What if you invested in Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) in 1999?
QQQ · Index · Data through 2026-06-01
If you invested $1,000 in Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) in 1999
The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $9,412(+841.2%)
The S&P 500 returned $9,412 on the same $1,000. Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) beat the market by $7,226.
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What if Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) keeps this up?
Project forward at Nasdaq 100 (QQQ)'s 10.7% historical growth rate. See 5-30 year scenarios.
Growth of $1,000
Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) vs. S&P 500 vs. US Dollar, 1999 to present
Year-by-Year Returns
$1,000 invested in Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) starting January 1999
| Year | Price | Value | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $44.21 | $1,000 | - |
| 2000 | $75.57 | $1,709 | +70.9% |
| 2001 | $54.18 | $1,225 | -28.3% |
| 2002 | $32.45 | $734 | -40.1% |
| 2003 | $20.59 | $466 | -36.5% |
| 2004 | $31.25 | $707 | +51.7% |
| 2005 | $31.83 | $720 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | $35.86 | $811 | +12.7% |
| 2007 | $37.75 | $854 | +5.3% |
| 2008 | $38.77 | $877 | +2.7% |
| 2009 | $25.06 | $567 | -35.4% |
| 2010 | $37.10 | $839 | +48.1% |
| 2011 | $49.00 | $1,108 | +32.1% |
| 2012 | $53.46 | $1,209 | +9.1% |
| 2013 | $59.80 | $1,353 | +11.9% |
| 2014 | $78.05 | $1,765 | +30.5% |
| 2015 | $92.87 | $2,101 | +19% |
| 2016 | $96.62 | $2,185 | +4% |
| 2017 | $116.88 | $2,644 | +21% |
| 2018 | $160.39 | $3,628 | +37.2% |
| 2019 | $160.56 | $3,632 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | $210.89 | $4,770 | +31.3% |
| 2021 | $304.54 | $6,888 | +44.4% |
| 2022 | $353.18 | $7,988 | +16% |
| 2023 | $288.72 | $6,530 | -18.3% |
| 2024 | $411.44 | $9,306 | +42.5% |
| 2025 | $518.43 | $11,726 | +26% |
| 2026 | $620.41 | $14,033 | +19.7% |
What this return means
$1,000 in Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) in 1999 grew to $16,638. That works out to +1563.8%, about 17x the original stake, as of 2026-06-01.
That is about 10.7% a year compounded, broadly in line with long-run stock market averages. Because this is a broad S&P 500 fund, it is the benchmark here rather than something measured against it.
The year-by-year record shows how bumpy the ride was. The best single year was 2000 at +70.9%, and the worst was 2002 at -40.1%. At its lowest point the position was down about 73% from an earlier high. These figures use split-adjusted closing prices and exclude dividends, taxes, trading fees, and inflation, so a real after-tax result would differ.
None of this is a recommendation. It is a record of what already happened, and past performance does not guarantee future results.
What if you invested $100 a month instead?
Most people do not drop a lump sum in on day one. They add a fixed amount every month. Putting $100 into Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) at the close of every month from March 1999 through June 2026 means 328 buys and $32,800 contributed over about 27.3 years.
$100/month, dollar-cost averaged
$410,327
+1,151.0% on $32,800 in
Same $32,800, all in at the start
$545,744
+1,563.9% on $32,800 in
Going all in at the start beat spreading the buys out by $135,418. That is the usual result when a stock trends up: each monthly buy pays a higher price than the last, so the average cost climbs. Averaging in also meant an average buy price of $58.80 per share across the whole stretch, so the monthly buyer never had to time a single low. Neither number counts dividends, taxes, or trading costs.
Illustrative fixed $100/month example, not a recommendation. Figures are computed from QQQ split-adjusted monthly closes through June 2026. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Nasdaq 100 (QQQ) at different times
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For informational and educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. All calculations are based on split-adjusted closing prices from Yahoo Finance and do not account for dividends, taxes, or trading fees. See our methodology and full disclaimer.