DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2000: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2000 (322 buys, $32,200 in total) would be worth $199,741 today (+520.31%).
Backtest 1 January 2000 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$199,741
+520.31% · +11.66%/yr
- Invested
- $32,200.00
- Buys
- 322
- Average cost
- $2,776.56
Lump sum, day one
Winner$274,361
+752.05%
- Invested
- $32,200.00
- Bought at
- $2,021.40
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$506,459
+1472.85%
- Bought on
- 9 Mar 2009
- At a price of
- $1,095.04
- Not a plan you could follow
How it would have felt
Over this period the plan was worth less than the money you’d put in on 17.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 1,175 days (to 17 Dec 2003). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 36.9% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 7 Jul 2010. The average cost per unit was $2,776.56 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+520.31%). The cheapest buy was $1,188.84 on 1 Mar 2009 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2000 | $1,200 | $1,110 | -7.51% |
| 31 Dec 2001 | $2,400 | $2,137 | -10.97% |
| 31 Dec 2002 | $3,600 | $2,729 | -24.20% |
| 31 Dec 2003 | $4,800 | $4,937 | +2.85% |
| 31 Dec 2004 | $6,000 | $6,775 | +12.91% |
| 31 Dec 2005 | $7,200 | $8,361 | +16.13% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $8,400 | $11,001 | +30.97% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $9,600 | $12,815 | +33.49% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $10,800 | $8,968 | -16.96% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $12,000 | $12,815 | +6.79% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $13,200 | $16,105 | +22.01% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $14,400 | $17,645 | +22.54% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $15,600 | $21,734 | +39.32% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $16,800 | $30,164 | +79.54% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $18,000 | $35,592 | +97.74% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $19,200 | $37,295 | +94.24% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $20,400 | $43,056 | +111.06% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $21,600 | $53,792 | +149.04% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $22,800 | $52,538 | +130.43% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $24,000 | $70,447 | +193.53% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $25,200 | $84,860 | +236.75% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $26,400 | $110,594 | +318.92% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $27,600 | $91,691 | +232.21% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $28,800 | $117,156 | +306.79% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $30,000 | $147,799 | +392.66% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $31,200 | $175,568 | +462.72% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $32,200 | $199,741 | +520.31% |
Try a different start
Monthly $100 into S&P 500 (Total Return), by start year:
Does the start year really matter? Best and worst time to start DCA or DCA vs lump sum, tested on every start month.
Frequently asked questions
- How much would $100 every month in S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2000 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2000 (322 buys, $32,200 in total) would be worth $199,741 today (+520.31%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2000?
- Investing the same $32,200 in one go on 1 January 2000 would be worth $274,361 today (+752.05%), so putting it all in on day one came out ahead over this particular period. Which wins depends heavily on the start date.
- How long was S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA underwater since 2000?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 17.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 1,175 days (ending 17 Dec 2003).