinctly old-fashioned atmosphere.
nounA person who buys and sells stocks, especially one who does so speculatively. The term is now uncommon and can carry a faintly disapproving or old-fashioned tone.
- A person who buys and sells stocks, especially as a speculative trader.
"The newspaper portrayed him as a reckless stockjobber who profited from every rise and fall in the market."
"After the shares collapsed, several small investors accused the stockjobber of manipulating the market."
"The novel portrays a prosperous stockjobber who moves easily between the exchange and the club."
The regular plural is “stockjobbers.”
"Several stockjobbers defended their trading after the market collapsed."
Once a familiar figure of the financial world, the stockjobber now sounds like a character from a Victorian novel—and a reminder that financial speculation predates smartphones.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stockjobber come from?
The word is an English compound of “stock” and “jobber.” “Jobber” originally denoted a dealer or trader, particularly in stocks, and the compound “stockjobber” developed as a more explicit name for a person who dealt in financial shares. Related financial vocabulary includes “stockbroker” and “stockholder,” although the older term came to suggest more direct or speculative trading.
Related word forms
How stockjobber is actually used
The word is chiefly British and now sounds dated. Historically it could be neutral, but it often implied risky or speculative trading, and modern use may sound faintly disapproving or nostalgic.
Easily confused with stockjobber
A stockbroker is a modern financial professional who acts for clients or firms, whereas a stockjobber is an older term for someone who trades stocks, often speculatively for their own account.