Nikkei Term category: Stocks In 10 words or less: A Japanese stock index that is equivalent to the US' Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Definition: The Nikkei is the leading stock index in Japan. It's published by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun-Sha publishing company.
StockJargon Advice: Because the markets in Japan open before they do here in the United States, many investors look at the Nikkei to gauge how the overall world market is doing. If the Nikkei is very strong, our markets are more likely to be strong at the opening as well.