   
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
An index is a hypothetical basket of securities or economic variables designed to track changes over time. The most common type of index tends to be the stock index such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index. Each index has its own methodology for calculating the effect of individual index components. The Dow Jones, for example, treats its 30 stocks identically; a rise of $1 in the stock of a $300B company affects the index in exactly the same way as a rise of $1 in the stock of a $30M company stock. Other indexes make varying degrees of adjustments to account for the differences in company size.
Indexes can track market characteristics instead of market values. For example, the Volatility Index (VIX) measures options premiums to determine the market's expectation for future volatility. There are also economic indices that track measures of economic health, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Rate this index definition...
|
|
|
|
 |
Where is the market headed? The answer may surprise you. Find out
with the exclusive & Barron's recommended charts of Chart of the Day. |
|
Popular Terms: FICO score, 1031 exchange, dividends payable, minority interest, Key Rate Duration, ex-dividend, annual return, diluted share, inflation, phantom income, command economy, 1035 exchange, class C shares, 144a, wholly-owned subsidiary, APR, liquidity ratio, margin rate, open position, quality assurance, in escrow, ex-dividend date, reverse mortgage, labor relations, cancelled check, real GDP, deferred revenue, per diem, debt service coverage, stock market close, option premium, EBITDA, LIBOR, implied volatility, retained earnings, Zero Cost Collar, irrevocable trust, covered put, risk management, current ratio, 401a, stock split, required rate of return, VIX, FTSE, deferred tax, balance sheet, limit order, average price per share
|
|
| |
