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When ETC appears in business writing, it can have various meanings. Therefore, it’s important that writers of business, finance, and investment documents are aware of the acronyms and abbreviations ETC can stand for.
If you have to use an acronym or abbreviation in your writing, you should state the phrase in its entirety first, then follow it up with the abbreviation in brackets. From then on, you can use the abbreviation in the rest of the document.
This article explores the different meanings of ETC and how to use it in business or financial writing.
What Does “ETC” Mean in General Writing?
For most writers, ETC is an abbreviation of “et cetera.” This phrase is Latin and translates to “and the rest.” It’s used at the end of a list to convey that the list goes on and includes other things.
As language has developed, the abbreviation of “et cetera” is now accepted in both formal and informal writing. It’s written as “etc.” and can be used anywhere in a sentence as long as it’s at the end of a list.
What Are ETCs in Business Writing and Finance?
When creating business, financial, or investment documents, the abbreviation ETC usually refers to Exchange-Traded Commodities.
According to the London Stock Exchange, the definition of an Exchange-Traded Commodity is a bond-backed asset that tracks the performance of an underlying commodity index. This includes the total return indices of a single commodity that can be traded on any of the stock exchanges.
The abbreviation “ETC” is commonly used in the UK and Australia as ETCs appear on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASE). Other exchanges offer alternative options for trading single commodities.
An Exchange-Traded Commodity is a note or bond that allows investment into single commodities, such as precious metals and other natural resources. Investment management companies manage these ETCs, but ETCs are a low-cost option for all investor types.
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ETF vs ETC Explained
If you’re writing investment documents, including portfolios, it’s important to avoid confusing an ETC with an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) as they are structured differently and have different levels of security for investors.
Where an ETC can focus on one company or commodity, an ETF will often focus on multiple companies or commodities. An ETF is like a mutual fund, but the difference is that ETFs can be traded on exchanges.
Other ETC Acronyms
Here’s a list of other meanings of ETC:
Estimated Time to Complete/Completion
Export Trading Company
Equipment Trust Certificate
Equity Trust Company
Estimated Total Cost
Electronic Time Clock
Environmental Tectonics Corporation
Educational Technology
Education to Careers
Education Television Channel
Excellence in Training Corporation
Excellence Training for Clericals
Conclusion on ETC Meaning in Business
So, ETC stands for et cetera, exchange-traded commodities, and many other meanings, as listed in this article.
To ensure you don’t confuse your reader, make sure you explain the meaning before you use the acronym in your document. You can use the ProWritingAid acronym report to review your document and highlight any examples that haven’t been defined.
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