Why not invest in S&P 500?
Lack of Global Diversification
The S&P 500 is all US-domiciled companies that over the last ~40 years have accounted for ~50% of all global stocks. By just owning the S&P 500 you miss out on almost half of the global opportunity set which is another ~10,000 public companies.
Lack of Global Diversification
The S&P 500 is all US-domiciled companies that over the last ~40 years have accounted for ~50% of all global stocks. By just owning the S&P 500 you miss out on almost half of the global opportunity set which is another ~10,000 public companies.
The S&P 500 carries market risk, as its value fluctuates with overall market performance, as well as the performance of heavily weighted stocks and sectors. For example, the technology sector performed poorly in 2022 and was a large contributor to the index's correction that year.
Generally, yes. The S&P 500 is considered well-diversified by sector, which means it includes stocks in all major areas, including technology and consumer discretionary—meaning declines in some sectors may be offset by gains in other sectors.
Investing only in the S&P 500 does not provide the broad diversification that minimizes risk. Economic downturns and bear markets can still deliver large losses.
The S&P 500 index fund has evolved into an un-diversified portfolio concentrated on expensive technology companies. Many investors, professional and retail alike, don't appreciate the hidden but significant concentration, valuation and inflation risks.
Warren Buffett recommends an S&P 500 index fund more than any other investment for most people. There's no value in trying to time the market and wait for another correction before putting money into an index fund.
While indexes may be low cost and diversified, they prevent seizing opportunities elsewhere. Moreover, indexes do not provide protection from market corrections and crashes when an investor has a lot of exposure to stock index funds.
Assuming an average annual return rate of about 10% (a typical historical average), a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 could potentially grow to approximately $25,937 over 10 years.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Presents a strong and varied mix of large-cap stocks to pick from. | Gives higher weight to companies with greater capitalization. |
| Stocks come from every major sector of the American economy. | You can't exclude specific stocks of companies you don't prefer to own from investments. |
How much would $1000 invested in the S&P 500 in 1980 be worth today?
In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.63%), then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today. That equates to a total return of 120,936%. The stock? None other than Gap (GPS 4.66%).
The key to keeping your money safe
The index itself has a long history of earning positive returns over time and recovering from downturns. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to investing, opting for an S&P 500 index fund or ETF is about as close to guaranteed long-term returns as you can get.
The S&P 500 has historically provided average annual returns of around 10%, which means that $100 invested each month could grow to a significant amount over time.
For investors who want to get in on the action, the good news is that investing in a fund that tracks the S&P 500 index is an easily accessible strategy. But experts say it also deserves a word of caution: Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
The Standard and Poor's 500, or simply the 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.
I put my personal 401(k) and a lot of my mutual fund investing in four types of mutual funds: growth, growth and income, aggressive growth, and international.
December 31, 2008: For the year, S&P 500 falls 38.49 percent, its worst yearly percentage loss.
Since 1957, the S&P 500 has only fallen more sharply than 19.4% in three years: 1974, 2002, and 2008. Each of those downturns was precipitated by major economic headwinds. In 1974, gasoline shortages and double-digit inflation rates caused the S&P 500 to plunge 29.7%.
So, if you are looking to own a more diversified basket of stocks, the S&P 500 will be the right fit for you. However, those who are comfortable with the slightly higher risk for the extra returns that investing in Nasdaq 100 based fund might generate will be better off with Nasdaq 100.
There are some who believe that certain days offer systematically better returns than others, but over the long run, there is very little evidence for such a market-wide effect. Still, people believe that the first day of the workweek is best. It's called the Monday effect or the weekend effect.
What is the best time of day to invest in the S&P 500?
The best time of day to buy and sell shares is usually thought to be the first couple of hours of the market opening. The reason for this is that all significant market news for the day is factored into the stock price first thing in the morning.
Disadvantages include the lack of downside protection, no choice in index composition, and it cannot beat the market (by definition).
It's easy to see why S&P 500 index funds are so popular with the billionaire investor class. The S&P 500 has a long history of delivering strong returns, averaging 9% annually over 150 years. In other words, it's hard to find an investment with a better track record than the U.S. stock market.
If you're looking to make a long-term investment, then index funds may be a good option. But if you don't have the time or patience to wait out the market fluctuations, then purchasing individual stocks might be more suitable for your needs.
Think About This: $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 2000 would have grown to $32,527 over 20 years — an average return of 6.07% per year.
