gross national product (GNP): a measure of the
nation's total output of goods and services per year. GNP
is a key indicator of an economy's health; it's the value of
all the goods and services produced by a country in a given
period of time, including income from other countries.
gross profit: sales revenue minus the cost of making or
buying the things that were sold (cost of goods sold). If a man-
ufacturer sold 10 bikes for $300 a piece, and each bike cost
him $250 to make, the company's gross profit is $500.
gross sales: revenue from a company's total sales
before deducting for returns and discounts.
growth funds: mutual funds that invest in companies
that pay little or no dividends and reinvest their profits in
expansion and in research and development. You buy these
if you're willing to give up dividend income in return for a
chance at big gains in the stock price over time.