What if you'd held ^NDX?
A $1,000 investment in NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) at the month-end close of 1985-10 would be worth $254,815 at the close of 2026-08 — +25381.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $40,607.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1985
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | $1,000 | — |
| 1986 | $1,069 | +6.9% |
| 1987 | $1,181 | +10.5% |
| 1988 | $1,341 | +13.5% |
| 1989 | $1,692 | +26.2% |
| 1990 | $1,516 | -10.4% |
| 1991 | $2,501 | +65.0% |
| 1992 | $2,723 | +8.9% |
| 1993 | $3,011 | +10.6% |
| 1994 | $3,056 | +1.5% |
| 1995 | $4,356 | +42.5% |
| 1996 | $6,209 | +42.5% |
| 1997 | $7,490 | +20.6% |
| 1998 | $13,879 | +85.3% |
| 1999 | $28,028 | +102.0% |
| 2000 | $17,701 | -36.8% |
| 2001 | $11,921 | -32.7% |
| 2002 | $7,441 | -37.6% |
| 2003 | $11,096 | +49.1% |
| 2004 | $12,254 | +10.4% |
| 2005 | $12,436 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | $13,281 | +6.8% |
| 2007 | $15,760 | +18.7% |
| 2008 | $9,159 | -41.9% |
| 2009 | $14,062 | +53.5% |
| 2010 | $16,765 | +19.2% |
| 2011 | $17,218 | +2.7% |
| 2012 | $20,114 | +16.8% |
| 2013 | $27,152 | +35.0% |
| 2014 | $32,023 | +17.9% |
| 2015 | $34,721 | +8.4% |
| 2016 | $36,765 | +5.9% |
| 2017 | $48,352 | +31.5% |
| 2018 | $47,849 | -1.0% |
| 2019 | $66,015 | +38.0% |
| 2020 | $97,424 | +47.6% |
| 2021 | $123,366 | +26.6% |
| 2022 | $82,695 | -33.0% |
| 2023 | $127,190 | +53.8% |
| 2024 | $158,834 | +24.9% |
| 2025 | $190,867 | +20.2% |
| 2026 | $222,436 | +16.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ^NDX was 1985-10 ($115): $1,000 then is $254,815 today. The worst was 2026-05 ($30,333): $1,000 then is $970.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ^NDX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) at the start of 1985 would be worth about $254,815 today, a total return of +25381.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ^NDX?
NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX)'s strongest calendar year since 1985 was 1999, a +102.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,020 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -41.9%.
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 ^NDX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1985-10 would have grown to about $2.02M on $49,100 invested.
Did ^NDX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $40,607. ^NDX beat the S&P 500 by +527.5% 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
NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) historical total-return data from 1985-10 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.