Russell 1000 Index

An index of approximately 1,000 of the largest companies in the U.S. equity markets, the Russell 1000 is a subset of the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 1000 (maintained by the Russell Investment Group) comprises over 90% of the total market capitalization of all listed U.S. stocks, and is considered a bellwether index for large cap investing.

The Russell 1000 is a market capitalization-weighted index, meaning that the largest companies constitute the largest percentages in the index and will affect performance more than the smallest index members.

The Russell 1000 is a much broader index than the often quoted Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500), although all three are considered large cap stock benchmarks. Many institutional managers prefer the Russell 1000 as a barometer for large cap investments as a whole; the average market cap of a Russell 1000 company is over $80 billion, and all of the index members are considered highly liquid stocks.

An ETF representing the Russell 1000 can be purchased for a minimal expense ratio; the ETF is called the iShares Russell 1000 Index and trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker IWB.