What happens if you miss the best days in the stock market?

Missing just 10 of the market's best trading days over 20 years can reduce your portfolio value by 35% or more. The best days often immediately follow the worst days.

Is timing the stock market possible?

Research consistently shows that timing the market is nearly impossible even for professionals. Missing the 10 best days out of 5,000+ trading days dramatically reduces long-term returns.

What is time in the market vs timing the market?

Time in the market means staying invested through ups and downs. Timing the market means trying to buy low and sell high. Research shows time in the market almost always wins.

What Does Missing the Market's Best Days Cost You?

See why trying to time the market is so dangerous

Read: Why Missing 10 Days Costs So Much →

Quick Answer

Missing just 10 of the stock market's best trading days over 20 years reduces portfolio returns by approximately 35%. The S&P 500 averaged 10% annually from 1993–2023. Missing the 10 best days drops that to 6.5%. Missing the 30 best days drops it to 1.5%. The best days often immediately follow the worst days.

Market timing — attempting to sell before market drops and buy before recoveries — is nearly impossible even for professional investors. Research consistently shows that investors who stay fully invested through volatility outperform those who move in and out of the market. This calculator shows the exact cost of missing the market's best trading days.

⚠️ Educational only. Based on S&P 500 historical patterns. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not investment advice.

Initial investment ($)

Investment period (years)Annual return (%)

Best days missed