DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2024: $100 monthly
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2024 (34 buys, $3,400 in total) would be worth $4,282 today (+25.95%).
Backtest 1 January 2024 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$4,282
+25.95% · +16.81%/yr
- Invested
- $3,400.00
- Buys
- 34
- Average cost
- $6,093.63
Lump sum, day one
Winner$5,471
+60.90%
- Invested
- $3,400.00
- Bought at
- $4,769.83
- Max drawdown
- 18.9%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$5,565
+63.69%
- Bought on
- 4 Jan 2024
- At a price of
- $4,688.68
- 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 3.3% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 21 days (to 23 Apr 2025). The worst moment was 8 Apr 2025, when it was down 8.8% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 24 Apr 2025. The average cost per unit was $6,093.63 against a price today of $7,674.76 (+25.95%). The cheapest buy was $4,769.83 on 1 Jan 2024 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2024 | $1,200 | $1,321 | +10.10% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $2,400 | $2,871 | +19.61% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $3,400 | $4,282 | +25.95% |
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 2024 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2024 (34 buys, $3,400 in total) would be worth $4,282 today (+25.95%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2024?
- Investing the same $3,400 in one go on 1 January 2024 would be worth $5,471 today (+60.90%), 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 2024?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 3.3% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 21 days (ending 23 Apr 2025).