The term “blue chip” in poker signifies the chip that has the highest value. The term was taken from the poker world and used as stock market terminology. In the investment world, a blue-chip company is well-known, well-established and well-secured. It is considered to be a leading company in its sector and produces dominant goods or services. Generally, a blue-chip company is impervious to economic downturns, which contributes to its qualities of generating consistent revenues and stable growth. It is usually considered a household name.
A blue-chip stock is the stock of a blue-chip company. If a stock is considered blue-chip, it is generally the market leader or one of the top performers in its sector.The market capitalization of a blue-chip company is usually in the billions of dollars. Typically, a blue-chip stock is a component of major stock market averages and indexes, such as the S&P 500 index in the United States. It can also be listed on other major indexes throughout the world.
Historically, blue-chip companies post steady earnings results. Blue-chip companies are generally considered to be safe investments because of their ability to generate profits even during an economic downturn. A blue chip is known to have a very stable growth rate, so it is considered to have less volatility than other companies that are not well-established. Generally, a blue-chip stock follows an index closely. For example, Apple was given blue-chip status in 2015, and it follows the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100.
During recessionary periods, a blue-chip company is impervious to adverse economic conditions. For example, Coca Cola, a blue-chip company, may not suffer from a recession because it is a household name and many opt to drink its products, no matter what economic conditions are like.