S&P 500 in 1962

The S&P 500 fell 11.8% in 1962, from 71.55 at the end of 1961 to 63.10. Its highest close was 71.13 on Jan 3, and its lowest 52.32 on Jun 26. The biggest one-day fall was −6.7% on May 28 and the biggest rise +4.6% on May 29. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 13.0%.

Change in 1962

−11.8%

71.55 → 63.10

High

71.13

Jan 3

Low

52.32

Jun 26

After inflation

−13.0%

US CPI

Up days

118 of 252

longest run 8 up, 9 down

Below record

-13.1%

at the end of 1962

S&P 500, daily closes 1962

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1962

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

1
Monday, May 28

Dow falls 34.95 points (5.7%) in the 'Kennedy Slide' flash crash. Source

S&P 500: −6.7% that day · −12.0% a month later
2
Monday, May 28 From the data

Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 72.64 (December 12, 1961).
3
Tuesday, May 29 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +4.6%.
4
Tuesday, June 26 From the data

Bear market low: 52.32, 28.0% below the peak.
5
Monday, October 22

Kennedy announces a naval quarantine of Cuba in a televised address, escalating the Cuban Missile Crisis. Source

S&P 500: −1.1% that day · +8.7% a month later

Biggest days of 1962

Best days		Worst days
May 29	+4.6%	May 28	−6.7%
Jun 28	+3.4%	Jun 4	−3.6%
Oct 24	+3.2%	Oct 23	−2.7%
Jun 15	+2.9%	Jun 12	−2.6%
May 31	+2.7%	Jun 21	−2.2%

Volatility: 16.5% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	68.84	−3.8%	71.13	67.90
Feb	69.96	+1.6%	70.74	69.26
Mar	69.55	−0.6%	71.06	69.55
Apr	65.24	−6.2%	69.37	65.24
May	59.63	−8.6%	66.53	55.50
Jun	54.75	−8.2%	59.38	52.32
Jul	58.23	+6.4%	58.23	55.86
Aug	59.12	+1.5%	59.78	57.36
Sep	56.27	−4.8%	59.08	55.77
Oct	56.52	+0.4%	57.27	53.49
Nov	62.26	+10.2%	62.41	57.12
Dec	63.10	+1.3%	63.10	61.94

Other Markets in 1962

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
S&P 500	−11.8%	63.10
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1962	−10.8%	652.10

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

S&P 500 in 1962: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 fall in 1962?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1962?

Highest: 71.13 on January 3, 1962. Lowest: 52.32 on June 26, 1962. It closed higher on 118 of 252 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on May 28, 1962?

Dow falls 34.95 points (5.7%) in the 'Kennedy Slide' flash crash. The S&P 500 fell 6.7% that day, and was −12.0% 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.

Cite this page

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APA 7

Corgano. (2026, October 31). S&P 500 in 1962. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1962

MLA 9

“S&P 500 in 1962.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1962. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Corgano. “S&P 500 in 1962.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed October 31, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1962.

BibTeX

@misc{corgano2026sp500in1962, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1962}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1962}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}

Link

S&P 500 in 1962 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1962