Web Trader MT5
Trader slang. A position that’s underwater, that you’re still holding, that you probably shouldn’t be.
The word does double duty. Sometimes it’s neutral (“what’s in your bag?” can just mean “what do you own?”). But mostly it’s a confession. To “hold a bag” is to admit you bought something at a price the market no longer respects, and that you haven’t sold, either because you can’t accept the loss or you genuinely believe it’ll come back.
There’s a self-deprecating quality to it. Nobody calls themselves a bag holder when things are going well; the term comes out only when the loss is real and you’re tired of pretending otherwise. Forums like r/wallstreetbets practically invented the modern usage.
Example: A retail trader who bought GameStop near $300 in January 2021, watched it crater back below $50, and is still holding three years later, telling himself the thesis just needs more time. That’s a bag. The thesis won’t.
