What if you invested monthly in Apple for 5 years?
Revisit, using real historical prices, what a monthly dollar-cost-averaging plan into a single stock, Apple, might have looked like over 5 years. As a single stock it could beat an index, but its drawdowns can also run far deeper. Look beyond the final value to the maximum drawdown, the time spent underwater, and how long recovery took along the way.
⚠️ This asset is an individual stock chosen as of today, so past returns can look better than they really were (survivorship bias).
Investment conditions
Asset · Apple single stock
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2021-07-01 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-28.8%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
6months
Months in loss: 9
Recovery period
3months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $13,556 → Final value $21,593 (+59.3%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -28.8%
Why this period and asset
Apple has been widely regarded as a top beneficiary of the smartphone era since launching the iPhone in 2007, building an ecosystem spanning devices, apps, and services. After the App Store (2008), iPad (2010), and expanding wearables and services revenue, it became the first U.S. public company to surpass a $1 trillion market cap in 2018. The path was not smooth, however: a sharp correction in late 2018 amid the U.S.-China trade war and iPhone-demand worries, the March 2020 COVID crash, and a decline alongside broad tech during the 2022 rate-hike cycle. This scenario covers the 5-year window from July 2021 to July 2026.
Interpreting the result
Dollar-cost averaging buys a fixed amount each month, so you buy more shares when the price is low and fewer when it is high, smoothing your average cost. But a single stock, unlike an index, ties your entire outcome to one company's fortunes. On the results screen, don't stop at the final amount; check the maximum drawdown (the largest drop from a peak), the loss period (time spent below your cost), and how long recovery took. For a volatile stock like Apple, even the same final return can mean a much deeper and longer drawdown to endure than a broad index. These figures exist not to showcase a good outcome, but to show the process honestly.
Caveats & limits
This calculation is an example based on past prices and does not guarantee future returns; a good past is no proof of a good future. It excludes taxes (capital gains and dividends), trading fees, and USD-based currency effects, so real results will differ. In particular, Apple survived and grew, so beware of survivorship bias: individual stocks that disappeared or lagged for years in the same period are not captured here. Concentrating in one stock also carries concentration risk: if that company runs into trouble, there is no diversification to cushion the loss. This page is educational information, not investment advice.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: Adjusted close (reflects dividends and stock splits)
- This asset is an individual stock chosen as of today, so past returns can look better than they really were (survivorship bias).
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I actually contribute over 5 years?
You contribute a fixed monthly amount for 5 years (about 60 contributions). Total principal depends on the number of contributions, and the results screen shows both principal and ending value in USD in this locale. The focus, though, is as much on 'how far it fell and recovered' as on 'what it became.'
How is holding only Apple different from investing in an index?
An index (e.g., the S&P 500) spreads across hundreds of companies, while Apple puts everything on one. When it does well the return can far exceed an index, but if the company stumbles there is nothing to spread the loss across, so the maximum drawdown and loss period are often larger than an index.
Does this result include taxes, fees, and currency effects?
No. It reflects only past price movement and excludes taxes, trading fees, and currency effects. Apple also pays a dividend, but this calculation is based on price movement and does not reflect dividend reinvestment or dividend taxes. In real investing, these factors change the outcome.
Related scenarios
📋 Results are based on historical data; past returns do not guarantee future returns.
📋 This service is provided for educational purposes to help you understand investing, not as investment advice.
⚠️ Calculated using today's representative assets, which may differ from the market composition at the time.