What If You Invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX)?

Enter any amount and start date. We use historical prices to show your hypothetical return.

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S&P 500

^GSPC / SPX

If I had invested

on this date

Historical extremes

What if you bought at the best or worst time? Check max profit, max drawdown, and total return since inception.

Max profit

+158,504%

(1,586 times)

Buy
Jun 1, 1932
$4.4
Sell
Jan 27, 2026
$6,978.59

Buying ^GSPC / SPX at the best price and selling at the peak would have turned $1,000 into $1,586,043.18.

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 ^GSPC / SPX at the peak would have shrunk to $138.1 at the trough.

Return since Inception

+36,743%

(368.4 times)

Inception
Dec 30, 1927
$17.66
Current
Mar 20, 2026
$6,506.49

A $1,000 investment in ^GSPC / SPX at inception would be worth $368,430.92 today.

Frequently asked questions

What is S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX)'s all-time high and all-time low?

S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX)'s all-time low was $4.4 on Jun 1, 1932. The all-time high was $6,978.59 on Jan 27, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) for maximum profit?

Buying S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) at the best price ($4.4 on Jun 1, 1932) and selling at the peak ($6,978.59 on Jan 27, 2026) would have turned $1,000 into $1,586,043.18. Historical return: +158,504.32% (1,586 times).

What are S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX)'s best buy and sell dates for maximum profit?

The best buy date for S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) was Jun 1, 1932 at $4.4. The best sell date was Jan 27, 2026 at $6,978.59. This investment would have returned +158,504.32% (1,586 times).

What was S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX)'s maximum drawdown?

S&P 500 (^GSPC / 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 (^GSPC / SPX) at inception?

A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) at inception ($17.66 on Dec 30, 1927) would be worth $368,430.92 today. Historical return: +36,743.09% (368.4 times). Latest closing level: $6,506.49 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 5 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 5 years ago ($3,913.1 on Mar 19, 2021) would be worth $1,662.75 today. Historical return: +66.27% (1.66 times). Latest closing level: $6,506.49 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 10 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 10 years ago ($2,049.58 on Mar 18, 2016) would be worth $3,174.55 today. Historical return: +217.45% (3.17 times). Latest closing level: $6,506.49 as of Mar 20, 2026.

What if you invested $1,000 in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 20 years ago?

A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 (^GSPC / SPX) 20 years ago ($1,305.08 on Mar 20, 2006) would be worth $4,985.51 today. Historical return: +398.55% (4.99 times). Latest closing level: $6,506.49 as of Mar 20, 2026.

Data & methodology

How is the return calculated?

We use daily closing prices from FMP (EOD full). 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.