Markets
Stock market indices today
Benchmarks that define “the market”: S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow — and how Fed policy and earnings feed into index moves.
Why indices matter
Headline indices summarize thousands of price moves into a single scoreboard. Investors use them to choose index funds, benchmark portfolios, and interpret financial news without confusing one ticker for the whole market.
Deep dive: S&P 500 and market indices guide.
Fed policy and benchmarks
Rate decisions change discount rates and risk appetite. Equity indices often react to both the decision and the Fed’s forward guidance. Read our Fed interest rate decision explainer before overreacting to an FOMC headline.