If You'd Put $1,000 Into Adobe Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Adobe stock has outperformed the S&P 500 by leaps and bounds over the past two decades.



The promise of generative artificial intelligence hasn't been able to keep Adobe (ADBE) stock afloat over the past year, but long-time shareholders are still sitting on market-crushing returns.
After adding 77% in 2023, shares in the maker of application software for creative types lost about 25% last year, lagging the broader market by a whopping 50 percentage points. If it's any consolation to restive shareholders, many steps forward and a few steps back is sort of par for the course for volatile ADBE stock.
Much of the recent volatility can be attributed to Adobe's embrace of generative AI. For years, the company enjoyed a near monopoly in its niche. Its Creative Suite – which includes the likes of Photoshop, Premiere Pro for video editing and Dreamweaver for website design, among others – really had no peer.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
But times change. The emergence of Microsoft's (MSFT) Azure and other cloud-based competitors have taken a bite out of Creative Cloud. Adobe's suite of products still commands a market share of more than 60%, but there's no question the company – and its shareholders – have been feeling the heat.
Just look at how shares have slowed down over the past few years.
Adobe stock has outperformed the S&P 500 by a wide margin over the course of its life as a publicly traded company, generating an all-time total return of 23.4%. By comparison, the broader market returned 10.6% over the same span.
The early 2020s have been a different story entirely. A terrible 2022 and an awful 2024 has ABDE stock trailing the broader market by wide margins over the past one-, three- and five-year periods.
The bottom line on Adobe stock
Adobe's hot 2023 run was a lot more like what longtime shareholders have come to expect from the stock. After all, anyone who plonked down just a thousand bucks into ADBE a couple of decades ago would have enjoyed truly outstanding returns.
Have a look at the chart below and you'll see that a $1,000 investment in Adobe stock 20 years ago would today be worth more than $14,500. The same money invested in the broader market would theoretically have grown to about $7,400.
True, Adobe stock remains about a third below its all-time closing high set back in November 2021, but analysts think it can reclaim those levels eventually.
After all, Wall Street is pretty bullish on the name. Of the 39 analysts issuing opinions on Adobe stock surveyed by S&P Global Market Intelligence, 18 rate it at Strong Buy, nine call it a Buy, 10 have it at Hold, one rates it at Sell and one says Strong Sell. That works out to a consensus recommendation of Buy, with solid conviction.
More Stocks of the Past 20 Years
- If You'd Put $1,000 Into Nvidia Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
- If You'd Put $1,000 Into Apple Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
- If You'd Put $1,000 Into Amazon Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Dan Burrows is Kiplinger's senior investing writer, having joined the august publication full time in 2016.
A long-time financial journalist, Dan is a veteran of SmartMoney, MarketWatch, CBS MoneyWatch, InvestorPlace and DailyFinance. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Consumer Reports, Senior Executive and Boston magazine, and his stories have appeared in the New York Daily News, the San Jose Mercury News and Investor's Business Daily, among other publications. As a senior writer at AOL's DailyFinance, Dan reported market news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and hosted a weekly video segment on equities.
Once upon a time – before his days as a financial reporter and assistant financial editor at legendary fashion trade paper Women's Wear Daily – Dan worked for Spy magazine, scribbled away at Time Inc. and contributed to Maxim magazine back when lad mags were a thing. He's also written for Esquire magazine's Dubious Achievements Awards.
In his current role at Kiplinger, Dan writes about equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities, funds, macroeconomics, demographics, real estate, cost of living indexes and more.
Dan holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Columbia University.
Disclosure: Dan does not trade stocks or other securities. Rather, he dollar-cost averages into cheap funds and index funds and holds them forever in tax-advantaged accounts.
-
3 Certificate of Deposit Accounts I Wouldn't Use Right Now
The good news is you can earn over 4% on many CDs. However, here are three kinds of CDs I wouldn’t recommend currently.
By Sean Jackson Published
-
Best Tax Prep Software of 2025: FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax and more
See how popular tax prep software like TurboTax, H&R Block and FreeTaxUSA stack up – and how to decide which one is the best for you.
By Rachael Green Published
-
Nvidia Stock's Been Growing for Years. Just Look At Its 100,000% Return
Nvidia shareholders have had to stomach intense volatility over the years, but they have come out on top thanks to the AI chipmaker's bellwether status.
By Louis Navellier Published
-
10 Tax Topics Every Retiree Should Know About
A little knowledge can go a long way toward saving on your tax bill. Print this out and take it to your tax planner so you can have a productive chat.
By Michael Miller Published
-
It's No Surprise That Berkshire Hathaway's in the 100,000% Return Club
Warren Buffett's fascination with the insurance industry has helped Berkshire Hathaway's stock return snowball.
By Louis Navellier Published
-
4 Turnaround Stocks to Consider – and 2 More to Keep an Eye On
A turnaround stock is a struggling company with a strong makeover plan that can pay off for intrepid investors.
By Nellie S. Huang Published
-
Facing a Layoff? Ask Your Employer These Questions Now
If you're being laid off or forced into early retirement, don't make any decisions without proper guidance — and that starts by asking some key questions.
By Ben Maxwell, ChFC®, AAMS® Published
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Jumps 674 Points in Friday's Relief Rally
The gains weren't limited to stocks, though, with gold futures closing above the $3,000 per ounce mark for the first time.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Have $1M+ Saved? Consider a Financial Planning One-Stop Shop
A 'one-stop shop' team — including a financial planner, estate planning lawyer, CPA and more — could serve all of your tax, estate and retirement planning needs.
By Joe F. Schmitz Jr., CFP®, ChFC® Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Drop on Trump's EU Tariff Threats
The White House said alcohol imports from the European Union could soon face tariffs of 200%.
By Karee Venema Published