What if you invested $220 monthly in the Nasdaq 100 for 20 years?
This shows the actual historical result of investing a fixed amount each month in a Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ) over 20 years starting in 2004.
Investment conditions
Asset · Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ) · recurring monthly purchases · 20 years
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2004-07-01 ~ 2024-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2024-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-44.0%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
10months
Months in loss: 16
Recovery period
8months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $53,556 → Final value $387,568 (+623.7%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -44.0%
Why this period and asset
The Nasdaq 100 once fell nearly 80% from its peak in the 2000 dot-com bust. The 20 years from 2004 begin after that wound healed and ride the long tech advance through smartphones, cloud, and AI — but along the way, 2008 and 2022 brought declines deeper than the market average. It is a stretch that repeatedly paid for growth with heavy volatility.
Interpreting the result
Over the same 20 years, the Nasdaq 100 tends to show a higher cumulative return than the S&P 500, but its maximum drawdown deepens too. Don't look only at the high multiple — check the maximum drawdown and loss periods you would have endured in the metrics below. If you sold mid-journey unable to bear the swings, the result would be entirely different.
Caveats & limits
Figures use adjusted close and exclude exchange rates, fees, and taxes. As a tech-concentrated index, its volatility in certain periods is well above the market average. This is the result of one specific past 20-year window and does not guarantee the future.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2024-07-01
- Price basis: 复权收盘价(已反映股息与拆股)
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
Is the dot-com bust included in this period?
Starting in 2004, the 2000 dot-com crash itself is not included, but the window begins in its lingering aftermath. The 2008 and 2022 downturns are included and show in the maximum drawdown metric.
Why is the drawdown deeper than the S&P 500?
With its high tech weighting, the Nasdaq 100 tends to rise more in booms but fall harder in busts. High return and big volatility usually come together.
What about dividends, FX, and taxes?
Dividends and splits are reflected via adjusted close, but exchange rates, trading fees, and taxes are not.
Do past results hold for the future?
No. This only shows historical data and does not predict the future or recommend any specific investment.
Related scenarios
📋 结果基于历史数据计算,过去的收益不代表未来的收益。
📋 本服务旨在帮助理解投资、供教育之用,并非投资建议。