DCA history · S&P 500
S&P 500 DCA since 2013: $100 weekly
Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 since 1 January 2013 (721 buys, $72,100 in total) would be worth $188,546 today (+161.51%).
Backtest 1 January 2013 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →
Dollar-cost averaging
$188,546
+161.51% · +13.01%/yr
- Invested
- $72,100.00
- Buys
- 721
- Average cost
- $2,936.86
Lump sum, day one
Winner$388,261
+438.50%
- Invested
- $72,100.00
- Bought at
- $1,426.19
- Max drawdown
- 33.92%
Perfect timing (hindsight)
$388,261
+438.50%
- Bought on
- 1 Jan 2013
- At a price of
- $1,426.19
- 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 0.1% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 4 days (to 11 Feb 2016). The worst moment was 11 Feb 2016, when it was down 1.5% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 12 Feb 2016. The average cost per unit was $2,936.86 against a price today of $7,680.08 (+161.51%). The cheapest buy was $1,426.19 on 1 Jan 2013 and the priciest $7,818.93 on 6 Oct 2026.
Year by year
| As of | Invested | Worth | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2013 | $5,300 | $5,985 | +12.93% |
| 31 Dec 2014 | $10,500 | $12,214 | +16.33% |
| 31 Dec 2015 | $15,700 | $17,293 | +10.15% |
| 31 Dec 2016 | $20,900 | $24,516 | +17.30% |
| 31 Dec 2017 | $26,100 | $34,971 | +33.99% |
| 31 Dec 2018 | $31,300 | $37,547 | +19.96% |
| 31 Dec 2019 | $36,600 | $54,290 | +48.33% |
| 31 Dec 2020 | $41,800 | $69,235 | +65.63% |
| 31 Dec 2021 | $47,000 | $93,688 | +99.34% |
| 31 Dec 2022 | $52,200 | $80,366 | +53.96% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | $57,400 | $105,646 | +84.05% |
| 31 Dec 2024 | $62,700 | $136,042 | +116.97% |
| 31 Dec 2025 | $67,900 | $164,097 | +141.68% |
| 22 Oct 2026 | $72,100 | $188,546 | +161.51% |
Try a different start
Weekly $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 week in S&P 500 since 2013 be worth today?
- Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 since 1 January 2013 (721 buys, $72,100 in total) would be worth $188,546 today (+161.51%).
- Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2013?
- Investing the same $72,100 in one go on 1 January 2013 would be worth $388,261 today (+438.50%), 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 2013?
- The plan was worth less than the money invested on 0.1% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 4 days (ending 11 Feb 2016).