Table of Contents

Across the Board: What It Means, How It Works, and Examples

By

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Will Kenton

Updated February 02, 2025

Reviewed by Julius Mansa

Definition

"Across the board" describes a market where most stock prices are moving in the same direction, up or down.

What Is Across the Board?

Across the board is a term used by stock market watchers to describe a market in which 𒁏most stocks and stock sectors or moving in the same direction, up or down. Such widespread movements are usually caused by economic or geopolitical news that is relevant to most or all market sectors.

The idiom also can be used to refer to an improving (or worꦚsening) performance across all metrics for a particular stock or a portion of a national🧔 economy.

Key Takeaways

The expression across the board indicates a clear direction up or down in the stock market as a whole.
It also is frequently used to describe an improvement (or decline) in all major aspects of a company's financial performance for a quarter or a year.
The term originated with the NYSE's big board, which was where stock prices were posted and an upward or downward trend could be seen "across the board."

Understanding Across the Board

If the financial media reports that the stock market is up across the board, it means that most of the stocks in the market are up on that day's trading. This can be confirmed at a glance at a major indicator such as the S&P 500 Index, which will show a percentage increase in its overall components.

The term comes from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Big Board, on which stock prices were posted throughout the market session. When t🐷he majority of prices were up or down, the movement could be seen "across ℱthe board."

The Big Board isꦰ still a slang term for the New York Stock Exchange.

Examples of Across the Board

In addition to m📖arket-wide activity, the term is used often in the media to refer to a strong financial performance by a single company or an indu꧟stry.

For instance, there was this recent headline in Railway Age: "UP 3Q2024 Shows Growth, Improvement Across the Board" when Union Pacific reported improvements in overall income, revenue, pricing, and volume for the quarter.

And, in 2024, General Motors boasted of "growth across the board" in sales of SUVs, electric vehicles, and pickups, plus higher fleet sales.

What Does It Mean When the Stock Market Is Up or Down Across the Board?

When stocks are reported to be up or down across the board, it's usually a bit of an exaggeration. Some companies or even whole sectors are bound to buck the trend, whether it's a good day or a bad one. But if stocks are up or down across the board, it means that most stocks are trending in the same general direction, as evidenced by the major indicators such as the S&P 500 Index.

This is usually caused by tꦡhe release of an economic number or a major news event that unsettles traders, causing them to buy or sell stocks in anticipation of a long-term impact on business.

When Does an Across the Board Downturn Turn Into a Bear Market?

An across the board downturn that lasts for a prolonged period of time becomes a bear market. For instance, in early 2020, the S&P 500 Index 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:lost a third of its value over 33 days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its🌊 serious disruption of the global economy.

A bear market is generally defined as 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:a loss of 20% or more of the value of a major index.

What Is a Stock Market Crash vs. a Bear Market?

A bear market can occur gradually, over a series of days that show mostly across the board declines in the market. 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:A stock market crash is sudden and dramatic. Luckily, a crash also is rare:🧜 There have been only 12 market crashes since Black Friday in 1929. The most recent was the 2020 crash caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bottom Line

You'll hear the term across the board in many contexts these days. It may refer to the need for a football team to improve its performance in both defense and offense. It may demand excellence in all activities related to a job. But the term originated at 11 Wall Street, home of the Big Board.

Article Sources

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