What if you'd held PYPL?
A $1,000 investment in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) at the month-end close of 2015-07 would be worth $1,596 at the close of 2026-08 — +59.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $3,664.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 2015
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $1,000 | — |
| 2016 | $1,090 | +9.0% |
| 2017 | $2,034 | +86.5% |
| 2018 | $2,323 | +14.2% |
| 2019 | $2,988 | +28.6% |
| 2020 | $6,469 | +116.5% |
| 2021 | $5,209 | -19.5% |
| 2022 | $1,967 | -62.2% |
| 2023 | $1,696 | -13.8% |
| 2024 | $2,358 | +39.0% |
| 2025 | $1,616 | -31.4% |
| 2026 | $1,707 | +5.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought PYPL was 2015-09 ($30.77): $1,000 then is $1,991 today. The worst was 2021-06 ($289): $1,000 then is $212.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in PYPL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) at the start of 2015 would be worth about $1,596 today, a total return of +59.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for PYPL?
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL)'s strongest calendar year since 2015 was 2020, a +116.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,165 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -62.2%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in PYPL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2015-07 would have grown to about $11,826 on $13,400 invested.
Did PYPL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $3,664. PYPL trailed the S&P 500 by +56.4% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) historical total-return data from 2015-07 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.