What if you invested $1000 in Google on Jan 1, 2020?
Explore hypothetical investment results for stocks, ETFs, and more. See real historical data and share your discoveries.
Historical Annual Returns
Over the past 20 years, Alphabet Inc. has delivered an average annual return of 23.6%. The stock peaked in 2009 with a massive +92.9% gain, while investors faced a downturn in 2008 (-55.1%). Overall, the stock finished in the green 15 times out of 20 years.
Avg Return
+23.6%
Win Rate
75%
15W - 5L
Best
+92.9%
2009
Worst
-55.1%
2008
Performance Consistency
About Alphabet Inc.
Visit Website ↗Alphabet Inc. is a global technology conglomerate that serves as the parent company of Google and several other 'Other Bets' ventures. As of 2026, Alphabet is a vertically integrated AI powerhouse, leveraging its proprietary Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and Gemini 3 foundational models to dominate digital advertising, cloud infrastructure, and autonomous systems. Its ecosystem revolves around the 'Google Services' segment, which includes the world's most popular search engine, YouTube, and the Android operating system. The company is currently navigating a 'dual-track' reality: unprecedented growth in its AI-native cloud division and the commercial scaling of Waymo, balanced against significant regulatory shifts following U.S. antitrust mandates regarding search data sharing and default agreements.
Key Business Segments
Google Services
The largest revenue segment, encompassing Google Search, YouTube advertising and subscriptions (YouTube Premium/TV), the Android ecosystem, Chrome, Google Maps, and Google Play. This segment also includes hardware sales for the Pixel smartphone line and Nest smart home devices. In 2026, this division is characterized by the integration of 'Agentic AI' assistants that perform tasks on behalf of users.
Google Cloud
Provides enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure (Google Cloud Platform) and productivity tools (Google Workspace). This segment is Alphabet's fastest-growing unit, offering specialized AI training clusters powered by TPU v6 and Axion processors. It serves as a critical partner for major enterprises and AI startups needing scalable compute and sovereignty-focused data residency.
Other Bets
A collection of high-growth, early-stage businesses. This includes Waymo (autonomous ride-hailing), Verily and Calico (health and life sciences), X (the 'moonshot' factory), and Wing (drone delivery). By 2026, Waymo has emerged as a significant top-line contributor following its expansion into dozens of major global metropolitan areas.
Key Innovations
- ✓PageRank Algorithm (The foundation of modern search)
- ✓Tensor Processing Units (TPU v6) - Proprietary AI-accelerated silicon
- ✓Gemini 3 - Multi-modal, frontier-scale generative AI model
- ✓Waymo Driver - Level 4 fully autonomous driving technology
- ✓Transformer Architecture - The research breakthrough that enabled the modern LLM era
- ✓AlphaFold - AI-driven protein structure prediction for drug discovery
- ✓Project Suncatcher - Orbital data center technology testing
Historical Milestones
Google Inc. is incorporated by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a Menlo Park garage.
Initial Public Offering (IPO) on NASDAQ and launch of Gmail.
Acquisition of YouTube for $1.65 billion, now the world's leading video platform.
Launch of the Chrome browser and the first commercial Android smartphone (HTC Dream).
Corporate restructuring into Alphabet Inc., with Sundar Pichai becoming CEO of Google.
Announcement of Gemini, the company's most capable AI model to date, following the 'Code Red' AI pivot.
Implementation of AI Overviews in Search; Judge Amit Mehta rules Google maintained an illegal search monopoly.
Release of Gemini 3; Berkshire Hathaway discloses a major stake in the company; Waymo expands to 24/7 service in multiple U.S. states.
Alphabet begins sharing search index data with competitors as part of a 10-year court-mandated remedy to foster search competition.