The S&P 500’s biggest single-session gain so far in 2026 took place on Mar 31, when the index climbed +2.91%, reversing several weeks of declines. The year’s top 10 positive sessions are spread through the calendar, and two of those days were recorded in the most recent trading week.
Top 10 S&P 500 Sessions in 2026
| Rank | Date | Close | Prior Close | Point Gain | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 31 | 6,528.52 | 6,343.72 | +184.80 | +2.91% |
| 2 | Apr 8 | 6,782.81 | 6,616.85 | +165.96 | +2.51% |
| 3 | Feb 6 | 6,932.30 | 6,798.40 | +133.90 | +1.97% |
| 4 | Jun 11 | 7,394.30 | 7,266.99 | +127.31 | +1.75% |
| 5 | Jul 30 | 7,437.63 | 7,316.15 | +121.48 | +1.66% |
| 6 | Jun 15 | 7,554.29 | 7,431.46 | +122.83 | +1.65% |
| 7 | Aug 4 (today) | 7,725.64 | 7,600.50 | +125.14 | +1.65% |
| 8 | Aug 3 | 7,600.50 | 7,489.72 | +110.78 | +1.48% |
| 9 | May 6 | 7,365.12 | 7,259.22 | +105.90 | +1.46% |
| 10 | Apr 17 | 7,177.12 | 7,041.28 | +84.78 | +1.20% |
Context for the largest moves
Mar 31 and Apr 8 made up a notable recovery pair. The index had been trending lower through late February and into March, bottoming near 6,343. The two rallies on Mar 31 and Apr 8 together added more than +5.5%, representing a sharp reversal from that multi-week pullback.
Feb 6 provided a separate stabilizing bounce. After a mid-week stretch in which the S&P 500 lost over -1.5%, the Friday rebound of nearly +2% helped arrest the slide and temporarily steadied the market around the 6,900 level.
Aug 3 and Aug 4 - the back-to-back sessions this week - form the most recent pair of large gains. Aug 3 and Aug 4 combined for a +3.15% two-day advance, the strongest consecutive gain sequence since the April recovery. The index is currently at 7,725.64, which is its highest close of 2026.
Market framing
- Bull case - Seven of the top 10 biggest up days have occurred since April, indicating momentum has shifted higher and the index is meaningfully above its mid-March trough.
- Bear case - The two largest single-day gains occurred during a volatile stretch, illustrating that outsized up days can cluster around market bottoms and periods of uncertainty rather than signaling uninterrupted bullish trends.
Note on data: Historical data visibility is limited to 10 years on the referenced Pro+ plan.