Market index
S&P 500
The market-cap weighted index of 500 large US companies. It is the reference point for global risk assets and the benchmark for most equity money, setting the backdrop for Korean market sessions.
At a glance
S&P 500: latest value and prior change
As of 2026-09-04, S&P 500 is 7,719 pt. It is 29.11 pt lower than 7,748 pt on 2026-09-03.
Within the default comparison window of 1,000 observations from 2022-09-12 to 2026-09-04, the latest value is at the tie-adjusted 99th percentile. Available history covers 1990-01-02 to 2026-09-04 with 8,837 observations.
- Observed on
- Default comparison window
- 2022-09-12–2026-09-04
- Observations · observed cadence
- 1,000 · Daily
- Data source
- FRED
A high or low percentile does not by itself make the indicator positive, negative, or a buy or sell signal.
Time-series chart
S&P 500
1990-01-02–2026-09-04
Long-history series are stored as real provider observations. Index, FX, VIX, and ratio charts use historical backfill where providers expose it; Korean investor flow and margin-credit feeds expand as stable historical endpoints become available.
Recent observations and calculated changes
The ten latest chart observations. Change subtracts the previous observation; intervals vary with holidays, release schedules and missing data. A difference in rates or ratios is not an investment return.
| Observed | Value | Previous date | Difference (current − previous) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-04 | 7,719 pt | 2026-09-03 | -29.11 pt |
| 2026-09-03 | 7,748 pt | 2026-09-02 | 81.11 pt |
| 2026-09-02 | 7,667 pt | 2026-09-01 | 35.13 pt |
| 2026-09-01 | 7,631 pt | 2026-08-31 | -54.67 pt |
| 2026-08-31 | 7,686 pt | 2026-08-28 | -25.62 pt |
| 2026-08-28 | 7,712 pt | 2026-08-27 | -19.23 pt |
| 2026-08-27 | 7,731 pt | 2026-08-26 | 55.29 pt |
| 2026-08-26 | 7,676 pt | 2026-08-25 | -1.58 pt |
| 2026-08-25 | 7,677 pt | 2026-08-24 | 24.42 pt |
| 2026-08-24 | 7,653 pt | 2026-08-21 | -21.51 pt |
Source: FRED
Interpretation guide
Treating the S&P 500 as the baseline for global risk appetite
The S&P 500 holds roughly 500 U.S. large caps, weighted by float-adjusted market cap and selected by an index committee that screens for liquidity and profitability. As the default benchmark for institutional money worldwide, its direction is the closest thing to a single reading of global risk appetite.
What the index actually represents
This is not simply the 500 biggest U.S. companies but a committee-curated large-cap set with earnings requirements. Covering the bulk of U.S. equity market cap, it works as a price on the aggregate U.S. corporate earnings cycle.
- Over medium horizons, the index tends to converge with the direction of earnings revisions.
- Inclusion and deletion events move individual stocks sharply but do not change how to read the index.
- Float adjustment means companies with large insider stakes carry less weight than raw market cap implies.
Earnings cycle and breadth checks
The level matters less than the direction of earnings estimates and the breadth of participation. Rallies carried by a few names and rallies with wide participation tend to resolve differently.
- An index rising against falling earnings estimates is multiple expansion alone, which deserves caution.
- A widening gap versus the equal-weight version means gains are concentrating at the top.
- Compare with the NASDAQ Composite and the Dow Jones to identify which style of stock is leading.
Caveats when pairing it with the KOSPI
S&P 500 strength does not automatically lift the KOSPI. When U.S. gains come with a strong dollar, capital can bypass emerging markets like Korea entirely.
- The spillover to Korea is strongest when S&P 500 gains coincide with a falling USD/KRW.
- When the S&P 500 and KOSPI diverge, look first at Korea-specific factors such as the memory cycle and local flows.
- An S&P 500 uptrend with a persistently low VIX Index is the friendliest backdrop for foreign buying of Korean equities.
Related views
Related indicators and radar
US market breadth
U.S. advance-decline breadth, high-low balance, and participation.
Checks whether S&P 500 strength has breadth confirmation.
US mega-cap concentration
Market-cap weight of the largest U.S. mega-cap stocks.
Shows how dependent the index is on mega-cap leadership.
VIX Index
The U.S. equity volatility gauge for global risk aversion.
Pairs the equity trend with volatility stress.
NASDAQ Composite
A global gauge for growth-stock and technology risk appetite.
Compares broad large caps with growth-stock leadership.