S&P 500 in 2009
The S&P 500 rose 23.5% in 2009, from 903.25 at the end of 2008 to 1,115.10. Its highest close was 1,127.78 on Dec 28, and its lowest 676.53 on Mar 9. The biggest one-day fall was −5.3% on Jan 20 and the biggest rise +7.1% on Mar 23. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 20.2%.
S&P 500, daily closes 2009
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 2009
What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, January 20 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −5.3%.
- 2
Tuesday, February 17President Obama signs the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. SourceS&P 500: −4.6% that day · −5.9% a month later
- 3
Monday, February 23 From the dataEnters a bear market: 20% below its peak of 934.70 (January 6, 2009).
- 4
Monday, March 9 From the dataBear market low: 676.53, 27.6% below the peak.
- 5
Monday, March 23 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +7.1%.
- 6
Thursday, May 7Fed releases results of stress tests on the 19 largest US banks. SourceS&P 500: −1.3% that day · +2.2% a month later
- 7
Monday, June 1General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. SourceS&P 500: +2.6% that day · +0.9% a month later
- 8
Monday, June 1 From the dataBack above its pre-bear-market peak of 934.70 (January 6, 2009).
Biggest days of 2009
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23 | +7.1% | Jan 20 | −5.3% |
| Mar 10 | +6.4% | Feb 10 | −4.9% |
| Jan 21 | +4.3% | Mar 2 | −4.7% |
| Mar 12 | +4.1% | Feb 17 | −4.6% |
| Feb 24 | +4.0% | Apr 20 | −4.3% |
Volatility: 27.3% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 825.88 | −8.6% |
| Feb | 735.09 | −11.0% |
| Mar | 797.87 | +8.5% |
| Apr | 872.81 | +9.4% |
| May | 919.14 | +5.3% |
| Jun | 919.32 | 0.0% |
| Jul | 987.48 | +7.4% |
| Aug | 1,020.62 | +3.4% |
| Sep | 1,057.08 | +3.6% |
| Oct | 1,036.19 | −2.0% |
| Nov | 1,095.63 | +5.7% |
| Dec | 1,115.10 | +1.8% |
Other Markets in 2009
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | +23.5% | 1,115.10 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2009 | +18.8% | 10,428.05 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 2009 | +43.9% | 2,269.15 |
| Russell 2000 in 2009 | +25.2% | 625.39 |
| Nikkei 225 in 2009 | +19.0% | 10,546.44 |
| Gold in 2009 | +25.0% | $1,087.50 |
| Silver in 2009 | +57.5% | $16.99 |
| WTI crude oil in 2009 | +78.0% | $79.39 |
| Brent crude oil in 2009 | +117.5% | $77.91 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 2009 | +1.60 pp | 3.85% |
S&P 500 in 2009: FAQ
How much did the S&P 500 rise in 2009?
The S&P 500 rose 23.5% in 2009, from 903.25 at the end of 2008 to 1,115.10. Its highest close was 1,127.78 on Dec 28, and its lowest 676.53 on Mar 9. The biggest one-day fall was −5.3% on Jan 20 and the biggest rise +7.1% on Mar 23. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 20.2%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 2009?
Highest: 1,127.78 on December 28, 2009. Lowest: 676.53 on March 9, 2009. It closed higher on 140 of 252 trading days.
What happened to the S&P 500 on February 17, 2009?
President Obama signs the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The S&P 500 fell 4.6% that day, and was −5.9% 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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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{corgano2026sp500in2009, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 2009}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2009}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}