How to interpret CAGR results?

Asked by: Casandra Weimann I  |  Last update: December 21, 2025
Score: 4.8/5 (25 votes)

CAGR is a simple metric that measures the average rate of growth of a sum, be that a figure like sales or an investment, over any number of periods. It's easy to picture visually: In Example 1 above, a $1.00 investment grows by 20% for three years to a value of $1.73. The CAGR is 20%.

How do you interpret CAGR?

The compound annual growth rate isn't a true return rate, but rather a representational figure. It is essentially a number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it had grown at the same rate every year and the profits were reinvested at the end of each year.

What is a good CAGR score?

A CAGR in sales of 5-12 per cent is suitable for large-cap companies. Similarly, for small businesses, a CAGR of 15% to 30% is satisfactory. Furthermore, a company's CAGR must be consistent over time. As a result, a promising CAGR does not always imply the highest CAGR; it can also mean stable and constant growth.

What does a 20% CAGR mean?

Compound Annual Growth Rate or CAGR refers to the annual growth of an investment over a specific duration. The value of the investment is assumed to be compounded over the period. Unlike the absolute return, CAGR takes the time value of money into the account.

Is 25% CAGR good?

A fund showing 25% CAGR over 10 years may stabilize closer to average market returns, possibly between 12% and 15%, over 25 years. It is wise to assume moderate returns rather than extrapolating the past performance linearly.

CAGR explained

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What does 30% CAGR mean?

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is a measure of the average yearly growth of your investments over a certain time period. It tells you the average rate of return you have earned on your investments every year.

Is it better to have a high or low CAGR?

A high CAGR with a low standard deviation suggests consistent growth with less risk. Look Beyond the Average: CAGR is an average, so the actual returns might have fluctuated significantly in some years. Consider the historical performance data to understand the investment's volatility.

What CAGR is doubling in 5 years?

If your business is growing at a rate of 15% per year it will double in size in 5 years (4.8 to be exact). At 30% growth, your company will double in size in 2.4 years. At 5% growth, you've got a 14.4-year journey ahead of you.

What is considered a large CAGR?

What Is a Good CAGR? For companies with large capitalization, a CAGR in sales of 5% to 12% is good. For small-cap and midcap companies, a CAGR of 15% to 30% is good. Startup companies, on the other hand, should have a CAGR ranging from 100% to 500%.

Is CAGR the same as annualized return?

What is CAGR? CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, measures the rate of return of an investment over a certain period, in percentage terms. In other words, CAGR is the imaginary growth rate at which an investment is expected to grow steadily on an annually compounded basis. CAGR is also known as an annualised return.

What is a normal CAGR range?

CAGR evens out all variations in the annual return rate of securities while considering an average of the same. For example, a stock market instrument can have a return of 25% during the first period of investment, 9% in the second year, 19% in the third year, and 17% in the fourth year.

How to use CAGR to forecast?

The formula to calculate CAGR divides the future value (FV) by the present value (PV), raises the figure to one divided by the number of compounding periods, and subtracts by one.

Which industry has the highest CAGR?

Global Fastest Growing Industries in 2025
  • Global Tourism. ...
  • Global Airlines. ...
  • Global Semiconductor & Electronic Parts Manufacturing. ...
  • Global Marine & Container Terminal Operation. ...
  • Global Respiratory Ventilator Manufacturing. ...
  • Global HR & Recruitment Services. ...
  • Global Biotechnology. ...
  • Global Hotels & Resorts.

What is a good CAGR value?

Size of the company and also the industry sector plays a role in the growth rate of a company. For large-cap companies, a CAGR in sales of 5-12% is good. Similarly, for small companies, a CAGR between 15% to 30% is good. On the other hand, start-up companies have a CAGR ranging between 100% to 500%.

What is considered a fast CAGR?

Less than 15 percent: Although many may consider this rate rather unspectacular, a firm will double its size in five years while growing at a 15 percent rate. 15 percent to 25 percent: Rapid growth. 25 percent to 50 percent annually: Very rapid growth. 50 percent to 100 percent annually: Hyper growth.

Is CAGR a good indicator?

However, CAGR is a good indicator of overall scheme performance. You can compare CAGRs of different mutual fund schemes and make informed investment decisions. You should consult with your financial advisor if required.

How to interpret CAGR?

CAGR is a simple metric that measures the average rate of growth of a sum, be that a figure like sales or an investment, over any number of periods. It's easy to picture visually: In Example 1 above, a $1.00 investment grows by 20% for three years to a value of $1.73. The CAGR is 20%.

What is the CAGR rule?

The CAGR formula is equal to (Ending Value/Beginning Value) ^ (1/No. of Periods) – 1.

What is the CAGR for impact investing?

The GIIN estimates that over 3,907 organizations currently manage $1.571 trillion USD in impact investing assets under management (AUM) worldwide, representing 21% compound annual growth (CAGR) of the total impact investing market since 2019.

What is the rule of 70 in CAGR?

The Rule of 70 Formula: It means, the doubling time is simply 70 divided by the constant annual growth rate. For instance, consider a quantity that grows consistently at 5% annually. According to the Rule of 70, it will take 14 years (70/5) for the quantity to double.

What is the Rule of 72 for CAGR?

What is the Rule of 72? Here's how it works: Divide 72 by your expected annual interest rate (as a percentage, not a decimal). The answer is roughly the number of years it will take for your money to double. For example, if your investment earns 4 percent a year, it would take about 72 / 4 = 18 years to double.

How long will it take money to double if invested at 5% compounded annually?

Answer and Explanation:

and we are asked to find the time that it would take for money to double if it is invested at this rate if it is compounded annually, that is A = 2 P . Since this is compound interest, we will be using the formula below. Thus, it will take 14.21 years for the money to double.

What is the difference between CAGR and annualized return?

Although conceptually the same, CAGR and annualised returns differs as CAGR is showcased using the initial and ending investing values. On the other hand, annualised return is calculated by using the returns from multiple years.

What are the weakness of CAGR?

CAGR limitations to keep in mind
  • It doesn't account for investment volatility. ...
  • It doesn't account for added funds in an investment portfolio. ...
  • It can only be used to compare identical time periods. ...
  • It is less reliable for shorter investment periods.

What is better than CAGR?

For irregular investments with detailed cash flow data, XIRR is often more useful and accurate than CAGR since it accounts for the timing and size of all cash inflows and outflows. However, for regular investments focused on long-term growth, CAGR may be sufficient and easier to calculate.