Annual returns on the S&P 500

[Orchidflower]

Been looking at various websites and find that no two websites are the same insofar as the percentages of the annual returns on the S&P 500. For instance, one site will say that in 2007 the annual return was 3.65% and another site will say the annual return is 5.46% for 2007. Anyone have an explanation for this?
Does anyone have accurate information as to the annual returns on the S&P 500 for the past 5 years?

 

[Notmuchlonger]

One might be counting dividends the other not? Thats my guess.

 

[Orchidflower]

The numbers vary a percentage point or two in most cases. I even called Fidelity and my investment professor and got 2 new sets of numbers. Huh? The S&P was X on January 1st and was X on December 31st, which should give you the SAME percentage loss or gain at the end of the year overall. But it doesn't according to everyone I checked. Go take a look and you'll see how all the numbers don't match anywhere. I used Google for the sites.

 

[Independent]

If you just want prices, why not go to the source? S&P | Indices > Equity Indices - S&P 500 - Index Table

They have 12/31/06 as 1,418.30 and 12/31/2007 as 1,478.49
This produces a gain of 4.24%

 

[FANOFJESUS]

More than five years here


2008 -36.55
2007 5.38
2006 15.49
2005 4.73
2004 10.67
2003 28.25
2002 -21.98
2001 -11.84
2000 -9.01
1999 20.86
1998 28.31
1997 33.06
1996 22.60
1995 37.05
1994 1.19
1993 9.94
1992 7.44
1991 29.98
1990 -3.27
1989 30.99
1988 16.14
1987 5.56
1986 18.47
1985 31.00
1984 5.81
1983 22.22
1982 20.31
1981 -5.00
1980 31.29
1979 17.90
1978 6.23
1977 -7.43
1976 23.37
1975 36.75
1974 -26.02
1973 -14.63
1972 18.67
1971 14.15
1970 3.54
1969 -8.35
1968 10.77
1967 23.71
1966 -10.03
1965 12.15
1964 16.16
1963 22.37
1962 -8.92
1961 27.69
1960 -0.67
1959 11.30
1958 41.80
1957 -8.92
1956 6.22
1955 27.21
1954 53.21
1953 -0.63
1952 17.53
1951 21.85
1950 32.26
1949 15.15
1948 9.42
1947 2.54
1946 -11.79
1945 38.42
1944 19.16
1943 23.35
1942 20.27
1941 -8.80
1940 -8.94
1939 2.79
1938 16.68
1937 -31.25
1936 32.01
1935 53.44
1934 -7.91
1933 55.29
1932 -6.79
1931 -42.47
1930 -21.90
1929 -8.99
1928 46.45
1927 36.29
1926 11.07
1925 25.02
1924 25.95
1923 5.07
1922 28.60
1921 9.47
1920 -13.59
1919 19.47
1918 17.55
1917 -18.07
1916 7.94
1915 30.43
1914 -5.26
1913 -4.84
1912 7.19
1911 3.45
1910 -3.50
1909 15.91
1908 38.37
1907 -23.94
1906 0.59
1905 20.90
1904 31.11
1903 -17.00
1902 8.20
1901 19.26
1900 20.16
1899 3.71
1898 28.52
1897 19.91
1896 3.16
1895 5.18
1894 3.67
1893 -18.61
1892 6.02
1891 18.39
1890 -5.95
1889 6.97
1888 3.20
1887 -0.58
1886 11.73
1885 29.07
1884 -11.97
1883 -5.24
1882 3.55
1881 0.40
1880 25.73
1879 48.09
1878 15.85
1877 -1.67
1876 -13.68
1875 5.18
1874 4.51
1873 -2.59
1872 10.94
1871 15.32

 

[Orchidflower]

Rec7: What is the source of these numbers, please?

 

[FANOFJESUS]

I found it here CAGR of the Stock Market: Annualized Returns of the S&P 500

You can use any dates you like, it is very neat. I wish I saw it 25 years ago.

 

[FANOFJESUS]

But you can't see the future only the past.

 

[Orchidflower]

By chance, did you look at any of the other numbers on any other sites? It baffles me how everyone has different numbers.
The suggestion to go to the source at Standard & Poors was an excellent one, but I had trouble finding the numbers on their site. So, I have written them a note, and we'll see if they respond, asking them to direct me to the annual returns section. Maybe it's my lack of a finance background, but I had a problem finding the numbers on their site.

 

[Kabekew]

This Yale economists publishes regular data on S&P, housing, bond prices, inflation, etc that you can download ( Online Data - Robert Shiller ).

I'd think someone like that would be careful about his source data!