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S&P 500 index
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
S&P 500 fell 0.4% Tuesday as oil prices climbed. September historically is the index's worst month.
Background
The S&P 500 is a benchmark index tracking about 500 of the largest US companies. Recently, it has been affected by rising oil prices and concerns about inflation, leading to a slip on Tuesday. Additionally, market technicians are cautious because September has historically been the worst month for the index.
How it unfolded
- Aug 27, 2026Nasdaq and S&P 500 lifted by Nvidia's forecast, with S&P 500 E-minis up 0.42%.
- Aug 28, 2026Equal-weight S&P 500 funds are up 15.95% year-to-date, outperforming cap-weighted funds.
- Aug 31, 2026Technicians cautious ahead of September, historically the worst month for S&P 500.
- Sep 1, 2026S&P 500 fell 0.4% as oil prices climbed and bond sell-off stoked inflation worries.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Some Wall Street strategists have raised year-end targets for the S&P 500 due to strong earnings.
- Technicians
- Market technicians are cautious because September is historically the worst month for the index.