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Gold/Silver78.93
DXY101.96+0.08%
US10Y4.93%−1.20%
WTI104.12+2.08%
S&P 5007,580−1.82%
Dow51,770−1.09%
Bitcoin77,946+0.65%
VIX19.42+12.91%

S&P 500 in 2021

The S&P 500 rose 26.9% in 2021, from 3,756.07 at the end of 2020 to 4,766.18. Its highest close was 4,793.06 on Dec 29 — a record that stood until January 3, 2022, and its lowest 3,700.65 on Jan 4. The biggest one-day fall was −2.6% on Jan 27 and the biggest rise +2.4% on Mar 1. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 18.6%.

Change in 2021
+26.9%
3,756.07 → 4,766.18
High
4,793.06
Dec 29
Low
3,700.65
Jan 4
After inflation
+18.6%
US CPI
Up days
143 of 252
longest run 8 up, 5 down
Record highs
70
closing records

S&P 500, daily closes 2021

Numbers mark the events below
3,8034,2474,690previous recordJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1Jan 7: S&P 500 sets the first of 70 record closing highs this year, at 3,803.79.2Jan 27: Biggest one-day fall of the year: −2.6%.3Jan 28: Robinhood halts purchases of GameStop and other heavily traded stocks during the short squeeze.4Mar 1: Biggest one-day rise of the year: +2.4%.5Mar 11: President Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act.6Apr 1: S&P 500 closes above 4,000 for the first time (4,019.87).7Apr 14: Coinbase goes public through a direct listing on Nasdaq.8Dec 29: Last record close of the year: 4,793.06.

Key Events in 2021

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

  1. 1
    Thursday, January 7 From the data
    S&P 500 sets the first of 70 record closing highs this year, at 3,803.79.
  2. 2
    Wednesday, January 27 From the data
    Biggest one-day fall of the year: −2.6%.
  3. 3
    Thursday, January 28
    Robinhood halts purchases of GameStop and other heavily traded stocks during the short squeeze. Source
    S&P 500: +1.0% that day · +1.6% a month later
  4. 4
    Monday, March 1 From the data
    Biggest one-day rise of the year: +2.4%.
  5. 5
    Thursday, March 11
    President Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. Source
    S&P 500: +1.0% that day · +5.9% a month later
  6. 6
    Thursday, April 1 From the data
    S&P 500 closes above 4,000 for the first time (4,019.87).
  7. 7
    Wednesday, April 14
    Coinbase goes public through a direct listing on Nasdaq. Source
    S&P 500: −0.4% that day · −1.9% a month later
  8. 8
    Wednesday, December 29 From the data
    Last record close of the year: 4,793.06.

Biggest days of 2021

Best daysWorst days
Mar 1+2.4%Jan 27−2.6%
Dec 7+2.1%Feb 25−2.4%
Mar 5+1.9%Nov 26−2.3%
Dec 21+1.8%May 12−2.1%
Oct 14+1.7%Sep 28−2.0%

Volatility: 13.1% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).

Month by month

MonthCloseChangeHighLow
Jan3,714.24−1.1%3,855.363,700.65
Feb3,811.15+2.6%3,934.833,773.86
Mar3,972.89+4.2%3,974.543,768.47
Apr4,181.17+5.2%4,211.474,019.87
May4,204.11+0.5%4,232.604,063.04
Jun4,297.50+2.2%4,297.504,166.45
Jul4,395.26+2.3%4,422.304,258.49
Aug4,522.68+2.9%4,528.794,387.16
Sep4,307.54−4.8%4,536.954,307.54
Oct4,605.38+6.9%4,605.384,300.46
Nov4,567.00−0.8%4,704.544,567.00
Dec4,766.18+4.4%4,793.064,513.04

Other Markets in 2021

Change over the calendar year.

MarketChangeYear-end
S&P 500+26.9%4,766.18
Dow Jones Industrial Average in 2021+18.7%36,338.30
Nasdaq Composite in 2021+21.4%15,644.97
Russell 2000 in 2021+13.7%2,245.31
Nikkei 225 in 2021+4.9%28,791.71
Gold in 2021−3.5%$1,828.60
Silver in 2021−11.4%$23.33
WTI crude oil in 2021+55.0%$75.21
Brent crude oil in 2021+50.2%$77.78
US 10-year Treasury yield in 2021+0.60 pp1.51%
2020202120222023202420252026

S&P 500 in 2021: FAQ

How much did the S&P 500 rise in 2021?

The S&P 500 rose 26.9% in 2021, from 3,756.07 at the end of 2020 to 4,766.18. Its highest close was 4,793.06 on Dec 29 — a record that stood until January 3, 2022, and its lowest 3,700.65 on Jan 4. The biggest one-day fall was −2.6% on Jan 27 and the biggest rise +2.4% on Mar 1. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 18.6%.

What were the highest and lowest closes of the S&P 500 in 2021?

Highest: 4,793.06 on December 29, 2021. Lowest: 3,700.65 on January 4, 2021. It closed higher on 143 of 252 trading days.

What happened to the S&P 500 on March 11, 2021?

President Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. The S&P 500 rose 1.0% that day, and was +5.9% a month later.

Did the S&P 500 reach a record high in 2021?

Yes — 70 record closing highs, the last at 4,793.06 on December 29, 2021.

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, November 1). S&P 500 in 2021. Corgano Gold Price. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2021
MLA 9
“S&P 500 in 2021.” Corgano Gold Price, goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2021. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.
Chicago
Corgano. “S&P 500 in 2021.” Corgano Gold Price. Accessed November 1, 2026. https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2021.
BibTeX
@misc{corgano2026sp500in2021, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {S&P 500 in 2021}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2021}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}
Link
S&P 500 in 2021 — Corgano Gold Price: https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/sp-500/2021