DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2011: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2011 (190 buys, $19,000 in total) would be worth $57,548 today (+202.88%).
Backtest 1 January 2011 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$57,548
+202.88% · +12.85%/yr
- Invested
- $19,000.00
- Buys
- 190
- Average cost
- $2,535.36
Lump sum, day one
Winner$116,014
+510.60%
- Invested
- $19,000.00
- Bought at
- $1,257.64
- Max drawdown
- 33.92%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$132,733
+598.60%
- Bought on
- 3 Oct 2011
- At a price of
- $1,099.23
- 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 3.4% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 92 days (to 26 Oct 2011). The worst moment was 8 Aug 2011, when it was down 14.7% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 6 Jun 2012. The average cost per unit was $2,535.36 against a price today of $7,679.18 (+202.88%). The cheapest buy was $1,131.42 on 1 Oct 2011 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2011 | $1,200 | $1,186 | -1.15% |
| 31 Dec 2012 | $2,400 | $2,594 | +8.06% |
| 31 Dec 2013 | $3,600 | $4,735 | +31.54% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $4,800 | $6,560 | +36.67% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $6,000 | $7,708 | +28.47% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $7,200 | $9,729 | +35.12% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $8,400 | $12,939 | +54.03% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $9,600 | $13,225 | +37.76% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $10,800 | $18,395 | +70.32% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $12,000 | $22,823 | +90.19% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $13,200 | $30,325 | +129.73% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $14,400 | $25,545 | +77.40% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $15,600 | $33,084 | +112.08% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $16,800 | $42,117 | +150.69% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $18,000 | $50,351 | +179.73% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $19,000 | $57,548 | +202.88% |
Try a different start
Monthly $100 into S&P 500, 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much would $100 every month in S&P 500 since 2011 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2011 (190 buys, $19,000 in total) would be worth $57,548 today (+202.88%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2011?
- Investing the same $19,000 in one go on 1 January 2011 would be worth $116,014 today (+510.60%), 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 DCA underwater since 2011?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 3.4% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 92 days (ending 26 Oct 2011).