S&P 500 Index Masks Extreme Volatility in Individual Stocks

The S&P 500 index may have returned -0.2% on its last trading day, but beneath the surface was significant volatility.

The most extreme example of this was Honeywell Aerospace (HONA), which saw a return of -23.2%, making it the weakest S&P 500 stock of the day.

However, some stocks were not just down, they were up big time. Motorola Solutions (MSI) topped the list with an 8.2% return, followed closely by Parker Hannifin (PH) at 7.3%.

But what's behind these big moves? For some of the biggest movers, today's action is simply an extension of an existing trend.