With the S&P 500 Setting Record Highs, History Points to 1 Clear Move

It's fair to say 2026 has thrown investors more curveballs -- the war in Iran and soaring Treasury yields among them -- than they bargained for. Amid those headwinds, the S&P 500 and other major U.S. equity gauges are marching higher.

Investors can't directly invest in an index, so for this exercise, I'm using the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO), a nearly $1.1 trillion behemoth that's the world's largest exchange-traded fund (ETF). As of Sept. 4, the VOO ETF is up 13.6% year to date. That's commendable work in just over eight months, but the S&P 500's 2026 showing is even more noteworthy considering the aforementioned challenges.

When the S&P 500 hits a record, more often follow. Image source: Getty Images.

Continue reading