Here's How Much Money You Would Have Today If You Had Invested $10,000 in Apple Stock 10 Years Ago
Key Points
There are 1.6 billion active iPhones in circulation.
Apple stock is beating the market so far this year.
Over the past 10 years, Apple stock has gained nearly four times as much as the S&P 500.
- 10 stocks we like better than Apple ›
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been one of the greatest stock market stories in history. It was, at various times in recent years, the most valuable company in the world, and its current No. 2 spot behind chipmaker Nvidia is not too shabby.
It's a great example of a stock that might have looked to some investors like it had already peaked 10 years ago. Yet if you had invested $10,000 in Apple at the time, your position would be worth a lot more money today.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Image source: Apple.
The rise of the iPhone
Believe it or not, the iPhone has only been around since 2007. Today, there are 1.6 billion active iPhones worldwide, and people continue to buy the smartphones at a rapid rate.
Apple as a whole has been reporting robust growth despite inflation, and the market is recognizing that its less capital-investment-intense approach to artificial intelligence (AI) was a smart strategy. Apple stock is up almost 16% this year, outperforming the S&P 500, which is up by almost 12%.
Over the past 10 years, though, it has gained more than 1,000%, and if you include reinvested dividends, its total return is almost 1,200%. That's nearly four times the S&P 500's total return.
^SPX data by YCharts.
So if you'd invested $10,000 in Apple a decade ago, reinvested your dividends and held on through the ups and downs, you'd have a position worth $129,000 today. Apple isn't likely to repeat that type of performance over the next decade, considering its current $4.6 trillion market cap, but it can still offer value to long-term investors.
Should you buy stock in Apple right now?
Before you buy stock in Apple, 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 Apple 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 $414,015!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,385,459!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 960% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 213% 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 September 10, 2026.
Jennifer Saibil has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
