DCA history · S&P 500 (Total Return)

S&P 500 (Total Return) DCA since 2021: $100 weekly

Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2021 (303 buys, $30,300 in total) would be worth $49,116 today (+62.10%).

Backtest 1 January 2021 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$49,116

+62.10% · +16.70%/yr

Invested
$30,300.00
Buys
303
Average cost
$10,625.21

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$67,257

+121.97%

Invested
$30,300.00
Bought at
$7,759.35
Max drawdown
24.49%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$68,767

+126.95%

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 15.9% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 159 days (to 31 Jan 2023). The worst moment was 12 Oct 2022, when it was down 13.7% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 5 May 2023. The average cost per unit was $10,625.21 against a price today of $17,223.37 (+62.10%). The cheapest buy was $7,602.99 on 14 Oct 2022 and the priciest $17,525.23 on 9 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2021$5,300$5,982+12.87%
31 Dec 2022$10,500$9,843-6.25%
31 Dec 2023$15,700$18,275+16.40%
31 Dec 2024$20,900$28,542+36.56%
31 Dec 2025$26,100$39,453+51.16%
22 Oct 2026$30,300$49,116+62.10%

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 2021 be worth today?
Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 (Total Return) since 1 January 2021 (303 buys, $30,300 in total) would be worth $49,116 today (+62.10%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 (Total Return) since 2021?
Investing the same $30,300 in one go on 1 January 2021 would be worth $67,257 today (+121.97%), 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 2021?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 15.9% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 159 days (ending 31 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.