SP500 Cash Index: Google versus Yahoo ???

[applejuice]

Rookie question here,

Could someone please shed some light on precisely what is meant by the SP500 Cash Index?

As far as I can tell, the SP500 Cash Index is more of a *notion* than an actual tradeable instrument. I've checked CME and as far as I can tell nothing along these lines is traded.

And as for Yahoo and Google, they both provide historical daily data on SP500 Index... but I don't understand where their volume data is coming from - and no obvious description on either side. Screenshot shows...

Thanks if anyone knows...

 

[southall]

I would guess its the combined volume on all 500 stocks in the index?

 

[applejuice]

Perhaps. But note yahoo and google do not get the same figures for volume.

 

[southall]

Perhaps. But note yahoo and google do not get the same figures for volume.

Yahoo seems to have two volume figures: volume and average volume.

Volume is the same as the google volume.

see here:

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/^GSPC?p=^GSPC


The average volume on yahoo seems to be just the regular Volume data averaged over some look back period, most likely the last year or the last 30 days.

 

[applejuice]

Hey, thanks - great spot

I find it rather misleading that Yahoo label what is in fact "average volume" as "volume", but now I know.

Cheers!

 

[wildchild]

Rookie question here,

Could someone please shed some light on precisely what is meant by the SP500 Cash Index?

As far as I can tell, the SP500 Cash Index is more of a *notion* than an actual tradeable instrument. I've checked CME and as far as I can tell nothing along these lines is traded.

And as for Yahoo and Google, they both provide historical daily data on SP500 Index... but I don't understand where their volume data is coming from - and no obvious description on either side. Screenshot shows...

Thanks if anyone knows...

I seldom look at the index itself. Look at some derivative of the index such as ETF or futures contract. I want to see a security that is actually traded and not computed.

 

[Sig]

I seldom look at the index itself. Look at some derivative of the index such as ETF or futures contract. I want to see a security that is actually traded and not computed.

Since every one of the components is traded and the index is simply the compilation of those trades, it is a something actually traded. Many futures strategies require taking into account the implied interest and dividends that the difference between the futures and spot represents. So while you may not look at the index often, there are certainly some of us like the OP (and I) who do.