S&P 500 Equal Weight
IndexWhat is the S&P 500 Equal Weight YTD return in 2026?
The S&P 500 Equal Weight is up +16.13% year to date with dividends reinvested (total return through Aug 28, 2026), or +15.19% on price alone — dividends have added 0.94 points so far. RSP started the year at $191.56 and closed at $220.66. That makes 2026 the 4th best start in 23 years of data through this date.
Price return vs total return#
Total return assumes distributions are reinvested; price return measures only the change in the ETF's share price. The 0.94 percentage-point gap is the contribution from dividends so far this year.
2026 YTD daily chart#
Daily total return since the final market close of 2025, with dividends reinvested.
- High of the year
- +17.2% · Aug 14, 2026
- Low of the year
- -1.4% · Mar 30, 2026
- Max drawdown YTD
- -7.9%
- All-time-high closes
- 39 days
How 2026 compares with previous years#
Every year is measured through Aug 28 — the same calendar date as the current result — so the comparison is not skewed by full-year outcomes.
Years that looked like this one
The five closest starts to 2026's +16.1%, each traced through its full year — labels show how each finished. 2026's path so far is the bold line.
2019 (+14.5% then → finished +28.9%) · 2013 (+19.0% then → finished +35.5%) · 2012 (+11.4% then → finished +16.7%) · 2024 (+11.1% then → finished +12.8%) · 2016 (+10.2% then → finished +14.5%).
Every year's YTD return through the same date#
Ranked by total return through Aug 28, with each completed calendar year's final return alongside it.
Best starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | +30.9% | +44.6% |
| 2021 | +23.7% | +29.4% |
| 2013 | +19.0% | +35.5% |
| 2026 (now) | +16.1% | — |
| 2019 | +14.5% | +28.9% |
Worst starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -10.6% | -11.6% |
| 2008 | -7.9% | -40.1% |
| 2011 | -7.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | -3.4% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | -1.6% | +12.7% |
| Rank | Year | YTD through this date | Full-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | +30.9% | +44.6% |
| 2 | 2021 | +23.7% | +29.4% |
| 3 | 2013 | +19.0% | +35.5% |
| 4 | 2026 (now) | +16.1% | — |
| 5 | 2019 | +14.5% | +28.9% |
| 6 | 2012 | +11.4% | +16.7% |
| 7 | 2024 | +11.1% | +12.8% |
| 8 | 2016 | +10.2% | +14.5% |
| 9 | 2014 | +10.0% | +14.1% |
| 10 | 2025 | +8.7% | +11.2% |
| 11 | 2017 | +7.4% | +18.5% |
| 12 | 2018 | +7.1% | -7.8% |
| 13 | 2023 | +6.0% | +13.7% |
| 14 | 2006 | +4.6% | +15.5% |
| 15 | 2005 | +2.8% | +7.4% |
| 16 | 2004 | +1.5% | +16.5% |
| 17 | 2007 | +1.2% | +0.9% |
| 18 | 2010 | +0.0% | +21.4% |
| 19 | 2020 | -1.6% | +12.7% |
| 20 | 2015 | -3.4% | -2.7% |
| 21 | 2011 | -7.0% | -0.7% |
| 22 | 2008 | -7.9% | -40.1% |
| 23 | 2022 | -10.6% | -11.6% |
2026 monthly YTD chart#
Each bar is one calendar month's total return; the current month runs through Aug 28, 2026.
2026 YTD return by month#
Monthly total return and the compounded year-to-date result after each month.
| Month | Monthly return | Cumulative YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | +3.4% | +3.4% |
| Feb | +3.5% | +7.0% |
| Mar | -6.0% | +0.6% |
| Apr | +6.0% | +6.7% |
| May | +2.6% | +9.5% |
| Jun | +2.4% | +12.1% |
| Jul | +0.9% | +13.2% |
| Aug | +2.6% | +16.1% |
Notes & related#
Returns are computed from RSP (the S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF): total return uses dividend-adjusted closes, price return uses split-adjusted closes only. “YTD through the same date” compares each year at the identical month-day, so early-year rankings aren't skewed by full-year outcomes. Data updates after each market close.
Keep going: S&P 500 Equal Weight returns by year, monthly returns, or the drawdown record.