bellwether Hear it!

bellwether Definition

bell·wether (bel′wet̸h′ər)

noun

  1. a male sheep, usually wearing a bell, that leads the flock
  2. a leader, esp. of a sheeplike crowd
  3. anything suggesting the general tendency or direction of events, style, etc.

Etymology: ME: see bell & wether

bellwether Finance Definition
A stock, index, bond, or other financial instrument that shows the direction of a market. Significant and widely owned stocks may become bellwethers of market direction. In the Treasury bond market, the 10-year note is a bellwether.
bellwether Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • prove: In the past, Professor Nickell has proved a bellwether for future action by the MPC.