Where Will the Nasdaq Be in 2036? History Has Good and Bad News for Growth Investors.

Key Points Assuming history repeats itself, the Nasdaq Composite could roughly triple in value over the course of the coming decade. There is also a recent instance, however, where the index made no net progress for over a decade. No matter what gains await, the composite isn’t going to move in a straight line to its 2036 destination. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › Past performance is never a guarantee of future results. It is , however, a pretty good indication of what the future likely holds. That's particularly true if the key underpinnings of that past performance are still in place. With that as the backdrop, what can the past 30 years' worth of performance from the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) tell us about the next 10 years? Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » Arguably more than you might think. Image source: Getty Images. You may recall that 30 years ago marked the very beginning of a sweeping (and bullish) technological revolution, with most of that revolution's top publicly traded technology names being Nasdaq-listed. And they still are. Given that human behavior and economic cycles haven't really changed much since then either, we can reasonably expect the Nasdaq Composite's average annual net gain of 11% since September of 1996 to persist. That would put the index right at 75,360 by this point in 2036. That's obviously better than the S&P 500' s (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) average annual net return of 10% . Just remember the volatility and harrowing swings that the market's favorite tech stocks are also famous for dishing out. The Nasdaq also didn't regain its early 2000 peak until the middle of 2015. That's 15 lost years for any buy-and-hold investors who patiently waited for the index's recovery. Although the circumstances now are different from those then, never say never. There's certainly no denying that a bunch of artificial intelligence stocks are currently being valued like a bunch of dot-com names were in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Of course, diversification beyond the technology sector -- as well as beyond Nasdaq-listed stocks -- could help curb much of this index-specific risk. Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor’s total average return is 950%* — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 211% for the S&P 500. They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of September 10, 2026. James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Nasdaq. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

Assuming history repeats itself, the Nasdaq Composite could roughly triple in value over the course of the coming decade.

There is also a recent instance, however, where the index made no net progress for over a decade.

No matter what gains await, the composite isn’t going to move in a straight line to its 2036 destination.

Past performance is never a guarantee of future results. It is , however, a pretty good indication of what the future likely holds. That's particularly true if the key underpinnings of that past performance are still in place.

With that as the backdrop, what can the past 30 years' worth of performance from the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) tell us about the next 10 years?

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

You may recall that 30 years ago marked the very beginning of a sweeping (and bullish) technological revolution, with most of that revolution's top publicly traded technology names being Nasdaq-listed. And they still are. Given that human behavior and economic cycles haven't really changed much since then either, we can reasonably expect the Nasdaq Composite's average annual net gain of 11% since September of 1996 to persist. That would put the index right at 75,360 by this point in 2036.