$VUSA (+0,31 %) A "stupid" question. Why is the ETF so lagging and not at its high?...while the S&P500 is at a new all-time high. Vanguard S&P500 is tracking it after all

Hello everyone,

My ETF of the $VUSA (+0,31 %) is slightly lower again today.

I would now like to buy another 5 - 10 shares. The order fees would be €0.99.

However, I am afraid that this is not so clever, as today is a public holiday. What do you think?

I have read several times in the last week that the $VUSA (+0,31 %) will crash due to possible exploding oil prices and inflationary spirals.

Do you know anything about this and how do you act?

Hey guys,

since I am new to investing, I am very unsure about many things, so I would like to know from you what it is like to sell the $VUSA (+0,31 %) to sell in the minus approx. 9% and to buy in larger savings plan the $VWRL (+0,31 %) to buy?

Since I want to use the Etf as a core and I don't feel like I see anyone on Getquin who uses the $VUSA (+0,31 %) as core, I don't know if I should switch?

Should I change the savings plan to the $VWRL (+0,31 %) and sell the S&P as soon as I am in the plus or stay with mine anyway?

Lg Flo

$CSPX (+0,31 %)
$IWDA (+0,42 %)
$EIMI (-0 %)
$CSNDX (+0,32 %)
$ACWI (+0,42 %)
$VUSA (+0,31 %)
$VWRL (+0,31 %)

In the case of geopolitical escalations, the average daily loss is 1.2%, the average total loss is 5% and the recovery time is around 47 days.

Just keep calm, stay true to your strategy and don't panic sell ✌️

The historical reaction of the S& P 500 ($CSPX (+0,31 %)
$VUSA (+0,31 %) ) to important geopolitical events:

Geopolitical shocks usually only have a short-term impact on the performance of the stock markets.

Introduction

Every day I actually see how many points the DAX, the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones move up or down. Ultimately, however, I have never understood exactly how the points are calculated, and after coming across wild theories on the Internet such as "the DAX automatically rises by 100 points every day", I thought it was time to look into the subject.

And I would like to share my research with you in this article.

1. fundamentals

Index points are the unit of measurement used to indicate the current level of a stock market index. An index point is independent of any currency. A share index summarizes the performance of selected shares and calculates an overall value, which is then given as a number of points. The calculation method is not standardized and differs from index to index, which is why we have to note that the Dow Jones and the DAX, for example, cannot be directly compared using the number of points. So far so theoretical.

2 How is the DAX calculated?

The DAX comprises the 40 largest listed companies in Germany. It was launched in 1988 and opened at 1163.52 points. But now the calculation:

The calculation is based on the free float market capitalization, which means that only the actual freely tradable shares of a company are taken into account. In the DAX, each company is weighted according to the proportion of its free float market capitalization in relation to the total value of all companies included in the index. In order to keep volatility low, Deutsche Börse imposes a cap whereby a company may not account for more than 15% of the DAX. Changes in the proportion of a company's free float shares are only adjusted quarterly. This means that if a major shareholder buys or sells shares and the number of freely tradable shares therefore changes, the proportion is adjusted every quarter. The dividends are mathematically reinvested in the DAX and the DAX is therefore a performance index. There is no direct formula that we can apply, but in simplified terms the formula is

DAX = (price x number of shares in free float) ÷ divisor.

This divisor is determined by the German stock exchange and is there to absorb capital measures (share splits). Unfortunately, the divisor is not easily accessible to the public and is constantly being adjusted.

So unfortunately I can't calculate the DAX itself, but basically the index points represent a portfolio that invests in the 40 companies broken down by free float market capitalization (including dividends). Any theories that the DAX is subject to arbitrary measures such as "100 points per day" are therefore nonsense.

3 How is the Dow Jones calculated?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow Jones for short) is one of the oldest share indices in the world and comprises 30 large, major US companies. In contrast to the DAX, the Dow Jones is not based on market capitalization, but is price-weighted. This means that shares with a higher share price have a greater influence on the index score - regardless of the size of the company. A company with a share price of USD 300 therefore has a greater impact on the Dow Jones than a company with a share price of USD 50, even if the latter has a larger market capitalization. Dividends are not reinvested in the Dow Jones, which is why it is a price index. The formula is simplified:

Dow Jones = sum of the share prices of the 30 companies ÷ divisor

Here, too, there is a divisor that is adjusted in the event of capital measures in order to ensure the continuity of the index. Due to the way it is calculated, the Dow Jones is not as representative of the entire US market as other indices, but historically enjoys a great deal of media attention.

