What was GameStop's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2021?

GameStop's CAGR from 2021 to September 2026 was 34.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. GameStop significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does GameStop compare to the S&P 500 since 2021?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2021 would be worth approximately $2,218.04 today. GameStop outperformed the index by $3,233.55 — 2.46x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $4,451.59 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $4,783.86. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $4,392.11, 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 GameStop since 2021?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2021, the real purchasing-power value of the GameStop position is approximately $4,530.17 in 2021 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did GameStop perform in 2021?

GameStop rose 786% during 2021, from $4.31 at the start of the year to $38.21 at the start of 2022.

What If You Invested $1,000 in GameStop in 2021?

Q: Did GameStop pay dividends?

No. GameStop paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$5,452

+$4,452 profit5.45x34.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,218

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$4,784

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

$5,451.59

Total Profit

$4,451.59

Multiplier

5.45x

CAGR

34.3%

Max Drawdown

-80.0%

Inflation-Adjusted

$4,530.17

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2021 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
GameStop	$5,451.59	5.45x
S&P 500	$2,218.04	2.22x
Gold	$2,213.49	2.21x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,120.46	1.12x

Dividends

GameStop paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

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

Back in 2021

In January 2021, GameStop was at the center of a trading frenzy fueled by Reddit's r/WallStreetBets forum, and Robinhood briefly blocked new purchases of its shares. theverge.com
In 2021, a gallon of gas averaged $3.01 and the new iPhone 13 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2021 itself, GameStop rose 786%, #6 of the 111 investments we track. The best was Solana (+11,084%); the worst was Zoom (−49%). Full 2021 results →

$1,000 in GameStop, year by year

Of the 111 investments we track that were available at the start of 2021, GameStop ranks #13 by growth to today — just behind AMD and ahead of CrowdStrike. See the full 2021 ranking →

GameStop started 2021 58% below its start-of-2008 high, after rising 173% in 2020. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2022, at $8,860. Today it's 38% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 2 of the 5 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 ($12,875) to Apr 2024 ($2,573), a drop of 80%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2021	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2022	$8,860	+786%	$1,287
Start of 2023	$3,988	−55%	$1,054
Start of 2024	$3,866	−3.1%	$1,331
Start of 2025	$7,110	+84%	$1,664
Start of 2026	$4,781	−33%	$1,962
Today	$5,452	+14%	$2,218

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 2021, GameStop was priced at $4.31 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 232 shares. GameStop sells video games and consoles; its stock became famous in the January 2021 short squeeze.

Measured from one January to the next, GameStop's best year since then was 2021 (+786%) and its worst was 2022 (−55%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2024, the position fell 56% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in GameStop at the start of 2021 would be worth approximately $5,451.59 today — a 5.45x return ($4,451.59 profit) over 5.7 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 2021 (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 of2021 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.