OriginaveMonthly returns
Follow a $10,000 investment through the year — your balance at the end of every month, in dollars and percent.
VTV
Which strategy won in 2026 so far?
Same $10,000 into VTV, two ways: everything on day one (lump sum), or $833 at the start of every month (dollar-cost averaging).
Lump sum: $10,000 into VTV 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 | $10,459 | +$459 | +4.59% | 3 |
| Feb | $10,852 | +$393 | +3.76% | 2 |
| Mar | $10,330 | −$522 | -4.81% | 6 |
| Apr | $10,887 | +$557 | +5.39% | 2 |
| May | $11,154 | +$267 | +2.45% | 1 |
| Jun | $11,530 | +$377 | +3.38% | 4 |
| Jul | $11,637 | +$107 | +0.93% | 1 |
| Aug | $11,896 | +$259 | +2.23% | 1 |
Dollar-cost averaging: $833 into VTV 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 | $872 | +$38 | +4.59% | 3 |
| Feb | $1,667 | $1,769 | +$64 | +3.76% | 2 |
| Mar | $2,500 | $2,477 | −$125 | -4.81% | 6 |
| Apr | $3,333 | $3,489 | +$179 | +5.39% | 2 |
| May | $4,167 | $4,428 | +$106 | +2.45% | 1 |
| Jun | $5,000 | $5,439 | +$178 | +3.38% | 4 |
| Jul | $5,833 | $6,331 | +$58 | +0.93% | 1 |
| Aug | $6,667 | $7,324 | +$160 | +2.23% | 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.