What was The Trade Desk's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2018?

The Trade Desk's CAGR from 2018 to September 2026 was 11.9% 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 2018?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2018 would be worth approximately $3,301.62 today. The Trade Desk underperformed the S&P 500 by $630.86.

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

Sold today, the $1,670.76 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,420.15. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $2,273.12, 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 2018?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2018, the real purchasing-power value of the The Trade Desk position is approximately $2,057.14 in 2018 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did The Trade Desk perform in 2018?

The Trade Desk rose 150% during 2018, from $4.64 at the start of the year to $11.62 at the start of 2019.

What If You Invested $1,000 in The Trade Desk in 2018?

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

$2,671

+$1,671 profit2.67x11.9% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $3,302

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,420

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

$2,670.76

Total Profit

$1,670.76

Multiplier

2.67x

CAGR

11.9%

Max Drawdown

-90.4%

Inflation-Adjusted

$2,057.14

Benchmark Comparison

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

Asset	Value Today	Return
The Trade Desk	$2,670.76	2.67x
S&P 500	$3,301.62	3.30x
Gold	$3,224.25	3.22x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,189.05	1.19x

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 2018

In June 2018, The Trade Desk launched Next Wave, a set of media planning and buying tools it called the biggest product launch in company history. 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, The Trade Desk rose 150%, the best of the 94 investments we track. The worst was Cardano (−94%). Full 2018 results →

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

Of the 94 investments we track that were available at the start of 2018, The Trade Desk ranks #53 by growth to today — just behind Sony and ahead of Schwab Dividend ETF (SCHD). See the full 2018 ranking →

The Trade Desk started 2018 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 72% 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 2025, at $25,367. Today it's 89% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 6 of the 8 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 ($27,766) to today ($2,671), a drop of 90%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2018	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2019	$2,504	+150%	$956
Start of 2020	$5,850	+134%	$1,257
Start of 2021	$16,665	+185%	$1,489
Start of 2022	$19,416	+17%	$1,916
Start of 2023	$9,485	−51%	$1,569
Start of 2024	$15,210	+60%	$1,981
Start of 2025	$25,367	+67%	$2,477
Start of 2026	$8,119	−68%	$2,920
Today	$2,671	−67%	$3,302

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, The Trade Desk was priced at $4.64 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 215 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 start of 2018 would be worth approximately $2,670.76 today — a 2.67x return ($1,670.76 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.