S&P 500 in 1978
The S&P 500 rose 1.1% in 1978, from 95.10 at the end of 1977 to 96.11. Its highest close was 106.99 on Sep 12, and its lowest 86.90 on Mar 6. The biggest one-day fall was −2.0% on Oct 31 and the biggest rise +4.0% on Nov 1. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 7.3%.
S&P 500, daily closes 1978
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1978
What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, October 31 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −2.0%.
- 2
Wednesday, November 1 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +4.0%.
Biggest days of 1978
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 | +4.0% | Oct 31 | −2.0% |
| Aug 2 | +2.2% | Dec 18 | −2.0% |
| Apr 14 | +2.1% | Oct 16 | −2.0% |
| Jun 5 | +1.8% | Nov 13 | −1.7% |
| Dec 22 | +1.7% | Oct 27 | −1.5% |
Volatility: 12.6% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89.25 | −6.2% |
| Feb | 87.04 | −2.5% |
| Mar | 89.21 | +2.5% |
| Apr | 96.83 | +8.5% |
| May | 97.24 | +0.4% |
| Jun | 95.53 | −1.8% |
| Jul | 100.68 | +5.4% |
| Aug | 103.29 | +2.6% |
| Sep | 102.54 | −0.7% |
| Oct | 93.15 | −9.2% |
| Nov | 94.70 | +1.7% |
| Dec | 96.11 | +1.5% |
Other Markets in 1978
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | +1.1% | 96.11 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1978 | −3.1% | 805.01 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 1978 | +12.3% | 117.98 |
| Gold in 1978 | +37.0% | $226.00 |
| Silver in 1978 | +26.6% | $6.02 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 1978 | +1.37 pp | 9.15% |
S&P 500 in 1978: FAQ
How much did the S&P 500 rise in 1978?
The S&P 500 rose 1.1% in 1978, from 95.10 at the end of 1977 to 96.11. Its highest close was 106.99 on Sep 12, and its lowest 86.90 on Mar 6. The biggest one-day fall was −2.0% on Oct 31 and the biggest rise +4.0% on Nov 1. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 7.3%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 1978?
Highest: 106.99 on September 12, 1978. Lowest: 86.90 on March 6, 1978. It closed higher on 130 of 252 trading days.
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{corgano2026sp500in1978, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 1978}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/1978}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}