How much a $1,000 investment would be worth today, one year after the market hit rock bottom

By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer
Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

    Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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    Investors found rock bottom a year ago—and it was a scary place.

    On March 23, 2020, the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P indexes all hit their low points, though there was no way to know that at the time. At one point that day, the Dow Jones industrial average lost all of the gains it had made since President Donald Trump’s election.

    The next day, the Wall Street rebound would begin in grand fashion. On March 24, 2020, the Dow surged 10% as Congress neared a deal on a $2 trillion economic stimulus package. And, a few stumbles aside, the markets never looked back.

    Still, on that chilly Monday, the idea of sinking money into the market was a scary one. But for people who did, the returns were significant. So, we once again got to wondering…what if you were one of the people who did? Here’s what an investment in a market fund (and, just for fun, Bitcoin) would be worth today.

    Nasdaq

    The Nasdaq index closed at 6860.67 on March 23, nearly half of its current value. That would make a $1,000 investment then worth $1,952 today.

    Dow Jones industrial average

    The Dow closed at 18,591.93 at its low point a year ago. Spending $1,000 on an index fund that day would result in an investment that’s now worth $1,759.

    S&P 500

    The S&P index ended the trading day on March 23, 2020, at 2337.40. A $1,000 investment at that point would be worth $1,689 today.

    Bitcoin

    Bitcoin, like the markets, took a hit as the pandemic’s reach became better understood. One year ago, it was worth just $6,455.45. Of course, there have been more than a few other factors that have contributed to its growth in the 12 months that followed, but a $1,000 investment then would be worth $8,542 today.