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S&P 500 monthly returns

S&P 500 has averaged 0.94% per month, positive in 65% of months. Month-by-month returns for the S&P 500 (proxied by SPY, dividends reinvested) below, through September 8, 2026 — the table lists the most recent months; the bar chart plots the last 5 years.

Total return
Average month
+0.9%
393 months
Best month
+12.7%
Apr 2020
Worst month
-16.5%
Oct 2008
Positive months
65%
of all months

S&P 500 monthly returns#

S&P 500 total return by month
MonthTotal return
Sep 2026
-0.1%
Aug 2026
+2.7%
Jul 2026
+0.1%
Jun 2026
-1.0%
May 2026
+5.3%
Apr 2026
+10.5%
Mar 2026
-4.9%
Feb 2026
-0.9%
Jan 2026
+1.5%
Dec 2025
+0.1%
Nov 2025
+0.2%
Oct 2025
+2.4%
Sep 2025
+3.6%
Aug 2025
+2.1%
Jul 2025
+2.3%
Jun 2025
+5.1%
May 2025
+6.3%
Apr 2025
-0.9%
Mar 2025
-5.6%
Feb 2025
-1.3%
Jan 2025
+2.7%
Dec 2024
-2.4%
Nov 2024
+6.0%
Oct 2024
-0.9%
Sep 2024
+2.1%
Aug 2024
+2.3%
Jul 2024
+1.2%
Jun 2024
+3.5%
May 2024
+5.1%
Apr 2024
-4.0%
Mar 2024
+3.3%
Feb 2024
+5.2%
Jan 2024
+1.6%
Dec 2023
+4.6%
Nov 2023
+9.1%
Oct 2023
-2.2%
Sep 2023
-4.7%
Aug 2023
-1.6%
Jul 2023
+3.3%
Jun 2023
+6.5%
May 2023
+0.5%
Apr 2023
+1.6%
Mar 2023
+3.7%
Feb 2023
-2.5%
Jan 2023
+6.3%
Dec 2022
-5.8%
Nov 2022
+5.6%
Oct 2022
+8.1%
Sep 2022
-9.2%
Aug 2022
-4.1%
Jul 2022
+9.2%
Jun 2022
-8.2%
May 2022
+0.2%
Apr 2022
-8.8%
Mar 2022
+3.8%
Feb 2022
-3.0%
Jan 2022
-5.3%
Dec 2021
+4.6%
Nov 2021
-0.8%
Oct 2021
+7.0%
Sep 2021
-4.7%
Aug 2021
+3.0%
Jul 2021
+2.4%
Jun 2021
+2.2%
May 2021
+0.7%
Apr 2021
+5.3%
Mar 2021
+4.5%
Feb 2021
+2.8%
Jan 2021
-1.0%
Dec 2020
+3.7%
Nov 2020
+10.9%
Oct 2020
-2.5%
Sep 2020
-3.7%
Aug 2020
+7.0%
Jul 2020
+5.9%
Jun 2020
+1.8%
May 2020
+4.8%
Apr 2020
+12.7%
Mar 2020
-12.5%
Feb 2020
-7.9%
Jan 2020
-0.0%
Dec 2019
+2.9%
Nov 2019
+3.6%
Oct 2019
+2.2%
Sep 2019
+1.9%
Aug 2019
-1.7%
Jul 2019
+1.5%
Jun 2019
+7.0%
May 2019
-6.4%
Apr 2019
+4.1%
Mar 2019
+1.8%
Feb 2019
+3.2%
Jan 2019
+8.0%
Dec 2018
-8.8%
Nov 2018
+1.9%
Oct 2018
-6.9%
Sep 2018
+0.6%
Aug 2018
+3.2%
Jul 2018
+3.7%
Jun 2018
+0.6%
May 2018
+2.4%
Apr 2018
+0.5%
Mar 2018
-2.7%
Feb 2018
-3.6%
Jan 2018
+5.6%
Dec 2017
+1.2%
Nov 2017
+3.1%
Oct 2017
+2.4%
Sep 2017
+2.0%
Aug 2017
+0.3%
Jul 2017
+2.1%
Jun 2017
+0.6%
May 2017
+1.4%
Apr 2017
+1.0%
Mar 2017
+0.1%
Feb 2017
+3.9%
Jan 2017
+1.8%
Dec 2016
+2.0%
Nov 2016
+3.7%
Oct 2016
-1.7%

Monthly total return (since Oct 2021)#

Methodology#

Monthly returns are total returns (dividends reinvested), computed from SPY's split- and dividend-adjusted month-end closes. The table shows the most recent 120 months and the bar chart the most recent 60. See the year-by-year returns for the annual view. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.

FAQ#

What is S&P 500's average monthly return?
the S&P 500 (proxied by SPY, dividends reinvested) has averaged about 0.94% per month, positive in roughly 65% of months. The best month was Apr 2020 (+12.7%) and the worst was Oct 2008 (-16.5%).

More on S&P 500

All 26 S&P 500 pages →By month for: S&P 500 Equal Weight · US Stock Market · Nasdaq-100 · Dow JonesTracked by SPY, VOO, IVV · all S&P 500 ETFs compared · VOO vs SPY · SPY vs QQQ · VTI vs VOO vs SPY