S&P

S&P refers to Standard & Poor’s, a financial services company known for its stock market indices, credit ratings, and investment research.

The S&P 500 index tracks the performance of 500 large U.S. companies and is weighted by market capitalization, meaning larger companies have more influence on its movements.

S&P also assigns credit ratings to governments and corporations, ranging from AAA (highest) to D (default), which assess their ability to repay debt.

The company originated in 1860 as Henry Varnum Poor’s publishing firm focused on railroad finances, later merging with Standard Statistics in 1941.

The S&P 500 rose 2% today, signaling optimism in the market.