Index (economics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Index number. (Discuss)

This article is about index in an economics and finance sense. For other uses, see Index.

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007)

In economics and finance, an index is a single number calculated from a set of prices or of quantities. Examples are a price index, a quantity index (such as real GDP), a market performance Index (such as a labour market index / job Index or a stock market index). Values of the index in successive periods (days, years, etc.) summarize level of the activity over time or across economic units (regions, countries, etc.).

Consumer price indexes can be used, among other things to adjust salaries, bonds interest rates, and tax thresholds for inflation.

Some investment funds (index funds) manage their portfolio so that their performance mirrors (tracking) the performance of a stock market index or a sector of the stock market.

[edit] Indexes

Provider: Dow Jones

• Dow Jones Industrial Average

Provider: Standard & Poor's

• S&P 500
• S&P 400
• S&P 600
• S&P 1500
• S&P/ASX 200
• S&P/TSX Composite Index
• S&P Global 1200
• S&P Custom Group of indices

Provider: Russell Investments

• Russell 1000 Index
• Russell 2000 Index
• Russell 3000 Index
• Russell Midcap Index
• Russell Microcap Index
• Russell Global Index
• Russell Developed Index
• Russell Europe Index
• Russell Asia Pacific Index
• Russell Emerging Markets Index

Provider: Morgan Stanley Capital International

• MSCI World Index
• MSCI EAFE (Europe, Australasia, and Far East) Index

Provider: Reuters

• Reuters-CRB Commodities Index

Provider: Markit

• ABX
• CDX / iTraxx
• CMBX

[edit] See also

• Stock market index
• Illinois Flash Index
• Producer price index
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

[edit] External links

• Humboldt Economic Index