What is the S&P 500 Index?

The S&P 500 is a stock index that tracks the share prices of 500 of the largest public companies in the United States. Formally known as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index and commonly referred to as the S&P 500, it’s one of the main tools used to follow the performance of U.S. stocks. What Is the S&P 500?

What is the beta of the S&P 500?

The index is frequently used as a performance benchmark versus stocks, stock-based ETFs, and mutual funds, and thus has a beta of 1.0. S&P 500, abbreviation of Standard and Poor’s 500, in the United States, a stock market index that tracks 500 publicly traded domestic companies.

When did the S&P 500 start?

Developed by Standard & Poor's (now S&P Global ), the S&P 500 launched in 1957. But its status as a proxy for the US equity market was cemented in 1968, when the S&P 500 became one of the indicators used by The Conference Board, the business membership and research organization, to forecast economic trends.

How do share prices affect the S&P 500?

As the share prices of S&P 500 companies move throughout the day, each movement has an impact on the value of the index, though companies near the top of the list have a substantially larger impact than those near the bottom. What is the average return of the S&P 500?