Definition of 'Weighted'
A mathematical process by which figures and/or components are adjusted to reflect importance by value or proportion. A weighted average, for example, takes into account the proportional relevance of each component, instead of measuring each individual component equally. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is a price-weighted average that compares each security based on the stock's price relative to the sum of all the stocks' prices. The Nasdaq, on the other hand, is a market capitalization weighted index, where each company is measured relative to its market value.
Where the DJIA and Nasdaq indexes utilize weighting in their calculation to more closely approximate the effect that changing stock prices will have on the overall market, weighting can also be used to help evaluate the past and current prices of individual instruments through technical analysis.
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