What if I had invested in Novo Nordisk
Every lump sum scenario for Novo Nordisk, start year by start year, using real prices and each month's exchange rate.
Since December 2003, Novo Nordisk (a stock listed on Wall Street) grew 20-fold in dollar terms: an annualized return of +13.9% over nearly 23 years. Its record monthly close, $143 in June 2024, is still far off: the current price, $40.79, is 71.4% below it, split-adjusted. Of the 275 possible purchase months since December 2003, 77% would show a gain today for a lump sum: the entry point mattered.
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 Novo Nordisk in January 2016, today I would have $1,405
Over the same period
Worst moment: −74.3% between June 2024 and March 2026. To get this result, you had to hold on without selling.
Novo Nordisk at a glance
Novo Nordisk is the Danish drugmaker behind Ozempic and Wegovy, tracked here through its New York-listed ADR in dollars. Long Europe’s star stock, it fell sharply from 2024.
Its worst fall, 74.3% in dollar terms between June 2024 and March 2026, has not been erased yet: the June 2024 peak is still out of reach. Its best calendar year was 2010 (+76.3%), its worst 2025 (−40.9%); in all, 17 up years out of 22. Against the MSCI World, this calculator's yardstick (+7.0% a year in dollar terms over the same period), Novo Nordisk left it far behind.
$1,000 invested in Novo Nordisk, by start year
Bought in January, valued at the latest price. Click a year for the full story.
| Start | Worth today | Multiple | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $474 | ×0.47 | −32.2% | |
| $394 | ×0.39 | −27.3% | |
| $603 | ×0.6 | −12.1% | |
| $728 | ×0.73 | −6.2% | |
| $1,168 | ×1.17 | +2.7% | |
| $1,409 | ×1.41 | +5.1% | |
| $1,771 | ×1.77 | +7.5% | |
| $1,520 | ×1.52 | +4.8% | |
| $2,275 | ×2.27 | +8.6% | |
| $1,405 | ×1.4 | +3.2% | |
| $1,928 | ×1.93 | +5.7% | |
| $2,208 | ×2.21 | +6.3% | |
| $2,499 | ×2.5 | +6.8% | |
| $3,539 | ×3.54 | +8.8% | |
| $3,624 | ×3.62 | +8.4% | |
| $6,388 | ×6.39 | +11.6% | |
| $7,937 | ×7.94 | +12.3% | |
| $6,289 | ×6.29 | +10.2% | |
| $9,755 | ×9.75 | +12.1% | |
| $14,495 | ×14 | +13.6% | |
| $15,035 | ×15 | +13.2% | |
| $19,917 | ×20 | +13.9% |
Lump sum or DCA in Novo Nordisk?
Since January 2016, investing in Novo Nordisk all at once (lump sum) multiplied the stake by ×1.4, +3.2% a year. Investing every month (DCA) multiplied the total contributions by ×1.13, an annual return (IRR) of +2.2%.
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 Novo Nordisk 10 years ago be worth today?
$1,000 invested in Novo Nordisk in January 2016 would be worth about $1,405 today, an average annual return of +3.2% (price only, in the displayed currency).
What if I had invested $1,000 in Novo Nordisk in 2015?
Invested in January 2015, $1,000 would be worth about $1,928 today, +5.7% a year on average.
What if I had invested $1,000 in Novo Nordisk in 2020?
Invested in January 2020, $1,000 would be worth about $1,409 today, +5.1% a year on average.
What was the best year to invest in Novo Nordisk?
Among the start years covered, 2004 gave the best result: $1,000 would have become $19,917. The weakest was 2024, worth $394 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. Novo Nordisk 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.