S&P 500 (SPX) today: The index opened up 0.29% in early trading (2024)

How is the S&P 500 doing today?

The S&P 500 opened today at 5,376.98. Within 30 minutes of trading, the benchmark index rose by 15.49 points, or 0.29%, to 5,392.47.

Year to date, the benchmark index is up, with a return of 13.31%.

S&P 500 chart

S&P 500 performance 2024

1-day return5-day returnYear-to-date return1-year return

1.08%

4.73%

15.93%

24.07%

*The return comparisons are as of 9:30 a.m. ET.

S&P 500 (SPX) index

The S&P 500 (SPX), or Standard & Poor's 500, is a notable stock market index that measures the performance of 500 large companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges. The index was introduced in 1957 and is now one of the most widely followed equity indexes. It is often considered a benchmark for U.S. market performance.

The S&P 500 is a market-capitalization-weighted index, meaning that larger companies account for a bigger portion of the index. It tracks around 80% of total U.S. market capitalization.

The index is updated in real time during market hours, reflecting price changes in its constituent companies as they happen. The well-known index isn’t only a tool for investors and analysts. It also serves as a benchmark for multiple investment products, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, options and futures.

"The S&P 500 has become the most widely used benchmark over the past 50 years due to its ability to serve as the best indicator for U.S. markets," said Derek Horstmeyer, finance professor at George Mason University School of Business. "It has surpassed the Dow Jones Industrial Average in popularity due to its more cohesive and extensive construction."

S&P 500 companies

Companies in the S&P 500 hail from all 11 Global Industry Classification Standard sectors, making it a comprehensive representation of the U.S. economy.

Here are the top 10 stocks in the S&P 500 index weighted by market capitalization.

COMPANYTICKERSECTOR

Apple

AAPL

Information technology

Microsoft

MSFT

Information technology

Nvidia

NVDA

Information technology

Amazon.com

AMZN

Consumer discretionary

Meta Platforms, Class A

META

Communication services

Alphabet, Class A

GOOGL

Communication services

Alphabet, Class C

GOOGL

Communication services

Berkshire Hathaway, Class B

BRK.B

Financials

Broadcom

AVGO

Information technology

Tesla

TSLA

Consumer discretionary

* The index weighting is as of July 31, 2024. Alphabet’s two different stock classes are listed.

S&P 500 inclusion criteria

The selection criteria for the S&P 500 index provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. stock market.

  1. All constituent companies must be U.S.-based. Stocks listed on eligible U.S. exchanges, as well as real estate investment trusts, can make the cut. However, closed-end funds, ETFs, American depositary receipts and other specific types of securities are ineligible for inclusion.
  2. A company must have an unadjusted market capitalization of at least $14.5 billion, and its float-adjusted market cap, meaning the portion of shares available for public trading, must meet at least 50% of this threshold.
  3. Financial viability is another essential criterion; companies must exhibit positive earnings for the most recent quarter as well as the sum of the past four quarters.
  4. Liquidity is also a key factor; the ratio of the annual dollar value traded to float-adjusted market capitalization must be at least 0.75, meaning a substantial portion of the company's publicly available shares are actively traded on the market. This ratio ensures liquidity and that the stock can be easily bought or sold without causing a significant impact on its price.
  5. The stock needs to have an investable weight factor of at least 0.10.
  6. Lastly, the stock must have traded at least 250,000 shares in the six months leading up to the evaluation date, confirming its liquidity and accessibility to investors.

The index is rebalanced quarterly — in March, June, September and December — to ensure it continues to reflect the U.S. equity market accurately.

S&P 500 history

The history of the dates back to 1957 when it was introduced by the financial services company Standard & Poor's. But backtested data for the index now goes back as far as Jan. 3, 1928.

The S&P 500 has been modified and expanded over the years. But its core function remains the same. The index provides investors and analysts with a comprehensive overview of the overall U.S. equity market.

The index has weathered various economic cycles, market crashes and bear markets. During the dot-com bubble, the index fell by 10.14%, 13.04% and 23.37% in 2000, 2001 and 2002, respectively. During the Great Recession, the index plunged by 39.23% in 2008.

Despite these drawdowns, the S&P 500's robust historical performance is often used as a benchmark against which other investments are measured.

The S&P 500's constituent companies have also changed to reflect the shifting landscape of the U.S. economy, from a manufacturing-heavy list in the earlier years to a more diversified group today that includes technology, health care and financials as its largest sectors.

Some of the world's largest and most successful companies, such as Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN), lead the index, making it a key reference point for investors globally.

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S&P 500 historical annual returns

The following section provides the S&P 500's historical annual total returns over the past decade.

Total returns include not only price appreciation but also reinvested dividends. In contrast, price returns account for only the change in the index's price, excluding dividends.

Focusing on total returns provides a more comprehensive picture of the S&P 500's historical performance in terms of compound growth.

YEARHISTORICAL ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN

2023

24.2%

2022

-18.11%

2021

28.71%

2020

18.4%

2019

31.49%

2018

-4.38%

2017

21.83%

2016

11.96%

2015

1.38%

2014

13.69%

2013

32.39%

How do you invest in the S&P 500?

Investing in the S&P 500 is a straightforward process thanks to various financial products that track its performance. Different asset managers offer index-linked products that mirror the S&P 500, making it easy for investors to gain exposure to this benchmark index.

S&P 500 index funds

One popular option is investing in mutual funds that aim to replicate the index's performance. These funds pool money from multiple investors to buy the stocks in the S&P 500, essentially mimicking the index's composition and weightings. A popular example is the Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX).

