Initially, it described collective investment vehicles, often organised as private partnerships, that specialised in combining two investment techniques, short sales (borrowing a security and selling it in the hope of being able to repurchase it more cheaply before repaying the lender) and leverage (buying securities with borrowed money) in a way that reduced risk.

ECONOMIST: The villains of global finance deserve a better reputation

By using its mainframe business to leverage customers into buying IBM's x86 and Unix servers, IBM may be asking for more trouble from the Feds.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Strong growth on local turf has given DeNA the financial leverage to go on an aggressive buying spree here in the U.S. this year.

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If you are selective, you can leverage the next rally phase in gold by buying financially strong gold mining companies with real-time production.

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Sure, leverage was a disaster at the peak of the bubble, as investors were buying overpriced housing, often with risky flexible-rate loans.

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The Better Business Bureau recommends buying trip insurance with a charge card, which gives you more leverage in case of disputes, and from an independent firm rather than the tour operator or cruise line.

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It covers the entire spectrum of IT shared service opportunities throughout the Federal Government and promotes the use of existing and new strategic sourcing methods where agencies can combine their buying power for similar IT needs and get lower prices and improved service leverage in the process.

WHITEHOUSE: Introducing the IT Shared Services Strategy

Monti killed that deal on a theory called conglomeratization: By buying a maker of machinery that produces rival plastic bottles, Tetra Laval could in a few years leverage its lead position in cartons to also control plastic alternatives (glass bottles and tin cans are the packaging products still out of Tetra Laval's reach).

FORBES: Two-card Monti