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Price-Weighted Index

 
Investment Dictionary: Price-Weighted Index

A stock index in which each stock influences the index in proportion to its price per share. The value of the index is generated by adding the prices of each of the stocks in the index and dividing them by the total number of stocks. Stocks with a higher price will be given more weight and, therefore, will have a greater influence over the performance of the index.

Investopedia Says:
For example, assume that an index contains only two stocks, one priced at $1 and one priced at $10. The $10 stock is weighted nine times higher than the $1 stock. Overall, this means that this index is composed of 90% of the $10 stocks and 10% of $1 stock.

In this case, a change in the value of the $1 stock will not affect the index's value by a large amount, because it makes up such a small percentage of the index.

A popular price-weighted stock market index is the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It includes a price-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue chip stocks.

Related Links:
If you believe the market smiles on those who focus on value, growth or income, this vehicle may be for you. Fundamentally-Weighted Index Investing
We go over the history of this popular index and the way in which it corresponds to a tangible dollar value. Calculating The Dow Jones Industrial Average
Indexes can track market trends, but they're not always reliable. Can you trust them? The ABCs Of Stock Indexes


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Financial & Investment Dictionary: Price-Weighted Index
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Index in which component stocks are weighted by their price. Higher-priced stocks therefore have a greater percentage impact on the index than lower-priced stocks. In recent years, the trend of using price-weighted indexes has given way to the use of Market-Value Weighted Indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average remains the most prominent example of a Price-Weighted Index, although, strictly speaking, it is an average as distinguished from an index.

 
 

 

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Investment Dictionary. Copyright ©2000, Investopedia.com - Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Financial & Investment Dictionary. Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms. Copyright © 2006 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more