Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

.balanced 'scorecard noun [c, usually sing.] a method of measuring how well a company's plans are helping it to achieve its aims by looking at a variety of areas of activity including finance, how efficient it is, and relations with customers: The balanced scorecard is a tool for turning strategy into action.

.balance of payments noun [sing ] (Economics) the difference between the amount of money one country pays to other countries, especially for imports, and the amount it receives, especially from exports; the official record of this over a particular period: An increase in exports would help Britain's balance of payments, о a balance of payments surplus (= profit) о The country recorded a £9.5 billion balance of payments deficit (= debt)/or the year. See note at balance

of trade

WHICH WORD?

balance of trade/balance of payments

A country's balance of trade includes imports and exports of goods only. Its balance of payments considers all business with other countries: imports and exports of goods, and money earned from or paid for services and investments, such as tourism or shares in companies.

balance of 'trade (also 'trade .balance, .visible 'balance) noun [c, usually sing.] (Economics) the difference in value between imports and exports of goods over a particular period: If we sell more than we buy, we have a favourable balance of trade, о a balance-of-trade deficit (= when a

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country spends more on imports than it earns from exports) I'M» The balance of trade is an important part of a country's balance of payments. visible trade

'balance sheet noun [c]

(Accounting) a written statement that shows the financial state of a company at a particular time. It lists the company's assets and all money owed (liabilities): At present, the airline has zero debt on its balance sheet, о dependable companies with strong balance sheets off-balance-sheet О a healthy/strong balance sheet ♦ to improve/ strengthen your balance sheet

the'balance-sheet e.quation = the

accounting equation

bale /beil/ noun, verb

noun [C]

a large amount of a light material pressed tightly together and tied up: bales of hay/straw/cotton/ wool о cotton exports of 9.8 million bales—Picture at transport

verb [+ obj]

to make sth into bales: The waste paper is baled, then sent for recycling.

ШИЗ .bale out (of sth); .bale sb/sth out (of sth) (BrE) = bail out (of sth), bail sb/sth out (of sth)

balloon /Ьэ'1и:п/ noun [C] (Finance) used to describe a type of loan where the final payment is much larger than the rest: The mortgage is payable in 83 monthly instalments of $720 and a balloon payment of $112 000 at the end of the seventh year.

a balloon loan/maturity/mortgage/payment

ballot /'bselat/ noun, verb

noun

[u.C] the system of voting in writing and usually in secret; an occasion on which a vote is held: The union cannot call a strike unless it holds a ballot of members.

to have/hold a ballot ♦ a postal/secret/strike ballot

(also 'ballot .paper) [c] the piece of paper or card on which sb marks who or what they are voting for: To be approved, 75% of policyholders need to cast their ballots in favour of the scheme.

(Finance) [U,C] a fair way of choosing who to sell shares, bonds, etc. to in situations where there are not enough new shares, bonds, etc. for everyone who wants to buy them

verb

[+ obj] to ask sb to vote in writing and secretly about sth: The union is balloting its members on strike action.

[no obj] to vote secretly about sth: The workers balloted for a strike.