Bellwether
A bellwether is a leader or an indicator of trends. In politics, the term often applies in a metaphorical sense to characterize a geographic region where political tendencies match in microcosm those of a wider area, such that the result of an election in the former region might predict the eventual result in the latter. In economics, a 'bellwether' is a leading indicator of an economic trend. Sociologists apply the term in the active sense to a person or group of people who tend to create, influence, or set trends. Etymology The term derives from the Middle English bellewether, which referred to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of the lead wether (the male sheep). A shepherd could then note the movements of the animals by hearing the bell, even when the flock was not in sight. The word was first used in the above meaning in the 15th century. In economics In the world of economics and finance, a 'bellwether' is a leading indicator of an economic trend. In the stock market, a 'bellwether' is a company or stock taken to be a leading indicator of the direction in a sector, in an industry or in