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What is the 3 year return of the S&P 500?

Published in S&P 500 Returns 2 mins read

The 3-year return of the S&P 500 is 32.09%. This figure represents the cumulative performance of the S&P 500 index over the most recent three-year period, providing a key insight into the market's mid-term growth.

Understanding S&P 500 Performance

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. It is widely regarded as one of the best gauges of large-cap U.S. equities and a proxy for the overall health of the U.S. stock market.

The 3-year return provides a concise view of how the market has performed over a significant, yet relatively recent, timeframe. It helps investors and analysts understand sustained trends rather than short-term fluctuations.

Recent S&P 500 3-Year Return Data

To put the current 3-year return into context, here's a comparison with recent historical figures:

Metric Value
Current 3-Year Return 32.09%
Last Month's Return 23.89%
Last Year's Return 26.13%

As shown, the current 3-year return of 32.09% is notably higher than both the previous month's and last year's reported 3-year returns, indicating a period of strengthened performance.

Why Track the 3-Year Return?

Tracking the 3-year return of the S&P 500 offers several benefits:

  • Mid-Term Performance Insight: It offers a balanced perspective on market performance, smoothing out daily or monthly volatility to reveal more significant trends.
  • Benchmarking: Investors often use the S&P 500's 3-year return as a benchmark to evaluate the performance of their own portfolios or specific investment funds.
  • Trend Identification: Consistent strong or weak 3-year returns can signal broader economic trends or shifts in investor sentiment.
  • Investment Decision Making: While past performance does not guarantee future results, understanding recent historical returns can inform investment strategies, particularly for those with a mid-term outlook.

For detailed historical data and ongoing insights into the S&P 500's performance, financial data platforms like YCharts provide comprehensive tools and information.