S&P 500 Performance Over 5 years
S&P 500 (SPX)
In the last 5 years, S&P 500 shifted from $4,186.72 to about $7,173.91. That equals roughly +71.3% total return and about 11.4% per year, annualized. In practical terms, this was a moderate-volatility stretch with a positive total.
Price today
$7,173.91
+71.3% over 5 years
What this means
- Same methodology as other performance pages—useful for apples-to-apples checks.
- This is one slice of history; other horizons may rank differently.
- Past performance does not guarantee future results.
S&P 500 5 years shows how price evolved over this period using historical daily closing prices, including total return and (when available) CAGR.
Investors often start with index performance to benchmark other assets, then use the Compare tool to see how they stack up side by side.
Who uses this comparison?
Asset allocators, ETF investors and retirement savers use index performance pages like this to plan broad market exposure and compare benchmarks.
Want to simulate an investment in S&P 500?
Use the S&P 500 Investment Calculator to test other lump sum or monthly investment scenarios.
Open S&P 500 CalculatorKey performance metrics
Data through 2026-04-27.
Price performance over time
Shows price growth and drawdowns over the period.
Historical context
This page summarizes the S&P 500’s historical performance over the selected period. Returns are shaped by earnings growth, valuation changes, sector leadership, and the broader economic environment.
Key takeaways
Performance insights
- S&P 500 returned +71.3% over 5 years
- Average annual return was +10.6%
- Worst drawdown was -25.4%
Yearly performance
About S&P 500
The S&P 500 is a stock market index of 500 large U.S. companies. It is widely used as a benchmark for U.S. equity performance.
The S&P 500 is often used as a core holding for diversified portfolios and as a benchmark when comparing other assets.
| From | 2021-04-27 |
| To | 2026-04-27 |
What this shows
Based on daily closing prices from 2021-04-27 to 2026-04-27.
How performance is measured
- Total return reflects the change in historical price over the selected period.
- CAGR shows the compound annual growth rate over the same time window.
- Maximum drawdown measures the largest peak-to-trough decline during the period.
- Volatility reflects how widely returns moved over time.
- Dividends and split adjustments may be included where supported by the data source and asset type.
- This page is for educational and informational purposes only.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Results are nominal and do not account for inflation.
Final verdict
This page is most useful for benchmarking how one asset performed over a defined period—especially total return, CAGR, and drawdown depth—so you can compare the same horizon across other assets here. Past performance is not a guarantee. Not financial advice.