Where can I find S&P 500 Index returns?

[Telly]

I found historical S&P 500 Index total returns (with dividend reinvestment) on Standard & Poors website:
http://www2.standardandpoors.com/spf...ex/MONTHLY.xls

That is a big table that includes year over year, on a month by month basis, so I could use December of each year as annual. But the table only goes back through 1990. I still need the annual values for 1974 through 1989.

Any ideas where?

As a check that they are the total returns, the 2005 with dividends reinvested is 4.91%. Without reinvestment of dividends it is only 3%.

[JustCurious]

Originally Posted by Telly

I found historical S&P 500 Index total returns (with dividend reinvestment) on Standard & Poors website:
http://www2.standardandpoors.com/spf...ex/MONTHLY.xls

That is a big table that includes year over year, on a month by month basis, so I could use December of each year as annual. But the table only goes back through 1990. I still need the annual values for 1974 through 1989.

Any ideas where?

As a check that they are the total returns, the 2005 with dividends reinvested is 4.91%. Without reinvestment of dividends it is only 3%.

Be careful that you don't make the mistake of using the index values to compute total return. For example, some people make the mistake of just taking the index value on one date and compare it to another date to figure out the total return during that period, and that will not work because the index values do not include dividend payouts which must be taken into account.

One suggestion is to look at the historical returns of VFINX, Vanguard's SP500 index fund.

[wabmester]

Shiller data goes back to 1871, and the data comes from S&P starting in 1926.

[ats5g]

check out:

1. S&P monthly returns from Barra

2. S&P yearly returns from Gummy

- Alec

[Telly]

Thanks for the links.

Gummy's was quick.... and lower down that Gummy page, I saw a link to his CPI data, which got me off onto another thought.

Found official CPI data for 1913 - to present on the BLS website:
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt

Second column from the left is December to December change.

This has lead me off into line graphing Bond Fund returns and Inflation over the years, using line charts in Excel. I'm not going all the way back to 1913, though!

[wabmester]

Originally Posted by Telly

This has lead me off into line graphing Bond Fund returns and Inflation over the years, using line charts in Excel. I'm not going all the way back to 1913, though!

Or just borrow somebody else's charts.

[modlair]

Just a quick comment. The S&P is not sacred. It includes an essentially arbitrary change of component companies every few years.

Also, the fundamental indexation debate of a few months ago is still in play. The structure of this index might not be optimal for REs.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by rodmail

Just a quick comment. The S&P is not sacred. It includes an essentially arbitrary change of component companies every few years.
Also, the fundamental indexation debate of a few months ago is still in play. The structure of this index might not be optimal for REs.

So your suggestion for a better index is... ?

[saluki9]

MSCI Broad market

MSCI 750 Prime

Russell 1000

Dow Jones Wilshire large cap (750 largest by market cap)

[Nords]

Originally Posted by saluki9

MSCI Broad market
MSCI 750 Prime
Russell 1000
Dow Jones Wilshire large cap (750 largest by market cap)

I know you know that stuff, Saluki, and I'd be more worried if you didn't!

I'm referring to Rodmail's hit&run hand-grenade criticism...

[saluki9]

Originally Posted by Nords

I know you know that stuff, Saluki, and I'd be more worried if you didn't!

Yeah, but I still don't think I'm even going to get a ride in nuclear sub.