The current $SPX world, from Aug 2000 (market peak) to Dec 2023, dividends reinvested, average per annum return: 7.019% nominal.
The previous world of similar length, Apr 1977 to Aug 2000: 16.246% nominal.
Remember that no one even dates the bull market conditions of the past starting from 1977. The Reagan bull began in the summer of 1982. But even from 1977, it was a completely different, better world for investors.
The rate of nominal return per annum was 2.31 times better in that world.
Investing $100 per month in the previous world produced over $258k. Investing $100 per month in the current world has produced only $103k.
The following Vanguard mutual funds have inception dates in the year 2000. They reflect the same reality.
I show nominal average annual return since inception for each fund in 2000 through 12/31/23, per Vanguard.
Performance in red beats average SPX nominal 7.019% since 2000, but none by much. Remember that through 12/31/23 stocks generally were only recently buoyed by exceptional returns, after a down year last year. $VTSAX, the total stock market index, was up a whopping 26.01% in 2023.
