Why You Shouldn't Just Invest In The S&P 500 - The Smartwealth Digest (2024)

FAQs

Is it smart to just invest in the S&P 500? ›

Legendary investor Warren Buffet once said that all it takes to make money as an investor is to 'consistently buy an S&P 500 low-cost index fund. ' And academic research tends to agree that the S&P 500 is a good investment in the long term, despite occasional drawdowns.

Is Investing in the S&P 500 Less Risky Than Buying a Single Stock? Generally, yes. The S&P 500 is considered well-diversified by sector, which means it includes stocks in all major areas, including technology and consumer discretionary—meaning declines in some sectors may be offset by gains in other sectors.

The main drawback to the S&P 500 is that the index gives higher weights to companies with more market capitalization. The stock prices for Apple and Microsoft have a much greater influence on the index than a company with a lower market cap.

They're low-risk: Any fund offers the safety of diversification. With 500+ stocks in their portfolio, S&P 500 funds are especially diversified, their securities representing a range of industries.

The same $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 would be worth just $7,520 now.

If you're new to investing, you can absolutely start off by buying index funds alone as you learn more about how to choose the right stocks. But as your knowledge grows, you may want to branch out and add different companies to your portfolio that you feel align well with your personal risk tolerance and goals.

Over the years, that money can really add up: If you kept that money in a retirement account over 30 years and earned that average 6% return, for example, your $10,000 would grow to more than $57,000.

The figures tell a remarkable story. Over the full period, just 2% of actively managed Large-Cap Core funds beat the S&P 500.

Key Points. Warren Buffett has famously recommended index funds as a way to build wealth. He has also proven that even the most basic funds can outperform big Wall Street firms. The S&P 500 index fund is a powerhouse investment that could make you a lot of money.

Is it difficult to outperform the S&P 500? ›

Yes, you may be able to beat the market, but with investment fees, taxes, and human emotion working against you, you're more likely to do so through luck than skill. If you can merely match the S&P 500, minus a small fee, you'll be doing better than most investors.

Fortunately, analysts are projecting S&P 500 earnings growth will rebound back into positive territory in the second half of 2023. Analysts expect 0.7% earnings growth in the third quarter and 8.1% growth in the fourth quarter.

10% Return for S&P 500 a Real Possibility by End of 2023

Short of a recession — a very real possibility — consensus estimates are for about 5% earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in 2023. That's certainly less than what it was in years past, but still respectable.

S&P 500 Managed Risk Index - Moderate Aggressive | S&P Dow Jones Indices.

If you invested $100 in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 1930, you would have about $566,135.36 at the end of 2023, assuming you reinvested all dividends. This is a return on investment of 566,035.36%, or 9.71% per year.

And if you had put $1,000 into the S&P 500 about a decade ago, the amount would have more than tripled to $3,217 as of April 20, according to CNBC's calculations.

S&P 500 could hit 5000 by December 2022: Advisor.

Based on the latest S&P 500 monthly data, the market is overvalued somewhere in the range of 65% to 117%, depending on the indicator, up from last month's 60% to 110%. We've plotted the S&P regression data as an area chart type rather than a line to make the comparisons a bit easier to read.

What is a better investment than index funds? ›

ETFs are more tax-efficient than index funds by nature, thanks to the way they're structured. When you sell an ETF, you're typically selling it to another investor who's buying it, and the cash is coming directly from them.

S&P 500 10 Years Forecast (Until 2032)

In terms of a price target, Bank of America is targeting S&P 500 5,150 to 8,700 with its S&P 500 price forecast for 2030, but it is worth noting that some others are calling for a move as high as 10,000 by the time we get to 2032.

S&P 500 5 Year Return is at 54.51%, compared to 57.45% last month and 71.33% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 44.37%. The S&P 500 5 Year Return is the investment return received for a 5 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

Basic Info. S&P 500 10 Year Return is at 156.3%, compared to 161.0% last month and 215.4% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 112.6%.

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

Present value of perpetuity:

So, a $100 at the end of each year forever is worth $1,000 in today's terms.

