If you invested in
A $1,000 investment in Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) in January 2016 would be worth $20,041 as of June 2026 with dividends reinvested — 33.5% 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 $4,557 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,667 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). CAT beat both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in CAT since January 2016#
monthlyCaterpillar Inc. (CAT). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
Growth of $1,000 in CAT by starting month#
$1,000 invested in CAT, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $20,041 | $7,667 | 20.0× | 33.5% |
| 2017 | $12,578 | $6,338 | 12.6× | 31.0% |
| 2018 | $7,203 | $4,619 | 7.2× | 26.6% |
| 2019 | $8,599 | $4,614 | 8.6× | 33.9% |
| 2020 | $8,474 | $3,513 | 8.5× | 39.8% |
| 2021 | $5,920 | $2,429 | 5.9× | 39.2% |
| 2022 | $5,264 | $2,095 | 5.3× | 46.1% |
| 2023 | $4,110 | $2,562 | 4.1× | 51.9% |
| 2024 | $3,384 | $1,798 | 3.4× | 66.9% |
| 2025 | $2,696 | $1,427 | 2.7× | 105.5% |
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 June 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 $20,041 as of June 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 33.5% 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.
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