What is the meaning of ^ symbol for SPX

External question — Personal Finance Stack Exchange Author: xtt Original post: https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/103467 License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation: HTML converted to plain text; contact email addresses removed. I've seen symbols SPX and ^SPX, is there any significance for the symbol "^"?

External answer — Personal Finance Stack Exchange Author: Bob Baerker Original post: https://money.stackexchange.com/a/103470 License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation: HTML converted to plain text; contact email addresses removed. Data providers and brokers use a different syntax for symbols. The caret means nothing. Where it gets crazy is preferred stocks where there about a dozen conventions where there is a letter for the issue: XYZ-A XYZ_A XYZ+A XYX.A XYZprA XYZ.prA XYZ/A XYZ'A XYZ prA XYZ_PA etc. I have no clue why they don't standardize this.

External answer — Personal Finance Stack Exchange Author: Identicon Original post: https://money.stackexchange.com/a/162510 License: CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Adaptation: HTML converted to plain text; contact email addresses removed. The caret (^) or a dot prepended to a ticker symbol means that it is an "index" and not an actual tradeable share. You'd use an ETF (exchange traded fund) derived from that index, to actually invest. For example ^GSPC, .SPX & .INX are referring to the "index" of S&P500, which is basically just a numerical value calculated from the weighted average prices of the 500 companies in the S&P500. Whereas if you wished to invest in S&P500, you'd search for a fund which is trading on that index. SPY would be it currently, as the largest ETF for the S&P500 index (basis assets under management).