Standard & Poor's 500 Index - S&P 500

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Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Standard & Poor's 500 Index - S&P 500'

An index of 500 stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry grouping, among other factors. The S&P 500 is designed to be a leading indicator of U.S. equities and is meant to reflect the risk/return characteristics of the large cap universe.

Companies included in the index are selected by the S&P Index Committee, a team of analysts and economists at Standard & Poor's. The S&P 500 is a market value weighted index - each stock's weight is proportionate to its market value.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Standard & Poor's 500 Index - S&P 500'

The S&P 500 is one of the most commonly used benchmarks for the overall U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) was at one time the most renowned index for U.S. stocks, but because the DJIA contains only 30 companies, most people agree that the S&P 500 is a better representation of the U.S. market. In fact, many consider it to be the definition of the market.

Other popular Standard & Poor's indexes include the S&P 600, an index of small cap companies with market capitalizations between $300 million and $2 billion, and the S&P 400, an index of mid cap companies with market capitalizations of $2 billion to $10 billion.

A number of financial products based on the S&P 500 are available to investors. These include index funds and exchange-traded funds. However, it would be difficult for individual investors to buy the index, as this would entail buying 500 different stocks.
Search results for

'Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500)'

  • Index Investing: The Standard & Poor's 500 Index | Investopedia

    http://www.investopedia.com/university/indexes/index3.asp
    ... Investing: The S&P 500 has several index funds that track it, most notably Vanguard's
    Standard & Poor's Depository Receipts (spiders) is the Exchange-Traded ...

  • How can I buy an S&P 500 fund?

    http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/04/062404.asp
    ... Another alternative is to purchase an exchange traded fund (ETF), such as a Standard
    & Poor's Depository Receipt (SPDR) or the iShares S&P 500 Index, both of ...

  • S&P 500 ETFs: Market Weight Vs. Equal Weight

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/exchangetradedfunds/08/market-equal-weight.asp
    ... A study done by Srikant Dash and Keith Loggie of Standard & Poor's in 2008 ... both the
    traditional S&P 500 MWI and the newer equal weight S&P 500 index. ...

  • S&P 500 Expected To Pay Record Dividends In 2012

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2012/SP-500-Expected-To-Pay-Record-Dividends-In-2012-HCC-KLAC-USMO0215.aspx
    ... Free Stock Analysis By Email. It appears that the age of company cash hoarding is
    behind us - Standard & Poor's is predicting that the S&P 500 index will pay a ...

  • Exchange-Traded Funds: SPDR S&P 500 ETF | Investopedia

    http://www.investopedia.com/university/exchange-traded-fund/etf3.asp
    ... Index The S&P 500 is a market capitalization index of 500 of the largest companies
    in the US According to Standard and Poor's, it represents about 75% of the ...

  • Market Strength: S&P 500 Futures | Investopedia

    http://www.investopedia.com/university/strength/strength1.asp
    ... The Standard and Poor's 500 index (S&P 500) contains many of the largest companies
    in the world, so it only makes sense that movement in the direction of the ...

  • 6 High-Flying S&P 500 Stocks

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/6-High-Flying-SP-500-Stocks-NSM-COG-NFLX-BIIB-HUM-CMG0707.aspx
    ... index are selected by the S&P Index Committee, a team of analysts and economists
    at Standard & Poor's. The S&P 500 is a market value weighted index, in which ...

  • S&P 500 - November 2011 Losers

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/SP-500---November-2011-Losers-ANF-WFR-CSC-SHLD-ARO1201.aspx
    ... The earnings report also triggered a downgrade by Standard & Poor's on the ... This makes
    the company the second most shorted stock in the S&P 500 Index. ...

  • 6 High-Flying S&P 500 Stocks

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2010/6-High-Flying-SP500-stocks-CMI-WYNN-AKAM-LXK-ZION-FDO1012.aspx
    ... index are selected by the S&P Index Committee, a team of analysts and economists
    at Standard & Poor's. The S&P 500 is a market value weighted index, in which ...

  • S&P 500 Winners - Q2 2011

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/SP-500-Winners---Q2-2011-NSM-BIIB-TIF-EXPE0704.aspx
    ... Although the S&P 500 index was flat for the quarter, many stocks put in
    a stellar performance. Get Free Stock Analysis By Email. ...

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