DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)

S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2022: $100 monthly

Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2022 (58 buys, $5,800 in total) would be worth $9,001 today (+55.20%).

Backtest 1 January 2022 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$9,001

+55.20% · +18.43%/yr

Invested
$5,800.00
Buys
58
Average cost
$11,091.25

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$9,997

+72.36%

Invested
$5,800.00
Bought at
$9,986.70
Max drawdown
24.49%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$13,156

+126.82%

Bought on
12 Oct 2022
At a price of
$7,588.90
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 23.2% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 161 days (to 26 Jan 2023). The worst moment was 16 Jun 2022, when it was down 16.1% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 30 Mar 2023. The average cost per unit was $11,091.25 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+55.20%). The cheapest buy was $7,603.14 on 1 Oct 2022 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2022$1,200$1,127-6.12%
31 Dec 2023$2,400$2,784+15.99%
31 Dec 2024$3,600$4,812+33.66%
31 Dec 2025$4,800$7,014+46.13%
22 Oct 2026$5,800$9,001+55.20%

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.

Same plan every week instead →

Frequently asked questions

How much would $100 every month in S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2022 be worth today?
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2022 (58 buys, $5,800 in total) would be worth $9,001 today (+55.20%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2022?
Investing the same $5,800 in one go on 1 January 2022 would be worth $9,997 today (+72.36%), 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 2022?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 23.2% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 161 days (ending 26 Jan 2023).
A historical simulation, not financial advice. Past performance does not predict future results; the value of investments can fall as well as rise. Figures use daily closing prices (trading days carried forward over weekends and holidays) with a live quote for today, USD, and no fees.