Indices exist for every sort of market from bonds to more esoteric assets but the major of investors are probably most familiar with stockmarket indices. Indices simply reflect the overall value of the specific group of stocks within the index. They are re-calculated on a regular basis throughout the day.
In the UK, the most popular (or "benchmark" index) is the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Share Index (known as the FTSE 100 or the Footsie for more on that, see here).
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