S&P 500 Index Fund Tracker

This project was inspired by my own investment in an S&P 500 index fund. The goal was to automate weekly tracking and analysis of the fund’s performance and deliver meaningful insights directly to my inbox.

The project starts by collecting real-time data via an API, storing the response in JSON format. I then parse this data to extract the metrics I care about—primarily the difference between the current index value and the value on my original investment date (which is manually set). Additional calculations include percentage change, mean values, and daily averages to help contextualize the performance over time.

To complement the numerical analysis, the project also performs dynamic web scraping to gather up-to-date news articles related to the S&P 500, giving me both quantitative and qualitative insights.

The Python schedule package is used to automate the process, sending a summary email once per week. The entire project is deployed on a virtual private server (VPS) to run independently and reliably in the background.

This project was not only technically rewarding—offering hands-on experience with APIs, data analysis, automation, and deployment—but also personally valuable, as it provided me with a practical tool to stay informed about my investment.

Below is an image showing a simple email which is automatically produced by the Python script.