Near term is a concept used by businesses and economists referring to comparatively short-term events or trends that have the potential to have a meaningful impact on decision making. It is typically used to differentiate between current events or forecasts and those that may occur far into the future. While the near term does not usually have a precise time attached to it depending on the context, it is generally agreed that it is a period of time close to the present.

The near term has many applications that can be divided into two categories: financial and non-financial. Those in finance refer to the near term when discussing short-term investments. These can include day traders, investors looking to reap short-term gains, and those interested in short-term market trends.

Similarly, businesses often use the near term when making decisions regarding current operations or upcoming projects. They may use data such as quarterly earnings reports to forecast the near term future of the company. Similarly, data that suggests a trend in a market within a few months may be of interest to businesses interested in leveraging near term positive markets.

Economists also use the near term when forecasting macroeconomic events such as unemployment statistics, inflation and GDP figures. This data is often used by governments or influential business entities to make decisions on policy or strategy.

Overall, while the near term may have a slightly different meaning depending on a given context, the concept of understanding or predicting near term events is valuable to a range of industries and applications. It is important to maintain up to date information regarding the near term future when making decisions that will affect the present and future.