$10,000 invested in NDQ ETF 5 years ago is now…

Let's see if investing your hard-earned money into this ETF 5 years ago was a good idea.

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Five years ago, global markets were in chaos. COVID-19 had triggered widespread lockdowns, investor panic was rampant, and share prices across the board were plunging.

It was March 2020 — and buying shares back then felt more like an act of bravery than rational investing. But, as history often shows, those who stick to a long-term plan and invest in quality during times of fear are often rewarded.

One ETF that was hit hard at the time but has bounced back in a big way is the BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ).

Let's take a closer look.

A five-year journey with the NDQ ETF

On 28 March 2020, the NDQ ETF was trading at $21.45 per unit. For investors willing to deploy $10,000 at the time, that would have secured around 466 units in the fund.

Fast forward five years, and the Nasdaq 100 — which the ETF tracks — has been through plenty. There was the tech boom in 2021, a painful correction in 2022, and major bull markets in 2023 and 2024 driven by the explosion in artificial intelligence (AI).

Key holdings like Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) have been at the centre of this resurgence. Nvidia, in particular, has seen extraordinary growth as demand for its AI-enabling chips soared. Its meteoric rise helped push the Nasdaq to record highs, lifting ASX ETFs like NDQ along with it.

And even after a sharp pullback in 2025 due to trade tariff concerns — with NDQ down from a 52-week high of $52.15 — the ETF is still changing hands notably higher than five years ago at $46.83.

So, how did that $10,000 investment turn out?

Those 466 units are now worth $21,822.78 — more than double the initial investment in just five years.

And that's not including dividends. Over the period, the NDQ ETF has paid out a series of distributions. In total, approximately $4.48 per share has been paid out to unitholders during the past five years.

These dividends would have added a further $2,087.68 to your return, boosting it to a total of $23,910.46. That's a total return of almost 140%.

Foolish takeaway

This is a timely reminder that market volatility often creates opportunities. While it is never easy to buy when sentiment is low, investors who focused on long-term growth and quality — like the global tech leaders in the Nasdaq 100 — have been handsomely rewarded.

John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Amazon, Apple, BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. 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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