OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
Ticker
VTVtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into VTV, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum ends with
$11,530
+15.30% · all in on day one
DCA ends with
$10,439
+8.79% on $5,000 paid in, plus $5,000 cash still waiting
Difference
+$1,091
Investing everything on day one won in 2026 so far.
Lump sum: $10,000 into VTV 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 | $10,459 | +$459 | +4.59% | 3 |
| Feb | $10,852 | +$393 | +3.76% | 2 |
| Mar | $10,330 | −$522 | -4.81% | 6 |
| Apr | $10,887 | +$557 | +5.39% | 2 |
| May | $11,154 | +$267 | +2.45% | 1 |
| Jun | $11,530 | +$377 | +3.38% | 4 |
You invested
$10,000
all in on day one
You end with
$11,530
by the end of Jun 2026
Result
+$1,530
+15.30%
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into VTV 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 | $872 | +$38 | +4.59% | 3 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,769 | +$64 | +3.76% | 2 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,477 | −$125 | -4.81% | 6 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,489 | +$179 | +5.39% | 2 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,428 | +$106 | +2.45% | 1 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,439 | +$178 | +3.38% | 4 |
You paid in
$5,000
$833 × 6 months
You end with
$5,439
by the end of Jun 2026
Gain
+$439
+8.79% on the money paid in