What was Netflix's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2015?

Netflix's CAGR from 2015 to September 2026 was 25.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Netflix significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Netflix compare to the S&P 500 since 2015?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2015 would be worth approximately $4,565.82 today. Netflix outperformed the index by $9,535.59 — 3.09x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $13,101.41 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $12,136.19. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $10,983.27, 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 Netflix since 2015?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2015, the real purchasing-power value of the Netflix position is approximately $10,251.64 in 2015 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Netflix perform in 2015?

Netflix rose 121% during 2015, from $4.98 at the start of the year to $11.00 at the start of 2016.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Netflix in 2015?

Q: Did Netflix pay dividends?

No. Netflix 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

$14,101

+$13,101 profit14.1x25.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,566

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$12,136

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

$14,101.41

Total Profit

$13,101.41

Multiplier

14.1x

CAGR

25.3%

Max Drawdown

-74.7%

Inflation-Adjusted

$10,251.64

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2015 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Netflix	$14,101.41	14.1x
S&P 500	$4,565.82	4.57x
Gold	$3,548.31	3.55x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,261.85	1.26x

Dividends

Netflix 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 2015

In August 2015, Netflix introduced unlimited paid leave for new parents, letting employees take as much time off as they wanted during a child's first year. techcrunch.com
In 2015, a gallon of gas averaged $2.43, a movie ticket averaged $8.43 and the new iPhone 6s started at $649 without a contract. eia.gov fonearena.com thewrap.com
During 2015 itself, Netflix rose 121%, the best of the 82 investments we track. The worst was Chipotle (−34%). Full 2015 results →

$1,000 in Netflix, year by year

Of the 82 investments we track that were available at the start of 2015, Netflix ranks #14 by growth to today — just behind Amazon and ahead of Apple. See the full 2015 ranking →

Netflix started 2015 3.9% below its start-of-2014 high, after falling 3.9% in 2014. 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 $18,271. Today it's 23% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 10 of the 11 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 Oct 2021 ($13,845) to Jun 2022 ($3,507), a drop of 75%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2015	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2016	$2,209	+121%	$1,014
Start of 2017	$2,560	+16%	$1,135
Start of 2018	$4,038	+58%	$1,383
Start of 2019	$5,376	+33%	$1,322
Start of 2020	$6,622	+23%	$1,739
Start of 2021	$10,500	+59%	$2,058
Start of 2022	$11,996	+14%	$2,649
Start of 2023	$5,924	−51%	$2,170
Start of 2024	$9,408	+59%	$2,740
Start of 2025	$17,805	+89%	$3,425
Start of 2026	$18,271	+2.6%	$4,038
Today	$14,101	−23%	$4,566

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 2015, Netflix was priced at $4.98 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 201 shares. Netflix is a subscription streaming service that started out renting DVDs by mail.

Measured from one January to the next, Netflix's best year since then was 2015 (+121%) and its worst was 2022 (−51%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 51% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Netflix at the start of 2015 would be worth approximately $14,101.41 today — a 14.1x return ($13,101.41 profit) over 11.7 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 2015 (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 of2015 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.