NASDAQ Investment
| Asset | Start amount ($) | Annual Investment ($) | Annual Rate (%) | Profit ($) in 10 Years | Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.33% | 5,903.24 | 25,903.24 |
Annual rate includes reinvested dividends (an estimated +0.8pp added to the price-only CAGR).
All Assets Per Year
| Year | Start Amount | Total Contribution | Profit per Year | Accumulated Profit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $366 | $366 | $11,366 |
| 2 | $11,366 | $2,000 | $412 | $778 | $12,778 |
| 3 | $12,778 | $3,000 | $459 | $1,237 | $14,237 |
| 4 | $14,237 | $4,000 | $507 | $1,744 | $15,744 |
| 5 | $15,744 | $5,000 | $558 | $2,302 | $17,302 |
| 6 | $17,302 | $6,000 | $609 | $2,911 | $18,911 |
| 7 | $18,911 | $7,000 | $663 | $3,574 | $20,574 |
| 8 | $20,574 | $8,000 | $718 | $4,293 | $22,293 |
| 9 | $22,293 | $9,000 | $776 | $5,068 | $24,068 |
| 10 | $24,068 | $10,000 | $835 | $5,903 | $25,903 |
How the NASDAQ Rate Is Calculated
The annual rate above is the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the NASDAQ Composite index (^IXIC), calculated from its full available price history, plus a small estimated adjustment for reinvested dividends (hover the info icon next to "Annual Rate" for the exact figures). The NASDAQ Composite skews heavily toward growth and technology stocks that historically pay little or no dividend, so this adjustment is much smaller than the one used for the S&P 500 calculator — roughly 0.8 percentage points per year versus 3.5 for the S&P 500.
Want to see performance for a specific window instead of the full history — say, recovering from the dot-com crash or through a recent tech selloff? The NASDAQ historical data page lets you pick any two dates back to 1971 and get exact total return, CAGR, and drawdown figures.
What This Calculator Doesn't Include
This projection applies one constant rate every year, which smooths over real market behavior — the NASDAQ has had multi-year stretches of steep losses (2000–2002, 2022) alongside years of 40%+ gains. It also doesn't account for fund expense ratios or capital gains tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average annual return of the NASDAQ?
Over its full history since 1971, the NASDAQ Composite's price return has averaged in the high single digits to low double digits annually, though it's been considerably higher over the past decade and considerably lower during multi-year drawdowns like 2000–2002. The rate used here reflects actual historical price data rather than a rounded estimate.
Why is the NASDAQ more volatile than the S&P 500?
The NASDAQ Composite is far more concentrated in technology and growth companies, which tend to swing harder in both directions than the broader, more diversified S&P 500.
How does the NASDAQ compare to gold or Bitcoin?
The NASDAQ has historically delivered stronger long-term growth than gold, with far less volatility than Bitcoin. Use the portfolio comparison tool to model different asset mixes side by side.
Does the rate include dividends?
Yes, via a small estimated adjustment. Based on comparing the NASDAQ Composite Total Return index (^NACTR) against the price-only ^IXIC index over the trailing 10 years, reinvested dividends have added roughly 0.8 percentage points per year — much smaller than the S&P 500's ~3.5pp gap, since NASDAQ-listed growth and technology companies pay little or no dividend.