Stock Market Shift: Value Stocks Make Comeback

The **S&P 500** (Standard & Poor’s 500) is a major stock market index that tracks the stock performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States, representing about 80% of the total U.S. equity market capitalization[1][2]. Established initially as a 233-company index in 1923 by the Standard Statistics Company and expanded to 500 companies in 1957, it has become the premier benchmark for U.S. large-cap stocks and a key indicator of the overall health of the U.S. economy[4]. The index is capitalization-weighted, meaning companies with larger market values have greater influence on its performance. For example, as of late 2025, the ten largest companies—such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon—constitute roughly 38% of the index's market cap[1]. The S&P 500 covers all 11 sectors of the economy, providing broad diversification and a comprehensive snapshot of market trends[2][5]. In addition to serving as a market barometer, the S&P 500 is integral to economic forecasting, contributing to composite indicators like the Conference Board Leading Economic Index[1]. Its components are selected by a committee based on criteria such as market capitalization, liquidity, and sector representation[6]. Being included in the S&P 500 is prestigious and financially impactful for companies, as index funds tracking the S&P 500 must buy shares of newly added firms, often boosting their stock prices[2]. Today, the S&P 500 is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices, a division of S&P Global, and is widely used to benchmark investment portfolios, guide passive investing strategies, and evaluate firm performance[7][8]. Investors typically access the index through mutual funds or ETFs, gaining instant exposure to a broad swath of the U.S. market. Its role as a market proxy and investment vehicle makes it a cornerstone of bot

iShares, a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), is the ETF arm of BlackRock—the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than $11 trillion in assets[1]. Specializing in passive investment products, iShares offers a comprehensive suite of over 1,500 ETFs worldwide, covering equities, fixed income, thematic investing, and digital assets, making it a one-stop shop for both retail and institutional investors seeking diversified, low-cost exposure to global markets[4][5]. Founded in 1996 as World Equity Benchmark Shares (WEBS), iShares rebranded four years later and quickly became synonymous with innovation in the ETF space[5]. Its early adoption and scaling of index-based ETFs democratized access to global markets and set industry standards for transparency, liquidity, and cost efficiency. Today, iShares is not only a pioneer in traditional index ETFs but also a leader in active ETFs, thematic strategies, and digital asset products—each of these categories now boasts more than $100 billion in assets under management[3]. A key milestone in 2025 is iShares surpassing $5 trillion in assets under management, driven by record net inflows of $153 billion in Q3 alone—a testament to its dominant position in the global ETF industry[3]. The platform’s $1.2 trillion bond ETF offering is the world’s largest, and 36 iShares products each attracted over $1 billion in inflows last quarter, highlighting its broad appeal and operational scale[3]. Notably, iShares is expanding beyond traditional indexing, with growing adoption of model portfolios, active strategies, and alternative investments, reflecting evolving investor needs and technological trends[3]. iShares is also at the forefront of thematic investing, launching products targeting artificial intelligence, technology, and geopolitical trends—areas expected to shape the global economy in the coming years[7]. The firm provides robust tools, insights, and educational resources to help investors build smarter, more resilien