What were the best and worst years for Amazon since 2002?

The best year was 2007, up about 54%. The toughest was 2006, when it fell about 31%. Across the window, 113 of 282 years finished lower than they started.

What was the biggest drop along the way?

The steepest decline was about 54%, 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 $8,407 over the same window, while Amazon reached $253,777. Amazon came out ahead.

How much would I haveif…

If I'd invested in Amazon since 2002

$1,000 put into Amazon at the end of 2002 would be worth about $253,777 today — a 254× return, or roughly 26.7% a year. Change the amount below to run your own number.

Invested in

I'd have invested

Starting in 2002

19972025

How

You'd have

$253,777

from $1,000 invested — up 25278%.

Multiple254×

Per year26.7%

In today's $$138,142

shares held1,064 shares

The story behind the number

Best year+54%2007

Worst year−31%2006

Steepest drop−54%2007→2008

vs S&P 50030.2× aheadS&P 500 → $8,407

Amazon since 2002 has been a remarkably smooth ride. $1,000 put in at the end of 2002 grew to $253,777 — a 254× return, or about 26.7% a year. That beat the S&P 500, which turned the same $1,000 into $8,407 — you'd have come out roughly 30.2× ahead of simply buying the index.

The ride mattered as much as the destination. The strongest single year was 2007, up 54%; the worst was 2006, down 31%.

Holding on took nerve: the position fell as much as 54% 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 84% over the period, so in today's money the result is closer to 138× what you put in.

Common questions

How much would I have if I'd invested $1,000 in Amazon in 2002?: $1,000 invested in Amazon at the end of 2002 would be worth about $253,777 today — a 254× return, or roughly 26.7% per year.
What were the best and worst years for Amazon since 2002?: The best year was 2007, up about 54%. The toughest was 2006, when it fell about 31%. Across the window, 113 of 282 years finished lower than they started.
What was the biggest drop along the way?: The steepest decline was about 54%, 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 $8,407 over the same window, while Amazon reached $253,777. Amazon 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 Amazon head-to-head since 2002 →

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