The S&P 500 is a stock index consisting of 500 large-cap companies from a wide range of industries. The index is owned and maintained by Standard & Poor’s (S&P), which is a division of McGraw-Hill. The S&P 500 is part of two larger indices, the S&P 1200 and the S&P Global 1500.
All corporations included in the S&P 500 are listed on the two largest stock markets in the US: the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 corporations are considered leaders in their industries and are therefore among the most closely watched stocks on the US stock market. Some companies included are Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.
It was created on March 4, 1957 as an expansion of the pre-existing S&P 90. Advances in computer technology at the time made the index possible by calculating and disseminating the index in real time. Since its inception, the S&P 500 Index has often been used as a benchmark to indicate the future of the US economy and market. At one time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was the most notorious index for US stocks, but because the DJIA contains only 30 companies, most people agree that the S&P 500 is a better proxy. of the US market.
Companies that are included in the S&P 500 are selected by the S&P Index Committee. Most of the companies included in the index are based in the United States, but there are a small number of international companies that are widely traded in the US. Going forward, the Index Committee has announced that they will only be added companies based in the US The S&P 500 is a market value weighted index: the weight of each stock in the index is proportional to its market value.
There are two ways to invest in the S&P 500. The first is by buying individual stocks. The second is by buying shares of an exchange-traded fund (ETF). One form of ETF is known as an SPDR or Standard & Poor’s Depositary Receipts. SPDR’s average daily trading volume is the highest of any US stock with more than 200 million shares per day. Another form of ETF is the iShares S&P 500, which is similar to the SPDR but includes equal shares of all index members.
Widely considered the best single indicator of the US stock market, this world-renowned index should be watched if you invest. Although the S&P focuses only on the large-cap segment of the stock market, it is also an ideal surrogate for the total market. Indices can be used as basic building blocks for your portfolio.