Backcast

HISTORICAL DEPTH LOG · SPY · 2007–2013

Holding through it meant going through it.

−56.47%

From its 09 Oct 2007 high, SPY’s closing price fell this far before eventually returning above the old mark.

High-water mark
09 Oct 2007
Deepest close
09 Mar 2009
Back above water
14 Mar 2013
Time below the old high
1,983 days

THE TOOLKIT

Four questions. One historical record.

Pick what you want to replay. Every tool runs the full daily history in your browser; changing a control does not ask a server to recalculate it.

  1. ONE PURCHASEWhat did one purchase become?What a single purchase would be worth nowWater line: the amount originally invested
  2. DEPTH + TIMEHow far underwater, and for how long?Distance below the previous high, and how long it took to recoverWater line: the previous all-time high
  3. ABSENCEWhat changed when the best days disappeared?Holding throughout, against being absent for the largest single-day gainsWater line: the result of holding throughout
  4. DEPLOYMENTAll at once, or month by month?The same budget committed on day one, deployed two different waysWater line: the total amount committed

THE RECORD

Enough history to include the hard parts.

The shared calendar begins with SPY’s first session. Raw closes, splits and dividends stay separate so a later distribution never rewrites the price history underneath a result.

Stocks & ETFs
1,007
Market sessions
8,433
First session
1993-01-29
Latest close
2026-07-31

The curve is simplified to fit the screen. The answer never is: drawdowns, returns and recovery dates are calculated before the chart is reduced.

Read the complete method