S&P 500 in 1951
The S&P 500 rose 16.3% in 1951, from 20.43 at the end of 1950 to 23.77. Its highest close was 23.85 on Oct 15, and its lowest 20.69 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −2.4% on Oct 22 and the biggest rise +1.9% on Jul 5. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 9.8%.
S&P 500, daily closes 1951
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1951
What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Friday, January 26US imposes a General Ceiling Price Regulation and freezes wages. SourceS&P 500: +1.1% that day · +3.5% a month later
- 2
Sunday, March 4Treasury and Federal Reserve announce the Accord, ending the Fed's bond-price support. SourceS&P 500: −0.6% next trading day (Mar 5) · −3.1% a month later
- 3
Thursday, July 5 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +1.9%.
- 4
Monday, October 22 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −2.4%.
Biggest days of 1951
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5 | +1.9% | Oct 22 | −2.4% |
| Jan 29 | +1.9% | May 15 | −1.9% |
| Jan 2 | +1.7% | May 18 | −1.8% |
| Mar 16 | +1.6% | Oct 19 | −1.5% |
| Jan 11 | +1.6% | Nov 7 | −1.4% |
Volatility: 10.8% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21.66 | +6.0% |
| Feb | 21.80 | +0.6% |
| Mar | 21.48 | −1.5% |
| Apr | 22.43 | +4.4% |
| May | 21.52 | −4.1% |
| Jun | 20.96 | −2.6% |
| Jul | 22.40 | +6.9% |
| Aug | 23.28 | +3.9% |
| Sep | 23.26 | −0.1% |
| Oct | 22.94 | −1.4% |
| Nov | 22.88 | −0.3% |
| Dec | 23.77 | +3.9% |
Other Markets in 1951
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | +16.3% | 23.77 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1951 | +14.4% | 269.23 |
S&P 500 in 1951: FAQ
How much did the S&P 500 rise in 1951?
The S&P 500 rose 16.3% in 1951, from 20.43 at the end of 1950 to 23.77. Its highest close was 23.85 on Oct 15, and its lowest 20.69 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −2.4% on Oct 22 and the biggest rise +1.9% on Jul 5. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 9.8%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1951?
Highest: 23.85 on October 15, 1951. Lowest: 20.69 on January 3, 1951. It closed higher on 130 of 249 trading days.
What happened to the S&P 500 on January 26, 1951?
US imposes a General Ceiling Price Regulation and freezes wages. The S&P 500 rose 1.1% that day, and was +3.5% a month later.
Data: Daily closes since 1950 (price index, excluding dividends). Price index: dividends are not included. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026sp500in1951, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1951}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1951}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}