• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
MagazineFortune 500

Why Investors Should Care More About the Fortune 500 Than the S&P 500

By
Matthew Heimer
Matthew Heimer
Former Executive Editor, Features
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Matthew Heimer
Matthew Heimer
Former Executive Editor, Features
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 17, 2019, 8:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In any given year, around 330 companies are included in both the S&P 500 index of large-cap U.S. stocks and the Fortune 500. But the differences between the lists matter in the market. Since 1996, publicly traded Fortune 500 companies have outperformed the S&P by 0.5 percentage points annually, according to Barclays, and using an “equal weighting” strategy, Fortune outperformed by almost two points a year. While the S&P 500 often includes stocks of popular but unproven businesses, a company can’t crack the Fortune 500 until it earns significant revenue; that explains much of the performance gap. Coming soon: products to help investors profit from that advantage.

A version of this article appears in the June 2019 issue of Fortune with the headline “The ‘500’ Investors Should Actually Care About.”

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—The 2019 Fortune 500 list demonstrates the prize of size

—Why the giants among this year’s Fortune 500 should intimidate you

—What the Fortune 500 would look like as a microbiome

—The Occidental-Anadarko merger reveals the crude truth about oil prices

—It’s all clicking for Wayfair, a Fortune 500 newcomer

Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter.

About the Author
By Matthew HeimerFormer Executive Editor, Features
Instagram iconTwitter icon

Matt Heimer previously oversaw Fortune's longform storytelling in digital and print and was the editorial coordinator of Fortune magazine.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
Latest from the Magazine
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Most Popular
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon
Latest from the Magazine
The $1 billion game that says AI can’t replace human creativity
MagazineGaming
The $1 billion game that says AI can’t replace human creativity
By Kamal AhmedJune 15, 2026
7 hours ago
Inside Trump’s Oval Office deal machine
MagazineDonald Trump
Inside Trump’s Oval Office deal machine
By Alyson ShontellJune 8, 2026
7 days ago
Inside the $9 billion World Cup: How Gianni Infantino built a FIFA-dom with a tight grip on soccer’s biggest global event
MagazineSports
Inside the $9 billion World Cup: How Gianni Infantino built a FIFA-dom with a tight grip on soccer’s biggest global event
By Vivienne WaltJune 4, 2026
12 days ago
Nscale has raised billions to power Europe’s AI ambitions. Now the startup must prove the hype can survive reality
MagazineData
Nscale has raised billions to power Europe’s AI ambitions. Now the startup must prove the hype can survive reality
By Beatrice NolanJune 3, 2026
12 days ago
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
Magazine250 Years of Innovation
Intel’s new CEO cut management layers in half. The stock is up nearly 500%
By Jeff John RobertsJune 3, 2026
13 days ago
Macy's collage
Magazine250 Years of Innovation
An AI overhaul at Macy’s is fueling the 168-year-old retailer’s turnaround
By Phil WahbaJune 2, 2026
13 days ago
Most Popular
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
Personal Finance
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
By John W. Diamond and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
3 days ago
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
Success
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
2 days ago
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
Energy
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Economy
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX surge further boosts Saudi billionaire prince’s fortune
Investing
SpaceX surge further boosts Saudi billionaire prince’s fortune
By Adveith Nair and BloombergJune 14, 2026
1 day ago
AI job disruption is here. The problem may be compounded because nearly 75% of people don't apply for unemployment benefits
AI
AI job disruption is here. The problem may be compounded because nearly 75% of people don't apply for unemployment benefits
By Jacqueline MunisJune 14, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.