OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
Ticker
SPYtracks the S&P 500 Index
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into SPY, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum ends with
$11,009
+10.09% · all in on day one
DCA ends with
$10,386
+7.72% on $5,000 paid in, plus $5,000 cash still waiting
Difference
+$623
Investing everything on day one won in 2026 so far.
Lump sum: $10,000 into SPY on day one
You invest the whole $10,000 at the start of 2026. Follow your balance month after month — the last column shows how many days that month jumped or fell 1% or more. The current month is still running, so it is not shown yet.
| Month | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $10,147 | +$147 | +1.47% | 2 |
| Feb | $10,060 | −$88 | -0.86% | 4 |
| Mar | $9,563 | −$497 | -4.94% | 9 |
| Apr | $10,568 | +$1,005 | +10.51% | 4 |
| May | $11,124 | +$556 | +5.26% | 3 |
| Jun | $11,009 | −$114 | -1.03% | 8 |
You invested
$10,000
all in on day one
You end with
$11,009
by the end of Jun 2026
Result
+$1,009
+10.09%
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into SPY every month
Instead of investing everything at once, you split the same $10,000 into 12 equal parts and invest $833 at the start of every month of 2026.
| Month | Paid in so far | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $833 | $846 | +$12 | +1.47% | 2 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,664 | −$15 | -0.86% | 4 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,374 | −$123 | -4.94% | 9 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,545 | +$337 | +10.51% | 4 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,608 | +$230 | +5.26% | 3 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,386 | −$56 | -1.03% | 8 |
You paid in
$5,000
$833 × 6 months
You end with
$5,386
by the end of Jun 2026
Gain
+$386
+7.72% on the money paid in