What if you'd held AXP?
A $1,000 investment in American Express Company (AXP) at the month-end close of 1972-06 would be worth $287,320 at the close of 2026-08 — +28632.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $71,943.
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 1972
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $1,000 | — |
| 1973 | $693 | -30.7% |
| 1974 | $402 | -42.0% |
| 1975 | $568 | +41.3% |
| 1976 | $626 | +10.1% |
| 1977 | $574 | -8.3% |
| 1978 | $489 | -14.8% |
| 1979 | $529 | +8.3% |
| 1980 | $756 | +42.8% |
| 1981 | $857 | +13.3% |
| 1982 | $1,296 | +51.3% |
| 1983 | $1,372 | +5.9% |
| 1984 | $1,646 | +20.0% |
| 1985 | $2,387 | +45.0% |
| 1986 | $2,609 | +9.3% |
| 1987 | $2,180 | -16.4% |
| 1988 | $2,635 | +20.9% |
| 1989 | $3,540 | +34.4% |
| 1990 | $2,176 | -38.5% |
| 1991 | $2,251 | +3.4% |
| 1992 | $2,823 | +25.4% |
| 1993 | $3,626 | +28.4% |
| 1994 | $4,090 | +12.8% |
| 1995 | $5,842 | +42.8% |
| 1996 | $8,168 | +39.8% |
| 1997 | $13,059 | +59.9% |
| 1998 | $15,109 | +15.7% |
| 1999 | $24,689 | +63.4% |
| 2000 | $24,623 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | $16,132 | -34.5% |
| 2002 | $16,157 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | $22,245 | +37.7% |
| 2004 | $26,160 | +17.6% |
| 2005 | $27,535 | +5.3% |
| 2006 | $32,790 | +19.1% |
| 2007 | $28,399 | -13.4% |
| 2008 | $10,299 | -63.7% |
| 2009 | $23,290 | +126.1% |
| 2010 | $25,115 | +7.8% |
| 2011 | $28,043 | +11.7% |
| 2012 | $34,657 | +23.6% |
| 2013 | $55,394 | +59.8% |
| 2014 | $57,422 | +3.7% |
| 2015 | $43,521 | -24.2% |
| 2016 | $47,256 | +8.6% |
| 2017 | $64,371 | +36.2% |
| 2018 | $62,684 | -2.6% |
| 2019 | $83,067 | +32.5% |
| 2020 | $82,119 | -1.1% |
| 2021 | $112,408 | +36.9% |
| 2022 | $102,834 | -8.5% |
| 2023 | $132,317 | +28.7% |
| 2024 | $212,131 | +60.3% |
| 2025 | $267,270 | +26.0% |
| 2026 | $247,560 | -7.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought AXP was 1974-09 ($0.40): $1,000 then is $854,020 today. The worst was 2025-12 ($367): $1,000 then is $926.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in AXP be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in American Express Company (AXP) at the start of 1972 would be worth about $287,320 today, a total return of +28632.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for AXP?
American Express Company (AXP)'s strongest calendar year since 1972 was 2009, a +126.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,261 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -63.7%.
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 AXP have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1972-06 would have grown to about $6.82M on $65,100 invested.
Did AXP beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $71,943. AXP beat the S&P 500 by +299.4% 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
American Express Company (AXP) historical total-return data from 1972-06 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.