Introduction to S&P 500 Stock Index for Kids and Teens
This video explains what the S&P 500 stock index is in a simple, concise way for kids and beginners. It could be used by kids & teens to learn about S&P 500, or used as a money & personal finance resource by parents and teachers as part of a Financial Literacy course or K-12 curriculum.
Suitable for students from grade levels:
- Kindergarten
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
The topics covered are:
- What is S&P 500
- The stocks in the S&P 500
- The meaning of the S&P 500’s value
- Change in its stocks / constituents
What is the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 is one of the most popular stock indexes in the world. It was created in 1957 by the company Standard and Poor’s – or S&P – which is how it got its name.
The S&P 500 is a way to measure the performance of the stock market as a whole by looking at a large group of stocks, instead of individual stocks. The stocks in the S&P 500 make up 80% of the total market value of the entire U.S. equities market. So when S&P 500 goes up or down in value, it’s a good indication of the direction of the overall stock market.
What are the stocks in the S&P 500?
The S&P 500 consists of stocks of 500 large companies listed on NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) or NASDAQ, the 2 major stock exchanges in the United States. These 500 stocks, called the S&P 500’s constituents or the S&P 500’s components, are good representatives of different industries like technology, health care, financials, communications, etc.
The 5 largest S&P 500 stocks are Apple, Microsoft. Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet – which owns Google.
What does the S&P 500’s value represent? Is it a dollar amount?
The S&P 500’s value is measured in points. When the S&P 500 was created in 1957, it had 100 points. As of September 2020, the S&P 500 has grown to almost 3,500 points.
The point value of the S&P 500 is calculated using a market capitalization-weighted formula. This means that each stock’s weight in the index is decided by the market capitalization of the company.
For example, if stock A’s company has a market cap of $10 billion dollars, and stock B’s company has a market cap of $20 billion dollars, then stock B would have double the weight – or power to change the value of the S&P 500 – as stock A, because it has double the market cap.
Can the S&P 500’s constituents change?
Or do they stay the same?
The S&P 500 was created to correctly represent the stock market as a whole. So its components do change from time to time depending on the changes in the stock market.
If the S&P 500 goes up or down, does it mean all its stocks have gone up or down in value?
No. The change in the S&P 500’s value is a combined effect of the changes in the market cap of all its stocks.
What are some other popular stock indexes?
Some other popular stock indexes include the Dow Jones Industrial Average, NASDAQ, and FTSE.
Download Transcript: Ideal for Use by Teachers in their Lesson Plan to Teach Kids and Teens
Podcast: What is S&P 500
Fun, informative and concise episodes by a 10-year old, breaking down complex financial concepts in a way that kids and beginners can understand. Episodes cover personal finance topics like saving, investing, banking, credit cards, insurance, real estate, mortgage, retirement planning, 401k, stocks, bonds, income tax, and more, and are in the form of a conversation between a cowboy (a finance novice) and his friend, a stock broker. Making finance your friend, only at Easy Peasy Finance.
A little bit about me: I have been fascinated with the world of personal finance since I was 6! I love to read personal finance books, and keep myself updated on the latest by reading various personal finance magazines. My friends often ask me questions about finance because they find it complex and intimidating. That’s what inspired me to start my YouTube channel called Easy Peasy Finance when I was 8, and this podcast 2 years later.
Everything you need to know about the S&P 500 index: What is the S&P 500 or Standard & Poor’s 500, What are the stocks in the S&P 500, What does the S&P 500’s value represent – is it a dollar amount, Can the S&P 500’s constituents change or do they stay the same, If the S&P 500 goes up or down does it mean all its stocks have gone up or down in value, What are some other popular stock indexes, and more.
Show notes and transcript at: https://www.easypeasyfinance.com/s-and-p-500-standard-poors-for-kids/
I love reading about stocks and investments, and this post was really informative. I learned a lot about the S&P500.
I love reading about stocks and investments, and this post was really informative. I learned a lot about the S&P 500 and how it works. Thanks for writing it!