dead-cat bounce

American

[ded-kat] / ˈdɛdˌkæt /

noun

Slang. a temporary recovery in stock prices after a steep decline, often resulting from the purchase of securities that have been sold short.

dead-cat bounce British

noun

informal stock exchange a temporary recovery in prices following a substantial fall as a result of speculators buying stocks they have already sold rather than as a result of a genuine reversal of the downward trend

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Friday’s gains could mark a lasting recovery from the market meltdown of recent weeks, or could be what market followers call a “dead-cat bounce,” and the cat is still dead.

From Los Angeles Times

Friday’s market rally could represent merely a temporary “dead-cat bounce” following recent market weakness rather than the beginning of a sustained recovery.

From Los Angeles Times

That said, several recent spinning top candles suggest selling pressure may be abating, raising the possibility of a near term dead-cat bounce toward the very round $20 level.

From Barron's

So you may be tempted to respond to one of the countless crypto sales pitches that land in your inbox and your browser, hoping that it’s a real rally and not a dead-cat bounce.

From Los Angeles Times

"Futures have stabilised, so we might see a dead-cat bounce tonight."

From Reuters

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023