Market Cap & Sectors

Companies are grouped by size (market cap) and by industry sector. Large-cap stocks are established giants; small-caps offer more growth potential but more volatility. Sectors like technology or healthcare often move together.

Quick quiz and answers

Which market cap category is generally the most stable?

Answer: Large-cap. Large-cap companies are well-established with stable revenues, making them less volatile than smaller peers.

If the economy is booming, which sector often outperforms?

Answer: Industrials and Consumer Discretionary. Cyclical sectors like industrials and consumer discretionary tend to thrive in economic expansions.

What classifies a "small-cap" stock in the US?

Answer: Market cap between $300M and $2B. Small-cap generally means a market cap between about $300 million and $2 billion.

Which sector includes companies like utilities and phone providers?

Answer: Communication services / Utilities. Utilities and communication services are defensive sectors with stable, recurring revenues.

Practice this with $10,000 in virtual cash in Tradecraft, free paper trading with real market data.

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