S&P 500 Extends Winning Streak to Nine Weeks, Sets Records

The S&P 500 advanced every trading day this week, finishing up 1.6% and recording multiple record highs. The index posted a ninth consecutive weekly gain, matching its longest streak in 2023.

The index moved above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages on April 8, 2026. The 50-day average has remained above the 200-day average since July 1, 2025. Year to date the cap-weighted index is up 10.73%.

The S&P 500 Equal Weight Index, which gives each constituent the same fixed weight, is up 8.74% year to date. Exchange-traded funds that track the cap-weighted S&P 500 include IVV, SPY, VOO and SPYM, while RSP tracks the equal-weight version.

Volatility measures show periods of large intraday swings in recent years. On April 9, 2025 the index recorded an intraday range of 10.77%, the largest since a 19.10% intraday move on December 24, 2018. Over the past 20 trading days, the average intraday percent change from low to high has been about 0.80%.

Looking at longer-term history, the S&P 500 peaked at 1,565.15 on October 9, 2007 and fell to a trough of 676.53 on March 9, 2009, a decline of roughly 57% during the Global Financial Crisis. The index did not reach a new all-time closing high until March 28, 2013, when it closed at 1,569.19. The period since 2009 includes episodes of sharp declines and recoveries, including notable selloffs in 2022.

The S&P 500 is a market-cap-weighted index that includes roughly 500 of the largest U.S. companies across 11 sectors. The equal-weight version contains the same companies but assigns each the same fixed weight, producing a different risk and return profile over shorter and longer periods.