Stock Indexes
Russell 2000
The standard US small-cap benchmark: roughly 2,000 smaller companies from the Russell 3000.
Russell 2000 chart
- Proxy
- Index CFD
- Intraday · may be delayed
- CAPITALCOM:RTY
This chart uses Capital.com's RTY CFD as a proxy for the Russell 2000 index. The CFD trades outside US cash hours and its price can differ from the official RUT value published by FTSE Russell.
About the Russell 2000
The Russell 2000 measures the small-cap segment of the US equity market. It is made up of the smaller companies in the Russell 3000 and is maintained by FTSE Russell.
Small caps tend to be more domestically focused and, on average, more reliant on floating-rate or shorter-term borrowing than mega caps. That is why traders often watch the Russell 2000 as a read on US growth expectations and financing conditions.
The index is followed through RTY and M2K futures on CME, RUT options, and the IWM ETF.
What moves Russell 2000
Common drivers. None of them determine price on their own.
- Domestic growth
- With more revenue earned in the US, small caps are often read as a proxy for the domestic cycle. Payrolls, retail sales and ISM data are closely watched.
- Borrowing costs
- Changes in short-term rates and credit spreads can matter more for smaller companies with weaker balance sheets.
- Risk appetite
- Small caps are typically higher-beta than large caps, so broad shifts in sentiment can show up in larger percentage moves.
Russell 2000 trading hours
Regular schedules in US Eastern time unless noted. Holidays and early closes are not shown.
| Venue | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| US cash session | Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET | — |
| E-mini Russell 2000 futures (CME Globex) | Sun–Fri 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET (daily 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET maintenance break) | — |
Economic events that matter for Russell 2000
Why each release can move this market. Reactions depend on the surprise versus expectations and on the backdrop.
| Event | Why it can matter for Russell 2000 |
|---|---|
| FOMC Next: | Small caps tend to carry more floating-rate and short-term debt than large caps, so changes in the expected path of short-term rates can affect their borrowing costs and earnings more directly. |
| NFP Next: | Most Russell 2000 companies depend on the US economy, so the jobs report is weighed both as a read on domestic demand and for what it means for rates. |
| Retail Sales Next: | Russell 2000 companies earn most of their revenue at home, so US consumer demand data tends to matter more to them than to multinational large caps. |
| CPI Next: | Inflation surprises move short-term rate expectations, and small caps' heavier reliance on borrowing can make them more sensitive than large caps to that shift. |
| Jobless Claims Next: | Small caps are among the most cyclical parts of the equity market, so a sustained rise in weekly claims — an early sign of layoffs — can weigh on sentiment toward them. |
Russell 2000 FAQ
Why do traders watch small caps?
Small caps are more exposed to the US economy and to borrowing costs than the largest companies. Relative performance between the Russell 2000 and the S&P 500 is often used as one read on growth and financing conditions, though it is far from a perfect signal.
What are Russell 2000 futures hours?
RTY and M2K futures trade on CME Globex from Sunday 6:00 p.m. to Friday 5:00 p.m. ET, with a daily 5:00–6:00 p.m. ET break.