DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2023: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2023 (46 buys, $4,600 in total) would be worth $6,453 today (+40.27%).
Backtest 1 January 2023 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$6,453
+40.27% · +18.09%/yr
- Invested
- $4,600.00
- Buys
- 46
- Average cost
- $5,471.28
Lump sum, day one
Winner$9,195
+99.89%
- Invested
- $4,600.00
- Bought at
- $3,839.50
- Max drawdown
- 18.9%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$9,271
+101.54%
- Bought on
- 5 Jan 2023
- At a price of
- $3,808.10
- 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 2% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 12 days (to 20 Mar 2023). The worst moment was 13 Mar 2023, when it was down 2.8% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 1 Nov 2023. The average cost per unit was $5,471.28 against a price today of $7,674.76 (+40.27%). The cheapest buy was $3,839.50 on 1 Jan 2023 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2023 | $1,200 | $1,349 | +12.41% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $2,400 | $2,985 | +24.36% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $3,600 | $4,806 | +33.51% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $4,600 | $6,453 | +40.27% |
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 2023 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2023 (46 buys, $4,600 in total) would be worth $6,453 today (+40.27%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2023?
- Investing the same $4,600 in one go on 1 January 2023 would be worth $9,195 today (+99.89%), 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 2023?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 2% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 12 days (ending 20 Mar 2023).