Nasdaq
The benchmark for technology and growth investing.
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What it is
A market-cap weighted index heavily focused on technology and growth companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange.
Why it matters
Because it leans toward tech, it tends to move more sharply than the S&P 500 in both directions, which makes it a useful read on growth-stock sentiment.
How investors use it
Investors often follow it to gauge the tech sector, and some use a Nasdaq 100 ETF for concentrated growth exposure, which carries more risk.
What is the Nasdaq Composite?
The Nasdaq Composite Index tracks all companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, more than 3,000 stocks, and is heavily weighted toward technology, consumer electronics, software, and biotechnology. It is market-cap weighted and launched in 1971.
Some of the world's most valuable companies trade on the Nasdaq: Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Nvidia, and Tesla are among its biggest holdings. Because of this tech concentration, the Nasdaq tends to be more volatile than the S&P 500, amplifying both gains and losses in growth cycles.
The Nasdaq 100 (tracked by the QQQ ETF) is a closely related index tracking the 100 largest non-financial Nasdaq companies. The two terms are often used interchangeably in financial media, though the full Composite includes far more companies.
Why investors watch it
- Best single gauge of the technology and growth sector of the US stock market
- Home to most of the world's largest tech and consumer internet companies
- Tends to outperform during bull markets and fall harder during downturns. Higher risk, higher potential return
- The QQQ ETF (tracking the Nasdaq 100) is one of the most heavily traded investment products in the world
- When Nasdaq is surging, tech and growth-stock optimism is running high, often a leading indicator of sentiment
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