S&P 500 Index

The S&P 500 Index is a stock market benchmark that tracks the performance of 500 large, publicly traded companies in the United States across various industries. It serves as a broad indicator of the overall health and trends of the U.S. stock market. The index is weighted by each company's market value, meaning larger companies have more influence on its movement. Investors use it to gauge economic stability, make investment decisions, and benchmark the performance of mutual funds and portfolios. Essentially, it reflects how major U.S. companies are doing financially at any given time.