Methodology: how the numbers are calculated

Data source

Daily prices come from Yahoo Finance. The database holds 99 US-listed stocks and ETFs from 1990 onward and is updated once a day. Latest quote in the database: November 12, 2026.

Adjusted close

All calculations use the adjusted close: the closing price restated for stock splits and dividend payments. Because dividends are built into the adjusted price, every result is a total return, as if dividends had been reinvested.

One side effect: the historical “entry price” shown on the site is an adjusted price, so it is lower than the price actually quoted on that day.

Scenario pages

A scenario page assumes a single purchase of $1,000 at the adjusted close of the first trading day of the year, held until the latest quote. If the ticker started trading later that year, the first available day is used and the page says so. Fractional shares are allowed.

Formulas

Total return = final value ÷ amount invested − 1.

CAGR (compound annual growth rate) = (final value ÷ amount invested) ^ (1 ÷ years) − 1, where years is the number of calendar days between the first and the last quote divided by 365.25.

Maximum drawdown = the largest fall of the position's value from a previous peak, measured on daily closing prices.

Benchmark

Each result is compared with SPY, an exchange-traded fund tracking the S&P 500, bought on the same day for the same amount. SPY has traded since 1993; for earlier start dates no comparison is shown.

Monthly investing (DCA)

In monthly mode the initial amount is invested on the start date and the monthly amount is added on the first trading day of each following month. Return and CAGR are measured against the total amount contributed, so CAGR in this mode is an approximation rather than a money-weighted return.

Portfolio backtester

The portfolio is bought once in the chosen proportions and held without rebalancing. Only days on which every asset has a quote are used. The Sharpe ratio is annualised from daily returns with a risk-free rate of 4.5% per year.

What is not included

Taxes, broker commissions, bid-ask spreads, currency conversion and inflation are not taken into account.

Only currently listed tickers are in the database. Companies that went bankrupt or were delisted are missing, so rankings and averages are subject to survivorship bias.

Disclaimer

The results are historical and hypothetical. They are not financial advice, and past performance does not guarantee future results.