Does this page say what caused the move?

It says where the move is: which sector groups and which stocks account for the S&P 500’s change, from live quotes. It also names what was on the calendar that day: the major data releases (CPI, PPI, the jobs report, retail sales, GDP, PCE and the ISM surveys), Fed decisions and minutes, and earnings reports from the stocks moving the index. It does not read the news. A move driven by a headline, a tariff announcement or a comment from an official shows up here as the sectors and stocks it hit, not as the headline itself.

Why can the S&P 500 be down when most stocks are up?

The S&P 500 is weighted by market value, so its largest companies count for far more than its smallest. The ten largest make up 40% of it in our latest snapshot. A 1% move in the largest is worth more to the index than a 10% move in a small utility. On a day when a few of the largest companies are down and most other stocks are up, the index can finish down. The breadth figure on this page gives the count of stocks down and up.

How often does this page update?

Every minute. During the regular session, 9:30am to 4:00pm ET, the answer describes the live move. Before 9:30am it switches to SPY, the S&P 500 ETF, in pre-market trading once enough stocks have traded. After the close it gives the day’s close and SPY’s after-hours move, and on weekends and holidays it describes the last session.

S&P 500 Heat Map · Updated every minute

Why Is the Stock Market Down Today?

Prices last updated 10:22 AM EDT, Saturday, September 26, 2026 · the last completed session

It wasn’t. The S&P 500 closed up 0.51% at 7,743.41 yesterday. The biggest lift was the Mag 7: the group rose 0.69%, which added about 0.24 percentage points to the index.

No major data release or Fed event was scheduled on Friday, September 25. The full day’s schedule.

Which Sectors Moved the S&P 500

Biggest lifts

Mag 7+0.69% · +0.24 index points
Chips & Memory+0.77% · +0.08 index points
Industrials+0.91% · +0.07 index points

Biggest drags

Energy-0.87% · -0.03 index points

Index points are each group’s share of the index move: its cap-weighted change multiplied by its weight in the index. The Mag 7 and the chip makers are counted apart from technology. All thirteen groups are in the by-sector table on the heat map.

Which Stocks Moved the S&P 500 Most

Biggest lifts

MSFT+3.66% · +0.19 index points
AAPL+1.53% · +0.11 index points
GOOGL+0.46% · +0.03 index points

Biggest drags

META-3.33% · -0.08 index points
TSLA-1.54% · -0.03 index points
INTC-3.45% · -0.03 index points

The Nasdaq, the Dow and How Many Stocks Moved

The Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.48% and the Dow 0.93%. Next came chips and memory (+0.77%, 0.08 points) and industrials (+0.91%, 0.07 points). Breadth was mixed: 328 stocks rose and 172 fell. Energy (-0.87%) and software and other tech (-0.23%) finished lower.

See every S&P 500 stock on the live heat map

Also: Why is the stock market up today? · Stock futures and pre-market movers · Today’s schedule

Questions This Page Answers

Why Is the Stock Market Down Today?: It wasn’t. The S&P 500 closed up 0.51% at 7,743.41 yesterday. The biggest lift was the Mag 7: the group rose 0.69%, which added about 0.24 percentage points to the index. No major data release or Fed event was scheduled on Friday, September 25.
Does this page say what caused the move?: It says where the move is: which sector groups and which stocks account for the S&P 500’s change, from live quotes. It also names what was on the calendar that day: the major data releases (CPI, PPI, the jobs report, retail sales, GDP, PCE and the ISM surveys), Fed decisions and minutes, and earnings reports from the stocks moving the index. It does not read the news. A move driven by a headline, a tariff announcement or a comment from an official shows up here as the sectors and stocks it hit, not as the headline itself.
Why can the S&P 500 be down when most stocks are up?: The S&P 500 is weighted by market value, so its largest companies count for far more than its smallest. The ten largest make up 40% of it in our latest snapshot. A 1% move in the largest is worth more to the index than a 10% move in a small utility. On a day when a few of the largest companies are down and most other stocks are up, the index can finish down. The breadth figure on this page gives the count of stocks down and up.
How often does this page update?: Every minute. During the regular session, 9:30am to 4:00pm ET, the answer describes the live move. Before 9:30am it switches to SPY, the S&P 500 ETF, in pre-market trading once enough stocks have traded. After the close it gives the day’s close and SPY’s after-hours move, and on weekends and holidays it describes the last session.

Index and stock quotes are delayed feeds from Yahoo Finance, refreshed about once a minute, the same ones that color the heat map. Group and stock contributions are weighted by our latest market-cap snapshot, so they add up to close to the official index move rather than exactly. Data releases, Fed events and earnings dates come from the site’s verified calendar. Maintained by Atul Ghandhi. Times are Eastern. Nothing here is a recommendation.