In short: The Baltic Dry gives an overview of the average cost of transporting raw materials around the world. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is a measure of what it costs to ship raw materials—like iron ore, steel, cement, coal and so on—around the world. The Baltic Dry Index is…
In short: The Volatility or Fear index measures the price swing in the markets for the next 30 days by looking at the price of options. What Is the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX)? Created by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the Volatility Index, or VIX, is a real-time market index that represents the…
In short: SMI is an index of orders in the last half hour compared to the first half hour. The Smart Money Index, or Smart Money Flow Index, was popularized by Don Hayes in the 1990s and seeks to understand what the “smart money” is doing relative to the “dumb…
In short: “The IPSOS Global Consumer Confidence Index measures the consumer spending and future outlook over a certain category and time”. The consumer confidence index started in 1967 and is benchmarked to 1985 = 100. This year was chosen because it was neither a peak nor a trough. The index…
In short: The Dow Jones measures the 30 largest companies in the U.S.A. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is perhaps the most widely followed stock market index in the world. Yet, very few people actually know what that the number represents just 30 companies. The following history and explanation…
In short: The S&P measures the 500 largest companies in the U.S.A The S&P 500, or simply the S&P, is a stock market index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it to be…
In short: The Nasdaq is a Tech index of 100 largest Tech companies. The NASDAQ Composite (ticker symbol ^IXIC) is a stock market index of the common stocks and similar securities (e.g. ADRs, tracking stocks, limited partnership interests) listed on the Nasdaq stock market. Along with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 it is one of the three most-followed indices in US stock markets. The…