Missing the S&P 500's 10 Best Days in 20 Years Cut a $10,000 Investment's Ending Value by More Than Half
Key PointsA $10,000 investment in an S&P 500 fund 20 years ago grew to around $82,300 with dividends reinvested.
Over the past two decades, investors who missed the 10 best days of the S&P 500 have seen their initial $10,000 investment's value drop by more than half, ending at around $35,700 instead of $82,300. These key days include the October 2008 rebound of 14.5%, the March 2020 recovery of 8.5%, and the April 2025 bounce of 10.5%. The S&P 500 ETF experienced its worst days alongside these gains, with declines reaching 10.9% and 9.6% in March 2020.
While missed days were concentrated during market downturns, investors who avoided the 10 best days altogether would have ended with around $84,300. Despite the allure of potentially higher returns, it appears challenging to avoid both bad and good days without also missing some of the best.
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