What if you'd held AFL?
A $1,000 investment in AFLAC Incorporated (AFL) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $2.24M at the close of 2026-08 — +223527.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,018 | +1.8% |
| 1982 | $2,036 | +100.0% |
| 1983 | $3,202 | +57.3% |
| 1984 | $4,157 | +29.8% |
| 1985 | $7,558 | +81.8% |
| 1986 | $9,612 | +27.2% |
| 1987 | $10,621 | +10.5% |
| 1988 | $10,529 | -0.9% |
| 1989 | $14,018 | +33.1% |
| 1990 | $15,220 | +8.6% |
| 1991 | $24,132 | +58.6% |
| 1992 | $28,269 | +17.1% |
| 1993 | $29,570 | +4.6% |
| 1994 | $33,659 | +13.8% |
| 1995 | $46,334 | +37.7% |
| 1996 | $69,070 | +49.1% |
| 1997 | $83,386 | +20.7% |
| 1998 | $144,217 | +73.0% |
| 1999 | $156,020 | +8.2% |
| 2000 | $240,195 | +54.0% |
| 2001 | $164,565 | -31.5% |
| 2002 | $203,415 | +23.6% |
| 2003 | $246,594 | +21.2% |
| 2004 | $274,204 | +11.2% |
| 2005 | $322,787 | +17.7% |
| 2006 | $323,740 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | $447,531 | +38.2% |
| 2008 | $333,352 | -25.5% |
| 2009 | $348,132 | +4.4% |
| 2010 | $434,843 | +24.9% |
| 2011 | $342,247 | -21.3% |
| 2012 | $432,525 | +26.4% |
| 2013 | $557,540 | +28.9% |
| 2014 | $522,664 | -6.3% |
| 2015 | $525,466 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | $625,832 | +19.1% |
| 2017 | $807,464 | +29.0% |
| 2018 | $857,549 | +6.2% |
| 2019 | $1.02M | +18.6% |
| 2020 | $878,372 | -13.6% |
| 2021 | $1.18M | +34.5% |
| 2022 | $1.49M | +26.4% |
| 2023 | $1.75M | +17.4% |
| 2024 | $2.25M | +28.1% |
| 2025 | $2.45M | +8.9% |
| 2026 | $2.61M | +6.8% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AFL was 1981-08 ($0.04): $1,000 then is $2.79M today. The worst was 2026-07 ($127): $1,000 then is $914.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AFL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in AFLAC Incorporated (AFL) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $2.24M today, a total return of +223527.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AFL?
AFLAC Incorporated (AFL)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1982, a +100.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,000 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2001, at -31.5%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in AFL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $12.64M on $55,800 invested.
Did AFL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. AFL beat the S&P 500 by +2861.9% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
AFLAC Incorporated (AFL) historical total-return data from 1980-03 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.