What was Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ)'s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2023?

Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ)'s CAGR from 2023 to September 2026 was 32.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) 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 $2,103.46 today. Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) outperformed the index by $746.68 — 1.35x the return of the S&P 500.

How much of the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $1,850.14 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,572.62. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $2,409.81, 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 Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) since 2023?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2023, the real purchasing-power value of the Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) position is approximately $2,663.92 in 2023 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) perform in 2023?

Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) rose 53% during 2023, from $258.91 at the start of the year to $396.84 at the start of 2024.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) in 2023?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$2,850

+$1,850 profit2.85x32.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,103

Its shares paid about $11.94 in dividends over the last 12 months.

Includes the fund’s 0.18% yearly fee, roughly $12.78 over this time.

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,573

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

$2,850.14

Total Profit

$1,850.14

Multiplier

2.85x

CAGR

32.3%

Max Drawdown

-10.1%

Inflation-Adjusted

$2,663.92

Benchmark Comparison

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

Asset	Value Today	Return
Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ)	$2,850.14	2.85x
S&P 500	$2,103.46	2.10x
Gold	$2,310.36	2.31x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,076.99	1.08x

Dividends

Over the last 12 months, the 3.86 shares you'd own now paid about $11.94 in dividends. That's 1.2% of the $1,000 put in.

Price growth alone turned $1,000 into $2,790; reinvested dividends added the other $59.85, 3.2% of the gain.

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

Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) charges a yearly fee of 0.18%. It’s already taken out of the fund’s price, so the results above include it; at today’s rate it came to roughly $12.78 on this investment. Source

Back in 2023

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, Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) rose 53%, #49 of the 113 investments we track. The best was Solana (+913%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−84%). Full 2023 results →

$1,000 in Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ), year by year

Of the 113 investments we track that were available at the start of 2023, Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) ranks #38 by growth to today — just behind Amazon and ahead of Uber. See the full 2023 ranking →

Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) started 2023 34% below its start-of-2022 high, after falling 34% in 2022. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Today's $2,850 is more than it was worth at any January since. It rose in 3 of the 3 full years since. It has been ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at every January since, and still is.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2023	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2024	$1,533	+53%	$1,263
Start of 2025	$1,954	+27%	$1,579
Start of 2026	$2,360	+21%	$1,861
Today	$2,850	+21%	$2,103

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, Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) was priced at $258.91 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 3.86 shares. QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 index of large non-financial companies.

Measured from one January to the next, Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ)'s best year since then was 2023 (+53%) and its weakest was 2025 (+21%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Nasdaq-100 ETF (QQQ) at the start of 2023 would be worth approximately $2,850.14 today — a 2.85x return ($1,850.14 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.