The S&P 500 is a widely followed stock market index that represents the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. It captures approximately 80% of the total market capitalization of all U.S. public companies, reflecting a significant portion of the American economy. As of January 2024, the S&P 500 had an aggregate market capitalization exceeding $43 trillion, solidifying its status as a key indicator of overall market health and a benchmark for investment performance.
In 1906, the Standard Statistics Bureau was founded as the Standard Statistics Company.
In 1923, Standard Statistics Company developed its first stock market index, consisting of the stocks of 233 U.S. companies, computed weekly.
Since its inception in 1926, the S&P 500's compound annual growth rate—including dividends—has been approximately 9.8%.
In 1941, Poor's Publishing merged with Standard Statistics Company to form Standard & Poor's.
On March 4, 1957, the index was expanded to 500 companies and renamed the S&P 500 Stock Composite Index.
In 1962, Ultronic Systems became the compiler of the S&P indices including the S&P 500 Stock Composite Index, the 425 Stock Industrial Index, the 50 Stock Utility Index, and the 25 Stock Rail Index.
On August 31, 1976, The Vanguard Group offered the first mutual fund to retail investors that tracked the S&P 500 index.
On April 21, 1982, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange began trading futures based on the S&P 500 index.
In 1982, the original SP big contract began trading.
On July 1, 1983, the Chicago Board Options Exchange began trading options based on the S&P 500 index.
Beginning in 1986, the S&P 500 index value was updated every 15 seconds during trading days.
On January 22, 1993, the Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts exchange-traded fund issued by State Street Corporation began trading.
On September 9, 1997, CME Group introduced the S&P E-mini futures contract.
In 2005, the S&P 500 index transitioned to a public float-adjusted capitalization-weighting.
Friday, September 17, 2021, was the final trading date for the original SP big contract which began trading in 1982.
In October 2021, a Bloomberg News report highlighted a study alleging that some companies purchase ratings from S&P Global to increase their chances of entering the S&P 500 Index.
In January 2024, the S&P 500's aggregate market cap was more than $43 trillion.
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