does sp500 include nasdaq stocks?

Yes — the S&P 500 includes many companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange. This article explains how exchange listing, eligibility rules, committee discretion, and market-cap weighting determine incl...

2026-01-24 08:55:00

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Yes — the S&P 500 includes many companies whose common shares are listed on the Nasdaq exchange. The index’s constituents are selected by S&P Dow Jones Indices according to eligibility criteria; eligible exchanges include the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, and certain Cboe listings. As of 2026-01-23, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices reporting, the exchange where a company lists its common stock matters for eligibility but does not automatically determine membership.

Overview of the S&P 500

The S&P 500 is a free-float, market-cap-weighted index of large U.S. publicly traded companies. It is maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices and is widely used as the benchmark for U.S. large-cap equity performance. The index seeks to represent the performance of leading companies across major sectors of the U.S. economy.

Because the S&P 500 uses free-float market capitalization to weight members, larger companies have greater influence on index returns. That makes the index sensitive to the market values of its biggest constituents. The S&P 500 is a go-to benchmark for institutional managers, many mutual funds, and a large number of ETFs that aim to replicate its performance.

This article answers the core question — does sp500 include nasdaq stocks — and then explains how listing venue, eligibility criteria, committee decisions, and corporate actions affect membership and what that means for investors.

Which stock exchanges qualify for S&P 500 inclusion

Listing on an eligible U.S. exchange is a necessary but not sufficient condition for S&P 500 inclusion. The S&P 500 accepts securities listed primarily on a handful of U.S. exchanges. The primary exchanges accepted are the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq; S&P Dow Jones Indices also recognizes certain eligible listings on Cboe.

In practice, this means that a company whose common equity is listed on Nasdaq meets one of the basic exchange requirements for consideration. However, meeting the exchange requirement alone does not guarantee admission. The index applies a broader set of rules and discretionary judgments before selecting a company as a constituent.

When discussing exchanges in public materials, Bitget highlights that exchange access is only one aspect of market participation. Bitget provides trading and custody products that may give users exposure to large-cap U.S. stocks and related products, while institutional index replication is governed by the index provider’s rules.

Eligibility and selection criteria for S&P 500 membership

S&P Dow Jones Indices publishes the methodology used to determine eligibility for the S&P 500. The main quantitative and qualitative requirements include the following elements:

U.S. domicile and operational criteria: The company must be a U.S.-based operating company by S&P’s definition. That typically means significant U.S. operations and reporting under U.S. accounting standards or comparable disclosure.
Minimum market capitalization: The business must meet or exceed the minimum market-cap threshold set by S&P Dow Jones Indices. This threshold is periodically updated; meeting it is required but not sufficient.
Adequate liquidity and trading volume: The stock must trade with sufficient volume and turnover to be investable for index funds and ETFs. S&P evaluates liquidity metrics such as trading volume and float-adjusted turnover.
Minimum public float: A substantial portion of the company’s shares must be in public hands, i.e., not closely held by insiders or strategic holders. S&P relies on free-float calculations.
Positive recent earnings: Typically, companies must show positive earnings in recent reported periods, such as the sum of the most recent four quarters. This earnings requirement filters out unprofitable large-cap firms in most cases.
Minimum trading history: S&P usually requires that the stock has at least one year of trading history on an eligible exchange. There are exceptions for spin-offs or special situations where the committee may act faster.
Share-class rules: Multiple share classes are reviewed under S&P’s policy. Some classes of shares may be eligible while others may not, depending on voting rights and free-float treatment.
Final approval by the S&P selection committee: Even when a company meets the published screens, S&P’s index committee exercises discretion and votes on add/remove decisions.

These criteria are designed to ensure the S&P 500 remains a stable, investable representation of major U.S. corporations. For more detail, S&P Dow Jones Indices’ published methodology documents explain the specific thresholds and formulas.

Role of the S&P selection committee

An important component of the inclusion process is the S&P 500 Selection Committee. The committee applies the methodology but retains discretion to interpret rules in light of market structure and special situations. The committee meets regularly and can add or remove constituents at any time.

This discretionary layer means that additions and removals are not automatic by market-cap rank alone. For example, a company that meets the market-cap threshold but fails the liquidity or earnings screens may not be included. Conversely, in certain corporate events like spin-offs, the committee may include a new security sooner if it believes index integrity demands it.

The committee’s decisions are communicated publicly when changes occur, and index providers publish detailed press releases explaining the rationale for significant rebalances.

Relationship between Nasdaq and the S&P 500

To clarify the relationship: Nasdaq is an exchange, and it also lends its name to Nasdaq-branded indices such as the Nasdaq Composite and the NASDAQ-100. The S&P 500 is an independent index maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices with its own methodology.

Many large-cap technology companies list their common shares on Nasdaq and also qualify for the S&P 500. As a result, the S&P 500 contains numerous Nasdaq-listed constituents, especially in sectors like information technology and communication services. However, the S&P 500 also includes many companies listed on other eligible exchanges.

It is important to distinguish:

Nasdaq (the exchange): A venue where equities may trade. A Nasdaq listing satisfies one of the exchange requirements for S&P consideration.
Nasdaq indices (e.g., Nasdaq Composite, NASDAQ-100): Index families maintained by Nasdaq that have different coverage and methodology compared with the S&P 500. They focus heavily on Nasdaq-listed names and, in the case of the NASDAQ-100, large non-financial companies on Nasdaq.
S&P 500: A U.S. large-cap benchmark that draws eligible constituents from specified exchanges, using a free-float market-cap weighting and committee selection.

Because of these differences, many Nasdaq-listed large caps are in the S&P 500, but many Nasdaq-listed small- and mid-caps are not.

