sheep that leads the herd often wearing a bell .
security that is seen as a significant indicator of the direction in which a markets price is moving. For example GE on the NYSE, Cisco for the Nasdaq and Vodafone for the LSE.
stock or bond that is widely believed to be an indicator of the overall market's condition. see also blue chip.
a castrated sheep who wears a bell, which the rest of the flock has learned to follow)
A stock viewed as a leader in the market, e.g. "as GM goes, so goes the market." Also a bellwether or benchmark issue in the cash bond market, e.g. the most recently auctioned 10-year bond.
A security recognized as a reflector of a market trend
Often misspelled "bellweather." A wether is a gelded ram, chosen to lead the herd (thus his bell) due to the greater likelihood that he will remain at all times ahead of the ewes.
Traditionally the sheep (with a bell on its neck) that led the flock. Now used to describe a closely followed stock that leads the market.
One that serves as a leader or as a leading indicator of future trends Detailed description
A market bellwether is a security whose changing price is considered a signal that the market is changing direction. It gets its name from the wether, or castrated ram, that walks at the head of a shepherds flock. The distinctive tone of the bell around the wethers neck signals the flocks position. Theres not an official list of these trend setters, or market barometers, and they do change as the overall markets and the fortunes of individual companies change.
A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings. The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) in order that this animal might lead its flock of sheep.