Stock markets
S&P 500 chart
The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks around 500 large, publicly listed US companies chosen and maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It is one of the most widely used gauges of US large-cap equity performance and is often used as a shorthand for "the US stock market".
The chart on this page does not plot the index directly. It shows a CFD (contract for difference) from OANDA that tracks the S&P 500's price movements, because the underlying index is not published as a free tradable feed on TradingView.
S&P 500 chart
OANDA:SPX500USDCFD on the S&P 500 (OANDA SPX500USD). The S&P 500 index itself is not available to free TradingView widgets.
Charts by TradingView. Switch instrument from the market charts hub or the related charts below — each one has its own page.
At a glance
| Full name | S&P 500 Index |
|---|---|
| Ticker / common abbreviation | SPX, S&P 500 |
| TradingView symbol | OANDA:SPX500USD |
| Instrument type shown | CFD tracking the index |
| Index provider | S&P Dow Jones Indices |
| Market covered | Large-cap US-listed companies (NYSE, Nasdaq) |
| Quotation currency | US dollar |
| Trading/market schedule | Underlying market: US exchange hours; CFD trades on the broker's own extended schedule |
| Price return vs total return | The headline index is price return; dividends are excluded unless a total-return variant is cited |
| Data delay | CFD quotes from the liquidity provider, typically near real-time; check TradingView for the specific feed status |
What is S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices and selects around 500 large US companies that meet criteria on market capitalisation, liquidity and profitability, as decided by an index committee rather than a fixed mechanical rule alone.
Constituents are weighted by float-adjusted market capitalisation, meaning larger companies (by the value of shares actually available to trade) move the index more than smaller ones. The index is reviewed periodically and constituents can be added or removed as companies grow, shrink, merge or are acquired.
The standard S&P 500 figure quoted in the media is a price-return index: it reflects only share-price changes, not dividends paid by constituent companies. S&P also publishes a total-return version that reinvests dividends, which is not the same number. An index is a calculated value, not a security — it cannot be bought directly, only replicated or tracked through funds, futures or CFDs.
How to read this chart
A rising chart means the aggregate value of the roughly 500 constituent companies, weighted by market capitalisation, has increased since the previous reading; a falling chart means the opposite.
Because this page displays a CFD rather than the index itself, short-term ticks can differ slightly from the official index value due to the CFD provider's own pricing and spread. Over any reasonable period the two should move closely together, but they are not identical.
Remember that the price-return figure excludes dividends, so total shareholder return over long periods is understated relative to what a total-return index or a dividend-reinvesting fund would show.
What moves it?
- US monetary policy
- Federal Reserve interest-rate decisions and guidance affect the discount rate applied to future company earnings, which is a major driver of valuation across the index.
- Corporate earnings
- Quarterly results from constituent companies, especially the largest by weight, can move the index materially given its market-cap weighting.
- Macroeconomic data
- US inflation, employment and growth releases shape expectations for policy and corporate demand conditions.
- Sector concentration
- A small number of large technology and communication-services companies represent a substantial share of the index, so their performance can dominate the headline move even when most constituents are flat.
- Global risk sentiment
- As a widely held benchmark, the index is sensitive to broad shifts in investor risk appetite, including geopolitical events and credit-market stress.
Why businesses and investors monitor it
Businesses use the S&P 500 as a general read on US corporate and consumer sentiment, and as a reference point when assessing the health of US demand for exporters and suppliers.
Investors and analysts use it as the default large-cap US equity benchmark against which fund performance, sector rotations and market breadth are commonly measured.
S&P 500 vs Nasdaq 100
The S&P 500 spans roughly 500 companies across all major US sectors, while the Nasdaq 100 is limited to the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq and is more concentrated in technology.
Because of this sector tilt, the Nasdaq 100 tends to be more sensitive to technology-sector earnings and interest-rate expectations, while the S&P 500 offers broader exposure to industrials, healthcare, financials and energy alongside technology.
Frequently asked questions
Can I invest directly in the S&P 500?
No. An index is a calculated number, not a tradable security. Investors typically gain exposure through index funds, ETFs, futures or CFDs that track it.
Why does the chart show a CFD instead of the index?
The official S&P 500 index feed is not available as a free TradingView symbol, so this page uses a CFD from OANDA that closely tracks the index's price movements.
How often does the S&P 500 change its constituents?
S&P Dow Jones Indices reviews the index periodically throughout the year and adds or removes companies as they meet or fail to meet eligibility criteria, or following mergers and delistings.
Does the S&P 500 include dividends?
The commonly quoted price-return index does not. A separate total-return version published by S&P Dow Jones Indices reinvests dividends.
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Sources
Written and maintained by the StandardsDesk editorial team. Last reviewed 2026-08-06. The explanatory text on this page is evergreen: it is not updated with market movements, and no current price or level is quoted anywhere outside the chart.
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