over the counter ( OTC)
Purchases and sales of financial instruments that do not take place in organized exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade are termed over the counter. The phrase may be used as a noun to describe capital markets other than organized exchanges. The phrase may also be used as an adjective to describe instruments not traded on an organized exchange, such as over-the-counter derivatives. American Banker Glossary
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Ⅰ.
across/over the counter
► goods or services that are sold or available over the counter can be bought or obtained without needing official permission, for example, from a doctor or someone in authority: »
Bonds are sold over the counter, with prices quoted privately to the client.
»Regulators declined permission for the remedy to be sold over the counter.
Main Entry: ↑counter
Ⅱ.
over the counter UK US adverb
►
Financial and business terms. 2012.