Here's How Much $100 Invested In NetApp 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

NetApp has outperformed the market over the past 90 days by 9.19%, generating a 14.8% return for its investors over the time period. Now, given this information, it may seem like price appreciation alone is the best way to have made money on this stock, that's not actually the case.

This is because NetApp has been paying out a regular cash dividend every year over the past 10 years. Investors who fail to account for dividends are missing a key ingredient in calculating a stock's profitability over time.

Visualizing Cash Growth In NetApp Stock Over Past 10 Years

NetApp's dividend payout has changed over time, but it is common for a companies dividend payouts to fluctuate from year to year. Currently, NetApp pays out a $2 per share dividend.

When looking at NetApp's price and dividend history since September, 2011, we can use the formula above to calculate NetApp's total return since September, 2011. Based on those inputs, a $100 investment in NetApp would be worth approximately $316.47 today.

In other words, you would have more than tripled your money.

The following chart shows how your money would have grown over the years, with and without re-investing dividends.

By looking at the price chart of NTAP's common stock one can see that price appreciation alone misses a fair bit of value if one's considering holding the stock for a long period of time. This is the case for other equities too; check out all Benzinga's dividend data here or in an enhanced view on Benzinga Pro.