Key Points
You would have done very well investing in the S&P 500 a decade ago.
While no one knows how it will do over the next 10 years, in the long run, its long-term annualized return is roughly 10%.
It's not the best way to invest, but plenty of us invest money in this or that and then neglect to check on how those investments are doing. Many of us are invested in the S&P 500 index of America's biggest public companies, so here's a look at the past performance of one of the top exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking the index, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO):
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Average Annual Gain |
|---|---|
Past 3 years |
22.2% |
Past 5 years |
12.9% |
Past 10 years |
15.4% |
Part 15 years |
15.4% |
Source: Morningstar.com as of Aug. 27.
Let's put those numbers in context. For example, what if you invested a single $5,000 sum in this ETF 10 years ago? Well, given that your stake would have grown by 15.4% annually on average, you'd end up with nearly $21,000 -- pretty good, right?
But hold on. The S&P 500 has averaged annual returns close to 10% (ignoring inflation) over many decades, not 22% or 15%. So if you're wondering how quickly your dollars will grow going forward, don't have overly rosy expectations. Indeed, with the stock market having soared so much in recent years, a stock market correction or crash in the coming year isn't far-fetched.
Image source: Getty Images.
Over the long run, though, the S&P 500 has always recovered from downturns and gone on to set new highs. So if you expect to be a long-term investor -- leaving your money invested for at least five, if not 10, years -- then don't fret too much about market pullbacks.
To give you an idea of what you'll own in the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, here are its top holdings:
Stock |
Percent of ETF |
|---|---|
Nvidia |
7.55% |
Apple |
7.04% |
Alphabet (Classes A and C) |
5.86% |
Microsoft |
5.36% |
Amazon.com |
4.13% |
Source: Vanguard.com, as of July 31, 2026.
Pretty good, right? If you're bullish on the growth prospects of these companies, take a closer look at an S&P 500 index fund.
Selena Maranjian has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.