as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
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shorting versus selling to hedge risk
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the word 'hedge' emerges from early agriculture when farmers would ask the market for a minimum buy price for each crop they planted. they used this method to stop loss against any major losses.  investors today use this strategy when they are unsure of what the market will do. a perfect hedge reduces your risk to nothing (except for the cost of the hedge).
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