What if you'd held QQQ?
A $1,000 investment in Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) at the month-end close of 1999-03 would be worth $16,197 at the close of 2026-08 — +1519.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $5,992.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 1999
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $1,000 | — |
| 2000 | $639 | -36.1% |
| 2001 | $426 | -33.3% |
| 2002 | $267 | -37.4% |
| 2003 | $399 | +49.6% |
| 2004 | $441 | +10.5% |
| 2005 | $448 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | $480 | +7.1% |
| 2007 | $572 | +19.0% |
| 2008 | $333 | -41.7% |
| 2009 | $515 | +54.7% |
| 2010 | $619 | +20.1% |
| 2011 | $640 | +3.5% |
| 2012 | $756 | +18.1% |
| 2013 | $1,034 | +36.6% |
| 2014 | $1,232 | +19.2% |
| 2015 | $1,348 | +9.4% |
| 2016 | $1,444 | +7.1% |
| 2017 | $1,915 | +32.7% |
| 2018 | $1,913 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | $2,658 | +39.0% |
| 2020 | $3,945 | +48.4% |
| 2021 | $5,026 | +27.4% |
| 2022 | $3,389 | -32.6% |
| 2023 | $5,248 | +54.9% |
| 2024 | $6,590 | +25.6% |
| 2025 | $7,959 | +20.8% |
| 2026 | $9,300 | +16.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought QQQ was 2002-09 ($17.46): $1,000 then is $41,013 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($738): $1,000 then is $971.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in QQQ be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) at the start of 1999 would be worth about $16,197 today, a total return of +1519.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for QQQ?
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ)'s strongest calendar year since 1999 was 2023, a +54.9% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,549 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -41.7%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in QQQ have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1999-03 would have grown to about $399,483 on $33,000 invested.
Did QQQ beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $5,992. QQQ beat the S&P 500 by +170.3% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) historical total-return data from 1999-03 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.