Intro to Markets

Get to know the features of the Markets page.

The Markets page on Morningstar.com is designed to allow investors to monitor the markets at a macro level, with the option to dig into the details to understand why the markets are moving and how they may impact your investing strategy.

Markets Home offers easily digestible views of market activity (performance and valuation) along with their corresponding market barometers.

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If you want to learn more about specific drivers influencing the markets, dive deeper with data and related articles. Each of the following is accessible from Markets Home or the navigation menu:

Data

Indexes are meant to be measuring sticks. They give us a sense of where markets have been and where they stand today. In addition to standard indexes such as the S&P 500, you can find Morningstar-developed indexes, which are based on the same methodology as the Morningstar Style Box™.

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Market Movers include today's biggest gainers, market losers, and the most traded stocks by volume.

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Sectors are portions of the stock market that organize companies by their operating business activities. The most common sectors are those listed in the Global Industry Classification Standard, or GICS. Morningstar uses the same 11 sectors listed by the GICS but also groups sectors together into broader categories based on how sensitive they are to changes in the economic cycle.

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Commodity futures are derivative contracts in which the purchaser agrees to buy or sell a specific quantity of a physical commodity at a specified price on a particular date in the future. They are most often traded by commercial enterprises that depend on commodities for their business activities.

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Currencies vary by region and/or creation; the valuation of each currency unit likewise varies. How currencies stack up against each other can impact investment returns.

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Articles

  • Stock Market Trends: Morningstar experts put stock sectors, bonds, and funds into perspective.
  • Company Earnings: Our analysts discuss how recent earnings reports affect their outlook.
  • Interest Rates: Learn what interest rate changes mean for investors.
  • Market News: Explore breaking news from external sources.
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