Market Explorer: Pick a Market and See Its Chart and Numbers

What each market is

A short plain-English description of everything in the list. None of it is a recommendation.

Canada

S&P/TSX Composite

Canada's main stock index. It covers large companies in banking, energy, mining and more, and is the usual yardstick for Canadian portfolios.

S&P/TSX 60 fund (XIU)

iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF. A fund that follows 60 of Canada's largest companies. Shown as the fund price, not an index level.

Canadian banks fund (ZEB)

BMO Equal Weight Banks Index ETF. Canadian bank stocks, equally weighted. Shown as the fund price.

Canadian REITs fund (XRE)

iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index ETF. Canadian real estate investment trusts. Shown as the fund price.

United States

S&P 500

500 large US companies. The usual benchmark for the US stock market.

Nasdaq 100

100 of the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq exchange, heavy in technology.

Nasdaq Composite

Almost every stock listed on the Nasdaq exchange. Technology-heavy.

Dow Jones Industrial Average

30 large US companies. One of the oldest US indexes, and price-weighted, so higher-priced shares count for more.

Russell 2000

About 2,000 smaller US companies. A gauge of small-company stocks.

VIX (volatility)

Measures how big a swing the market expects over the next 30 days, based on S&P 500 options. Often called the fear gauge. It is not a stock price.

Europe

FTSE 100 (UK)

The 100 largest companies listed in London.

DAX (Germany)

40 large German companies listed in Frankfurt.

CAC 40 (France)

40 large French companies listed in Paris.

Euro Stoxx 50

50 large companies from countries that use the euro.

Asia-Pacific

Nikkei 225 (Japan)

225 large Japanese companies listed in Tokyo.

Hang Seng (Hong Kong)

Large companies listed in Hong Kong.

Shanghai Composite (China)

All the stocks listed on the Shanghai exchange.

S&P/ASX 200 (Australia)

The 200 largest companies listed in Australia.

BSE Sensex (India)

30 large Indian companies listed in Mumbai.

Currencies

US dollar / Canadian dollar

How many Canadian dollars one US dollar buys. For a tax return, use the Bank of Canada rate; see the Market Snapshot.

Euro / Canadian dollar

How many Canadian dollars one euro buys.

British pound / Canadian dollar

How many Canadian dollars one pound buys.

Euro / US dollar

How many US dollars one euro buys. The most traded currency pair.

US dollar index (DXY)

The US dollar measured against a basket of six major currencies.

Commodities

Gold

Gold price in US dollars per ounce.

Silver

Silver price in US dollars per ounce.

WTI crude oil

The North American oil benchmark, in US dollars per barrel.

Brent crude oil

The international oil benchmark, in US dollars per barrel.

Copper

Copper futures in US dollars per pound. Often watched as a sign of industrial demand.

Natural gas

Natural gas futures in US dollars per million BTU.

Bond yields

Canada 2-year yield

What the Government of Canada pays to borrow for 2 years. Reflects expectations for the Bank of Canada's policy rate.

Canada 5-year yield

Fixed-rate mortgage rates in Canada tend to follow this yield.

Canada 10-year yield

What the Government of Canada pays to borrow for 10 years. A benchmark for longer-term rates.

US 10-year yield

The US equivalent, and the most watched bond yield in the world.

Crypto

Bitcoin (US$)

The largest cryptocurrency. Prices swing widely, and crypto gains and losses are generally taxable in Canada, so talk to the firm about reporting.

Ether (US$)

The token of the Ethereum network. Same tax-reporting note as Bitcoin.

Prefer plain tables?

The Market Snapshot shows Bank of Canada exchange rates, the overnight and prime rates, bond yields and the main US markets in simple tables, with notes on what they mean for tax returns and borrowing. The interactive charts page has a ticker and a markets-at-a-glance panel.

Market data is delayed, for information only, and not investment, tax or legal advice. Contact the firm if you would like to talk about how markets or currency affect your situation.