Stock prices rise and fall over time. Investing money in the right company at the right time can help grow a substantial investment portfolio.
Some financial experts recommend building a portfolio with low-cost, broad index funds to create a diversified nest egg, including the famous Warren Buffett. But many investors can't resist adding hot stocks to their portfolios, like Costco (COST).
With the company surging in popularity among shoppers, here's a look at how much you'd have if you invested in Costco in years past.
Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Costco stock one year ago, when it was priced around $790 per share, would have seen their investment gain value: In the last year, Costco stock has seen an increase of around 27%.
With that, an investor who bought $1,000 in Costco stock one year ago would have seen their investment grow to $1,274.20 in one year.
Investors who bought Costco stock five years ago saw their $1,000 investment grow by 232.87% to $3,328.70. In addition to the growing stock price, Costco investors may have enjoyed dividend payments along the way.
For example, on May 16, 2025, Costco investors received dividend payments equal to $1.30 per share.
Costco stock prices have grown from $143.94 in May 2015 to $1,024 in May 2025. That's an increase of about 611%.
For investors who bought $1,000 in Costco stock ten years ago, their investment would have grown to $7,110.
In May 2005, Costco stock was valued at $70.78 per share. Since then, it's grown to $1,024 per share. That's an increase of 1,345%.
For investors who bought $1,000 in Costco stock 20 years ago, their investment would have grown to $14,450.
With a total return on investment of over 1,300%, it's easy to see how investors and shoppers alike enjoy this wholesale retailer.
Over the last ten years, Costco stock prices have usually outpaced the S&P 500. Many index fund investors opt to purchase index funds that mirror the S&P 500, which holds the largest 500 publicly traded companies.
Although the S&P 500 represents a diverse mix of companies, Costco returns often outpace this group. For example, if you bought $1,000 of VOO, an index fund following the S&P 500, 10 years ago, it would have grown to $2,830, leading to a total return of 183%. That's significantly lower than Costco's total return of 611% in the same time period.
In the short term, Costco is still doing better than the S&P 500. If you invested $1,000 in VOO one year ago, it would have grown by 11.90% to $1,119 today. Although that's a worthwhile return, it's not as good as Costco's return of around 27%.