However, the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.24%) is generally considered the best barometer for the overall U.S. stock market due to its scope and diversity. Read on to see the S&P 500's average return over the last decade, and to learn what Wall Street expects in the future.

Wall Street edged back from an all-time high following mixed profit reports from big companies. The S&P 500 barely budged on Friday and slipped by a hair, a day after rallying within 0.1% of its record set last month.

For the better part of the last two-plus years, the bulls have been in control on Wall Street. The mature stock-fueled Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth-focused Nasdaq Composite have all reached numerous record-closing highs.