If you invested $1,000 in TLT — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) in January 2016 would be worth $896 as of July 2026 with dividends reinvested — -1.0% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to July 2002.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,545 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,377 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). TLT trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in TLT since January 2016#
monthlyiShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
Growth of $1,000 in TLT by starting month#
$1,000 invested in TLT, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $896 | $7,377 | 0.9× | -1.0% |
| 2017 | $928 | $6,099 | 0.9× | -0.8% |
| 2018 | $885 | $4,444 | 0.9× | -1.4% |
| 2019 | $867 | $4,439 | 0.9× | -1.9% |
| 2020 | $708 | $3,380 | 0.7× | -5.2% |
| 2021 | $670 | $2,337 | 0.7× | -7.1% |
| 2022 | $704 | $2,015 | 0.7× | -7.6% |
| 2023 | $914 | $2,465 | 0.9× | -2.6% |
| 2024 | $980 | $1,730 | 1.0× | -0.8% |
| 2025 | $1,037 | $1,373 | 1.0× | 2.6% |
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. TLT data begins July 2002; values as of July 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live TLT chart and fundamentals on the TLT quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in TLT be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) in January 2016 would be worth about $896 as of July 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about -1.0% a year.
- How far back does the TLT calculation go?
- TLT data begins July 2002. 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.