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How to invest in the S&P 500

The simple guide to buying the world's most famous stock market index.

There are two main ways to invest in the S&P 500 index. You could buy some or all 500 individual stocks or invest in an S&P 500 index fund that tracks the performance of the entire index.

Either way, it's now pretty simple to do so from Australia through an online share trading platform.

5 steps to investing in the S&P 500 from Australia

  1. Choose a broker that offers either US stocks or S&P 500 exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
  2. Provide ID and fund your account.
  3. Research the different ETFs and stocks available and compare prices.
  4. Select the S&P 500 index fund or stock you want to buy.
  5. Search for the ETF or stock and submit your buy order.

What is the S&P 500 index?

The S&P 500 or the Standards & Poor's 500 is an index that measures 500 of the largest corporations by market capitalisation listed on either the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Composite.

The idea behind the index is to give investors a quick look at how the overall market is going, although some take it as an indication of the economy at large.

But there are a few criteria you need to tick off to make the list.

To be eligible to enter the S&P 500, a company should be a US company, have a market capitalisation of at least US$15 billion, be highly liquid, have a public float of at least 10% of its shares outstanding and its most recent quarter's earnings and the sum of its trailing 4 consecutive quarters' earnings must be positive.

The S&P 500 is a float-adjusted market-cap index and is calculated by the market cap of all S&P 500 stocks divided by an index divisor, which is a proprietary figure that Standard & Poor's owns.

David Bassanese's headshot
Expert insight

"The S&P 500 provides exposure to the top companies in the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. Compared to the Australian market, which is top heavy in banks and miners, the S&P 500 also offers diversification for Australian investors by providing relatively higher exposure to the high growth technology sector."

David Bassanese
Chief Economist, Betashares

Finder survey: Are Australians worried about a stock market crash in the next 12 months?

Response
A little51.29%
Not at all37.85%
Yes very concerned10.86%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1004 Australians, December 2023

Investing in the S&P 500 through stocks

The S&P 500 index is composed of 503 stocks issued by 500 different companies. This is because companies like Alphabet have issued multiple classes of shares.

But just because there are around 500 options, it doesn't mean you need to buy them all.

Instead, you can purchase individual shares or a group of them that you think will have a stronger return than the S&P 500 will have as an index. When you are working this out you should incorporate dividends as well as share price appreciation.

While doing this is more risky and will take more time in researching compared with buying ETFs, it does have the added advantage of giving you larger returns than ETFs if you can pick the stocks that outperform the market as a whole.

If you're looking to buy individual stocks on the S&P 500 you can do so by following these steps:

  1. Find a broker that allows you to invest in the S&P 500. Not every broker has access to every market. Instead you'll need to find one that lets you invest in US stocks. When choosing a broker keep in mind where you want to trade, the fees with trading and any additional fees the broker says it will charge.
  2. Do your research. If you're going to buy an individual share or basket of shares (usually more desirable), you should understand the ins and outs of the business you own. After all, you wouldn't just give your money away, so you shouldn't just invest in any old share. Instead learn the business's current balance sheet, future opportunities and fair price to pay for the shares.
  3. Deposit funds. You'll need to add funds into your account before you can buy any shares.
  4. Buy the stock. Once your money has been deposited, you can then buy stocks in the S&P 500 by searching the platform for the stock name or ticker code. You'll generally pay a trading fee and a foreign exchange fee when you trade US stocks.
  5. Review. Once you've purchased the stocks, it's important to keep an eye on the business's performance. While this doesn't necessarily mean the company's share price (although it can be an indication), you will need to actively monitor how the business is performing compared with your expectations.

Compare S&P 500 trading platforms

Name Product AUFST Standard brokerage for US shares Currency conversion fee Asset class
eToro
Exclusive
eToro
US$2
150 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account. T&Cs apply.
Trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account and get access to social trading.
Tiger Brokers
Finder AwardExclusive
Tiger Brokers
US$1.99
55 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get 10 no-brokerage US or ASX trades in the first 180 days, plus US$30 NVDA shares (+US$30 TSLA shares ) when you deposit AU$2000 or more. Get 7% p.a. on uninvested cash for 30 days. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and US options.
CMC Invest
Finder Award
CMC Invest
US$0
0.60%
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
$0 brokerage on US, UK, Canadian and Japanese markets (FX spreads apply).
Trade over 45,000 shares and ETFs from Australia and 15 major global markets. Plus, buy Aussie shares or ETFs for $0 brokerage up to $1,000 (First buy order of each security, each day - excludes margin loan settled trades).
Moomoo Share Trading
US$0.99
55 pips or 0.0055 AUD/USD
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Unlock up to AUD$4,000 AND US$4,000 in $0 brokerage over 60 days. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and get access to social trading
Superhero share trading
US$2
65 bps
ASX shares, US shares, ETFs
Sign up with code ‘finder24’ and get US$10 of Nvidia stock when you fund your account with $100 or more within 30 days. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy US$2 brokerage (other fees may apply) on US stocks and buying ETFs as well as $2 fee to trade Australian shares up to $20,000.
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Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

