DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)

S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2020: $100 weekly

Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2020 (356 buys, $35,600 in total) would be worth $62,997 today (+76.96%).

Backtest 1 January 2020 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$62,997

+76.96% · +16.66%/yr

Invested
$35,600.00
Buys
356
Average cost
$9,732.97

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$93,560

+162.81%

Invested
$35,600.00
Bought at
$6,553.57
Max drawdown
33.79%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$134,478

+277.75%

Bought on
23 Mar 2020
At a price of
$4,559.50
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 4.6% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 84 days (to 17 May 2020). The worst moment was 23 Mar 2020, when it was down 28.2% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 21 Oct 2022. The average cost per unit was $9,732.97 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+76.96%). The cheapest buy was $4,885.78 on 18 Mar 2020 and the priciest $17,501.21 on 7 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2020$5,300$6,290+18.67%
31 Dec 2021$10,500$13,969+33.03%
31 Dec 2022$15,700$16,369+4.26%
31 Dec 2023$20,900$26,535+26.96%
31 Dec 2024$26,100$38,884+48.98%
31 Dec 2025$31,400$51,732+64.75%
22 Oct 2026$35,600$62,997+76.96%

Try a different start

Weekly $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 month instead →

Frequently asked questions

How much would $100 every week in S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2020 be worth today?
Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2020 (356 buys, $35,600 in total) would be worth $62,997 today (+76.96%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2020?
Investing the same $35,600 in one go on 1 January 2020 would be worth $93,560 today (+162.81%), 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 2020?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 4.6% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 84 days (ending 17 May 2020).
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.