If You'd Invested $1,000 in Nvidia 5 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
Key Points
Nvidia’s fast growth is a direct result of the enormous amounts of money being invested in AI-related initiatives.
Nvidia shares aren’t expensive, and the stock looks like a smart buy right now.
- 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia ›
When most investors think about artificial intelligence (AI), I'd be surprised if Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) isn't the business that comes first to mind. This company is the leader at the infrastructure layer of this revolutionary technology, providing critical hardware and software that its customers need. This dominant position has helped drive monster gains for investors.
If you'd bought this top AI stock five 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 »
Image source: Nvidia.
Nvidia's monster gains are hard to fathom
Nvidia shares have produced a total return of 1,360% in the past five years (as of Jan. 16). This impressive gain would've turned a $1,000 starting capital outlay into $14,590 today.
The company has registered unbelievable growth as its customers rush to expand their AI capabilities, resulting in these hyperscalers spending massive sums on Nvidia's graphics processing units. Revenue is projected to total $213.3 billion in fiscal 2026 (which ends in late January), according to consensus analyst views. This would be 63% higher than the figure reported the year before.
Is this AI stock a buy in 2026?
It would be a flawed assumption to think that Nvidia shares were overvalued after such a superb performance. The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24. That's a nice entry point to add the business to your portfolio. Just don't expect these incredible past gains to repeat over the next five years.
Should you buy stock in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, 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 Nvidia 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!*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of January 18, 2026.
Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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