The equal-weight S&P 500 tumbled Thursday, putting the index on track to close in a correction as
U.S. stocks reeled
from President Trump's announcement of far-reaching tariffs.
The
equal-weight
S&P 500 fell as much as 4.4% Thursday, its biggest intraday decline since June 2022 when inflation was running at a 40-year high. The index was down 4.1% recently and on track to close in
correction territory
, defined as a 10% decline from its recent high.
The equal-weight S&P 500, as its name suggests, gives equal weight to every component of the index, meaning a 1% move in the share price of the index’s smallest company has as much impact as a 1% move in the price of its largest. The standard
capitalization-weighted S&P 500
, on the other hand, assigns stocks an index weight that is proportionate to the company’s market value.
The equal-weight S&P 500’s correction signals the current sell-off is broader than the declines earlier this year. The
Magnificent Seven
, which led the stock market’s gains throughout 2023 and 2024,
entered a correction
in late February as increasing economic uncertainty and moderating earnings growth
compelled investors to take profits
. A week later, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also slipped into a correction,
followed by the cap-weighted S&P 500
a week later.
About 80% of the stocks in the S&P 500 were trading in the red on Thursday afternoon after President Trump
unveiled sweeping tariffs
that economists and investors worry will slow growth while raising prices for businesses and consumers.
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