Bellwether

We're going to tell you this one has to do with sheep and you're going to think we're kidding. But this time we're actually serious.

The term "bellwether" is used in finance to describe a stock or company that can be seen as a representation of the industry as a whole. So Apple might be described as a "tech bellwether" and Amazon might be a "retail bellwether."
Whatever happens to those individuals can be taken as a sign as to what will happen in the industry as a whole. So if Apple reports bad earnings, the stocks of other tech companies might fall in response, as traders assume that disappointing results at the "tech bellwether" suggests that the tech industry in general has reached a rough patch.

You ask: "what does this have to do with sheep? You promised us something to do with sheep?"

We're getting to it.

The term "bellwether" comes from a sheep that leads a flock. A "wether" is a castrated ram. And "bell" comes from an actual bell that shepherds would put on the wether leading the flock. You know, so you can hear it when it walks around. Or moans and groans about being castrated.

So when someone in the financial press refers to Apple as a "tech bellwether," you can smirk and think about the company as a castrated ram with a clanging bell hanging from its neck.