4 How is the S&P 500 calculated?

The S&P 500 is a much broader-based index than the Dow Jones. It comprises the 500 largest listed US companies, which are weighted according to their free float market capitalization - similar to the DAX. This makes the S&P 500 a very good reflection of the US market as a whole. The calculation is therefore based on how large the freely tradable market capitalization of a company is in relation to the total value of all companies included in the index. Companies with a larger market capitalization (such as Apple, Microsoft or Amazon) have a greater influence on the index movement. There is no cap on the S&P 500 and the 5 largest companies already make up 20-25% of the entire index. The S&P 500 is a price index, which means that dividends are not reinvested. The simplified formula is

S&P 500 = (sum of weighted market capitalizations) ÷ divisor

A divisor is also used here to neutralize capital measures. Analysts and fund managers consider the S&P 500 to be one of the most important and informative indices worldwide, as it covers a wide range of sectors and company sizes.

Even though I am unfortunately unable to calculate the individual indices myself, as the divisor literally throws a spanner in the works, I have still learned a few new things and hope that you have been able to share in them...

HG Small investor

PS: If you have a few points left on getquin, I'd be delighted too...

Sources

https://www.boerse.de/grundlagen/index-grundlagen/Berechnung-von-Indizes

https://www.hsbc-zertifikate.de/dam/jcr:b9b5c32f-ad2d-407a-ae4f-208d9e5ef394/202406_so_wird_der_dax_berechnet.pdf

https://www.flatex.de/boersenwissen/aktien-und-indizes/dow-jones/

https://www.sparkasse.de/pk/ratgeber/finanzglossar/dax.html

https://www.hermoney.de/boerse-geldanlage/etf/indizes-berechnung/

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAX

https://www.deutsche-boerse.com/dbg-de/media/news-stories/explainers/DAX-Index-Benchmark-und-Barometer-f-r-die-deutsche-Wirtschaft-148654

And some more... (Just ask me for specific sources)

$DAX
$DAX
$CSPX (+0,31 %)
$VUSA (+0,31 %)

BEFORE: I have completely revised my portfolio review. There are now even more in-depth figures to see and I have greatly reduced the body text. Only my introduction is a little more detailed. The visual overview on Instagram has also been completely revamped. There is also a budget review, which I am not publishing here as a post. However, I have included a few key figures from this one in the portfolio review.

I am very happy about likes here at GQ and on both IG posts, as the complete renewal has cost me a lot of nerves and time. 🙃 If you also want to know how my personal finances have developed, I'd like to refer you to my personal budget review on Instagram.

In future, I will publish my detailed assessments on individual topics that were previously part of the review (such as crypto cycles or my succession strategy for crypto) separately in individual posts on GQ. Perhaps as a kind of supplementary post.

Are you missing important key figures or do you have suggestions for optimization? Constructive suggestions are always welcome.

For me, May was characterized by calm and composure, because I kept the noise of the markets and US trade policy away from me. I can do no more than simply buy more. I like to refer here to the stoic way of thinking, which focuses on prioritizing what you can influence. And that is my personal development. So that meant doing sport (at home with YouTube cardio and strength, abs, core, running), stockpiling Instagram posts so that I have some breathing space in the summer and delving deeper into the topic of AI. And the tax return was also completed. Meanwhile, dividends have been stable with the second strongest month ever, which was April. Time for a deep dive into my figures.

Overall performance

My portfolio performed well in May. Bit by bit, we are fighting our way up from the tariff lows. The key performance indicators are

• TTWROR (month of May): +4.83 %
• TTWROR (since inception): +65.84 %
• IZF (month of May): +74.24 %
• IZF (since inception): +9.94 %
• Delta: +€3,368.39
• Absolute change: +4,486.96 €

Share allocation & performance

Which shares performed particularly well in May? Which are at the top of the chain and which at the bottom? Which were the biggest losers?

