What if you'd held ^IXIC?
A $1,000 investment in NASDAQ Composite Index (^IXIC) at the month-end close of 1971-02 would be worth $259,829 at the close of 2026-08 — +25882.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $79,669.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1971
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | $1,000 | — |
| 1972 | $1,172 | +17.2% |
| 1973 | $808 | -31.1% |
| 1974 | $524 | -35.1% |
| 1975 | $680 | +29.8% |
| 1976 | $858 | +26.1% |
| 1977 | $921 | +7.3% |
| 1978 | $1,034 | +12.3% |
| 1979 | $1,324 | +28.1% |
| 1980 | $1,773 | +33.9% |
| 1981 | $1,716 | -3.2% |
| 1982 | $2,037 | +18.7% |
| 1983 | $2,441 | +19.9% |
| 1984 | $2,165 | -11.3% |
| 1985 | $2,847 | +31.5% |
| 1986 | $3,056 | +7.4% |
| 1987 | $2,896 | -5.2% |
| 1988 | $3,342 | +15.4% |
| 1989 | $3,985 | +19.2% |
| 1990 | $3,275 | -17.8% |
| 1991 | $5,138 | +56.9% |
| 1992 | $5,932 | +15.5% |
| 1993 | $6,807 | +14.7% |
| 1994 | $6,589 | -3.2% |
| 1995 | $9,220 | +39.9% |
| 1996 | $11,313 | +22.7% |
| 1997 | $13,761 | +21.6% |
| 1998 | $19,214 | +39.6% |
| 1999 | $35,658 | +85.6% |
| 2000 | $21,648 | -39.3% |
| 2001 | $17,091 | -21.1% |
| 2002 | $11,703 | -31.5% |
| 2003 | $17,555 | +50.0% |
| 2004 | $19,063 | +8.6% |
| 2005 | $19,325 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | $21,164 | +9.5% |
| 2007 | $23,241 | +9.8% |
| 2008 | $13,819 | -40.5% |
| 2009 | $19,884 | +43.9% |
| 2010 | $23,246 | +16.9% |
| 2011 | $22,828 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | $26,459 | +15.9% |
| 2013 | $36,598 | +38.3% |
| 2014 | $41,501 | +13.4% |
| 2015 | $43,878 | +5.7% |
| 2016 | $47,171 | +7.5% |
| 2017 | $60,492 | +28.2% |
| 2018 | $58,143 | -3.9% |
| 2019 | $78,624 | +35.2% |
| 2020 | $112,936 | +43.6% |
| 2021 | $137,092 | +21.4% |
| 2022 | $91,715 | -33.1% |
| 2023 | $131,540 | +43.4% |
| 2024 | $169,215 | +28.6% |
| 2025 | $203,663 | +20.4% |
| 2026 | $230,732 | +13.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ^IXIC was 1974-09 ($55.67): $1,000 then is $472,985 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($26,973): $1,000 then is $976.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ^IXIC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in NASDAQ Composite Index (^IXIC) at the start of 1971 would be worth about $259,829 today, a total return of +25882.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ^IXIC?
NASDAQ Composite Index (^IXIC)'s strongest calendar year since 1971 was 1999, a +85.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,856 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -40.5%.
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 ^IXIC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1971-02 would have grown to about $4.65M on $66,700 invested.
Did ^IXIC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $79,669. ^IXIC beat the S&P 500 by +226.1% 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
NASDAQ Composite Index (^IXIC) historical total-return data from 1971-02 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.
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.