Gold vs. the S&P 500: which did better?

This calculator shows what the same amount of money did in gold and in the S&P 500 over any period since 1970. You can also compare gold with the Dow Jones, the Nasdaq, oil and cash held in Treasury bills, and pick any start and end date.

How the comparison works

We use the weekly closing price of each asset at the start and end of your chosen period and grow your amount by the same percentage. Gold is the spot price per troy ounce. Stock indexes are shown without dividends, and for the S&P 500 we also show the total return with dividends reinvested from 1988 on. Prices update every day.

It depends on the decade

Gold and stocks have taken turns leading. Gold far outpaced stocks in the 1970s and the 2000s, while stocks led in the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. The decade by decade table in the tool shows each period side by side.

Why investors own both

Stocks grow with company earnings, while gold has often held its value when stocks or the dollar struggled. Many retirement savers hold some of each. A Gold IRA lets you own physical gold inside a tax-advantaged retirement account, and our free Gold IRA Guide explains how it works.

This tool is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.