Read the Market at a Glance

This lesson explains what a stock index is, why markets need them, and why selecting a group of important stocks beats tracking every share.

This lesson covers the history and composition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, how its price-average formula works, and why speculators prefer it.

This lesson covers the S&P family of indices (500, 400, 600, 1500), who uses them, and the origin and character of the NASDAQ as the world's first electronic market.

This lesson covers the Russell and Wilshire indices - their structure, what makes them different from the Big Three, and why they are rarely in the news.

This lesson explains what a stock index future is, its four main functions, and why big investors use it to speed up entering and exiting the market.

This lesson covers US market trading hours across all four time zones, extended hours, and the official NYSE and NASDAQ holidays.

A quick timed recap of all lessons in Course 2 - why indices exist, the five US indices, stock futures, and trading hours.