You Said It: A TSC Weekly Poll: Which Stock Is the Best Market Bellwether?

A bellwether, outside of metaphor, is a bell-wearing sheep that leads a flock. Stock investors aren't necessarily sheeplike, but they do love anything that can give them a sense of direction and seems to lessen the inherent uncertainty of Wall Street. And so, a few major stocks at any one time wear that bellwether title.

Not being an undifferentiated flock, stock players keep their eyes on the staffs of various shepherds as they make their way through the meadows of Mammon. Which bellwether stock best shows you where things are going? And take our weekly stock-market sentiment poll, too.

Here's how you voted.

Question: Which stock is the best market bellwether?

Responses: 920 Last updated: Mon Aug 07, 8:53 AM EDT Cisco. 60% Microsoft. 6% General Electric. 29% Yahoo! 4% Standard Oil, if that darned Roosevelt would knock off all that antitrust foolishness. 2%

Question: What's your sentiment on the stock market?

Responses: 911 Last updated: Mon Aug 07, 8:53 AM EDT Very bullish. 9% Somewhat bullish. 45% Neutral. 24% Somewhat bearish. 19% Very bearish. 4%