Quote from noddyboy:
As I mentioned, as this is not a total return index, the dividends paid brings the index lower than it really it, so it is easier to hit the 200SMA but it does not represent real economic loss in value. When you use SPY, stockcharts uses the total return as I verified with Bloomberg.
they remove the dividend from SPY as well. you will see it change in value on ex-div day.
***edit***
what's strange is that the dividend is apparently indeed taken out of SPX but not out of SPY in stockcharts based on the ratio and looking 3 years back. maybe they back-adjust the values after ex-div. i always see SPY lower in value by ex-div amount in stockcharts after the dividend is paid.
http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=$SPX:SPY&p=D&yr=3&mn=0&dy=0&id=p89476911006
