Instead of timing the market, you drip a fixed amount in every month. This tool replays that plan: on the first trading day of each month over your chosen window it buys $X of a stock, accumulating fractional shares, and tracks what the position is worth over time. It also shows what would have happened if you had invested the whole sum as a lump sum on day one — so you can see the real trade-off between smoothing your entry and putting money to work sooner.
Method: on the first available trading day of each month we buy $amt of the ticker at that day's price, accumulating fractional shares; portfolio value is shares held × the latest price, and average cost basis is total invested ÷ shares. The annualized figure is a money-weighted return (internal rate of return) that accounts for when each contribution was made, not a simple CAGR. Lump sum invests the same total on the very first day. Prices are price-only — dividends and reinvestment are excluded, so real total returns would be higher. Past performance is not indicative of future results; dollar-cost averaging reduces timing risk but in steadily rising markets a lump sum invested earlier usually wins. Educational only - not investment advice.