S&P 500 in 1952

The S&P 500 rose 11.8% in 1952, from 23.77 at the end of 1951 to 26.57. Its highest close was 26.59 on Dec 30, and its lowest 23.09 on Feb 20. The biggest one-day fall was −1.7% on Oct 15 and the biggest rise +1.7% on May 2. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 10.9%.

Change in 1952

+11.8%

23.77 → 26.57

High

26.59

Dec 30

Low

23.09

Feb 20

After inflation

+10.9%

US CPI

Up days

134 of 250

longest run 6 up, 7 down

Below record

-16.6%

at the end of 1952

S&P 500, daily closes 1952

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1952

What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.

1
Tuesday, April 8

President Truman announces federal seizure of US steel mills. Source

S&P 500: +0.5% that day · 0.0% a month later
2
Friday, May 2 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +1.7%.
3
Monday, June 2

Supreme Court rules Truman's steel mill seizure unconstitutional in Youngstown v. Sawyer. Source

S&P 500: −0.3% that day · +4.6% a month later
4
Wednesday, October 15 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −1.7%.
5
Tuesday, November 4

Dwight D. Eisenhower wins the US presidential election. Source

S&P 500: +0.3% next trading day (Nov 5) · +4.1% a month later
6
Tuesday, December 9 From the data

Back above its pre-bear-market peak of 25.92 (April 10, 1930).

Biggest days of 1952

Best days		Worst days
May 2	+1.7%	Oct 15	−1.7%
Mar 4	+1.7%	Feb 19	−1.6%
Oct 31	+1.5%	Jan 30	−1.4%
Nov 18	+1.5%	Apr 15	−1.3%
Oct 17	+1.2%	Feb 20	−1.2%

Volatility: 7.9% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	24.14	+1.6%	24.66	23.74
Feb	23.26	−3.6%	24.30	23.09
Mar	24.37	+4.8%	24.37	23.29
Apr	23.32	−4.3%	24.18	23.32
May	23.86	+2.3%	23.94	23.17
Jun	24.96	+4.6%	24.96	23.78
Jul	25.40	+1.8%	25.40	24.81
Aug	25.03	−1.5%	25.55	24.83
Sep	24.54	−2.0%	25.25	24.45
Oct	24.52	−0.1%	24.58	23.80
Nov	25.66	+4.6%	25.66	24.60
Dec	26.57	+3.5%	26.59	25.61

Other Markets in 1952

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
S&P 500	+11.8%	26.57
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1952	+8.4%	291.90

1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959

S&P 500 in 1952: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 rise in 1952?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1952?

Highest: 26.59 on December 30, 1952. Lowest: 23.09 on February 20, 1952. It closed higher on 134 of 250 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on April 8, 1952?

President Truman announces federal seizure of US steel mills. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% that day, and was 0.0% 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.

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APA 7

Corgano. (2026, October 31). S&P 500 in 1952. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1952

MLA 9

“S&P 500 in 1952.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1952. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Corgano. “S&P 500 in 1952.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed October 31, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1952.

BibTeX

@misc{corgano2026sp500in1952, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1952}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1952}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}

Link

S&P 500 in 1952 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1952