Size of individual share positions by volume

Share: Share of total portfolio in % (portfolio)

• $AVGO (+0,52 %) : 2,71 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (+0,33 %) : 2,12 % (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,07 %) : 1,83 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+1,05 %) : 1,69 % (main share portfolio)
• $FAST (+0,12 %) : 1,59 % (main share portfolio)

Smallest individual share positions by volume:

Share: Share of total portfolio in % (securities account)

• $SHEL (-0,19 %) : 0,44 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $HSBA (+0,58 %) : 0,54 % (crypto follow-on portfolio)
• $TGT (+0,75 %) : 0,62 % (main share portfolio)
• 
  $DHR (-0,16 %) : 0,66 % (main share deposit)
• 
  $NKE (+11,32 %) : 0,67 % (main share portfolio)

Top-performing individual shares

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $AVGO (+0,52 %) : +245 % (main share portfolio)
• $NFLX (+0,33 %) : +190 % (main share portfolio)
• $SAP (+1,05 %) : +108% (main share portfolio)
• $WMT (+0,07 %) : +79% % (main share portfolio)
• $RSG (+0,14 %) : +60 % (main share portfolio)

Flop performer individual stocks

Share: Performance since first purchase % (securities account)

• $DHR (-0,16 %) : -58 % (main share portfolio)
• $TGT (+0,75 %) : -40 % (main share portfolio)
• $NKE (+11,32 %) : -39 % (main share portfolio)
• $CPB (+0,28 %) : -34 % (main share portfolio)
• $UPS (+0,47 %) : -30 % (main share portfolio)

ETFs vs. shares

The breakdown of ETFs vs. shares across all portfolios is 38.8% to 61.2%. This differs slightly from the breakdown of my ETFs to equities savings plans (43% to 57%).

Investments and subsequent purchases

Here is a small overview of what I have invested via savings plans according to my fixed planning.

• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary: €1,030
• Planned savings plan amount from the fixed net salary, with reinvested dividends: €1,140
• Savings ratio of the savings plans to the fixed net salary: 49.75

In addition, there were the following additional investments from returns, refunds, cashback, etc. as one-off savings plans/repurchases:

• Subsequent purchases as a cashback annuity from refunds: € 70.50
• Dividend automatically reinvested by broker: € 2.99

Additional purchases: as one-off savings plans as part of my cashback pension, reinvested discounts from previous grocery and drugstore purchases and a refund from the health insurance bonus program.

• Number of additional purchases: 2
• 30.00 € for $JEGP (-0,18 %)
• 
  40.50 € for $GGRP (+0,48 %)

If you want to know how my cashback pension tops up the share and ETF pension, please let me know.

Passive income from dividends

My income from dividends amounted to € 163.13 (€ 89.68 in the same month last year). This corresponds to an increase of +42.32 % compared to the same month last year. The following is further key data on the distributions:

• Number of dividend payments: 11
• Number of payment days: 21 days
• Average dividend per payment: € 14.83
• average dividend per payment day: € 7.72

The top payers are:

• $DHL (+0,47 %)
• 
  $IMEU (+0,5 %)
• 
  $IWDP (+0,11 %)

My passive income from dividends (and some interest) mathematically covered 21.08% of my expenses in the month under review.

Crypto performance

My crypto investments also moved a little:

• Monthly performance portfolio: +0.72%
• Performance since inception: +70.90%
• Proportion of holdings for which the tax holding period has expired: 100%. This means that there have been no additional purchases for over a year.
• Crypto share of the total portfolio: 2.23%

I find the topic exciting, but it is very underrepresented in my overall portfolio due to my strategy. Profits have long since been realized, my focus here has long been elsewhere. Accumulation will take place in the coming bear market.

Performance comparison: portfolio vs. benchmarks

A comparison of my portfolio with two important ETFs shows:

• TTWROR (current month): +4.83%
• $VWRL (+0,31 %) +6.10%
• $VUSA (+0,31 %) : +6.89%

Outlook and conclusion

According to the tax estimate, I can expect a tax refund. When this arrives, part of it will be donated and the rest will of course be reinvested. May was also a no-spend month for me and, as a convinced frugalist, this went off without a hitch. I was able to reflect more closely on my spending behavior and even found further potential despite my basic low spend attitude. Now I'm preparing a Hartz IV/citizen's allowance experiment for at least 3-4 months (or more) for the second half of the year. Simply because I feel like challenging myself. My planned expenses and provisions according to the budget only just exceed my theoretical entitlement to citizen's allowance. More info coming soon on Instagram. After March and April, I was again able to record expenses of less than €1,000 per month in May. This will change in June due to a large annual insurance premium, but maybe I'll be lucky and stay at a maximum of €1,100 to €1,200. As in the previous months, I will continue to use the early summer in June for hiking, swimming and day trips.

