What Is the Average Stock Market Return? - NerdWallet (2024)

FAQs

What Is the Average Stock Market Return? - NerdWallet? ›

The average stock market return is about 10% per year, as measured by the S&P 500 index. In some years, the market returns more than that, and in other years, it returns less. The S&P 500 index comprises about 500 of America's largest publicly traded companies and is a benchmark for annual returns.

Stock Market Average Yearly Return for the Last 30 Years

The average yearly return of the S&P 500 is 9.773% over the last 30 years, as of the end of April 2023. This assumes dividends are reinvested. Adjusted for inflation, the 30-year average stock market return (including dividends) is 7.085%.

Here's a sample breakdown of stock market returns over time, assuming you invested $100 at the beginning of the time period listed: 40 Years (1982 – 2022): 11.6% annual return. 30 Years (1992 – 2022): 9.64% annual return. 20 Years (2002 – 2022): 8.14% annual return.

10% Return for S&P 500 a Real Possibility by End of 2023

Earnings drive stock prices. And in today's market, with its newfound emphasis on fundamentals, earnings really matter. Short of a recession — a very real possibility — consensus estimates are for about 5% earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in 2023.

S&P 500 Monthly Return is at 1.46%, compared to 3.51% last month and -8.80% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 0.50%. The S&P 500 Monthly Return is the investment return received each month, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

If you invested $100 in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 1930, you would have about $566,135.36 at the end of 2023, assuming you reinvested all dividends. This is a return on investment of 566,035.36%, or 9.71% per year.

S&P 500 5 Year Return is at 54.51%, compared to 57.45% last month and 71.33% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 44.37%. The S&P 500 5 Year Return is the investment return received for a 5 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

What Is the Average 401(k) Return Over 20 Years? The average rate of return on a 401(k) ranges from 5% to 8%.

But while you may be aware of how much money goes into your 401(k) every month, do you know what the average return on a 401(k) investment is? The answer is typically 5% to 8% per year.

Basic Info. S&P 500 10 Year Return is at 156.3%, compared to 161.0% last month and 215.4% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 112.6%.

Will stock market recover in 2024? ›

One of Wall Street's most vocal bears expects the stock market to fully recover its losses and trade to record highs in 2024. "This is not the end of the world.

"In the first half of 2023, the S&P 500 is expected to re-test the lows of 2022, but a pivot from the Federal Reserve could drive an asset recovery later in the year, pushing the S&P 500 to 4,200 by year-end," the investment bank said in a research note.

Looking ahead to second-quarter reports, analysts are calling for S&P 500 earnings to fall 6.4% compared to a year ago. Fortunately, analysts are projecting S&P 500 earnings growth will rebound back into positive territory in the second half of 2023.

Expectations for return from the stock market

Most investors would view an average annual rate of return of 10% or more as a good ROI for long-term investments in the stock market. However, keep in mind that this is an average. Some years will deliver lower returns -- perhaps even negative returns.

Basic Info. S&P 500 1 Year Return is at 1.15%, compared to 0.91% last month and -1.71% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 6.29%. The S&P 500 1 Year Return is the investment return received for a 1 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

And if you had put $1,000 into the S&P 500 about a decade ago, the amount would have more than tripled to $3,217 as of April 20, according to CNBC's calculations.

With that, you could expect your $10,000 investment to grow to $34,000 in 20 years.

Think about this: If you invested $10,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 1980 and left the money untouched until 2022, you'd have accumulated nearly $1.1 million by the end of last year, according to the Hartford Funds. The S&P 500 has an annualized total return of more than 12% over the last decade.

S&P 500 3 Year Return (I:SP5003YR)

S&P 500 3 Year Return is at 37.30%, compared to 43.16% last month and 50.15% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 22.95%. The S&P 500 3 Year Return is the investment return received for a 3 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

What is the S&P 500 2 year return? ›

Basic Info. S&P 500 2 Year Return is at -0.58%, compared to -0.28% last month and 35.73% last year.

To get more clarity about your particular situation, think in terms of the 6 percent rule. As a general guide, if your monthly pension check equals 6 percent or more of the lump-sum offer, then you may want to go for the perpetual monthly payment.

By age 50, you should have six times your salary in an account. By age 60, you should have eight times your salary working for you. By age 67, your total savings total goal is 10 times the amount of your current annual salary. So, for example, if you're earning $75,000 per year, you should have $750,000 saved.

401k investments do not double every ten years. However, with smart investments and compounding interest, 401k investments can grow significantly over ten years.

However, regardless of your age and expectations, most financial advisors agree that 10% to 20% of your salary is a good amount to contribute toward your retirement fund.

Many employers match as much as 50 cents on the dollar, on up to 6% of your salary. Most advisors recommend contributing enough to get the maximum match. Turning down free money doesn't make sense unless the fund is so bad that you're losing most of it to fees and substandard returns.

What is a good 401(k) rate of return? The average 401(k) rate of return ranges from 5% to 8% per year for a portfolio that's 60% invested in stocks and 40% invested in bonds. Of course, this is just an average that financial planners suggest using to estimate returns.

The index acts as a benchmark of the performance of the U.S. stock market overall, dating back to the 1920s. The index has returned a historic annualized average return of around 11.88% since its 1957 inception through the end of 2021.

The mean total yearly returns (including dividends) of the S&P 500 from 1996 to mid-June 2022 is 9 percent in nominal terms, or 6.8 percent in real terms—in line with historical results. There were fluctuations, of course.

