what is the nyse composite index 
the nyse composite index measures the performance of all common stocks listed on the new york stock exchange including american depositary receipts issued by foreign companies real estate investment trusts and tracking stocks the weights of the index constituents are calculated on the basis of their free float market capitalization the index itself is calculated on the basis of price return and total return which includes dividends 1the breadth of the nyse composite index nya makes it a far better indicator of market performance than narrow indexes that have far fewer components understanding the nyse composite indexthe nyse composite index includes all nyse listed stocks including foreign stocks american depositary receipts real estate investment trusts and tracking stocks the index excludes closed end funds etfs limited partnerships and derivatives 1the two biggest benefits to investors of the nyse composite index are a its quality as all constituents must meet the stringent listing requirements of the exchange and b its global diversification with international companies accounting for about one third of market capitalization 2the nyse composite index is seen as a better stand in for the broader stock market than many of its narrower counterparts due to the number of constituents it has and the global diversity of its holdings 