S&P 500 Holds Near 7,399 Record as History Backs Peak Investing

The S&P 500 traded around 7,398.93 near its record high on May 9, 2026, sparking debate on investing at peaks with history showing strong long-term returns via dollar-cost averaging. On May 8, it broke 5,700 early—hailed by President Trump—topped 7,400 intraday, and closed up 0.84% at 7,398.94 after a 2.3% weekly gain, the sixth straight advance driven by April payrolls beating expectations (unemployment 4.3%), tech/financial earnings, resilient spending, and Fed late-2025 cut signals. Elevated P/E ratios urge caution, but over 1,200 record closes since 1950 support staying invested.