Disclaimer: General information only. All forms of investments (and in particular, trading CFDs, commodities and forex) carry significant risk, including the risk of losing more than the invested amounts, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Such activities are not suitable for most investors.
Name Product AUFSA-CFD Minimum Opening Deposit Minimum Opening Deposit Commission - ASX 200 Shares Available CFD markets Platforms
Pepperstone CFD
Finder Award
Pepperstone CFD
$0
$0
$5 or 0.07%
Australian Stocks, Commodity CFDs, Cryptocurrency CFDs, ETFs, Forex, Global Stocks, Indices (CFDs only)
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
cTrader
TradingView
Pepperstone Trading Platform
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Get access to more than 90 forex and CFD markets when you sign up with this award-winning Australian broker. Plus, access the new advanced TradingView charts platform.
Vantage CFD
$50
$50
No commission
Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, ETFs, Forex, Global Stocks, Indices (CFDs only)
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
TradingView
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Vantage has some of the lowest CFD trading fees in Australia including $0 commissions on all Gold trades. Plus you can find global trends and place trades through the new TradingView charts platform.
Plus500 CFD
$100
$100
No commission
Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, ETFs, Forex, Global Stocks, Indices, Options (CFDs only)
Plus500 Trading Platform
Disclaimer: CFD service. Your capital is at risk.
Trade CFDs on Australian and International shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, commodities and more.
IC Markets CFD (True ECN Account)
US$200
US$200
0.1% per side
Australian Stocks, Global Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Forex, Cryptocurrencies (CFDs only)
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
cTrader
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Trade 230+ different products with fast execution under 40 milliseconds on average.
ACY Securities CFD
$50
$50
No commission
Australian Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, ETFs, Forex, Global Stocks, Indices, Metals (CFDs only)
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk. Trade over 2,000 products across CFDs, forex, indices, metals, shares, commodities and cryptocurrency, starting from as low as $50 a trade.
CMC Markets
Finder Award
CMC Markets
$0
$0
0.10% with a $7 minimum
Australian Stocks, Bonds, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Forex, Global Stocks, Indices (CFDs only)
CMC Next Generation, MetaTrader 4
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Share CFD and forex ideas with other traders and take your strategy to the next level with over 115 technical indicators and charts on CMC’s mobile-friendly Next Generation platform.
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Trading CFDs and forex on leverage is high-risk and you could lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for every investor. Refer to the provider’s PDS and consider the risks before trading.

Which companies make up the S&P 500?

The S&P 500 is made up of around 500 listed stocks across 500 of the largest US companies by market capitalisation, which means it contains some of the most recognisable and popular stocks in the world.

It's also weighted by market capitalisation, meaning bigger companies make up a larger part of the index. The S&P 500 is rebalanced each quarter in March, June, September and December. As of 8 November 2024, the top 10 largest companies in the S&P 500 were as follows:

  1. Apple (AAPL)
  2. Nvidia (NVDA)
  3. Microsoft (MSFT)
  4. Amazon (AMZN)
  5. Meta Platforms (META)
  6. Alphabet (GOOGL) Class A
  7. Alphabet (GOOG) Class C
  8. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) Class B
  9. Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)
  10. Tesla, Inc (TSLA)

How does the S&P 500 perform?

The S&P 500 has averaged an annual return of 10.73% over the last 30 years1, making it one of the best performing indices in the world. Accounting for inflation, this means an annual average return of 7.78% (including dividends). In 2024, the S&P 500 has returned 25.94% as of 8 November 2024.

Investing in the S&P 500 through ETFs

Instead of investing in individual shares of the 500 companies on the S&P 500, you can invest in the entire group of stocks through an index fund.

This is the easiest way to invest in the S&P 500. While you won't "outperform the market" you will get the market average, which is actually a strong return. And you'll achieve this with a lot less effort than researching individual shares.

As an example, say you invested $10,000, some 30 years ago and just left it through the dot-com crash, GFC and COVID downturn, it would be worth over $200,000 in 2024. Not bad for doing very little work.

