Median S&P 500 Stock Short Interest as % of Market Capitalization Short interest for the median S&P 500 stock remains elevated, climbing to 2.7%. The rise, though, appears driven more by hedging activity than by outright fear or speculative panic. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Bear Market – Number of S&P 500 Stocks Down 20% or More More than a third of S&P 500 stocks are down 20% or more, even as the index holds up. It’s a reminder that market breadth is thinning, often a sign of late-cycle fatigue. Image: Societe Generale Cross Asset Research
Performance – % of S&P 500 Stocks Outperforming the Benchmark by Year Market leadership has broadened in 2025. Whereas a handful of large tech companies dominated in 2023 and 2024, more than half of S&P 500 stocks are now outperforming the index. Image: Ned Davis Research
Median S&P 500 Stock Bid-Ask Spread Bid-ask spreads for S&P 500 stocks have widened significantly in recent trading sessions, driven by heightened market volatility and liquidity strains. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Share of Median S&P 500 Stock’s Trailing 6-Month Return Explained by Micro Factors 74% of the median S&P 500 stock’s trailing 6-month return can be explained by micro factors, which is significantly above the long-term average of 58%. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Stocks – Earnings Day Moves Last quarter set a 15-year record for earnings day volatility, with 12% of S&P 500 stocks experiencing price movements greater than 10%. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Percentage of S&P 500 Stocks That Ultimately Underperform/Outperform the S&P 500 When it comes to investing in the S&P 500, the stocks investors choose make all the difference in their investment journey, as the right choices can significantly improve returns. Image: BofA US Equity & Quant Strategy
S&P 500 Stock Splits – Median Relative Performance vs. Sector While stock splits do not inherently change a company’s value, the increased investor interest they generate often leads to short and medium-term outperformance relative to the sector. Image: BofA US Equity & Quant Strategy
Share of S&P 500 Stocks Underperforming the Index Despite the strong performance of the S&P 500 index in 2023, more than 70% of the individual stocks within the index underperformed, indicating that the overall gains were driven by a relatively small number of stocks. Image: Gavekal, Macrobond
S&P 500 and the Percentage of S&P 500 Stocks Above 50-Day Moving Averages The percentage of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 50-day moving averages is a warning sign, which could potentially have negative implications for the overall market performance. Image: BofA Global Research
S&P 500 Stocks and Non-S&P 500 Stocks as a % of U.S. Large Cap Funds AUM Despite the abundance of stocks, the lack of interest in investing beyond the “Magnificent Seven” creates bias, leading to excessive attention and favoritism that may undervalue or neglect other investment opportunities. Image: BofA US Equity & Quant Strategy