which asset class has the best historical returns 
the stock market has proven to produce the highest returns over extended periods of time since the late 1920s the compound annual growth rate cagr for the s p 500 is about 6 7 assuming that all dividends were reinvested and adjusted for inflation in other words 100 invested in the s p 500 on jan 1 1928 would have been worth about 50 337 30 in 1928 dollars by dec 31 2023 without adjusting for inflation the total would have grown to 898 634 26 in 2023 dollars by comparison the same 100 invested in five year treasuries would have been worth only about 7 278 in today s dollars 12