How much will $100k be worth in 20 years? If you invest $100,000 at an annual interest rate of 6%, at the end of 20 years, your initial investment will amount to a total of $320,714, putting your interest earned over the two decades at $220,714.

Berkshire has a history of outperforming the S&P 500 during recessions, and performing especially well during bear markets, according to data from Bespoke Investment Group. Since 1980, Berkshire shares have beat the broader market over the course of six recessions by a median of 4.41 percentage points.

An S&P 500 index fund alone can absolutely achieve the growth needed to make you into a millionaire. But you probably don't want that to be your sole investment, particularly when you're close to retirement.

Which S&P 500 does Warren Buffett own? ›

SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF

Buffett finally took his own medicine in 2019's final innings, however, buying not one but two S&P 500-tracking exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The first of those is the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY), which he picked up back in 2019. The SPY is America's first ETF, and it's extremely cheap.

The nominal return on investment of $100 is $24,462.29, or 24,462.29%. This means by 2023 you would have $24,562.29 in your pocket. However, it's important to take into account the effect of inflation when considering an investment and especially a long-term investment.

Rule 1: Never lose money.

This is considered by many to be Buffett's most important rule and is the foundation of his investment philosophy.

Putting Your Money in the S&P 500 Will Make You More Money

The answer lies in the high, percentage-based fees that financial advisors and fund managers charge. Overall, a financial advisor may be able to perform better than the S&P 500.

And while theoretically possible, the entire US stock market going to zero would be incredibly unlikely. It would, in fact, take a catastrophic event involving the total dissolution of the US government and economic system for this to occur.

It found that over the course of one year, 51.08% of actively-managed mutual funds underperformed the S&P 500, and 48.92% of actively-managed funds outperformed the S&P 500.

So, how do you invest in the S&P 500? For new investors, the best way is through an ETF or mutual fund. While there are some differences between the two that we'll explain below, funds are a low-cost way to gain exposure to the S&P 500 and provide instant diversification to your portfolio.

This kind of investment is regarded as a low-risk strategy for long-term returns, as the U.S. stock market has always increased in value over 10-year periods. This makes the S&P 500 a good choice for investors who want a low-risk investment, such as pension funds.

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.

Average Market Return for the Last 30 Years

Looking at the S&P 500 for the years 1992 to 2021, the average stock market return for the last 30 years is 9.89% (7.31% when adjusted for inflation).

How much will $50 K be worth in 20 years? ›

After 20 years, your $50,000 would grow to $67,195.97. Assuming an annual return rate of 7%, investing $50,000 for 20 years can lead to a substantial increase in wealth.

How long has it historically taken a stock investment to double? NYU business professor Aswath Damodaran has done the math. According to his math, since 1949 S&P 500 investments have doubled ten times, or an average of about seven years each time.

Analysts are forecasting full-year profit growth for 2023 of just 1.2%. At the same time, the S&P 500's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio is now at 19 compared with 17 at the end of 2022 and a long-term average of about 16, according to Refinitiv data.

Stock Market Average Yearly Return for the Last 20 Years

The historical average yearly return of the S&P 500 is 10.05% over the last 20 years, as of the end of April 2023. This assumes dividends are reinvested. Adjusted for inflation, the 20-year average stock market return (including dividends) is 7.335%.

The index acts as a benchmark of the performance of the U.S. stock market overall, dating back to the 1920s. The index has returned a historic annualized average return of around 11.88% since its 1957 inception through the end of 2021.

S&P 500 5 Year Return (I:SP5005YR)

S&P 500 5 Year Return is at 54.51%, compared to 57.45% last month and 71.33% last year. This is higher than the long term average of 44.37%. The S&P 500 5 Year Return is the investment return received for a 5 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

Basic Info. S&P 500 2 Year Return is at -0.58%, compared to -0.28% last month and 35.73% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 14.43%. The S&P 500 2 Year Return is the investment return received for a 2 year period, excluding dividends, when holding the S&P 500 index.

But it's important to note that the S&P 500 index itself does not pay dividends—the companies in the index do. An investor has to buy shares of the companies themselves or of index funds in order to receive dividends. “The S&P itself does not pay a dividend,” explains Titan investment manager Christopher Seifel.