👉 You want my review as an Instagram post?

Then follow me on Instagram:

📲 As well as the depot and budget review, there's also: @frugalfreisein

• One-pagers and carousel posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on topics such as wealth accumulation, frugalism and minimalism
• more story insights in the future
• Mindset, motivation & money-saving life hacks for your own journey

How was your May at the depot? Do you have any tops & flops to share? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

$VWRL (+0,31 %) or would you rather use overnight money to hit a dip? What would you do?

Over the next few months I will receive the above-mentioned extra on top of the regular savings rate, which currently goes almost 100% into the All-World. To be honest, I am also considering putting some into the $VUSA (+0,31 %) to boost the return a little. Alternatively $BTC (+0,15 %) conceivable...

My own milestone (tl:dr)

The starting point and the burning dream of the million

It wasn't just a number on a screen; it was a promise. The promise of freedom, of decisions that were not dictated by a paycheck, of the possibility of realizing dreams that went beyond everyday life. My goal? The 1 million euros in my deposit. A sum that seemed almost unattainable when I first immersed myself in the fascinating world of investing. But I couldn't let go of the thought. What if it was actually possible? What if, with discipline and the right strategy, I could achieve this seemingly utopian goal?

The fascination began to creep in. I heard about breathtaking returns and stories about people who became rich overnight by making smart decisions. The stock market, a place full of secrets and opportunities. My starting position was solid, an initial foundation stone had been laid, but I lacked a clear roadmap. I was at the beginning of a journey that would take me through highs and lows, from initial euphoria to sobering setbacks - and finally to a strategy that allows me to look to the future with confidence today.

The single stock era - lessons from the "wild west" of the stock market

Like so many, I started out with a desire for quick profits and a fascination for the possibility of getting rich quickly through individual shares. Why invest in the broad market when individual shares promised so much more? I plunged headlong into the world of individual shares. It was names that were in the news, sectors that were booming or personal convictions that guided me. Every share was a little adventure, every price movement an adrenaline rush.

But the reality was often different from the glossy prospectuses or the euphoric forum posts. The euphoria quickly gave way to disillusionment. I remember the year 2022. Like so many others, I experienced a market that suddenly no longer knew only one direction: up. In my personal heat map of monthly returns, deep red fields emerged that year and even before. Months with -1.3%, -1.7%, -2.0%, -2.4%, -2.8%, -3.0%, even -3.4% were not uncommon. That was painful. Every look at the portfolio was a sting.

However, the problem was not just the bear market itself, but also the way my portfolio was structured. Without broader diversification, my risk was unnecessarily high. If one share fell, a large part of my portfolio fell and @DonkeyInvestor said: I told you so :-) .

The turning point came gradually, but inexorably. Frustration at the lack of stability, the realization that my individual "strategic" decisions were often just a gut feeling, and the desire for a more calculable path to a million led me to a far-reaching decision. It was in November 2024 when I pulled the ripcord. The individual share "experiment" was over. It was time to realign my portfolio.

The realignment - from single stock turbulence to ETF stability

The decision was clear: a restructuring of my portfolio was necessary in order to invest stably and efficiently in the long term. The new anchor of my strategy was to be ETFs.

Why ETFs?

The answer was simple: diversification, lower costs and risk spreading. With ETFs, you can invest in hundreds or thousands of companies at the same time with a single investment. This means I am no longer dependent on the fate of a single company, but benefit from the growth of entire markets and the global economy.

The major restructuring started in November 2024 and was a phase of intensive analysis and consistent implementation. Individual shares were sold and the freed-up capital was immediately reinvested in broadly diversified ETFs. It was a liberating move, a departure from the emotional rollercoaster ride and a step towards a rational, long-term investment strategy.