S&P 500 ETFs

ETFs are another commonly used instrument for investing in the S&P 500.

are similar to mutual funds but are traded on stock exchanges throughout the day like individual stocks. While these investment vehicles also track the S&P 500, they usually have lower fees than mutual funds. That makes them a cost-effective way to invest in the index. A popular example is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY).

For those interested in derivatives, options and futures contracts on the S&P 500 are also available. Options give investors the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell the index at a predetermined price before a specific expiration date. Futures obligate the investor to buy or sell the index at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future.

Options and futures can be used for hedging risks or speculation but come with additional risks and complexity.

Whether you’re looking for long-term exposure to the U.S. stock market or short-term trading strategies, there are multiple ways to invest in the S&P 500. Each investment vehicle has its own set of characteristics, fees and risk exposures.

S&P 500 futures

S&P 500 futures are among the most traded futures on the U.S. markets. This type of future is a derivative contract that provides an investor with a price based on an expected future value of the index.

These futures were first introduced by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 1982. All S&P futures are products of the CME and trade electronically.

S&P 500 (SPX) today: The index opened up 0.29% in early trading (2024)

FAQs

What is the volume of the SPX today? ›

SPX Volume is at a current level of 2.639M, N/A from the previous market day and down from 3.238M one year ago.

What is the return of the SPX 500? ›

Performance
5 Day3.93%
1 Month0.89%
3 Month4.73%
YTD16.45%
1 Year27.11%

What is the best time to trade the S&P 500? ›

As S&P 500 companies trade on the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange, traders like to trade the S&P 500 index during main market hours between 09:30 and 16:30 EST. Trading during these hours often offers greater liquidity and tighter spreads.

Is the S&P 500 Index Fund a good investment? ›

Is the S&P 500 a good investment for beginners? The S&P 500 is attractive due to its low fees and simplicity. It's a straightforward way to gain exposure to some of the largest and most successful companies in the U.S. This makes it a suitable option for beginners.

What is the current SPX yield? ›

S&P 500 Dividend Yield : 1.325% (As of 2024-08-13)

What is the difference between S&P 500 and SPX? ›

The S&P 500 index is widely regarded as one of the best measures of the overall performance of the U.S. stock market. SPX is a numerical value that represents the level of the S&P 500 index.

How much return will I get from S&P 500? ›

The expected annual return for your investment. If you plan on withdrawing your money within 10 years, you may want to choose a more conservative rate of return. Since 1926, the average annual total return for the S&P 500, an unmanaged index of large U.S. stocks, has been about 10%.

What is the average rate of return on the SPX? ›

Key Takeaways

The index has returned a historic annualized average return of around 10.26% since its 1957 inception through the end of 2023.

What is the current rate of return on the S&P 500? ›

Basic Info. S&P 500 1 Year Return is at 20.34%, compared to 22.70% last month and 11.11% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 6.91%. The S&P 500 1 Year Return is the investment return received for a 1 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

Does Warren Buffett recommend the S&P 500? ›

"I recommend the S&P 500 index fund, and have for a long, long time, to people," he told attendees at Berkshire's annual meeting in 2021. Admittedly, index funds are less exciting than stocks, but ignoring Buffett's advice could be a costly mistake.

What is the 11am rule in trading? ›

The 11 am rule in trading refers to a guideline followed by some traders, particularly day traders, which suggests avoiding making significant trading decisions or entering new positions during the first hour of the trading day (9:30 am to 10:30 am EST) and waiting until around 11 am EST to assess market direction and ...

What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading? ›

The 3-5-7 rule in trading is a risk management guideline that suggests limiting the amount of capital you put into any single trade. According to this rule, you should not risk more than 3% of your trading capital on any one trade, no more than 5% on any one sector, and no more than 7% on all trades combined.

What if I invested $1000 in S&P 500 10 years ago? ›

So imagine you put $1,000 into either fund 10 years ago. You'd be up to roughly $3,282 with VOO or $3,302 from SPY. That's not exactly wealthy, but it shows how you can more than triple your money by holding an asset with relatively low long-term risk.

What is the number 1 ETF to buy? ›

Top U.S. market-cap index ETFs
Fund (ticker)YTD performanceExpense ratio
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)14.8 percent0.03 percent
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)14.8 percent0.095 percent
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)14.8 percent0.03 percent
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)12.1 percent0.20 percent

How to invest in S&P 500 for beginners? ›

You can't directly invest in the index itself, but you can buy individual stocks of S&P 500 companies, or buy a S&P 500 index fund through a mutual fund or ETF. The latter is ideal for beginner investors since they provide broad market exposure and diversification at a low cost.

What is the volume of the SPX call? ›

SPX Call Volume is at a current level of 1.132M, N/A from the previous market day and down from 1.412M one year ago. This is a change of N/A from the previous market day and -19.85% from one year ago.

What is the volume of the SPX contracts? ›

As of August 15, 2024, $SPX options have an IV of 13.60 % and an IV rank of 32.49%. The volume is 2,625,878 contracts, which is 80.34% of average daily volume of 3,268,274 contracts. The volume put-call ratio is 1.17, indicating a bearish sentiment in the market.

What is volume SPX vs spy? ›

Though SPY options are considered more liquid than SPX, both SPY and SPX are still both considered very liquid, because of their high trading volume. The high trading volumes of these options make them easy to enter and exit which is a huge benefit for option traders.

What is the current volatility of the S&P 500? ›

The current value of Volatility S&P 500 Index is 14.81 USD — it has fallen by −2.69% in the past 24 hours. Track the index more closely on the Volatility S&P 500 Index chart.

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