Russell 2000

The Russell 2000 is a stock-market index measuring the performance of 2000 small-capitalization stocks. It represents the 2000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which in turn represents the 3000 largest companies in the United States. Thus, the Russell 2000 is a barometer of small-cap stocks. Though small, the companies represented by the Russell 2000 are not the smallest of the small; they are not penny stocks. The Russell 2000 is weighted by the market capitalization of the stocks. Because Russell 2000 companies are younger and less capitalized, this stock index is often a volatile one. The Russell 2000 is published by the Frank Russell Company. The stocks of the Russell 2000 are tracked by several index mutual funds.