Stock market beta

This visualization maps major US stocks as satellites orbiting the market. Distance from the center represents beta: stocks on the blue beta = 1 orbit move in step with the market, outer orbits indicate higher volatility, inner orbits greater stability. Circle size reflects market capitalization, scaled so that the central circle represents the total US equity market (approximately USD 60 trillion), while each other circle represents the relative size of an individual stock. The Healthcare sector cluster near the center (blue) has the lowest average beta, while Technology stocks (red) exhibit the highest average beta.

Data: Stock betas and market capitalizations for the 50 largest US companies. Beta estimates are based on weekly returns over the past 250 weeks.