What if I had invested in Microsoft
Every lump sum scenario for Microsoft, start year by start year, using real prices and each month's exchange rate.
Microsoft, a stock listed on Wall Street, grew 20-fold in dollar terms between December 2003 and November 2026, an average of +14.0% a year. The price has never been higher over the period: $552 at the November 2026 monthly close, against a low of $16.15 in February 2009, split-adjusted. Whatever the month of purchase since December 2003, a lump sum would be in profit today 100% of the time.
Data: Yahoo Finance monthly closing prices, up to date as of (latest update November 5, 2026) MethodAuthor: Yann Avondo
If I had invested $1,000 as a lump sum in Microsoft in January 2016, today I would have $9,947
Over the same period
Worst moment: −31.0% between December 2021 and October 2022. To get this result, you had to hold on without selling.
Microsoft at a glance
Microsoft moved from Windows and Office to the cloud with Azure, now its growth engine, before betting on artificial intelligence through its partnership with OpenAI.
The ride was anything but smooth: between October 2007 and February 2009, Microsoft lost 56.1% of its value in dollar terms, and it took until November 2013 to regain that peak, 6 years and 1 month later. Calendar year after calendar year, 16 of 22 ended higher; the best, 2023, returned +56.8%, the worst, 2008, cost 45.4%. Over the same period, the MSCI World (price index) returned +7.0% a year in dollar terms: Microsoft left it far behind.
$1,000 invested in Microsoft, by start year
Bought in January, valued at the latest price. Click a year for the full story.
| Start | Worth today | Multiple | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,309 | ×1.31 | +15.1% | |
| $1,468 | ×1.47 | +14.1% | |
| $2,301 | ×2.3 | +23.7% | |
| $1,641 | ×1.64 | +10.6% | |
| $2,481 | ×2.48 | +16.6% | |
| $3,499 | ×3.5 | +19.9% | |
| $5,433 | ×5.43 | +23.8% | |
| $6,451 | ×6.45 | +23.3% | |
| $8,881 | ×8.88 | +24.6% | |
| $9,947 | ×9.95 | +23.4% | |
| $11,881 | ×12 | +23.1% | |
| $14,752 | ×15 | +23.2% | |
| $20,661 | ×21 | +24.3% | |
| $21,258 | ×21 | +22.7% | |
| $19,773 | ×20 | +20.6% | |
| $18,105 | ×18 | +18.7% | |
| $28,388 | ×28 | +20.5% | |
| $15,502 | ×16 | +15.6% | |
| $18,481 | ×18 | +15.8% | |
| $21,103 | ×21 | +15.7% | |
| $20,653 | ×21 | +14.8% | |
| $20,163 | ×20 | +14.0% |
Lump sum or DCA in Microsoft?
Since January 2016, investing in Microsoft all at once (lump sum) multiplied the stake by ×9.95, +23.4% a year. Investing every month (DCA) multiplied the total contributions by ×3.7, an annual return (IRR) of +22.4%.
Here the lump sum did better: money invested early rode the whole rise. That is the most common outcome on an asset that goes up.
Frequently asked questions
How much would $1,000 invested in Microsoft 10 years ago be worth today?
$1,000 invested in Microsoft in January 2016 would be worth about $9,947 today, an average annual return of +23.4% (price only, in the displayed currency).
What if I had invested $1,000 in Microsoft in 2015?
Invested in January 2015, $1,000 would be worth about $11,881 today, +23.1% a year on average.
What if I had invested $1,000 in Microsoft in 2020?
Invested in January 2020, $1,000 would be worth about $3,499 today, +19.9% a year on average.
What was the best year to invest in Microsoft?
Among the start years covered, 2009 gave the best result: $1,000 would have become $28,388. The weakest was 2025, worth $1,309 today. This ranking is only known with hindsight.
Are dividends included?
By default, the calculation follows the market price only. The "Reinvest dividends" option uses the adjusted price, which includes dividends paid and stock splits: the closest measure of what an investor actually earned.
Are exchange rates taken into account?
Yes. Microsoft trades in its own currency; every purchase and valuation is converted at that month's exchange rate. A US asset can gain in dollars and less in euros if the dollar weakened.
Are fees and taxes included?
No: results are before brokerage fees, fund fees and taxes. Your net result depends on the account you invest through.
Compare with
Before you have regrets
What this calculation does not tell you.
Hindsight bias
Picking Nvidia or Bitcoin today means picking known winners. Back then, nothing set them apart from hundreds of assets that went nowhere or vanished.
Holding on was the real test
The result assumes you never sold, including through the drawdowns shown above. Very few investors actually do.
The broad market, no bet required
The MSCI World never makes headlines, but it does not require guessing the winner. It is the fairest yardstick for any pick.
Method: past performance, computed from split-adjusted monthly closing prices (intra-month lows are smoothed out). Converted at each month’s exchange rate; no fees, no taxes. The MSCI World benchmark is the price index, excluding dividends. Sources: Yahoo Finance (prices, exchange rates, US Treasury bills), Eurostat (inflation), published regulated rates (Livret A). Not investment advice. NokxiHub.