bellwether
noun [ C ]
uk/ˈbelˌweðər/ us/-ðɚ/someone or something that is believed to show how a situation will develop or change in the future:
bellwether for/of sth The report is viewed as a bellwether for national economic trends.
FINANCE
a share whose performance is believed to show the future performance of the financial markets:
Investors will be eagerly awaiting the guidance from bellwether stocks.
See also
barometer stock
ECONOMICS
a company whose success or failure is believed to show the future direction of a particular industry or the economy:
The firm is seen as a bellwether, important for cyclicals and the whole market.
FINANCE
→ bellwether bond