OriginaveS&P 500 Index
What the S&P 500 Index is, where it lives officially, and how its ride has looked over the years.
What does the S&P 500 Index track?
The 500 biggest companies in the United States, chosen by a committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices and weighted by size — the bigger the company, the bigger its slice. Together they cover roughly 80% of the value of the whole US stock market.
When the evening news says "the market went up today", this is almost always the index they mean.
S&P Dow Jones Indices
SPY since 1993
The chart shows the dividend-adjusted share price of SPY, the ETF tracking this index — not the raw index level. The shape of the ride is the same.
SPY returns by year (USD)
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | +12.71% |
| 2025 | +17.72% |
| 2024 | +24.89% |
| 2023 | +26.18% |
| 2022 | -18.18% |
| 2021 | +28.73% |
| 2020 | +18.33% |
| 2019 | +31.22% |
| 2018 | -4.57% |
| 2017 | +21.71% |
| 2016 | +12.00% |
| 2015 | +1.23% |
| 2014 | +13.46% |
| 2013 | +32.31% |
| 2012 | +15.99% |
| 2011 | +1.89% |
| 2010 | +15.06% |
| 2009 | +26.35% |
| 2008 | -36.80% |
| 2007 | +5.15% |
| 2006 | +15.85% |
| 2005 | +4.83% |
| 2004 | +10.70% |
| 2003 | +28.18% |
| 2002 | -21.58% |
| 2001 | -11.76% |
| 2000 | -9.74% |
| 1999 | +20.39% |
| 1998 | +28.69% |
| 1997 | +33.48% |
| 1996 | +22.50% |
| 1995 | +38.05% |
| 1994 | +0.40% |
| 1993 | +8.71% |
Calendar-year total returns of SPY in USD, dividends reinvested — the ETF tracking this index, not the raw index level.
Source: Yahoo Finance daily adjusted closes for the US primary listings, dividends reinvested. Prices through · refreshed 7 Oct 2026, 08:49 UTC. How every number is calculated.