If You'd Invested $100 In Netflix 10 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • Strong financial results have helped Netflix shares catapult higher in the past decade.

  • Investors who are looking to buy the streaming stock today should be critical of the valuation.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Netflix ›

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a true pioneer in the internet age. It successfully disrupted the cable TV market, becoming the dominant player in the streaming industry. And investors who have been along for the ride have been rewarded with tremendous returns.

If you invested $100 in Netflix shares 10 years ago, here's how much you'd have today.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

Large Netflix logo sculpture in lobby of office building.

Image source: Netflix.

Investors have loved watching Netflix's rise

Netflix's stock performance deserves a standing ovation. Over the past decade, the streaming stock has skyrocketed 721% (as of Jan. 15). A hypothetical $100 starting sum would be worth $821 today.

This is what investors get when a company consistently posts strong financial results. Netflix is projected to report $45.1 billion in revenue and $13.3 billion in operating income in 2025, according to analysts. These figures would be 16% and 28% higher, respectively, than what was registered the year before.

Press the pause button

Investors who missed the boat might be wondering if it's not too late to get on the Netflix bandwagon. The business is operating at a high level as it finds success in advertising and live events, in addition to its prowess at curating popular content.

But the stock's current valuation does not present an attractive entry point. Unless the price-to-earnings ratio of 37.3 comes down substantially, it's best to continue watching Netflix from the sidelines right now.

Should you buy stock in Netflix right now?

Before you buy stock in Netflix, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Netflix wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $474,578!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,141,628!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 955% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 196% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of January 17, 2026.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Markets in 2026: Will gold, Bitcoin, and the U.S. dollar make history again? — These are how leading institutions thinkAfter a turbulent 2025, what lies ahead for commodities, forex, and cryptocurrency markets in 2026?
Author  Insights
Dec 25, 2025
After a turbulent 2025, what lies ahead for commodities, forex, and cryptocurrency markets in 2026?
placeholder
Solana Future: From high-speed experiment to corporate treasury playbook for the next SOL cycleSolana’s Proof of History architecture is colliding with rising institutional treasury adoption and governance scrutiny, with SOL’s next cycle hinging on validator distribution, stability, and regulated capital access.
Author  Mitrade
Jan 12, Mon
Solana’s Proof of History architecture is colliding with rising institutional treasury adoption and governance scrutiny, with SOL’s next cycle hinging on validator distribution, stability, and regulated capital access.
placeholder
Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD corrects to near $86.50 as Iran stops killing protestersSilver price corrects almost 6% to near $86.50 during the Asian trading session on Thursday.
Author  FXStreet
Jan 15, Thu
Silver price corrects almost 6% to near $86.50 during the Asian trading session on Thursday.
placeholder
Standard Chartered lifts Ethereum call to $7,500, arguing institutional demand could leave Bitcoin trailingStandard Chartered raised its year-end Ethereum target to $7,500 (from $4,000), citing institutional demand, while projecting $25,000 by 2028 and scenarios toward $40,000 by 2030 amid ETF- and treasury-driven accumulation.
Author  Mitrade
Jan 15, Thu
Standard Chartered raised its year-end Ethereum target to $7,500 (from $4,000), citing institutional demand, while projecting $25,000 by 2028 and scenarios toward $40,000 by 2030 amid ETF- and treasury-driven accumulation.
placeholder
Bitcoin Flashes Classic Bottom Signals as BTC Nears $101K ReclaimBitcoin nears two-month highs with key indicators signaling potential for further gains as it targets $101,000.
Author  Mitrade
Jan 16, Fri
Bitcoin nears two-month highs with key indicators signaling potential for further gains as it targets $101,000.
goTop
quote