S&P 500^GSPC
The benchmark index of 500 large US companies, watched worldwide.
Past week: -2.50%
30-day price
Where the chart sits — description, not prediction
Trading above both its 50-day (7,339.57) and 200-day (6,912.07) averages — the longer-term trend reads as up. 30-day range 7,266.99–7,609.78; currently in the lower third of that range. RSI(14) 39 — momentum weak.
Computed from daily closing prices (Yahoo Finance), June 23, 2026. Compare all markets →
What is S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is a stock-market index that tracks about 500 of the largest US public companies. Maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices, it is the most-watched gauge of "the US stock market" — when the news says the market rose or fell, it usually means the S&P 500.
It is weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization, so a multi-trillion-dollar company moves the index far more than a small one. Despite the name it holds about 503 stocks (a few firms, like Alphabet, have two share classes included), spread across 11 sectors. Information Technology alone is over a third of the index.
Investors watch it because it covers roughly 80% of the total value of US public companies in a single number, and trillions of dollars track it through index funds and ETFs such as SPY.
What has moved S&P 500
2008–2009 — the financial-crisis bear market
The index peaked at 1,565 in October 2007 and fell 57% to a closing low of 666 on March 6, 2009 — its deepest post-war decline — as the US housing market and major banks collapsed.
2020 — the COVID crash and record-fast recovery
After a February 19, 2020 high of 3,386, the S&P 500 fell about 34% in 33 days to a March 23 low of 2,237, then recovered all of it by August 18, 2020 on emergency stimulus and Fed rate cuts.
2022 — the rate-hike bear market
With inflation at 40-year highs, the Fed raised rates from near zero to over 4%. The index peaked at 4,797 on January 3, 2022 and fell 25.4% to a closing low of 3,577 on October 12, 2022.
2023–2024 — the AI-driven bull market
The S&P 500 gained 24% in 2023 and 23% in 2024, crossing 5,000 for the first time on February 9, 2024 and 6,000 on November 11, 2024, led by AI enthusiasm and mega-cap tech.
April 2025 — the tariff shock and rebound
The April 2, 2025 "Liberation Day" tariff announcement triggered a near-20% drop from the February peak to an April 7 intraday low of 4,835; the index recovered after a tariff pause and finished 2025 with a record close of 6,932 on December 24.
Notable moments
Born from "a ticker married to a computer"
When S&P launched the 500-stock index in 1957, computing 500 prices in real time was a feat — it was described as the marriage of a stock ticker with an electronic computer.
"500" is a target, not an exact count
A committee picks roughly 500 of the largest, most-liquid US companies that meet profitability rules; because a few have dual share classes, the actual listing count sits around 503.
Common questions
Can I buy the S&P 500 directly?
No — it is an index, not a product. You can buy index funds or ETFs (like SPY or Vanguard/Fidelity funds) that hold the same stocks in the same proportions. This page is educational and not investment advice.
How is it different from the Dow?
The Dow tracks 30 companies weighted by share price; the S&P 500 tracks about 500 weighted by market value, so the biggest companies have the most influence. Most professionals treat the S&P 500 as the broader gauge.
What does a 1% move mean?
It means the combined market value of those ~500 companies rose or fell about 1% that session — driven mostly by the largest holdings.
How do companies get added?
A committee reviews eligibility: US-domiciled, above a market-cap threshold, listed on a major exchange, and profitable over four straight quarters. Companies are removed when they no longer qualify, merge, or go private.