When holding the SPDR S&P 400 US Mid Cap (SPY4.DE) ETF, how long should you stay invested to have high probability to achieve a positive return?
Over the selected period (~73 years), the longest duration with a negative return was 128 months (from February 1964 to September 1974).
This indicates that, within the same timeframe, any rolling period of 129 months or more has consistently resulted in a positive return.
Understanding this metric is crucial as it highlights the importance of a safe investment horizon. Knowing the minimum duration required to likely see positive returns helps investors set realistic expectations and reinforces the strategy of staying invested through market cycles. This approach can mitigate the emotional reactions to short-term market fluctuations and enhance the likelihood of achieving financial goals.
SPDR S&P 400 US Mid Cap (SPY4.DE) ETF: Historical Returns
Previous vs subsequent Returns
Is there a correlation between past and future returns over all 10-year rolling periods?
The following chart illustrates the relationship between past returns (x-axis) and subsequent returns (y-axis).
Data points are aggregated to show occurrences, and you can zoom in by clicking or drawing over the desired area.
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As of Jan 31, 2026, the annualized return of the previous 10 years has been 10.22%.
Rolling Returns
A rolling return is a measure of investment performance that calculates the return of an investment over a set period of time, with the starting date rolling forward. This approach can provide a more accurate representation of the investment's historical performance and helps investors to evaluate the investment's consistency over time.
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Rolling Period Analysis
By selecting the 'Rolling Period', the chart and data will update. To study a different date range, change the simulation settings.
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| Worst | Median | Best | Negative Periods |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-38.82%
Apr 2002 - Mar 2003 |
+12.49% |
+101.37%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1983 |
24.68%
212 out of 859 |
|
-41.00%
Oct 1973 - Sep 1974 |
+10.21% |
+95.77%
Aug 1982 - Jul 1983 |
30.15%
259 out of 859 |
|
-30.54%
Jan 1973 - Dec 1974 |
+12.82% |
+51.75%
Sep 1998 - Aug 2000 |
14.29%
121 out of 847 |
|
-34.97%
Jan 1973 - Dec 1974 |
+10.34% |
+49.39%
Sep 1998 - Aug 2000 |
19.24%
163 out of 847 |
|
-20.39%
Oct 1971 - Sep 1974 |
+12.47% |
+48.47%
Jul 1980 - Jun 1983 |
14.01%
117 out of 835 |
|
-25.24%
Oct 1971 - Sep 1974 |
+9.56% |
+41.67%
Jul 1980 - Jun 1983 |
17.49%
146 out of 835 |
|
-12.89%
Jan 1971 - Dec 1974 |
+12.48% |
+39.88%
Dec 1979 - Nov 1983 |
9.23%
76 out of 823 |
|
-18.09%
Jan 1971 - Dec 1974 |
+9.61% |
+33.38%
Dec 1979 - Nov 1983 |
14.58%
120 out of 823 |
|
-11.63%
Oct 1969 - Sep 1974 |
+11.77% |
+38.47%
Dec 1978 - Nov 1983 |
5.30%
43 out of 811 |
|
-16.48%
Oct 1969 - Sep 1974 |
+9.16% |
+32.72%
Apr 1980 - Mar 1985 |
12.70%
103 out of 811 |
|
-10.88%
Oct 1968 - Sep 1974 |
+11.31% |
+35.39%
Mar 1979 - Feb 1985 |
5.01%
40 out of 799 |
|
-15.26%
Oct 1968 - Sep 1974 |
+8.68% |
+29.67%
Mar 1979 - Feb 1985 |
12.39%
99 out of 799 |
|
-7.25%
Oct 1967 - Sep 1974 |
+11.61% |
+32.60%
Mar 1978 - Feb 1985 |
4.45%
35 out of 787 |
|
-11.35%
Oct 1967 - Sep 1974 |
+8.96% |
+27.28%
Mar 1978 - Feb 1985 |