The actual rate of return is largely dependent on the types of investments you select. The Standard & Poor's 500® (S&P 500®) for the 10 years ending December 31^st 2022, had an annual compounded rate of return of 12.6%, including reinvestment of dividends.

What will 2023 look like for the stock market? ›

For calendar-year 2023, the consensus earnings estimate is for a 2% contraction. But that estimate is still coming down, and based on historical patterns, could continue to do so.

S&P 500 6 Month Return is at 2.44%, compared to 7.68% last month and -9.52% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 3.04%.

S&P 500 10 Years Forecast (Until 2032)

In terms of a price target, Bank of America is targeting S&P 500 5,150 to 8,700 with its S&P 500 price forecast for 2030, but it is worth noting that some others are calling for a move as high as 10,000 by the time we get to 2032.

PUBLISHED: June 8, 2023 at 5:34 p.m. | UPDATED: June 8, 2023 at 6:09 p.m. The S&P 500 is now in what Wall Street refers to as a bull market, meaning the index has risen 20% or more from its most recent low. Here are some answers to questions about bull and bear markets: WHY IT IS CALLED A BULL MARKET?

So, if you're asking yourself if now is a good time to buy stocks, advisors say the answer is simple, no matter what's happening in the markets: Yes, as long as you're planning to invest for the long-term, are starting with small amounts invested through dollar-cost averaging and you're investing in highly diversified ...

In a nutshell, nobody knows when the stock market will recover and start reaching new all-time highs. It could happen in a year or so if things go very well economically, or it could take several years. After the dot-com crash, it took some solid companies a long time to get back to where they were.

Stocks expected to rise over next year

Through the first quarter of 2024, analysts expect the S&P 500 to climb 8 percent, to 4,289 from 3,970.99 when the survey closed on March 24. That follows a year of optimism in 2022, when each quarterly survey predicted that the market would be higher in a year.

Analysts are forecasting full-year profit growth for 2023 of just 1.2%. At the same time, the S&P 500's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio is now at 19 compared with 17 at the end of 2022 and a long-term average of about 16, according to Refinitiv data.

The majority of the time, the index bounces back strongly after its down years, and that bodes well for investors in 2023. Excluding the two instances mentioned above, it has returned an average of 23.4% in the years immediately following a loss. If history repeats, the S&P 500 could finish 2023 at 4,718.

According to conventional wisdom, an annual ROI of approximately 7% or greater is considered a good ROI for an investment in stocks. This is also about the average annual return of the S&P 500, accounting for inflation. Because this is an average, some years your return may be higher; some years they may be lower.

Can I live off the interest of 1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

A good return on investment is generally considered to be about 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, and adjusting for inflation.

Over the long run, the S&P 500 has returned about 10% annually to investors on average vs. just 3% or 4% for real estate. Take Our Poll: What Are Your Financial Priorities in 2023?

The average yearly return of the S&P 500 is 10.359% over the last 100 years, as of the end of April 2023. This assumes dividends are reinvested. Dividends account for about 40% of the total gain over this period. Adjusted for inflation, the 100-year average stock market return (including dividends) is 7.219%.

Looking at the S&P 500 for the years 1992 to 2021, the average stock market return for the last 30 years is 9.89% (7.31% when adjusted for inflation).

The stock market rate of return averages 10% per year over time, but it rarely hits that every year. Some years go into the red, while others hit 20+%. Inflation factors in because it determines your buying power. Still, even with high years like 2022, the average inflation over time is around 2%.

Over the past 30 years, the S&P 500 index has delivered a compound average annual growth rate of 10.7% per year.

The index has returned a historic annualized average return of around 11.88% since its 1957 inception through the end of 2021.

Using Shiller's data, since 1971 the S&P 500 has delivered an annualized return of 7.58%—or 10.51% with dividends reinvested. Investors who keep their money at work in the S&P 500 have been able to enjoy an annualized stock market return of around 10% over the long haul.

What is the S&P rate of return for the last 30 years? ›

Average Market Return for the Last 30 Years

Looking at the S&P 500 for the years 1992 to 2021, the average stock market return for the last 30 years is 9.89% (7.31% when adjusted for inflation).

Basic Info. S&P 500 10 Year Return is at 156.3%, compared to 161.0% last month and 215.4% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 112.6%.

We do not think now is a good time to invest heavily in the S&P 500 if you have a short- to medium-term horizon. We underweight equities in our broader Asset Allocation framework because inflation is still high, and we do not think the Federal Reserve has finished hiking despite market expectations of cuts in 2023.

Many retirement planners suggest the typical 401(k) portfolio generates an average annual return of 5% to 8% based on market conditions. But your 401(k) return depends on different factors like your contributions, investment selection and fees.

However, regardless of your age and expectations, most financial advisors agree that 10% to 20% of your salary is a good amount to contribute toward your retirement fund.

Highlights: 5.8% nominal (2.3% real) returns for U.S. large caps during the next 10 years; 4.8% nominal (1.2% real) returns for aggregate U.S. bonds (Dec. 31, 2022; valuation-dependent model). Research Affiliates' return expectations for the major asset classes have increased substantially over the past year.

The average return one year after a 25% or more decline is far above average: Since 1960, there have been eight declines in the S&P 500 of 25% or more (the current decline would make it 9). One year later, the average return is nearly 23%.

A good return on investment is generally considered to be about 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, and adjusting for inflation. But of course what one investor considers a good return might not be ideal for someone else.