S&P 500 Surpasses Previous High, Signaling Strong US Economy and Resilience of Stock Market

S&P, formally known as Standard & Poor's, is a leading American financial intelligence company operating as a division of **S&P Global Inc.** It specializes in financial market analysis, providing benchmark and investable indices, credit ratings for companies and countries, and comprehensive analytics across various sectors[1][2]. The company is renowned for creating the **S&P 500**, the most tracked stock market index worldwide, which uses advanced technology to deliver accurate and timely market data[3]. The origins of S&P date back to 1860 when Henry Varnum Poor published a detailed analysis of U.S. railroad companies, laying the foundation for financial data publishing. In 1868, the Poor family business began producing annual financial guides. Separately, the Standard Statistics Company was founded in 1906 to cover non-railroad firms, launching its first stock market index in 1923. These two entities merged in 1941 to form Standard & Poor's, expanding their coverage and influence in financial markets[1][3]. S&P Global, the parent company, was formerly known as McGraw Hill Financial until a rebranding in 2016, reflecting its focus on financial intelligence. Headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, S&P Global encompasses divisions including S&P Global Ratings, Market Intelligence, Mobility, Sustainable1, Commodity Insights, and CRISIL. It is also the majority owner of the S&P Dow Jones Indices joint venture[2]. Notable achievements include pioneering electronic computation of the S&P 500 and launching innovative products like Platts’ Channel Port Index for oil price transparency. S&P Global continues to expand through strategic acquisitions, such as the 2020 purchase of IHS Markit for $44 billion and the 2025 deal to acquire With Intelligence for $1.8 billion, enhancing its presence in private market data and analytics[2]. Today, S&P serves over 100,000 customers in 150+ countries, including all Fortun