What was IBM's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2023?

IBM's CAGR from 2023 to September 2026 was 16.6% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. IBM significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does IBM compare to the S&P 500 since 2023?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2023 would be worth approximately $2,104.49 today. IBM underperformed the S&P 500 by $328.33.

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

Sold today, the $776.16 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,659.74. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,591.44, 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 IBM since 2023?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2023, the real purchasing-power value of the IBM position is approximately $1,660.11 in 2023 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did IBM perform in 2023?

IBM rose 20% during 2023, from $124.34 at the start of the year to $148.91 at the start of 2024.

What If You Invested $1,000 in IBM in 2023?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,776

+$776.16 profit1.78x16.6% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,104

Its shares paid about $54.21 in dividends over the last 12 months.

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,660

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

$1,776.16

Total Profit

$776.16

Multiplier

1.78x

CAGR

16.6%

Max Drawdown

-27.2%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,660.11

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2023 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
IBM	$1,776.16	1.78x
S&P 500	$2,104.49	2.10x
Gold	$2,303.29	2.30x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,076.98	1.08x

Dividends

Over the last 12 months, the 8.04 shares you'd own now paid about $54.21 in dividends (about $4.52 a month). That's 5.4% of the $1,000 put in.

Price growth alone turned $1,000 into $1,560; reinvested dividends added the other $215.98, 28% of the gain.

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

Back in 2023

In May 2023, IBM launched watsonx at its Think conference, a platform for businesses to build, tune and deploy AI models, including generative ones. techcrunch.com
In 2023, a gallon of gas averaged $3.52 and the new iPhone 15 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2023 itself, IBM rose 20%, #75 of the 113 investments we track. The best was Solana (+913%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−84%). Full 2023 results →

$1,000 in IBM, year by year

Of the 113 investments we track that were available at the start of 2023, IBM ranks #64 by growth to today — just behind Bank of America and ahead of Oracle. See the full 2023 ranking →

IBM started 2023 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 9.2% in 2022. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2026, at $2,298. Today it's 23% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 3 of the 3 full years since. It was ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 but has fallen behind it since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Nov 2025 ($2,441) to today ($1,776), a drop of 27%. At its lowest month-end, in Apr 2023, it was worth $907.31.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2023	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2024	$1,198	+20%	$1,263
Start of 2025	$1,690	+41%	$1,579
Start of 2026	$2,298	+36%	$1,861
Today	$1,776	−23%	$2,104

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 2023, IBM was priced at $124.34 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 8.04 shares. IBM sells enterprise software, consulting and mainframe computers.

Measured from one January to the next, IBM's best year since then was 2024 (+41%) and its weakest was 2023 (+20%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in IBM at the start of 2023 would be worth approximately $1,776.16 today — a 1.78x return ($776.16 profit) over 3.7 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 2023 (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 of2023 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.