World stock market indices

Three of the most popular benchmark indices in the US to follow are the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. In Europe, the benchmark index for the UK is the FTSE 100 and for Germany, it’s the DAX.

Yes, the MSCI World Index tracks over 1,500 stocks across 23 developed markets. It represents both mid- and large-cap companies, accounting for around 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalisation in each country.

According to Interactive Investor, there are approximately 3.3 million stock market indices around the world, which is 70 times the number of individual shares listed on stock exchanges.

According to data from Goldman Sachs, the average 10-year stock market return is around 9.2%, although this is an average and the actual percentage fluctuates each year. The S&P 500 has reportedly performed better than this average with annual returns of 13.6%.