OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
SCHD
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into SCHD, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum: $10,000 into SCHD on day one
You invest the whole $10,000 at the start of 2026. Follow your balance month after month — the last column shows how many days that month jumped or fell 1% or more. The current month is still running, so it is not shown yet.
| Month | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $10,871 | +$871 | +8.71% | 5 |
| Feb | $11,582 | +$711 | +6.54% | 4 |
| Mar | $11,279 | −$303 | -2.61% | 1 |
| Apr | $11,790 | +$511 | +4.53% | 3 |
| May | $11,949 | +$158 | +1.34% | 3 |
| Jun | $11,751 | −$198 | -1.65% | 1 |
| Jul | $12,403 | +$652 | +5.55% | 6 |
| Aug | $12,929 | +$526 | +4.24% | 1 |
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into SCHD every month
Instead of investing everything at once, you split the same $10,000 into 12 equal parts and invest $833 at the start of every month of 2026.
| Month | Paid in so far | Your balance | Change that month | Change in % | Big days (±1%+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $833 | $906 | +$73 | +8.71% | 5 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,853 | +$114 | +6.54% | 4 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,616 | −$70 | -2.61% | 1 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,606 | +$156 | +4.53% | 3 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,499 | +$60 | +1.34% | 3 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,244 | −$88 | -1.65% | 1 |
| Jul | $5,833 | $6,414 | +$337 | +5.55% | 6 |
| Aug | $6,667 | $7,555 | +$307 | +4.24% | 1 |
Wondering when during the year to invest? The seasonality breakdown shows the average return of every calendar month and whether the day of the month you buy on matters.