DCA history · S&P 500

S&P 500 DCA since 2019: $100 weekly

Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 since 1 January 2019 (408 buys, $40,800 in total) would be worth $73,507 today (+80.16%).

Backtest 1 January 2019 to 22 October 2026 · USD · no fees · live price. Change the amount, dates or fees →

Dollar-cost averaging

$73,507

+80.16% · +14.83%/yr

Invested
$40,800.00
Buys
408
Average cost
$4,262.31

Lump sum, day one

Winner

$124,982

+206.33%

Invested
$40,800.00
Bought at
$2,506.85
Max drawdown
33.92%

Perfect timing (hindsight)

$140,033

+243.22%

Bought on
23 Mar 2020
At a price of
$2,237.40
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 2.5% of days, with the longest unbroken stretch lasting 51 days (to 28 Apr 2020). The worst moment was 23 Mar 2020, when it was down 23.9% on what had been invested. It has been in profit continuously since 18 May 2020. The average cost per unit was $4,262.31 against a price today of $7,679.18 (+80.16%). The cheapest buy was $2,447.33 on 24 Mar 2020 and the priciest $7,818.93 on 6 Oct 2026.

Year by year

As ofInvestedWorthReturn
31 Dec 2019$5,300$5,900+11.32%
31 Dec 2020$10,500$12,978+23.60%
31 Dec 2021$15,700$22,301+42.05%
31 Dec 2022$20,900$22,859+9.37%
31 Dec 2023$26,100$34,205+31.05%
31 Dec 2024$31,400$47,949+52.70%
31 Dec 2025$36,600$61,567+68.22%
22 Oct 2026$40,800$73,507+80.16%

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.

Same plan every month instead →

Frequently asked questions

How much would $100 every week in S&P 500 since 2019 be worth today?
Investing $100 every week into S&P 500 since 1 January 2019 (408 buys, $40,800 in total) would be worth $73,507 today (+80.16%).
Was DCA better than a lump sum for S&P 500 since 2019?
Investing the same $40,800 in one go on 1 January 2019 would be worth $124,982 today (+206.33%), 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 2019?
The plan was worth less than the money invested on 2.5% of days, with the longest stretch lasting 51 days (ending 28 Apr 2020).
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.