What is the 'Standard & Poor's 500 Index - S&P 500'
Updated: Oct 29, 2018

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) is an index of 500 stocks seen as a leading indicator of U.S. equities and a reflection of the performance of the large cap universe, made up of companies selected by economists. The S&P 500 is a market value weighted index and one of the common benchmarks for the U.S.stock market;other S&P indexes include small cap companies with market capitalization between $300 million and $2 billion, and an index of mid cap companies. Investment products based on the S&P 500 include index funds and exchange-traded funds a re available to investors.
BREAKING DOWN 'Standard & Poor's 500 Index - S&P 500'