drift
verb [ I ]
uk/drɪft/ us FINANCE
to slowly go up or down in value with no particular control over direction:
drift lower/down/downwards The airline's shares drifted down 15 cents at $5.80.
drift higher/up
drift
noun [ S or U ]
uk/drɪft/ us FINANCE
a slow change in value, with no particular control over direction:
an upward/downward drift in sth The downward drift in copper prices looks set to continue.
a slow development or change from one situation to another:
drift away from sth The company is not seeing evidence of any drift away from its premium brands.
drift to/toward sth There has been general unease about the drift toward a culture of selling, marketing, and consumerism.
a slow movement from one place to another:
a drift from sth to sth The population drift from the cities to the suburbs adds significantly to car use.
See also
wage drift