Nasdaq-100
IndexWhat is the Nasdaq-100 YTD return in 2026?
The Nasdaq-100 is up +16.90% year to date with dividends reinvested (total return through Aug 28, 2026), or +16.63% on price alone — dividends have added 0.28 points so far. QQQ started the year at $614.31 and closed at $716.45. That makes 2026 the 10th best start in 27 years of data through this date.
Price return vs total return#
Total return assumes distributions are reinvested; price return measures only the change in the ETF's share price. The 0.28 percentage-point gap is the contribution from dividends so far this year.
2026 YTD daily chart#
Daily total return since the final market close of 2025, with dividends reinvested.
- High of the year
- +21.6% · Jun 2, 2026
- Low of the year
- -9.0% · Mar 30, 2026
- Max drawdown YTD
- -11.7%
- All-time-high closes
- 19 days
How 2026 compares with previous years#
Every year is measured through Aug 28 — the same calendar date as the current result — so the comparison is not skewed by full-year outcomes.
Years that looked like this one
The five closest starts to 2026's +16.9%, each traced through its full year — labels show how each finished. 2026's path so far is the bold line.
2013 (+16.4% then → finished +36.6%) · 2024 (+15.4% then → finished +25.6%) · 2018 (+19.0% then → finished -0.1%) · 2014 (+14.1% then → finished +19.2%) · 2021 (+20.1% then → finished +27.4%).
Every year's YTD return through the same date#
Ranked by total return through Aug 28, with each completed calendar year's final return alongside it.
Best starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +38.1% | +54.9% |
| 2020 | +38.1% | +48.6% |
| 2009 | +36.0% | +53.8% |
| 2003 | +35.8% | +49.6% |
| 2012 | +22.8% | +16.9% |
Worst starts
| Year | YTD then | Finished |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | -39.7% | -37.4% |
| 2001 | -34.7% | -33.3% |
| 2022 | -22.5% | -32.6% |
| 2008 | -8.0% | -41.9% |
| 2004 | -5.2% | +9.5% |
| Rank | Year | YTD through this date | Full-year return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | +38.1% | +54.9% |
| 2 | 2020 | +38.1% | +48.6% |
| 3 | 2009 | +36.0% | +53.8% |
| 4 | 2003 | +35.8% | +49.6% |
| 5 | 2012 | +22.8% | +16.9% |
| 6 | 2017 | +20.8% | +32.7% |
| 7 | 2019 | +20.5% | +39.0% |
| 8 | 2021 | +20.1% | +27.4% |
| 9 | 2018 | +19.0% | -0.1% |
| 10 | 2026 (now) | +16.9% | — |
| 11 | 2013 | +16.4% | +36.6% |
| 12 | 2024 | +15.4% | +25.6% |
| 13 | 2014 | +14.1% | +19.2% |
| 14 | 2025 | +13.2% | +20.8% |
| 15 | 2007 | +8.3% | +18.7% |
| 16 | 2000 | +7.8% | -36.1% |
| 17 | 2016 | +5.0% | +7.1% |
| 18 | 2015 | +2.8% | +9.4% |
| 19 | 2011 | -2.4% | +2.5% |
| 20 | 2005 | -3.7% | +1.2% |
| 21 | 2010 | -3.7% | +19.0% |
| 22 | 2006 | -4.5% | +6.8% |
| 23 | 2004 | -5.2% | +9.5% |
| 24 | 2008 | -8.0% | -41.9% |
| 25 | 2022 | -22.5% | -32.6% |
| 26 | 2001 | -34.7% | -33.3% |
| 27 | 2002 | -39.7% | -37.4% |
2026 monthly YTD chart#
Each bar is one calendar month's total return; the current month runs through Aug 28, 2026.
2026 YTD return by month#
Monthly total return and the compounded year-to-date result after each month.
| Month | Monthly return | Cumulative YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | +1.2% | +1.2% |
| Feb | -2.3% | -1.1% |
| Mar | -4.8% | -5.9% |
| Apr | +15.7% | +8.8% |
| May | +10.6% | +20.3% |
| Jun | -0.2% | +20.1% |
| Jul | -6.5% | +12.3% |
| Aug | +4.1% | +16.9% |
Notes & related#
Returns are computed from QQQ (the Nasdaq-100 ETF): total return uses dividend-adjusted closes, price return uses split-adjusted closes only. “YTD through the same date” compares each year at the identical month-day, so early-year rankings aren't skewed by full-year outcomes. Data updates after each market close.
Keep going: Nasdaq-100 returns by year, monthly returns, or the drawdown record.