Offer your thoughts or opinion on the input financial query or topic using your financial background.

What is the meaning of realization in finance?
Realization is, literally, when something is made real. For example, let's say that you own some stock.  You bought the stock for $1000, and after many years the stock is worth $10,000.  Your investment has gained $9,000.  However, you don't actually have this $10,000; you just own stock that is supposedly worth $10,000 on paper.  Tomorrow, the value of the stock could plummet and only be worth $8,000.  But if you sell your stock today and obtain this $10,000, the gain has now become real.  You have realized a $9,000 gain. In investing, realization of a gain or loss occurs when an asset that you own has been sold for more or less than what you purchased it for.  Before the asset is sold, you only have a theoretical gain or loss based on what you might receive if you sold the asset today.  And tomorrow, that theoretical gain or loss could change.