Monthly development S&P 500 Index 2018-2024

The S&P 500, an index of 500 publicly traded companies in the United States, closed at 5,762.48 points on the last trading day of September 2024. 

What is the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the evolution of 500 companies. In contrast to the Dow Jones Industrial Index, which measures the performance of thirty large U.S. companies, the S&P 500 shows the sentiments in the broader market.

Publicly traded companies

Companies on the S&P 500 are publicly traded, meaning that anyone can invest in them. A large share of adults in the United States invest in the stock market, though many of these are through a retirement account or mutual fund. While most people make a modest return, the most successful investors have made billions of U.S. dollars through investing.