NASDAQ Composite Index ($COMPQ)

The NASDAQ Composite Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of over 5000 stocks. Because it is weighted by market capitalization, large companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Dell Computer and Oracle dominate the index. With such large portion of the index dominated by technology stocks, the NASDAQ Composite is more a barometer for the technology sector than the broader market. The name "NASDAQ" is derived from the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (System). For more information about the NASDAQ Composite, see the NASDAQ web site.