DCA history · S&P 500

S&P 500 DCA since 2025: $100 monthly

Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2025 (22 buys, $2,200 in total) would be worth $2,558 today (+16.28%).

Backtest 1 January 2025 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$2,558

+16.28% · +17.11%/yr

Invested
$2,200.00
Buys
22
Average cost
$6,600.23

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$2,871

+30.49%

Invested
$2,200.00
Bought at
$5,881.63
Max drawdown
18.9%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$3,389

+54.03%

Bought on
8 Apr 2025
At a price of
$4,982.77
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 13% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 76 days (to 11 May 2025). The worst moment was 8 Apr 2025, when it was down 15.2% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 27 May 2025. The average cost per unit was $6,600.23 against a price today of $7,674.76 (+16.28%). The cheapest buy was $5,604.14 on 1 May 2025 and the priciest $7,666.45 on 1 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2025$1,200$1,333+11.07%
22 Oct 2026$2,200$2,558+16.28%

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 2025 be worth today?
Investing $100 every month into S&P 500 since 1 January 2025 (22 buys, $2,200 in total) would be worth $2,558 today (+16.28%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2025?
Investing the same $2,200 in one go on 1 January 2025 would be worth $2,871 today (+30.49%), 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 2025?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 13% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 76 days (ending 11 May 2025).
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.