DCA history · S&P 500

S&P 500 DCA since 2022: $100 monthly

Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2022 (58 buys, $5,800 in total) would be worth $8,684 today (+49.73%).

Backtest 1 January 2022 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$8,684

+49.73% · +16.90%/yr

Invested
$5,800.00
Buys
58
Average cost
$5,125.86

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$9,339

+61.03%

Invested
$5,800.00
Bought at
$4,766.18
Max drawdown
25.43%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$12,444

+114.56%

Bought on
12 Oct 2022
At a price of
$3,577.03
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 24.6% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 166 days (to 31 Jan 2023). The worst moment was 16 Jun 2022, when it was down 16.4% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 30 Oct 2023. The average cost per unit was $5,125.86 against a price today of $7,674.76 (+49.73%). The cheapest buy was $3,585.62 on 1 Oct 2022 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2022$1,200$1,116-6.97%
31 Dec 2023$2,400$2,736+13.99%
31 Dec 2024$3,600$4,695+30.41%
31 Dec 2025$4,800$6,797+41.60%
22 Oct 2026$5,800$8,684+49.73%

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.

Same plan every week instead →

Frequently asked questions

How much would $100 every month in S&P 500 since 2022 be worth today?
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2022 (58 buys, $5,800 in total) would be worth $8,684 today (+49.73%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2022?
Investing the same $5,800 in one go on 1 January 2022 would be worth $9,339 today (+61.03%), 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 2022?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 24.6% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 166 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. This is the price index, which excludes dividends; see the total return version for dividends reinvested.