What was Caterpillar's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016?

Caterpillar's CAGR from 2016 to September 2026 was 29.1% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Caterpillar significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Caterpillar compare to the S&P 500 since 2016?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2016 would be worth approximately $4,503.50 today. Caterpillar outperformed the index by $11,110.04 — 3.47x the return of the S&P 500.

How much of the Caterpillar gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $14,613.54 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $13,421.51. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $12,135.52, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Caterpillar since 2016?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2016, the real purchasing-power value of the Caterpillar position is approximately $11,494.63 in 2016 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Caterpillar perform in 2016?

Caterpillar rose 44% during 2016, from $52.89 at the start of the year to $76.14 at the start of 2017.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Caterpillar in 2016?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$15,614

+$14,614 profit15.6x29.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,503

Its shares paid about $116.47 in dividends over the last 12 months.

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$13,422

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$15,613.54

Total Profit

$14,613.54

Multiplier

15.6x

CAGR

29.1%

Max Drawdown

-30.0%

Inflation-Adjusted

$11,494.63

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2016 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Caterpillar	$15,613.54	15.6x
S&P 500	$4,503.50	4.50x
Gold	$3,955.93	3.96x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,237.13	1.24x

Dividends

Over the last 12 months, the 18.91 shares you'd own now paid about $116.47 in dividends (about $9.71 a month). That's 12% of the $1,000 put in.

Price growth alone turned $1,000 into $12,146; reinvested dividends added the other $3,468, 24% of the gain.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2016

In October 2016, Caterpillar named Jim Umpleby its next CEO as longtime chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman announced his retirement after more than 41 years with the company. sec.gov
In 2016, a gallon of gas averaged $2.14, a movie ticket averaged $8.65 and the new iPhone 7 started at $649. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
During 2016 itself, Caterpillar rose 44%, #8 of the 85 investments we track. The best was Ethereum (+778%); the worst was Palo Alto Networks (−26%). Full 2016 results →

$1,000 in Caterpillar, year by year

Of the 85 investments we track that were available at the start of 2016, Caterpillar ranks #15 by growth to today — just behind Eli Lilly and ahead of Apple. See the full 2016 ranking →

Caterpillar started 2016 23% below its start-of-2015 high, after falling 23% in 2015. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Today's $15,614 is more than it was worth at any January since. It rose in 9 of the 10 full years since. It has been ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at every January since, and still is. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from May 2021 ($4,155) to Sep 2022 ($2,907), a drop of 30%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2016	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2017	$1,440	+44%	$1,120
Start of 2018	$2,478	+72%	$1,364
Start of 2019	$2,039	−18%	$1,304
Start of 2020	$2,497	+22%	$1,715
Start of 2021	$3,112	+25%	$2,030
Start of 2022	$3,611	+16%	$2,613
Start of 2023	$4,265	+18%	$2,140
Start of 2024	$5,333	+25%	$2,702
Start of 2025	$6,660	+25%	$3,379
Start of 2026	$11,246	+69%	$3,983
Today	$15,614	+39%	$4,503

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2016, Caterpillar was priced at $52.89 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 18.91 shares. Caterpillar makes construction and mining machinery.

Measured from one January to the next, Caterpillar's best year since then was 2017 (+72%) and its worst was 2018 (−18%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar at the start of 2016 would be worth approximately $15,613.54 today — a 15.6x return ($14,613.54 profit) over 10.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2016 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2016 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.