DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)

S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2024: $100 monthly

Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2024 (34 buys, $3,400 in total) would be worth $4,362 today (+28.29%).

Backtest 1 January 2024 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$4,362

+28.29% · +18.21%/yr

Invested
$3,400.00
Buys
34
Average cost
$13,418.02

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$5,667

+66.67%

Invested
$3,400.00
Bought at
$10,327.83
Max drawdown
18.75%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$5,764

+69.52%

Bought on
4 Jan 2024
At a price of
$10,154.20
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 3.2% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 14 days (to 23 Apr 2025). The worst moment was 8 Apr 2025, when it was down 8.0% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 24 Apr 2025. The average cost per unit was $13,418.02 against a price today of $17,213.39 (+28.29%). The cheapest buy was $10,327.83 on 1 Jan 2024 and the priciest $17,194.24 on 1 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2024$1,200$1,331+10.95%
31 Dec 2025$2,400$2,912+21.33%
22 Oct 2026$3,400$4,362+28.29%

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 2024 be worth today?
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2024 (34 buys, $3,400 in total) would be worth $4,362 today (+28.29%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2024?
Investing the same $3,400 in one go on 1 January 2024 would be worth $5,667 today (+66.67%), 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 2024?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 3.2% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 14 days (ending 23 Apr 2025).
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.