DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)
S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2003: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2003 (286 buys, $28,600 in total) would be worth $162,476 today (+468.10%).
Backtest 1 January 2003 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$162,476
+468.10% · +12.64%/yr
- Invested
- $28,600.00
- Buys
- 286
- Average cost
- $3,031.76
Lump sum, day one
Winner$390,577
+1265.66%
- Invested
- $28,600.00
- Bought at
- $1,261.18
- Max drawdown
- 55.25%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$449,836
+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 5.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 349 days (to 15 Sept 2009). The worst moment was 9 Mar 2009, when it was down 38.1% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 1 Sept 2010. The average cost per unit was $3,031.76 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+468.10%). 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 2003 | $1,200 | $1,425 | +18.76% |
| 31 Dec 2004 | $2,400 | $2,881 | +20.05% |
| 31 Dec 2005 | $3,600 | $4,277 | +18.79% |
| 31 Dec 2006 | $4,800 | $6,271 | +30.65% |
| 31 Dec 2007 | $6,000 | $7,825 | +30.42% |
| 31 Dec 2008 | $7,200 | $5,824 | -19.11% |
| 31 Dec 2009 | $8,400 | $8,839 | +5.23% |
| 31 Dec 2010 | $9,600 | $11,530 | +20.11% |
| 31 Dec 2011 | $10,800 | $12,974 | +20.13% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $12,000 | $16,315 | +35.96% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $13,200 | $22,990 | +74.17% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $14,400 | $27,437 | +90.53% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $15,600 | $29,026 | +86.07% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $16,800 | $33,799 | +101.18% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $18,000 | $42,513 | +136.18% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $19,200 | $41,754 | +117.47% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $20,400 | $56,267 | +175.82% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $21,600 | $68,072 | +215.15% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $22,800 | $88,987 | +290.29% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $24,000 | $73,997 | +208.32% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $25,200 | $94,810 | +276.23% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $26,400 | $119,863 | +354.03% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $27,600 | $142,637 | +416.80% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $28,600 | $162,476 | +468.10% |
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 2003 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2003 (286 buys, $28,600 in total) would be worth $162,476 today (+468.10%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2003?
- Investing the same $28,600 in one go on 1 January 2003 would be worth $390,577 today (+1265.66%), 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 2003?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 5.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 349 days (ending 15 Sept 2009).