Material Amount

How much of your bowel did they remove?

"A material amount."

How much money did you lose in that divorce?

"A material amount."

How much did that stock rise after you bought it?

"A material amount."

You buy a 200 shares of DIS, hoping they'll go up. Your prediction (manifested in the fact that you purchased the stock) is that DIS will rise in value.

How do you know when you're right? When can you start crowing to your friends, "Well, I really nailed it with that DIS pick?"

The answer: when it moves a material amount. The phrase refers to a substantial enough move over a space of time to make a difference.