Standard n Poor’s 500 Definition
An index that is made up of 500 stocks of major companies selected by market size, industry, and liquidity. The index is market value weighted, with every stock’s weight in proportion to its market value. The indexes performance is generally thought to be representative of the U.S. stock market as a whole.
The S&P 500 industry breakdown:
400 industrial firms,
40 financial firms,
20 transportation firms,
40 utilities