Trading that involves less risky or riskless securities or secure trading positions. This usually initiates with dumping of risky securities and positions and shifting to safe securities and positions in response to negative market sentiment. Riskless assets/ risk-off assets (safe-heaven assets) may include gold, worthy currencies (JPY, USD, etc.), US treasury securities, etc.

For example, traders may resort to risk-off trading when stocks nosedive and gold advances in a negative sentiment environment.