Today, in May 2025, my portfolio has a market value of €210,000 and reflects this transformation. It is a carefully curated mix that aims to achieve my million-euro goal efficiently and with calculable risk:

• The Global Anchor - HSBC MSCI WORLD UCITS ETF ($HMWO (+0,34 %)
  ):

This ETF forms the core of my portfolio. It invests in around 1,600 companies from 23 industrialized countries and is my most important building block for long-term global growth.

• The US giant - S&P 500 USD (Dist) ($VUSA (+0,31 %)
  ): - My targeted bet on the innovative strength of the 500 largest US companies.
• The income powerhouses - JPM Global Equity Premium Income Active UCITS ETF ($JEGP (-0,18 %)
  ) and JPM Nasdaq Equity Premium Income Active UCITS ETF ($JEPQ (-1,09 %)
  ): My "cash cows" that provide me with continuous capital.
• The dividend champion - VanEck Mstr.Dm Dividend.UC.ETF ($TDIV (+0,09 %)
  ): - another pillar of my dividend strategy.
• Quality and dividends - Fidelity Gl.Quality Income ETF ($FGEQ (+0,41 %)
  ) and WisdomTree Gl.Qual.Div.Gr.U.E. Registered Sha ($GGRP (+0,48 %)
  ): ETFs that invest in high quality companies with sustainable dividends.
• US Dividend Aristocrats - SPDR S&P US Divid.Aristocr.ETF D ($SPYD (+0,52 %)
  ): Companies that have consistently increased their dividends for at least 25 years.
• The European focus - iSh.STOXX Europe 600 U.ETF ($EXSA (+0,43 %) ): a newer position that strengthens my diversification in the European region.

This structure forms the foundation of my current strategy: a clear core of broad market ETFs (MSCI World, S&P 500, STOXX Europe 600) is complemented by targeted satellites for high dividends and specific quality characteristics.

The strategy, or rather my roadmap for the future - discipline, cash flow and steady reinvestment

My path to a million is not a sprint, but a marathon that depends on discipline and a clear strategy. A significant amount flows into my portfolio every month - a total of € 1,610. This amount is made up of my active deposit of € 1,500 and € 110 from the reinvested dividends of the ETFs eligible for savings plans.

The distribution of my monthly savings plans is deliberately chosen to continuously strengthen my growth core:

• HSBC MSCI WORLD UCITS ETF (HMWO): 1,000 €/month
• VANGUARD S&P 500U.ETF DLD: 350 €/month
• ISH.STOXX Europe 600 U.ETF: 300 €/month
• WISDOMTREE.HMS.Z12/UN.XAU: 60 €/month (small proportion of gold for diversification and inflation protection)

The dividends are much more than just a nice bonus - they are a key driver for the growth of my portfolio through the compound interest effect. I'm already expecting an impressive €6,900 in gross dividends for 2025.

The challenge of dividend reinvestment

One problem that many investors also face is the challenge of dividend reinvestment at my bank, ING: automatic reinvestment only works if the net distribution of an individual ETF is at least €75.

If I haven't miscalculated and the dividends remain stable, this hurdle should be overcome for the ETFs in question.

Otherwise, I accumulate on my clearing account and then make a manual one-off investment in the VUSA or EuroStoxx600 as soon as a larger sum (between €500 and €1,000) has been accumulated, or I increase the savings plans to the two mentioned in the following month. This allows me to make the most of the compound interest effect and reduce the costs of transaction fees at the same time.

This approach has helped me to focus not on short-term gains, but on long-term growth and a steady income through dividends. It is a path that has proven its worth over the years and has continuously brought me closer to the goal of

1 million euros closer.

Looking to the future - The million within reach and the passive dream

My goal is clear: €1,000,000 in my portfolio. This milestone is not just a number, but the foundation for future financial freedom and the realization of my dreams.

Based on my current portfolio value of € 210000 (May 2025), my monthly investment and reinvested dividends and a realistic assumption of an average annual return of 8.0% p.a. (which is achievable for broadly diversified equity ETFs in the long term), I have a clear timetable in mind:

I will reach my goal of 1 million euros in the portfolio probably in April 2040. That is still about 14 years and 11 months of disciplined investing. The reinvestment of all dividends is the absolute key here. Without it, the road to a million would take almost a decade longer! This awareness motivates me anew every day.

Let's see if that works and whether I'll find this post on Getquin to repost again.