S&P 500 in 2003

The S&P 500 rose 26.4% in 2003, from 879.82 at the end of 2002 to 1,111.92. Its highest close was 1,111.92 on Dec 31, and its lowest 800.73 on Mar 11. The biggest one-day fall was −3.5% on Mar 24 and the biggest rise +3.5% on Mar 17. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 24.0%.

Change in 2003

+26.4%

879.82 → 1,111.92

High

1,111.92

Dec 31

Low

800.73

Mar 11

After inflation

+24.0%

US CPI

Up days

137 of 252

longest run 8 up, 5 down

Below record

-27.2%

at the end of 2003

S&P 500, daily closes 2003

Numbers mark the events below

Key Events in 2003

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

1
Monday, March 17 From the data

Biggest one-day rise of the year: +3.5%.
2
Thursday, March 20

US-led coalition invades Iraq. Source

S&P 500: +0.2% that day · +2.2% a month later
3
Monday, March 24 From the data

Biggest one-day fall of the year: −3.5%.
4
Wednesday, May 28

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act is signed, cutting taxes on dividends and capital gains to 15%. Source

S&P 500: +0.2% that day · +2.5% a month later

Biggest days of 2003

Best days		Worst days
Mar 17	+3.5%	Mar 24	−3.5%
Mar 13	+3.4%	Jan 24	−2.9%
Jan 2	+3.3%	Mar 10	−2.6%
Apr 2	+2.6%	May 19	−2.5%
Mar 21	+2.3%	Jan 30	−2.3%

Volatility: 17.1% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

Month	Close	Change	High	Low
Jan	855.70	−2.7%	931.66	844.61
Feb	841.15	−1.7%	860.32	817.37
Mar	848.18	+0.8%	895.79	800.73
Apr	916.92	+8.1%	919.02	858.48
May	963.59	+5.1%	963.59	916.30
Jun	974.50	+1.1%	1,011.66	967.00
Jul	990.31	+1.6%	1,007.84	978.80
Aug	1,008.01	+1.8%	1,008.01	965.46
Sep	995.97	−1.2%	1,039.58	995.97
Oct	1,050.71	+5.5%	1,050.71	1,018.22
Nov	1,058.20	+0.7%	1,059.02	1,033.65
Dec	1,111.92	+5.1%	1,111.92	1,059.05

Other Markets in 2003

Change over the calendar year.

Market	Change	Year-end
S&P 500	+26.4%	1,111.92
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2003	+25.3%	10,453.92
Nasdaq Composite in 2003	+50.0%	2,003.37
Russell 2000 in 2003	+45.4%	556.91
Nikkei 225 in 2003	+24.5%	10,676.64
Gold in 2003	+19.9%	$416.25
Silver in 2003	+27.8%	$5.97
WTI crude oil in 2003	+4.2%	$32.51
Brent crude oil in 2003	+0.6%	$30.30
US 10-year Treasury yield in 2003	+0.44 pp	4.27%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

S&P 500 in 2003: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 rise in 2003?

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 2003?

Highest: 1,111.92 on December 31, 2003. Lowest: 800.73 on March 11, 2003. It closed higher on 137 of 252 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on March 20, 2003?

US-led coalition invades Iraq. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% that day, and was +2.2% 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 2003. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2003

MLA 9

“S&P 500 in 2003.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2003. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Corgano. “S&P 500 in 2003.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed October 31, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2003.

BibTeX

@misc{corgano2026sp500in2003, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 2003}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2003}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}

Link

S&P 500 in 2003 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2003