What was Pfizer's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2018?

Pfizer's CAGR from 2018 to September 2026 was 2.6% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. However, this came with substantially higher volatility and drawdown risk.

How does Pfizer compare to the S&P 500 since 2018?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2018 would be worth approximately $3,300.00 today. Pfizer underperformed the S&P 500 by $2,053.47.

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

Sold today, the $246.53 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,209.55. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,187.85, 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 Pfizer since 2018?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2018, the real purchasing-power value of the Pfizer position is approximately $960.13 in 2018 dollars. After inflation, the investment has lost purchasing power compared with the original amount.

How did Pfizer perform in 2018?

Pfizer rose 23% during 2018, from $23.04 at the start of the year to $28.32 at the start of 2019.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Pfizer in 2018?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,247

+$246.53 profit1.25x2.6% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $3,300

Its shares paid about $74.65 in dividends over the last 12 months.

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,210

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

$1,246.53

Total Profit

$246.53

Multiplier

1.25x

CAGR

2.6%

Max Drawdown

-52.8%

Inflation-Adjusted

$960.13

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2018 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Pfizer	$1,246.53	1.25x
S&P 500	$3,300.00	3.30x
Gold	$3,234.15	3.23x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,189.06	1.19x

Dividends

Over the last 12 months, the 43.40 shares you'd own now paid about $74.65 in dividends (about $6.22 a month). That's 7.5% of the $1,000 put in.

Without reinvesting dividends, it would be worth $830.69 instead of $1,247.

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

Back in 2018

In October 2018, Pfizer's board elected Albert Bourla to become CEO on January 1, 2019, succeeding Ian Read. sec.gov
In 2018, a gallon of gas averaged $2.72, a movie ticket averaged $9.11 and the new iPhone XS started at $999. eia.gov apple.com hollywoodreporter.com
During 2018 itself, Pfizer rose 23%, #16 of the 94 investments we track. The best was The Trade Desk (+150%); the worst was Cardano (−94%). Full 2018 results →

$1,000 in Pfizer, year by year

Of the 94 investments we track that were available at the start of 2018, Pfizer ranks #80 by growth to today, in the bottom quarter — just behind Adobe and ahead of Lululemon. See the full 2018 ranking →

Pfizer started 2018 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 15% in 2017. 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 $1,904. Today it's 35% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 4 of the 8 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2024 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Dec 2021 ($1,984) to May 2025 ($936.55), a drop of 53%. At its lowest month-end, in May 2025, it was worth $936.55.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2018	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2019	$1,229	+23%	$956
Start of 2020	$1,154	−6.1%	$1,257
Start of 2021	$1,191	+3.2%	$1,489
Start of 2022	$1,904	+60%	$1,916
Start of 2023	$1,779	−6.6%	$1,569
Start of 2024	$1,078	−39%	$1,981
Start of 2025	$1,024	−5.0%	$2,477
Start of 2026	$1,039	+1.4%	$2,920
Today	$1,247	+20%	$3,300

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 2018, Pfizer was priced at $23.04 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 43.40 shares. Pfizer is a pharmaceutical company that co-developed a COVID-19 vaccine.

Measured from one January to the next, Pfizer's best year since then was 2021 (+60%) and its worst was 2023 (−39%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2025, the position fell 46% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Pfizer at the start of 2018 would be worth approximately $1,246.53 today — a 1.25x return ($246.53 profit) over 8.7 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 2018 (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 of2018 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.