DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)

S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2023: $100 monthly

Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2023 (46 buys, $4,600 in total) would be worth $6,630 today (+44.14%).

Backtest 1 January 2023 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$6,630

+44.14% · +19.60%/yr

Invested
$4,600.00
Buys
46
Average cost
$11,942.32

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$9,682

+110.48%

Invested
$4,600.00
Bought at
$8,178.02
Max drawdown
18.75%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$9,760

+112.17%

Bought on
5 Jan 2023
At a price of
$8,113.15
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 1.5% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 7 days (to 15 Mar 2023). The worst moment was 13 Mar 2023, when it was down 2.6% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 31 Oct 2023. The average cost per unit was $11,942.32 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+44.14%). The cheapest buy was $8,178.02 on 1 Jan 2023 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2023$1,200$1,361+13.43%
31 Dec 2024$2,400$3,033+26.38%
31 Dec 2025$3,600$4,918+36.61%
22 Oct 2026$4,600$6,630+44.14%

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 2023 be worth today?
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2023 (46 buys, $4,600 in total) would be worth $6,630 today (+44.14%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2023?
Investing the same $4,600 in one go on 1 January 2023 would be worth $9,682 today (+110.48%), 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 2023?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 1.5% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 7 days (ending 15 Mar 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.