An ETF is a low-cost investment fund that can be traded on a stock exchange such as the S&P 500. These funds are created by ETF issuers and fund managers and are made up of a basket of securities such as shares, cash and bonds.

  1. Find an S&P 500 index fund. Some index funds track the performance of all 500 S&P stocks, whereas others only track a certain number of stocks or are weighted more towards specific stocks. Some are actively managed while others do little more than track the index. Do your research before deciding which is best for you.
  2. Open a share trading account. In order to invest in an S&P 500 ETF, you'll need to open a trading account with a broker or a online share trading platform.
  3. Deposit funds. You'll need to deposit funds into your account to begin trading.
  4. Buy the index fund. Once your money has been deposited, you can then buy units in the S&P 500 index fund, the same as you would buy stocks. You'll generally pay a small annual fee (called the MER fee) to the ETF fund manager, which is taken out of your returns.

What S&P 500 index funds are available in Australia?

Here's a list of some S&P 500 ETFs you can trade in Australia:

  • iShares S&P 500 AUD Hedged ETF: (IHVV)
  • iShares S&P 500 ETF:L (IVV)
  • BetaShares S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (QUS)
  • SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust: (SPY)
  • BetaShares S&P 500 Yield Maximiser Fund (Managed Fund): (UMAX)
  • ETFS S&P 500 High Yield Low Volatility ETF: (ZYUS)

To view our best US S&P 500 ETFs click here.

S&P 500 Market Update: November 2024

  • November 2024: The S&P 500 hit yet another all-time high following the US election, hitting 5,900 points for the first time.
  • October 2024: The S&P 500 edged above 5,800 points for the first time ever in mid October ahead of the US election.
  • September 2024: The S&P 500 recovered from its early August crash to bounce back to near all-time highs by the end of the month.

How to "trade" the S&P 500

When you hear of someone "trading the S&P 500", they're most likely referring to futures trading - typically executed via Contracts for difference (CFDs) in Australia.

This is a very different approach to "investing" in the S&P 500, which is typically associated with long-term investing into lower risk index funds.

Futures products, such as CFDs, on the other hand, are a derivatives product where you can speculate on index price movements. With CFDs, you never actually own the underlying asset. This is very different to index fund "investing" as it's much riskier and you're typically using leverage to amplify profits and losses.

Important: Futures and CFD trading is much riskier than regular share or index fund investing and should only be attempted by experienced traders.

Should you choose an index fund or buy individual shares?

Unfortunately, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, it greatly depends on your goals, risk tolerance, strategy and individual circumstances.

The argument for index investing is the returns are quite strong. If you take the S&P 500's return since it was introduced in 1957, you'd get an annualised return of 10.7%. In other words you'd double your money in less than 7 years. And it takes very little work to do so.

The argument for buying individual stocks is that you can potentially "beat the market" and increase your return. If you can do this over a number of years, you'll obviously beat the average and increase your returns. By that same token, you're also at a greater risk of facing losses if you pick the wrong stocks.

The good news is you don't really need to choose either. A lot of investors simply mix index funds (such as ETFs) and individual shares.

Frequently asked questions

Important information: Powered by Finder.com.au. This information is general in nature and is no substitute for professional advice. It does not take into account your personal situation. This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for most investors. You do not own or have any interest in the underlying asset. Capital is at risk, including the risk of losing more than the amount originally put in, market volatility and liquidity risks. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Tax on profits may apply. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determination for the product on the provider's website. Consider your own circumstances, including whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and possess the relevant experience and knowledge. We recommend that you obtain independent advice from a suitably licensed financial advisor before making any trades.
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Written by

Investments analyst

Kylie Purcell is the senior investments editor and analyst at Finder. She has completed a Certificate of Securities and Managed Investments (RG146) and specialises in investment products including online brokers, robo-advisors, stocks and ETFs. See full bio

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Cameron Micallef was an investment and utilities writer for Finder. He previously worked on titles including Smart Property Investment, nestegg and Investor Daily, reporting across superannuation, property and investments. Cameron has a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies/ Commerce from the University of Wollongong. Outside of work Cameron is passionate about all things sports and travel. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    SabbyJanuary 30, 2024

    Hi there, I’m new into the investing market and interested to invest in the SP500. There are so many brokers out there but how do i know which is the best broker option?

      AvatarFinder
      ShubhamFebruary 8, 2024Finder

      Hi Sabby,

      It’s great that you’re exploring investment options in the S&P 500. Choosing the right broker is crucial, and there are indeed many options out there. To help you make an informed decision, you can check out Finder’s comprehensive guides on investing in the S&P 500 and the best online share trading platforms.

      Hope it helps,
      Cheers

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