• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceVenture Capital

Chart of the day: Venture capital outperformed the stock market

By
Dan Primack
Dan Primack
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Primack
Dan Primack
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 4, 2015, 11:05 AM ET
Markets React To Vote In Greece Rejecting Terms Of Bailout
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 06: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 6, 2015 in New York City. Following news that Greece has voted "No" in a referendum on the country's bailout terms and continued volitility in the Chinese market, stocks were down in morning trading with the Dow off 70 points. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Photograph by Spencer Platt — Getty Images

U.S. venture capital funds outperformed the public stock markets in 2014, according to new research published this morning by research firm Cambridge Associates. U.S. private equity returns also topped public equities, albeit by a smaller margin.

This data is through year-end 2014, and is net of fees.

CAdata1

To be sure, one-year returns for long-term asset classes like venture capital or private equity are lousy measures of actual performance. But since they often are cited by industry critics when they fall short of the S&P 500 or the Russell 2000, it’s probably worth mentioning then they are superior.

U.S. venture capital and private equity also beat both the S&P 500 and Russell 500 for the 5-year, 10-year, 15-year, 20-year and 25-year periods (stock market returns bested U.S. VC and PE for the 3-year period).

Get Term Sheet, our daily newsletter on deals and deal-makers.

About the Author
By Dan Primack
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

InvestingSports
Big 12 in advanced talks for deal with RedBird-backed fund
By Giles Turner and BloombergDecember 13, 2025
21 minutes ago
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez often praises the financial and social benefits that immigrants bring to the country.
EuropeSpain
In a continent cracking down on immigration and berated by Trump’s warnings of ‘civilizational erasure,’ Spain embraces migrants
By Suman Naishadham and The Associated PressDecember 13, 2025
2 hours ago
EconomyAgriculture
More financially distressed farmers are expected to lose their property soon as loan repayments and incomes continue to falter
By Jason MaDecember 13, 2025
3 hours ago
InvestingStock
There have been head fakes before, but this time may be different as the latest stock rotation out of AI is just getting started, analysts say
By Jason MaDecember 13, 2025
6 hours ago
Politicsdavid sacks
Can there be competency without conflict in Washington?
By Alyson ShontellDecember 13, 2025
7 hours ago
Investingspace
SpaceX sets $800 billion valuation, confirms 2026 IPO plans
By Loren Grush, Edward Ludlow and BloombergDecember 13, 2025
8 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 days
By Emma BurleighDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.