To which market index would you refer to see how well the stock market is performing? Why? Why do you think the movements of the Dow and the S&P 500 are highly correlated? Why are mutual funds...

To which market index would you refer to see how well the stock market is performing? Why? Why do you think the movements of the Dow and the S&P 500 are highly correlated?

Why are mutual funds generally perceived to be less risky than holding a market basket of individual stocks?