what is the standard and poor's 500 index
S&P 500 Index The Standard & Poor'sÂ 500, often abbreviated as the S&P 500, or just "the S&P",[6][7] is an American stock market index based on the market capitalizations of 500 large companies having common stock listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ. The S&P 500 index components and their weightings are determined by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It differs from other U.S. stock market indices, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the Nasdaq Composite index, because of its diverse constituency and weighting methodology. It is one of the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it one of the best representations of the U.S. stock market, and a bellwether for the U.S. economy.[8] The National Bureau of Economic Research has classified common stocks as a leading indicator of business cycles.[9]
Poverty in the United States Estimates of the number of Americans living in poverty are nuanced. One organization estimated that in 2015, 13.5% (43.1 million) of Americans lived in poverty.[6] Yet other scholars underscore the number of Americans living in "near-poverty," putting the number at around 100 million, equating to a third of the U.S. population.[7] Starting in the 1930s, relative poverty rates have consistently exceeded those of other wealthy nations.[8] The lowest poverty rates are found in New Hampshire, Vermont, Minnesota and Nebraska, which have between 8.7% and 9.1% of their population living in poverty.[9]