And if you were lucky enough to get in at AAPL's inception at the end of 1980, that $1,000 investment would be worth over $2.1 million today, with an annualized return of 19.22%.
Apple's stock growth since Jobs' return
If one had bought $1,000 in Apple stock when Jobs returned in February 1997 and held on until today, that position would be worth around $1.8 million.
That means that $10,000 in AAPL stock purchased 20 years ago would be worth more than $2.71 million today, assuming reinvested dividends. The same amount invested in the S&P 500 20 years ago would be worth $49,309 today with dividends reinvested.
If you had invested $1,000 in Apple stock on Jan. 24, 1984, today, you would have $1,593,809. Likewise, if you had invested $1,000 in an index fund replicating Nasdaq, you would have $55,090. A similar $1,000 investment in an index fund that replicates the S&P 500 would be worth $29,230.
If you invested $10,000 with founder Elon Musk 10 years ago, your stake would be worth $2.1 million now. That works out to a more than 70% average annual return. The same $10,000 put into the S&P 500 during that time grew just 274% to $37,376. That's just 14% compounded annually.
But if you were smart enough to invest $1,000 in Apple stock at the start of the year 2000, you'd be sitting on a monster gain of 21,230%. This means that modest investment would be worth a whopping $213,000 today (as of July 27).
Currently, Microsoft has a market capitalization of $3.11 trillion. Buying $1000 In MSFT: If an investor had bought $1000 of MSFT stock 20 years ago, it would be worth $15,345.81 today based on a price of $417.96 for MSFT at the time of writing.
Did you know that a $1,000 investment in Amazon's IPO in 1997 would be worth $1.87 million today? That's a staggering return of over 186,900% 🚀 ✨ But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Investors had to endure a 95% drop during the dot-com bust, waiting until 2009 to recover.
Apple's “1984” commercial is aired during Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. Earlier that month, Apple's Macintosh computer was already the most anticipated personal computer release ever. As a part of the rollout, Apple commissioned director Ridley Scott to direct a one-minute commercial for the Mac.
The closing price for McDonald's (MCD) between 1978 and 1984 was $1.41, on December 31, 1984. It was up 266.5% in that time. The latest price is $282.31.
Had you invested $1,000 in Microsoft at its IPO, you would have acquired 47 shares at $21 per share. Adjusting for the stock splits, you'd actually have 13,536 shares today with a cost basis of $0.0729 per share. Given Microsoft now trades at $238.73 per share, that translates to a return of 327,401%.
$1,000 invested today isn't likely to turn you into a millionaire, but you can still benefit from market-beating performance and an attractive dividend. If you can identify new great stocks like Amazon, Apple, and Home Depot and hold on through ups and downs, you can become a millionaire in a few decades, too.
If You Bought Apple Stock 10 Years Ago
The company's stock traded at approximately $24.69 per share 10 years ago. If you had invested $10,000, you could have bought roughly 405 shares. Currently, shares trade at $231.30, meaning your investment's value could have surged to $93,682 from stock price appreciation alone.
For our example, let's say you invest $10,000 in a 401(k) today and you aim to withdraw it in 20 years. While it's invested, you earn a 10% average annual return. After two decades, your $10,000 would be worth $67,275.
S&P 500 Investment Time Machine
Imagine you put $1,000 into either fund 10 years ago. You'd be up to roughly 126.4% — or $3,282 — from VOO and 126.9% — or $3,302 — from SPY. That's not exactly wealthy, but it shows how you can more than triple your money by holding an asset with relatively low long-term risk.
After several stock splits, an investment of $1,000 in Amazon's IPO back in 1997 would now be worth around $2.5 million (as of July 1; at a share price of $197.2).
In a note on Tuesday, Bespoke calculated that a $1,000 investment in Nvidia stock 20 years ago would be worth about $944,000 now, meaning you would be on the cusp of being a millionaire.
$10,000 invested in the S&P 500 at the beginning of 2000 would have grown to $32,527 over 20 years — an average return of 6.07% per year.
Despite this, Apple remains a compelling long-term investment, and current investors should consider holding. The company will continue to reward shareholders through rising dividends and share repurchases, and if its AI strategy delivers, it could pave the way for a transformative new growth phase.
For Netflix, if you bought shares a decade ago, you're likely feeling really good about your investment today. A $1000 investment made in November 2014 would be worth $14,248.59, or a 1,324.86% gain, as of November 7, 2024, according to our calculations.
This means that your $1,000 10 years ago — technically, $1,002 — would have bought 60 shares of Tesla. As of Mar. 3, 2024, those 60 shares of Tesla would be worth $12,158.40. That marks a 28.342% annual rate of return.