If you invested $1,000 in CAT — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) in January 2016 would be worth $17,094 as of August 2026 with dividends reinvested — 30.9% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to January 1970.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,684 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,427 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). CAT beat both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
What $1,000 in CAT would be worth today, by starting month#
each bar = one starting month, held to today$1,000 invested in CAT, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $17,094 | $7,427 | 17.1× | 30.9% |
| 2017 | $10,729 | $6,141 | 10.7× | 28.2% |
| 2018 | $6,144 | $4,475 | 6.1× | 23.7% |
| 2019 | $7,334 | $4,470 | 7.3× | 30.2% |
| 2020 | $7,228 | $3,403 | 7.2× | 35.3% |
| 2021 | $5,050 | $2,353 | 5.0× | 33.9% |
| 2022 | $4,490 | $2,029 | 4.5× | 39.2% |
| 2023 | $3,505 | $2,482 | 3.5× | 42.4% |
| 2024 | $2,886 | $1,742 | 2.9× | 51.6% |
| 2025 | $2,299 | $1,382 | 2.3× | 71.5% |
Methodology#
Investments are assumed made at the first trading day's close of the chosen year. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. CAT data begins January 1970; values as of August 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live CAT chart and fundamentals on the CAT quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in CAT be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) in January 2016 would be worth about $17,094 as of August 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 30.9% a year.
- How far back does the CAT calculation go?
- CAT data begins January 1970. You can pick any starting month from then to the present and see what your investment would be worth today.
- Does this include dividends?
- Yes. The default "dividends reinvested" view uses split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices — a standard total-return approximation that excludes taxes and fees. A price-only view (split-adjusted, no dividends) is also available.