speculator

/ˈspɛkjəˌleɪtər/
noun
  1. A person who takes financial risks in the hope of making a large profit, especially by buying and selling assets like stocks, land, or commodities.
    • The stock market speculator made a fortune by selling shares just before they dropped.
    • Many speculators lost money when the housing bubble burst.
    • A real estate speculator bought several houses in the neighborhood before prices went up.
  2. A person who forms theories or guesses about something without enough evidence.
    • The news article quoted a political speculator who predicted the election results.
    • The historian dismissed the writer as a mere speculator, not a serious researcher.
    • He was known as a speculator, always making bold claims about the future of technology.