What Is the S&P 500 Index?

The S&P 500 Index, created by Standard and Poors, is considered the most accurate representation of the broader stock market. The S&P 500 is, unsurprisingly, made up of 500 separate U.S. stocks spanning all sectors of the economy. These stocks combine to represent roughly 80% of available market capitalization. The smallest components are required to have market caps of at least $5.3 billion. The largest, Apple, is valued at more than $700 billion.

While the Dow weights stocks by share price, the S&P 500 index weights stocks by market cap, so it's driven by the biggest companies. Stocks that no longer fit the market cap, liquidity, or domicile requirements are switched out for eligible companies.

Here's a complete list of components that currently make up the S&P 500:

To learn more about the S&P 500 index and its components, visit The Motley Fool for up-to-date price quotes and breaking news.

The article What Is the S&P 500 Index? originally appeared on Fool.com.

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