How much does missing just a few good market days actually matter?

Published 19 September 2026

Rahul K from Bangalore

People often say “stay invested because the best days come unexpectedly.” Does missing a handful of strong market days really make such a large difference?

Sachin Kabra Co-founder Foliyo (SEBI RIA No: INA000023454), ex-Director HDFC Private Wealth, Business Head Motilal Oswal AMC LinkedIn

he example discussed uses ₹1 lakh invested in the Sensex in 1998 for roughly 25 years.

An investor who simply stayed invested ended with around ₹22 lakh.

An investor who missed the 10 best market days ended with only around ₹8 lakh.

And an investor who missed the 40 best days ended with only around ₹2.5 lakh.

The market, index and overall period were the same. The difference was whether the investor remained invested through the full journey.

Trying to avoid the worst days can also create the risk of missing some of the strongest recovery days.

“Same market, same index, same period, but completely different outcomes.”

“If you’re trying very hard to avoid the big market correction, you also risk missing the strongest recovery days.”

This is not personalized investment advice. Your goals, risk tolerance and financial situation may be different, so assess your own situation and discuss it with your financial advisor.

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