If You'd Invested $1,000 in Netflix (NFLX) Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today (Spoiler: It Might Make You Cry)

By Selena Maranjian – Mar 29, 2026 at 8:10AM ESTKey PointsNetflix has grown exponentially over the past two decades, but not in a straight line.The company has made some mistakes, but it has recovered and gone on to reach new heights.The stock's valuation isn't too high these days, either. It's fun to play what-if games with stocks -- unless doing so makes you cry. And this one might: What if you'd invested $1,000 in shares of Netflix (NFLX +0.27%) 20 years ago? Here's a look at the answer. Image source: Getty Images. If you had plunked $1,000 into Netflix 20 years ago, in 2006, that stake would now be worth $227,855. Jeepers, right? That's a total gain of 22,676%, and an annualized gain of 31.17%. In contrast, the S&P 500 index (consisting of 500 of America's biggest companies) averaged only 9.1% (or 10.4% with dividends reinvested), turning $1,000 into $5,712 (or $7,253, with dividends reinvested). Those are still respectable numbers for the S&P 500, but Netflix blows them away. ExpandNASDAQ: NFLXNetflixToday's Change(0.27%) $0.25Current Price$93.57Key Data PointsMarket Cap$394BDay's Range$92.75 - $95.5652wk Range$75.01 - $134.12Volume2.3MAvg Vol49MGross Margin48.59% Remember, though, that 20 years ago it wasn't clear just how terrific a performance Netflix would deliver. In 2011, for example, it announced that it would split its operations in two, focusing on streaming and labeling its DVDs-by-mail business Qwikster. Its shares sank more than 75% and the company lost millions of customers. It wouldn't have seemed unthinkable to sell your shares then, if you had lost faith in the company. Good companies do make occasional mistakes, though, and they often rise above them, as Netflix did. It went on to become a major producer of original content for its streaming business, and it successfully added many more subscribers. Netflix now boasts that "We are entertaining over half a billion people in more than 190 countries and 50 languages..." The company is raking in ad dollars, too, now that it's showing ads to some subscribers -- with $3 billion expected in 2026. Is Netflix worth investing in now? Well, maybe. Its shares are not exactly cheap, but they're not wildly overvalued, as they often have been, either -- with a recent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 30, a bit below the five-year average of 32.Read NextMar 29, 2026 •By Daniel SparksNetflix's Latest Price Increases Highlight the Bull Case for the StockMar 28, 2026 •By Anders BylundNetflix Just Raised Prices. Here's What It Means For Investors.Mar 27, 2026 •By Rick MunarrizCathie Wood Goes On a Selling Spree: 3 Stocks She Just SoldMar 26, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, March 26: Netflix Stock Rises After Raising Subscription PricesMar 26, 2026 •By John BallardThe Best Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right NowMar 26, 2026 •By The Motley Fool TeamStock Market Today (LIVE): Netflix Charges More, Bets Bigger; AI's Next Leap -- EfficiencyAbout the AuthorSelena Maranjian is a contributing personal finance and investing expert at The Motley Fool. Selena has produced The Motley Fool’s nationally syndicated newspaper feature since 1997. She is the author of The Motley Fool Money Guide and Investment Clubs: How to Start and Run One the Motley Fool Way, and the co-author of The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens and several editions of The Motley Fool Investment Tax Guide. Prior to The Motley Fool, she worked as a high school teacher and public opinion analyst. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Brown University and a master’s degree in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.TMFSelenaStocks MentionedNetflixNASDAQ: NFLX$93.57(+0.27%)+$0.25*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.