What was The Trade Desk's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016?

The Trade Desk's CAGR from 2016 to September 2026 was 15.2% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. The Trade Desk significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does The Trade Desk compare to the S&P 500 since 2016?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2016 would be worth approximately $4,503.50 today. The Trade Desk underperformed the S&P 500 by $385.56.

How much of the The Trade Desk gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $3,117.94 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $3,650.25. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $3,375.87, 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 The Trade Desk since 2016?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2016, the real purchasing-power value of the The Trade Desk position is approximately $3,031.61 in 2016 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did The Trade Desk perform in 2016?

The Trade Desk fell 11% during 2016, from $3.01 on its first trading day to $2.69 at the start of 2017.

What If You Invested $1,000 in The Trade Desk in 2016?

Q: Did The Trade Desk pay dividends?

No. The Trade Desk 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

$4,118

+$3,118 profit4.12x15.2% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,503

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$3,650

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

$4,117.94

Total Profit

$3,117.94

Multiplier

4.12x

CAGR

15.2%

Max Drawdown

-90.4%

Inflation-Adjusted

$3,031.61

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2016 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
The Trade Desk	$4,117.94	4.12x
S&P 500	$4,503.50	4.50x
Gold	$3,955.93	3.96x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,219.54	1.22x

Dividends

The Trade Desk 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 2016

In September 2016, The Trade Desk closed its initial public offering, selling about 5.4 million Class A shares and listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker TTD. sec.gov
In 2016, a gallon of gas averaged $2.14, a movie ticket averaged $8.65 and the new iPhone 7 started at $649. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
From its first trading day to the end of 2016, The Trade Desk fell 11%, #82 of the 85 investments we track. The best was Ethereum (+778%); the worst was Palo Alto Networks (−26%). Full 2016 results →

$1,000 in The Trade Desk, year by year

Of the 85 investments we track that were available at the start of 2016, The Trade Desk ranks #48 by growth to today — just behind Merck and ahead of Berkshire Hathaway. See the full 2016 ranking →

It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2017, and has been above it since the start of 2018. Its best January was 2025, at $39,113. Today it's 89% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 7 of the 10 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 2024 ($42,811) to today ($4,118), a drop of 90%. At its lowest month-end, in Oct 2016, it was worth $838.57.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Sep 21, 2016	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2017	$895	−11%	$1,120
Start of 2018	$1,542	+72%	$1,364
Start of 2019	$3,860	+150%	$1,304
Start of 2020	$9,020	+134%	$1,715
Start of 2021	$25,694	+185%	$2,030
Start of 2022	$29,937	+17%	$2,613
Start of 2023	$14,625	−51%	$2,140
Start of 2024	$23,452	+60%	$2,702
Start of 2025	$39,113	+67%	$3,379
Start of 2026	$12,518	−68%	$3,983
Today	$4,118	−67%	$4,503

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

The Trade Desk began trading on September 21, 2016 and closed its first day at $3.01 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 332 shares. The Trade Desk runs a platform advertisers use to buy digital ads. It went public in September 2016.

Measured from one January to the next, The Trade Desk's best year since then was 2020 (+185%) and its worst was 2025 (−68%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2025 and the start of 2026, the position fell 68% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in The Trade Desk at the close of its first trading day (September 21, 2016) would be worth approximately $4,117.94 today — a 4.12x return ($3,117.94 profit) over 10.0 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 2016 (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 of2016 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.