That's why we at FOX Business decided to cobble together the FOX 50 (FOX50), an index of the largest U.S. companies that make the products you know and use every day. Think of it as the stock index of your life. It may not be a perfect snapshot of industrial America like the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or be as broad as the S&P 500, but it's yours.

There's an advantage in focusing on companies and brands you know. We're not saying you must own these stocks. In fact, the only judgment we make with the FOX 50 is that they represent the stocks you should watch if you're interested in knowing the health of the American consumer market.