S&P 500 in 1970

The S&P 500 rose 0.1% in 1970, from 92.06 at the end of 1969 to 92.15. Its highest close was 93.46 on Jan 5, and its lowest 69.29 on May 26. The biggest one-day fall was −2.8% on May 25 and the biggest rise +5.0% on May 27. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 5.2%.

Change in 1970

+0.1%

92.06 → 92.15

High

93.46

Jan 5

Low

69.29

May 26

After inflation

−5.2%

US CPI

Up days

127 of 254

longest run 12 up, 6 down

Below record

-15.0%

at the end of 1970

S&P 500, daily closes 1970

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 1970

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

1
Thursday, January 29 From the data

Enters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 108.37 (November 29, 1968).
2
Monday, May 25 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −2.8%.
3
Tuesday, May 26

Dow hits its bear-market bottom near 631. Source

S&P 500: −1.4% that day · +6.4% a month later
4
Tuesday, May 26 From the data

Bear market low: 69.29, 36.1% below the peak.
5
Wednesday, May 27 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +5.0%.
6
Sunday, June 21

Penn Central Transportation Company files for bankruptcy protection. Source

S&P 500: −0.5% next trading day (Jun 22) · −0.1% a month later
7
Wednesday, December 30

Nixon signs the Securities Investor Protection Act, creating SIPC. Source

S&P 500: +0.2% that day · +3.4% a month later

Biggest days of 1970

Best days		Worst days
May 27	+5.0%	May 25	−2.8%
May 29	+2.6%	May 20	−2.6%
May 28	+2.5%	May 4	−2.5%
Jul 8	+2.5%	Jun 23	−2.5%
Aug 24	+2.2%	May 19	−1.9%

Volatility: 15.2% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	85.02	−7.6%	93.46	85.02
Feb	89.50	+5.3%	89.50	85.75
Mar	89.63	+0.1%	90.23	86.91
Apr	81.52	−9.0%	90.07	80.27
May	76.55	−6.1%	81.44	69.29
Jun	72.72	−5.0%	78.52	72.72
Jul	78.05	+7.3%	78.07	71.23
Aug	81.52	+4.4%	81.86	74.76
Sep	84.30	+3.4%	84.30	80.95
Oct	83.25	−1.2%	86.89	83.12
Nov	87.20	+4.7%	87.20	82.79
Dec	92.15	+5.7%	92.27	87.47

Other Markets in 1970

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
S&P 500	+0.1%	92.15
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1970	+4.8%	838.92
Gold in 1970	+6.2%	$37.38
Silver in 1970	−8.8%	$1.63
US 10-year Treasury yield in 1970	−1.38 pp	6.50%

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979

S&P 500 in 1970: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 rise in 1970?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1970?

Highest: 93.46 on January 5, 1970. Lowest: 69.29 on May 26, 1970. It closed higher on 127 of 254 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on May 26, 1970?

Dow hits its bear-market bottom near 631. The S&P 500 fell 1.4% that day, and was +6.4% 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, November 1). S&P 500 in 1970. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1970

MLA 9

“S&P 500 in 1970.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1970. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Chicago

Corgano. “S&P 500 in 1970.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed November 1, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1970.

BibTeX

@misc{corgano2026sp500in1970, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1970}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1970}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}

Link

S&P 500 in 1970 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1970