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Chart of the Day: S&P Incumbents

John Keefer, Trust Investment Associate Mar 12, 2026
Vertical bar chart showing average company life span on S&P 500's Index from 1965 to 2030, in years, rolling 7-year average) and decades

Contents

Today’s Chart of the Day from MSN reveals an important trend: S&P 500 companies aren’t holding onto their place in the index as long as they used to.
 
Innovation is speeding up disruption, causing S&P 500 constituents to lose their spot in the index much faster than in the past. About 20% of the index turns over every five years, showing how quickly new winners replace old ones.
 
The data shows the same long‑term trend, with the average company lifespan dropping from over 30 years in the 1960s to under 20 years today.
 
In such a fast‑changing environment, index investing becomes an effective approach—rather than trying to pick individual winners. An index fund automatically captures new market leaders as they rise and removes those that fall behind. This lets investors benefit from ongoing innovation and long‑term market growth while keeping risk spread across a constantly evolving set of companies.
Chart of the Day

About the Author

John Keefer, Trust Investment Associate
John Keefer, Trust Investment Associate

John joined Crews Bank & Trust as a Trust Investment Associate in September 2025. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri, along with an Investment Certificate. In his role, he supports portfolio maintenance and analysis while helping clients work toward their financial goals.

Investments are not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by, the bank, are not FDIC insured, not insured by any federal government agency, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal.

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Chart of the Day: S&P Contribution Trends

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