S&P 500: What If You Had Invested?
Use the calculator with any investment amount and start date. Hypothetical returns use end-of-day closing prices for this index. Available history: Dec 30, 1927–May 5, 2026.
SPX
Historical extremes
What if you bought at the best or worst time? Check max profit, max drawdown, and total return since inception.
Max profit
+164,882%
(1,649 times)
- Buy
- Jun 1, 1932
- $4.4
- Sell
- May 5, 2026
- $7,259.21
Buying SPX at the best price and selling at the peak would have turned $1,000 into $1,649,820.45.
Max drawdown
86.19%
(fell to 14% of peak)
- Peak
- Sep 16, 1929
- $31.86
- Trough
- Jun 1, 1932
- $4.4
A $1,000 investment in SPX at the peak would have shrunk to $138.1 at the trough.
Return since Inception
+41,005%
(411.0 times)
- Inception
- Dec 30, 1927
- $17.66
- Current
- May 5, 2026
- $7,259.21
A $1,000 investment in SPX at inception would be worth $411,053.79 today.
Frequently asked questions
What is S&P 500 (SPX)'s all-time high (ATH) and all-time low (ATL)?
S&P 500 (SPX)'s all-time low (ATL) was $4.4 on Jun 1, 1932. The all-time high (ATH) was $7,259.21 on May 5, 2026.
What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (SPX) for maximum profit?
Buying S&P 500 (SPX) at the best price ($4.4 on Jun 1, 1932) and selling at the peak ($7,259.21 on May 5, 2026) would have turned $1,000 into $1,649,820.45. Historical return: +164,882.05% (1,649 times).
What are S&P 500 (SPX)'s best buy and sell dates for maximum profit?
The best buy date for S&P 500 (SPX) was Jun 1, 1932 at $4.4. The best sell date was May 5, 2026 at $7,259.21. This investment would have returned +164,882.05% (1,649 times).
What was S&P 500 (SPX)'s maximum drawdown?
S&P 500 (SPX)'s worst decline was 86.19% (fell to 14% of peak) from peak to trough. Peak: $31.86 on Sep 16, 1929. Trough: $4.4 on Jun 1, 1932. A $1,000 investment at the peak would have been worth $138.1 at the trough.
What if you bought S&P 500 (SPX) at inception?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (SPX) at inception ($17.66 on Dec 30, 1927) would be worth $411,053.79 today. Historical return: +41,005.38% (411.0 times). Latest closing level: $7,259.21 as of May 5, 2026.
What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (SPX) 5 years ago?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (SPX) 5 years ago ($4,167.59 on May 5, 2021) would be worth $1,741.82 today. Historical return: +74.18% (1.74 times). Latest closing level: $7,259.21 as of May 5, 2026.
What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (SPX) 10 years ago?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (SPX) 10 years ago ($2,050.63 on May 5, 2016) would be worth $3,539.99 today. Historical return: +254.00% (3.53 times). Latest closing level: $7,259.21 as of May 5, 2026.
What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (SPX) 20 years ago?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (SPX) 20 years ago ($1,325.76 on May 5, 2006) would be worth $5,475.51 today. Historical return: +447.55% (5.47 times). Latest closing level: $7,259.21 as of May 5, 2026.
Data & methodology
How is the return calculated?
We use daily end-of-day closing prices. The return reflects price change. Units bought = investment ÷ price on start date. Current value = units × latest price.
What is CAGR?
Compound Annual Growth Rate measures the average annual return over the holding period, accounting for compounding.
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