SP 500 Exchange rate
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD trims gains, back below 1.1300
EUR/USD gained bullish traction on Monday, climbing above the 1.1300 mark as the US Dollar came under sustained selling pressure. The move followed Moody’s downgrade of the US sovereign credit rating, which added to the pair’s upside momentum.
GBP/USD sticks to daily gains around 1.3360
GBP/USD extended its rally on Monday, briefly surpassing the 1.3400 mark on the back of renewed weakness in the Greenback, which was particulalry exacerbated following Moody’s decision to downgrade the US credit rating by one notch.
Gold meets daily resistance around $3,250
Gold regained momentum on Monday, climbing toward the $3,250 mark per troy ounce in response to a cautious market tone. In fact, investors sought safe-haven assets in response to Moody’s downgrade of the US government’s credit rating and renewed trade concerns.
Stock futures contract after Moody's US debt downgrade Premium
US stocks opened on a sour note on Monday following the fallout late Friday when the Moody's credit rating agency lowered its outlook on US debt from Aaa to Aa1. Moody's had already had the US government on watch for a year and half, so the actual downgrade shouldn't have surprised investors too much.
China April slowdown shows the impact of economic uncertainty
Trade war uncertainty is denting Chinese confidence, resulting in slower economic activity in April. Retail sales and fixed-asset investment both underperformed forecasts amid heightened caution. Yet the impact on manufacturing was less than feared.
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S&P 500
The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States (US). It is seen as a leading indicator of US equities and includes approximately 80% of the total market capitalization of US public companies.
The S&P 500, operated by S&P Dow Jones Indices, is weighted by free-float market capitalization, meaning that larger companies have a greater impact on the index. Constituents and their weights are regularly updated based on rules set by S&P Dow Jones Indices.
The S&P Index Committee, comprising analysts and economists at Standard & Poor's, selects the companies based on criteria such as market size, liquidity, and industry grouping.
Over time, the S&P 500 serves as a key benchmark for the US economy.
HISTORIC HIGHS AND LOWS FOR S&P 500
- All-time records: Max: 6,001.35 on 11/11/2024 – Min: 4.40 on 05/1932
- Last 5 years: Max: 6,001.35 on 11/11/2024 – Min: 2,237.40 on 23/03/2020
* Data as of November 2024
ASSETS THAT INFLUENCE THE S&P 500
- Currencies: US Dollar (USD).
- Commodities: Oil and Gold.
- Bonds: US Treasury Bonds.
ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE, AND ECONOMIC DATA THAT INFLUENCE THE S&P 500
Since the S&P 500 is a benchmark of US stocks, its value is influenced by a variety of decisions and indicators affecting major companies, including:
- Economic indicators inflation – Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) –, consumer confidence (University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index), economic growth (GDP), employment (Nonfarm Payrolls), and salaries (Average Weekly Earnings).
- Interest rates, decided by the Federal Reserve (Fed), the central banking system of the US. Jerome Powell, the 16th Chair of the Fed, has held the position since February 2018 after being nominated by Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate.
- Fiscal policy, trade deals, and business laws decided by the US president, the Treasury Department and the Department of Commerce. The Treasury focuses on fostering economic stability, growth and financial integrity, while the Department of Commerce supports economic growth and established industrial standards.
- Energy prices such as electricity and Oil directly impact production costs for companies within the S&P 500.