Facebook Inc (FB), Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), General Motors Company (GM) & More: Why Aren’t These Four Stock Giants in the S&P 500?

The result is that of General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s outstanding shares, barely 40% are available to investors. Until the Treasury and other parties sell off more of their positions, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is unlikely to gain admittance to the S&P 500.

VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW)
Cloud-computing giant VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW) is an example of how corporate structures can give individual-stock investors opportunities that index funds lack. As a roughly 80%-owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC), VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW) lacks a substantial float, which makes it unlikely that the stock will ever get into the S&P as long as EMC retains its stake.

Keep your eyes on Facebook
Of these four stocks, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is the most likely to find itself part of the S&P in the near future. As lockup expirations have increased its float, its high market cap and importance in the social-media space make it a logical candidate for addition in the near future. The other three companies will need insiders to take action to find their way into the S&P 500.

The article Why Aren’t These 4 Stock Giants in the S&P 500? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Dan Caplinger.

Fool contributor Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him on Twitter: @DanCaplinger. The Motley Fool recommends Facebook, General Motors, and VMware and owns shares of Facebook and VMware.

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