According to the latest developments reported by Bloomberg, Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States, is preparing to join the S&P 500.
The S&P 500 (Standard & Poor’s 500) is a market-cap weighted stock index that measures the performance of the 500 largest publicly traded companies traded on the United States stock exchange. It is one of the most followed indicators for investors to track the overall health of the U.S. economy and stock market performance.
In order for a company to be included in the S&P 500 index, it must meet certain strict conditions set by S&P Dow Jones Indices. First, the company must be headquartered in the United States and be an American-based company. It is also generally expected to have a market capitalization of at least $15 billion; this threshold may be updated over time.
The company’s stock must be highly liquid, meaning it trades regularly and in large volumes. The free float is also important; at least 50 percent of the shares must be in free float. From a financial perspective, the company must have a positive net income in the last four quarters. In addition, these shares must be traded on major U.S. exchanges such as the NYSE, NASDAQ, or Cboe.
Companies that meet these criteria are regularly monitored and evaluated by the S&P Dow Jones Indices team. If a company is deemed suitable, it may be added to the list by the committee during the removal of another company from the index or during routine updates of the index. When a change decision is made, this information is usually made public a few days in advance.
*This is not investment advice.
