What was Roku's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2017?

Roku's CAGR from 2017 to September 2026 was 23.0% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Roku significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Roku compare to the S&P 500 since 2017?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2017 would be worth approximately $4,022.42 today. Roku outperformed the index by $2,432.05 — 1.60x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $5,454.47 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $5,636.30. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $5,156.30, 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 Roku since 2017?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2017, the real purchasing-power value of the Roku position is approximately $4,852.73 in 2017 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Roku perform in 2017?

Roku rose 122% during 2017, from $23.50 on its first trading day to $52.07 at the start of 2018.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Roku in 2017?

Q: Did Roku pay dividends?

No. Roku 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

$6,454

+$5,454 profit6.45x23.0% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,022

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$5,636

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

$6,454.47

Total Profit

$5,454.47

Multiplier

6.45x

CAGR

23.0%

Max Drawdown

-91.1%

Inflation-Adjusted

$4,852.73

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2017 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Roku	$6,454.47	6.45x
S&P 500	$4,022.42	4.02x
Gold	$3,650.04	3.65x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,195.19	1.20x

Dividends

Roku 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 2017

In September 2017, Roku went public on the Nasdaq under the ticker ROKU, raising $252 million in its initial public offering. theverge.com
In 2017, a gallon of gas averaged $2.42, a movie ticket averaged $8.97 and the new iPhone X started at $999. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
From its first trading day to the end of 2017, Roku rose 122%, #7 of the 87 investments we track. The best was XRP (+36,408%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−54%). Full 2017 results →

$1,000 in Roku, year by year

Of the 87 investments we track that were available at the start of 2017, Roku ranks #26 by growth to today — just behind Amazon and ahead of Meta. See the full 2017 ranking →

It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2021, at $13,528. Today it's 52% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 9 full years since. It moved ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2024 and has stayed ahead since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Jun 2021 ($19,519) to Dec 2022 ($1,730), a drop of 91%. At its lowest month-end, in Oct 2017, it was worth $866.18.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Sep 28, 2017	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2018	$2,216	+122%	$1,218
Start of 2019	$1,384	−38%	$1,165
Start of 2020	$5,834	+322%	$1,532
Start of 2021	$13,528	+132%	$1,814
Start of 2022	$9,923	−27%	$2,334
Start of 2023	$1,726	−83%	$1,911
Start of 2024	$3,787	+119%	$2,414
Start of 2025	$3,170	−16%	$3,018
Start of 2026	$4,626	+46%	$3,557
Today	$6,454	+40%	$4,022

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

Roku began trading on September 28, 2017 and closed its first day at $23.50 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 42.55 shares. Roku makes TV-streaming devices and software. It went public in September 2017.

Measured from one January to the next, Roku's best year since then was 2019 (+322%) and its worst was 2022 (−83%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2021 and the start of 2023, the position fell 87% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Roku at the close of its first trading day (September 28, 2017) would be worth approximately $6,454.47 today — a 6.45x return ($5,454.47 profit) over 9.0 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 2017 (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 of2017 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.