What were the best and worst years for Apple since 2001?

The best year was 2004, up about 36%. The toughest was 2008, when it fell about 33%. Across the window, 113 of 294 years finished lower than they started.

What was the biggest drop along the way?

The steepest decline was about 57%, from a peak in 2007 to a low in 2008, with the value recovering above its prior high by 2009.

Would I have done better in S&P 500?

No — the S&P 500 turned $1,000 into about $6,490 over the same window, while Apple reached $746,487. Apple came out ahead.

How much would I haveif…

If I'd invested in Apple since 2001

$1,000 put into Apple at the end of 2001 would be worth about $746,487 today — a 746× return, or roughly 31.1% a year. Change the amount below to run your own number.

Invested in

I'd have invested

Starting in 2001

19802025

How

You'd have

$746,487

from $1,000 invested — up 74549%.

Multiple746×

Per year31.1%

In today's $$396,512

shares held2,564 shares

The story behind the number

Best year+36%2004

Worst year−33%2008

Steepest drop−57%2007→2008

vs S&P 500115× aheadS&P 500 → $6,490

Apple since 2001 has been a remarkably smooth ride. $1,000 put in at the end of 2001 grew to $746,487 — a 746× return, or about 31.1% a year. That beat the S&P 500, which turned the same $1,000 into $6,490 — you'd have come out roughly 115× ahead of simply buying the index.

The ride mattered as much as the destination. The strongest single year was 2004, up 36%; the worst was 2008, down 33%.

Holding on took nerve: the position fell as much as 57% from its 2007 peak to its 2008 low, before climbing back above that high by 2009. Inflation takes a bite, too — consumer prices rose about 88% over the period, so in today's money the result is closer to 397× what you put in.

Common questions

How much would I have if I'd invested $1,000 in Apple in 2001?: $1,000 invested in Apple at the end of 2001 would be worth about $746,487 today — a 746× return, or roughly 31.1% per year.
What were the best and worst years for Apple since 2001?: The best year was 2004, up about 36%. The toughest was 2008, when it fell about 33%. Across the window, 113 of 294 years finished lower than they started.
What was the biggest drop along the way?: The steepest decline was about 57%, from a peak in 2007 to a low in 2008, with the value recovering above its prior high by 2009.
Would I have done better in S&P 500?: No — the S&P 500 turned $1,000 into about $6,490 over the same window, while Apple reached $746,487. Apple came out ahead.

The chart above shows the whole journey, not just the destination. Try switching to a bit each year to see how spreading your buying would have changed the outcome — or skip the latte to find out what a small daily habit could have grown into instead.

Compare Apple head-to-head since 2001 →

More Apple scenarios

All Apple years →

If I'd invested in Apple since 1980

since 1980

If I'd invested in Apple since 1995

since 1995

If I'd invested in Apple since 2002

since 2002

If I'd invested in Apple since 2010

since 2010

If I'd invested in Apple since 2025

since 2025

What else, since 2001?

S&P 500 since 2001

since 2001

Nasdaq-100 since 2001

since 2001

Gold since 2001

since 2001

Nvidia since 2001

since 2001

Microsoft since 2001

since 2001

Amazon since 2001

since 2001