S&P 500 in 2012
The S&P 500 rose 13.4% in 2012, from 1,257.60 at the end of 2011 to 1,426.19. Its highest close was 1,465.77 on Sep 14, and its lowest 1,277.06 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −2.5% on Jun 1 and the biggest rise +2.5% on Jun 29. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 11.5%.
S&P 500, daily closes 2012
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 2012
What happened, and how the S&P 500 moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Friday, May 18Facebook begins trading on Nasdaq after its IPO at $38 per share. SourceS&P 500: −0.7% that day · +3.1% a month later
- 2
Friday, June 1 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −2.5%.
- 3
Friday, June 29 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +2.5%.
- 4
Thursday, July 26ECB President Mario Draghi says the ECB is ready to do "whatever it takes" to preserve the euro. SourceS&P 500: +1.7% that day · +4.8% a month later
- 5
Monday, October 29US stock markets close for two days (October 29-30) due to Hurricane Sandy, the first two-day weather closure since 1888. SourceS&P 500: 0.0% next trading day (Oct 31) · +0.3% a month later
Biggest days of 2012
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29 | +2.5% | Jun 1 | −2.5% |
| Jun 6 | +2.3% | Nov 7 | −2.4% |
| Sep 6 | +2.0% | Jun 21 | −2.2% |
| Nov 19 | +2.0% | Apr 10 | −1.7% |
| Jul 27 | +1.9% | Oct 19 | −1.7% |
Volatility: 12.8% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1,312.41 | +4.4% |
| Feb | 1,365.68 | +4.1% |
| Mar | 1,408.47 | +3.1% |
| Apr | 1,397.91 | −0.7% |
| May | 1,310.33 | −6.3% |
| Jun | 1,362.16 | +4.0% |
| Jul | 1,379.32 | +1.3% |
| Aug | 1,406.58 | +2.0% |
| Sep | 1,440.67 | +2.4% |
| Oct | 1,412.16 | −2.0% |
| Nov | 1,416.18 | +0.3% |
| Dec | 1,426.19 | +0.7% |
Other Markets in 2012
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | +13.4% | 1,426.19 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2012 | +7.3% | 13,104.14 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 2012 | +15.9% | 3,019.51 |
| Russell 2000 in 2012 | +14.6% | 849.35 |
| Nikkei 225 in 2012 | +22.9% | 10,395.18 |
| Gold in 2012 | +8.3% | $1,657.50 |
| Silver in 2012 | +6.3% | $29.95 |
| WTI crude oil in 2012 | −7.1% | $91.83 |
| Brent crude oil in 2012 | +2.5% | $110.80 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 2012 | −0.11 pp | 1.78% |
S&P 500 in 2012: FAQ
How much did the S&P 500 rise in 2012?
The S&P 500 rose 13.4% in 2012, from 1,257.60 at the end of 2011 to 1,426.19. Its highest close was 1,465.77 on Sep 14, and its lowest 1,277.06 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −2.5% on Jun 1 and the biggest rise +2.5% on Jun 29. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 11.5%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 2012?
Highest: 1,465.77 on September 14, 2012. Lowest: 1,277.06 on January 3, 2012. It closed higher on 132 of 250 trading days.
What happened to the S&P 500 on July 26, 2012?
ECB President Mario Draghi says the ECB is ready to do "whatever it takes" to preserve the euro. The S&P 500 rose 1.7% that day, and was +4.8% 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
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{corgano2026sp500in2012, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 2012}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2012}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}