Examples of Nasdaq-listed companies in the S&P 500

Representative examples of well-known companies that trade on Nasdaq and are S&P 500 constituents include Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet (Class A and Class C), Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Tesla. These firms illustrate how Nasdaq-listed giants often carry substantial weight inside the S&P 500 thanks to their large free-float market capitalizations.

Listing examples help answer the core query — does sp500 include nasdaq stocks — by showing that Nasdaq listing is a common feature among S&P 500 members, particularly among the largest technology firms.

How exchange listing interacts with index weight and impact

Exchange listing determines eligible consideration but does not determine the size of a company’s influence in the S&P 500. Once a company is included, its weight in the index is based on its free-float market capitalization, not the exchange name.

That means several Nasdaq-listed giants can dominate index returns simply because they have very large free-float market caps. When a Nasdaq-listed company’s share price rises or falls significantly, it moves the S&P 500 proportionally to its index weight.

Index funds and ETFs that replicate the S&P 500 buy constituents across exchanges to match the index weights. For investors and market participants, the practical effect is that S&P 500 exposure aggregates companies across eligible exchanges into a single benchmark.

Addition, removal, and corporate actions

S&P 500 composition changes over time. Common reasons for constituent changes include:

Mergers and acquisitions: If a constituent is acquired and delisted, it is removed from the index.
Bankruptcy or liquidation: A failing company may be removed if it no longer meets listing or operational requirements.
Failure to meet eligibility thresholds: Falling below the market-cap or liquidity thresholds can trigger removal.
Delisting from an eligible exchange: If a company moves to a non-eligible venue or is delisted, it typically leaves the S&P 500.
Corporate reorganizations, spin-offs, and share-class changes: These events often require committee review to determine whether to add, remove, or adjust the constituent.

Handling specific corporate actions:

Stock splits and reverse splits: These do not change a company’s free-float market cap proportionally and therefore do not change index weight beyond market movements.
Spinoffs: S&P may treat spinoffs in special ways; sometimes the spun-off company will be added if it meets criteria, but the committee has discretion.
Dual-class listings: The index applies specific rules when multiple share classes exist; some classes may be excluded if they have limited free float or restricted transferability.

Throughout these processes, the selection committee issues announcements and the index provider publishes technical notes describing how adjustments are implemented.

Implications for investors

Does sp500 include nasdaq stocks? Yes — and investors should understand what that means for exposure and product selection.

Index funds and ETFs: S&P 500 index funds and ETFs track the index regardless of the underlying exchange. Investors who buy S&P 500 ETFs obtain exposure to S&P 500 constituents whether they trade on Nasdaq or other eligible exchanges.
No need to buy Nasdaq-listed shares separately: To replicate S&P 500 exposure, investors do not have to purchase Nasdaq-listed stocks directly. A single S&P 500 fund provides broad exposure across the index’s constituents.
Differences versus Nasdaq-focused indices: If an investor wants exposure concentrated in Nasdaq-listed large-cap tech names, they might prefer indexes like the NASDAQ-100 or Nasdaq Composite. Those indices have different sector biases and methodologies from the S&P 500.
Trading and settlement: Practical trading considerations such as settlement systems, market hours, and liquidity can vary by exchange and security. However, when funds replicate S&P 500 holdings, they operationally source shares across exchanges to match weights.
Access and custody via Bitget: For traders and investors using Bitget, exposure to U.S. large-cap stocks or derivatives tied to major indexes may be available through Bitget’s products. Bitget Wallet can be used to manage related digital exposures in supported products. Always consult Bitget’s product documentation for specifics and compliance details.

Note: This article is informational and does not constitute investment advice. All investors should perform their own due diligence.

Common FAQs

Q: Does listing on Nasdaq automatically make a company part of the S&P 500?

A: No. Listing on Nasdaq satisfies the exchange requirement but does not guarantee admission. Companies must meet the index’s market-cap, liquidity, earnings, and public-float requirements and receive approval from the S&P selection committee.

Q: Are the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 interchangeable?

A: No. The Nasdaq Composite covers nearly all securities listed on Nasdaq and therefore has a large number of small- and mid-cap companies. The S&P 500 focuses on 500 large-cap U.S. companies across eligible exchanges and uses a different weighting methodology.

Q: Can foreign companies listed on Nasdaq join the S&P 500?

A: Generally, the S&P 500 is intended to represent U.S.-domiciled operating companies. Foreign companies listed on Nasdaq may not meet the S&P’s domicile and operational criteria. In limited cases, listings with substantial U.S. operations and appropriate reporting may be considered, but U.S. domicile is a principal requirement.

Q: If a Nasdaq-listed company moves to another exchange, does it leave the S&P 500?

A: Not automatically. If the new exchange is also eligible under S&P methodology, the company could remain a constituent, provided it continues to meet other eligibility criteria. Moving to a non-eligible venue or losing U.S. operational status could lead to removal.

Q: How often does the S&P 500 change its list of companies?

A: The index committee meets regularly and makes changes as required. Adjustments occur when corporate events happen or when a company no longer meets criteria. Some changes are infrequent and deliberate; others are prompted by M&A, bankruptcy, or delisting.

References and sources

As of 2026-01-23, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices methodology publications and constituent announcements, the S&P 500 selects constituents from eligible U.S. exchanges and applies the criteria summarized above. Additional explanatory resources include Investopedia, Nasdaq’s public materials, and historical constituent lists maintained by S&P.

Sources used to prepare this article: S&P Dow Jones Indices methodology documents and constituent lists (official provider materials); public explanatory articles from major financial education sites; Nasdaq public information about listing venues and index families. These sources provide verifiable details on market-cap thresholds, free-float calculations, and committee procedures.