Investing is not just a game of giant Jenga. But the pessimistic hedge funds, or the ones who must have shorts on to justify their high fees, as well as their media acolytes who sound so painfully bearish even if they are just trying to sound like informed skeptics, sure make it seem that way when they fixate on the fate of the stock market and the "Magnificent Seven." The presumption of the gang tackle of articles about the Seven is simple: The market is too heavily concentrated in these seven stocks: Alph ...

Key Points The S&P 500 is a benchmark index that many investors treat as a stand-in for the broader stock market. The index now includes nine stocks with a market cap over $1 trillion. The stock market may experience major swings depending on what happens to these nine stocks alone. 10 stocks we like better than S&P 500 Index › As most investors are keenly aware, the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) index has been hitting new all-time highs in 2025, extending a streak that has lasted since lat ...