S&P 500 on TradingView: SPX vs ES1! vs SPY

The S&P 500 can be charted as the SPX index, ES1! and MES1! futures, an SPX500 CFD or the SPY ETF on TradingView. Here is what each one is and why they show different prices.

SPX vs SPY vs ES

SPX is the index itself: you can’t buy it, but it’s the reference everything else follows. SPY is an ETF you can buy like a share, at about a tenth of the index level. ES is the futures contract, the most traded S&P 500 product, which trades almost all day and night. MES is its micro version, a tenth of the size.

Why don’t these prices match?

Spot and CFD prices (like SPX500USD) come from a broker or data provider. Every broker quotes slightly differently and adds its own spread, so your broker’s chart can differ a little from TradingView’s.
Futures (like ES1!) are contracts for a future date. Their price includes the cost of carrying the position until expiry, so they usually sit a little away from spot, and the gap shrinks as expiry approaches.
ETFs trade as shares on a stock exchange, at a fraction of the market’s price, and only during stock market hours.

What does “1!” mean on TradingView?

A ticker ending in 1! is TradingView’s continuous contract: it always shows the front (nearest) futures month and switches to the next contract when it rolls over. 2! is the next month after that. Because each contract has a different price, the chart can jump at the roll. To chart a single expiry instead, search for the dated contract.

Trading hours

SPX and SPY follow US stock market hours (SPY also trades pre-market and after-hours). ES and MES futures trade from Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 4:00 pm Central Time, with a daily break from 4:00 to 5:00 pm CT. Our live stock market hours and forex market hours clocks show what’s open in your time zone.

Which one should you use?

For the official index, SP:SPX. For futures, ES1! or MES1!. With a CFD broker, its US500 feed. In a stock account, SPY.

Building a list of these? Add them to a watchlist with the Watchlist Builder, and see our symbol format guide for how TradingView writes tickers.

ChartWatch is independent and not affiliated with TradingView, any exchange or broker. Symbol names checked on TradingView in October 2026. “Open on TradingView” links are affiliate links: if you sign up through them, ChartWatch may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is a recommendation to trade.

FAQ

What is the S&P 500 symbol on TradingView?

SP:SPX is the S&P 500 index. CME_MINI:ES1! and CME_MINI:MES1! are the E-mini and Micro E-mini futures, OANDA:SPX500USD is a CFD and AMEX:SPY is the ETF.

What is the difference between SPX and SPY?

SPX is the index, which can't be traded directly. SPY is an ETF that tracks it and trades like a share, at roughly one tenth of the index level.

What is ES1! on TradingView?

CME_MINI:ES1! is the continuous front-month E-mini S&P 500 futures contract.

Why does ES1! trade at night?

E-mini S&P 500 futures trade on CME Globex from Sunday 5:00 pm to Friday 4:00 pm Central Time, with a daily one-hour break.

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S&P 500 on TradingView: SPX, ES1!, SPX500 or SPY?