Long-Term Returns For The NASDAQ 100

 | Jan 06, 2021 12:38AM ET

In the study we did of S&P 500 returns for the last decade, the 20 years and since 1990, the NASDAQ was omitted, so just out curiosity, and thanks to a comment Michael Santoli of CNBC made late last week when he noted that the years where the NASDAQ 100 or the QQQs were up 40% two years in a row, has historically spelled trouble for the market, I thought it was worth a look to draw some return comparison between the SP 500 and the NASDAQ 100 or QQQs:

  • 1-yr return: SP 500 +18.34%. QQQ’s +48.46%
  • 2-yr return: SP 500 +55.68%, QQQ’s +106.5% (average annual returns are +24.73% and +43.64%)
  • 3-yr return: SP 500 +48.85%. QQQ’s +106.3% (average annual returns are +14.14% and 20.21%
  • 5-yr return: SP 500 +103%. QQQ’s +193% (average annual returns are +15.20% and +23.97%)
  • Since 2010: SP 500 +322%. QQQ’s +664.7% (average annual returns are +13.98% and +20.30%)
  • Since 2000: SP 500 +284%. QQQ’s +294% (average annual returns are +6.61% and +6.64%)

The left-hand returns are cumulative, while the parentheses returns are “average annual”.

What’s fascinating to me is that looking back 20 years to 1/1/2000, both the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ 100 returns are still average, to below average.

In this chart Bespoke confirms our conclusion from the November 27th, 2020 report linked above.