A Heatmap is a graphical representation of data of a group of stocks in the way an analysts may assets visually the sentiment thin this group of stocks, weakest and strongest stocks in fast manner. Depending on a stock advance and decline, green or red color is assigned to a stocks. The color depth directly proportional to a price change. Traditionally, stocks are sorted from the strongest (made strongest advance) to weakest (had strongest decline).
S&P 500 Index (SP500) index Heatmap helps spot main movements in the SP500 index. Significant color changes show what stocks listed in the SP500 index are on the bullish (green boxes in the map below) and what stocks are on bearish (red boxes in the map below) move.
An index analysts may use the Heatmap to see the stocks mainly responsible for the S&P 500 Index index price trend at the moment.
The S&P 500 Index index Heatmap also delivers the Breadth sentiment - as how many SP500 index listed stocks are advancing how many SP500 index listed stocks are in decline.
Below you may see a snapshot of a traditional Heatmap.