S&P 500
The US large-cap benchmark — the first number every interviewer asks about.
Previous close $7,553.70
52-week high
$7,611.94
52-week low
$4,975.41
YTD change
+10.93%
Historical series derived from SPY ETF and scaled to today's index level — shape is accurate, absolute levels are approximate (±small tracking error).Up over the period.
The 30-second take
Tech megacaps drive index performance — the 'Magnificent Seven' make up roughly 30% of index weight. When the cap-weighted S&P diverges from the equal-weighted version, that's the concentration-risk talking point. Compare against the FTSE 100 (different sector composition) and the Nasdaq 100 (the high-beta version). At interview, don't just quote the level — quote the trend, the driver, and one sector stand-out.
Historical reference points
Bankers instinctively contextualise today's level against these moments. Each row shows how far the current level is above / below that reference.
- Pre-GFC peakOct 2007$1,565.00+385.27%
- GFC lowMar 2009$667.00+1038.59%
- COVID crash lowMar 2020$2,237.00+239.49%
- Pre rate-hike peakJan 2022$4,796.00+58.35%
Compare against
Master the whole framework
The live numbers are one leg. Read the lesson for the four things to always know, plus the full interview script.
Discussing Markets — read the lesson →