If You'd Invested $5,000 in the S&P 500 at the Great Recession Bottom, Here's What You'd Have Today
Key Points
During the financial crisis, the S&P 500 hit its low in March 2009.
Despite cratering sentiment at the time, it turned out to be one of the best buying opportunities in decades.
Here's the staggering return S&P 500 investors would have earned by buying at the low point.
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At the lowest point of the financial crisis in the late 2000s, it felt like the U.S. economy might literally fall apart. The economy was in the midst of a deep recession. The housing market was collapsing. The unemployment rate briefly topped 10%.
To say the least, it sure didn't feel like the best time to be buying stocks.
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At its lowest point on March 9, 2009, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) closed at 676.53. The index wouldn't hit a new all-time high again until 2012.
But in hindsight, it turned out to be one of the best buying opportunities ever.
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As of Sept. 10, the S&P 500 closed at 7,591.70. If you had bought the index at the March 2009 market low, your investment would have gained a staggering 1,030%. Add in reinvested dividends and the total return climbs to 1,470%!
Based on this, a $5,000 investment made at the Great Recession low would be worth around $56,690. With reinvested dividends, the account balance would be $78,510.
These numbers prove that bear markets and once-in-a-generation catastrophes are unquestionably painful to experience. But they can also be generational buying opportunities if you have the stomach to take advantage of them.
Nobody knows when a market bottom may occur. The biggest takeaway from this example is that if you have a long-term time horizon and don't need the money for years or even decades, continuing to invest in the S&P 500 as part of a systematic and consistent plan is usually the best course of action.
Even when conditions look historically bleak, there's always an opportunity hiding in the darkness.
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David Dierking has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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