Standard & Poor's indexes

Standard & Poor's indexes, U.S. stock market statistics prepared by the Standard & Poor's Corporation. These averages are calculated each business day at 5-min. intervals. They are based on the price-per-share of 500 companies (industrial firms, public utilities, financial institutions, and transportation companies) in comparison to price per share information from the years 1941–43, considered the base period for the U.S. stock market. This information helps investors make decisions in both the buying and selling of stocks. In addition, The Outlook, a weekly publication, presents statistics on 100 companies and is used as an overview for the stock market.

See also: Dow Jones Industrial Average.