13.09%
103 out of 787 |
|
-3.98%
Jun 2001 - May 2009 |
+11.48% |
+27.64%
Oct 1975 - Sep 1983 |
4.65%
36 out of 775 |
|
-7.14%
Jan 1967 - Dec 1974 |
+9.22% |
+23.75%
Sep 1992 - Aug 2000 |
13.42%
104 out of 775 |
|
-3.14%
Jan 1966 - Dec 1974 |
+11.74% |
+30.08%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1983 |
3.01%
23 out of 763 |
|
-6.97%
Jan 1966 - Dec 1974 |
+9.28% |
+24.41%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1983 |
12.45%
95 out of 763 |
|
-1.17%
Oct 1964 - Sep 1974 |
+11.78% |
+28.18%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1984 |
0.40%
3 out of 751 |
|
-5.05%
Oct 1964 - Sep 1974 |
+9.38% |
+23.09%
Nov 1990 - Oct 2000 |
8.92%
67 out of 751 |
|
+0.55%
Jan 1964 - Dec 1974 |
+11.98% |
+25.92%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1985 |
0.00%
0 out of 739 |
|
-3.26%
Oct 1963 - Sep 1974 |
+9.50% |
+21.15%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1985 |
7.44%
55 out of 739 |
|
+1.99%
Jan 1963 - Dec 1974 |
+12.25% |
+23.90%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1986 |
0.00%
0 out of 727 |
|
-1.83%
Jan 1963 - Dec 1974 |
+9.78% |
+19.50%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1986 |
3.16%
23 out of 727 |
|
+1.02%
Jan 1962 - Dec 1974 |
+12.28% |
+23.72%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1987 |
0.00%
0 out of 715 |
|
-2.67%
Jan 1962 - Dec 1974 |
+9.56% |
+19.62%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1987 |
1.96%
14 out of 715 |
|
+2.58%
Jan 1961 - Dec 1974 |
+12.04% |
+21.25%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1988 |
0.00%
0 out of 703 |
|
-1.11%
Jan 1961 - Dec 1974 |
+9.33% |
+17.40%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1988 |
1.00%
7 out of 703 |
|
+2.83%
Jan 1960 - Dec 1974 |
+11.40% |
+21.78%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1989 |
0.00%
0 out of 691 |
|
-0.66%
Jan 1960 - Dec 1974 |
+8.82% |
+17.94%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1989 |
0.58%
4 out of 691 |
|
+3.29%
Jan 1959 - Dec 1974 |
+11.35% |
+18.62%
Feb 1978 - Jan 1994 |
0.00%
0 out of 679 |
|
-0.09%
Jan 1959 - Dec 1974 |
+8.50% |
+15.04%
Apr 1982 - Mar 1998 |
0.15%
1 out of 679 |
|
+5.21%
Dec 1961 - Nov 1978 |
+11.10% |
+19.13%
Oct 1974 - Sep 1991 |
0.00%
0 out of 667 |
|
+1.39%
Dec 1961 - Nov 1978 |
+8.15% |
+15.44%
Aug 1980 - Jul 1997 |
0.00%
0 out of 667 |
|
+5.22%
Jan 1957 - Dec 1974 |
+11.01% |
+19.83%
Apr 1980 - Mar 1998 |
0.00%
0 out of 655 |
|
+1.98%
Jan 1957 - Dec 1974 |
+8.26% |
+16.64%
Apr 1980 - Mar 1998 |
0.00%
0 out of 655 |
|
+5.34%
Oct 1955 - Sep 1974 |
+11.13% |
+19.63%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1993 |
0.00%
0 out of 643 |
|
+2.21%
Oct 1955 - Sep 1974 |
+8.09% |
+15.79%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1993 |
0.00%
0 out of 643 |
|
+5.92%
Apr 2000 - Mar 2020 |
+11.10% |
+19.90%
Apr 1980 - Mar 2000 |
0.00%
0 out of 631 |
|
+2.90%
Jan 1955 - Dec 1974 |
+8.14% |
+16.85%
Apr 1980 - Mar 2000 |
0.00%
0 out of 631 |
|
+7.41%
Oct 2000 - Sep 2025 |
+11.53% |
+19.30%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1999 |
0.00%
0 out of 571 |
|
+5.18%
Sep 2000 - Aug 2025 |
+8.47% |
+15.87%
Jan 1975 - Dec 1999 |
0.00%
0 out of 571 |
|
+10.12%
Nov 1960 - Oct 1990 |
+12.06% |
+16.52%
Oct 1974 - Sep 2004 |
0.00%
0 out of 511 |
|
+6.41%
Nov 1960 - Oct 1990 |
+9.07% |
+13.27%
Oct 1974 - Sep 2004 |
0.00%
0 out of 511 |
SPDR S&P 400 US Mid Cap (SPY4.DE) ETF: Historical Returns

