The S&P 500 is a stock index that condenses the share performance of large companies listed on US exchanges into a single point value.
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What is S&P 500 Index (S&P 500)?
The S&P 500 is a stock index that condenses the share performance of large companies listed on US exchanges into a single point value. Calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices, the index began publication in its current form in 1957. Constituents are weighted by company value adjusted for free float, so moves in higher-valued companies have a greater effect on the index.
Index membership is not decided by size alone. An index committee selects companies by assessing criteria such as liquidity, public float, profitability and US domicile. Because it covers every sector, including technology, health care, financials, energy and consumer businesses, the S&P 500 is followed as a gauge that sums up the overall direction of the US stock market, and many investment funds compare their performance against it.
The index itself cannot be bought or sold directly. Futures contracts, options and exchange-traded funds linked to it are separate products, and their prices can differ from the index level.
Sources: spglobal.com
- Name
- S&P 500 Index
- Symbol
- S&P 500
- Market
- Indices
What to look for in the technical analysis of S&P 500 Index
Moving averages help assess the trend and RSI helps assess momentum. Indicators are calculated from real history; when there is not enough history or the required candle fields are missing, the indicator is not calculated. Past results do not guarantee future performance.
S&P 500 index: change by calendar year
Change of the S&P 500 index in each calendar year, from the last close of the previous year to the last close of the year. The running year is measured to the latest settled close.
| Year | Previous year-end close, points | Close, points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026year to date | 6,845.50Dec 31, 2025 | 7,676.77Oct 26, 2026 | +12.14% |
| 2025 | 5,881.63Dec 31, 2024 | 6,845.50Dec 31, 2025 | +16.39% |
| 2024 | 4,769.83Dec 29, 2023 | 5,881.63Dec 31, 2024 | +23.31% |
| 2023 | 3,839.50Dec 30, 2022 | 4,769.83Dec 29, 2023 | +24.23% |
| 2022 | 4,766.18Dec 31, 2021 | 3,839.50Dec 30, 2022 | -19.44% |
Basis: close, points. Data date: Oct 26, 2026. Values are past daily closes of the index in points, as stored. A year whose year-end close is not stored is left out.
Technical indicators
Calculated from observed daily candles (at least 201 observations). No intraday indicators. Indicators are descriptive, not a buy/sell recommendation.
Data-based commentary (AI)
The commentary is based on the latest price observation, the verified daily candles and the technical indicators calculated from them. Not investment advice. Analysis unit: index points.
Preparing commentary…
S&P 500 constituents
Tracked on Lzzo: 502 of 504 S&P 500 companies · According to fund holdings · 1 October 2026
2 constituents are not tracked on Lzzo: Alphabet Inc., Corteva, Inc.
About this index
What does the S&P 500 measure?
The S&P 500 measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. market. Its owner describes it as a proxy of the U.S. equity market.
How many companies does the S&P 500 include?
The S&P 500 consists of 500 companies. The companies must be U.S.-domiciled and listed on an eligible U.S. exchange: NYSE, Nasdaq (Global Select Market, Global Market or Capital Market), NYSE Arca, NYSE American, Cboe (BZX, BYX, EDGA or EDGX) or the Texas Stock Exchange. Over-the-counter markets are not eligible. The number of companies is fixed. They are selected from the S&P Total Market Index at the discretion of the Index Committee, based on the eligibility criteria, with sector balance also considered. A company with several listed share classes can have more than one share line in the index, each weighted by its own float-adjusted market capitalisation.
How is the S&P 500 calculated?
The S&P 500 is weighted by float-adjusted market capitalisation (FMC), which is calculated from each stock’s price, shares outstanding and investable weight factor (IWF). The index is calculated with the divisor methodology that S&P Dow Jones Indices uses for all of its equity indices. The index is calculated in U.S. dollars. Price return and total return versions are calculated as well; they differ in how regular cash dividends are treated.
What are the base date and base value of the S&P 500?
Its base period is 1941 to 1943, with a base value of 10. It was launched on 4 March 1957. Its history was calculated retroactively back to 3 January 1928, with all information before the launch date being hypothetical back-tested data.
Who administers the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is administered by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. S&P Dow Jones Indices also calculates the price return and total return versions, and an Index Committee made up of its full-time staff maintains the index.
The facts come from the index owner’s own documents (spglobal.com) and were checked on 25 October 2026. Lzzo.com does not audit these statements; the answers describe how the index is built, not how it has performed.