NVIDIA stock: You won't believe how much $10,000 invested 3 years ago is worth today

NVIDIA's gains are the stuff of legend… and envy.

Key points
  • Nvidia's Market Impact: Nvidia has become a major force in the AI industry, achieving a market capitalisation of US$4.37 trillion and being the first company to surpass US$5 trillion last month.
  • Impressive Investment Returns: A $10,000 investment in Nvidia in December 2022 would now be valued at over US$106,000, representing a staggering 10-bagger achievement with an average annual return of 120%.
  • Investment Options: ASX investors can access Nvidia through direct US market purchases or via ETFs like iShares S&P 500 ETF and Global X FANG+ ETF, offering diversified exposure including significant Nvidia holdings.

By now, many ASX investors would make the connection between 'NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock' and 'huge winner'. Nvidia's gains over the past few years have been nothing short of legendary. This semiconductor stock has become nothing less than the most prominent face of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

If you hear someone say that they want to 'invest in AI', Nvidia stock will undoubtedly be a first port of call.

Today, Nvidia has a mind-boggling market capitalisation of US$4.37 trillion. It even became the first company in history to cross the US$5 trillion mark last month.

As such, I thought it would be a good time to examine just how much money investors in this company have made over the past three years. The results were truly staggering.

Rocket takes off from the hand of a businessman.

Image source: Getty Images

How much would $10k invested in NVIDIA stock in 2022 be worth today?

On 2 December 2022, Nvidia stock closed at US$16.88 a share. In actual fact, it was actually US$168.80, but the company undertook a 10-to-1 stock split in June last year, so we'll compare apples to apples here.

So if an investor bought US$10,000 worth of shares at that price, they would have ended up with 592.42 shares.

This morning (our time), those same shares closed up shop at US$179.92 each. Our 592.42 shares would therefore have a current value of US$106,587.68 today. You can also add about US$50 for the dividends Nvidia stock paid out over those three years, too.

That makes Nvidia a verified 10-bagger in just three years, with our lucky investor enjoying an average compounded return of 120% per annum.

How to buy Nvidia on the ASX

Many ASX investors will look at that kind of return and wonder how they might get in on that action. Well, firstly, we should keep in mind that this represents the company's past growth, not future potential. At a near US$5 trillion value, it is arguably almost impossible for Nvidia to maintain its 120% per annum growth rate that it has enjoyed since 2022 going forward.

Even so, this is clearly a fast-growing behemoth.

The easiest way to own Nvidia is by buying its shares on the US markets through an ASX broker. But if you don't wish to do that, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are your next best bet. Any US-oriented ETF or index fund will have Nvidia stock as a top holding. That includes the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) and the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ). Nvidia makes up about 7.4% and 9.3% of those funds, respectively, right now.

Another option is the Global X FANG+ ETF (ASX: FANG). As we discussed just this morning, FANG is a more concentrated fund exposing ASX investors to ten of the largest US tech stocks. Nvidia is naturally one of those ten, and takes up about 10% of FANG's portfolio at present.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Nvidia, and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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