What if you'd held GLW?
A $1,000 investment in Corning Incorporated (GLW) at the month-end close of 1981-12 would be worth $198,774 at the close of 2026-08 — +19777.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $62,897.
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.
Every year, $1,000 from 1981
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | $1,000 | — |
| 1982 | $1,330 | +33.0% |
| 1983 | $1,452 | +9.2% |
| 1984 | $1,490 | +2.6% |
| 1985 | $2,744 | +84.2% |
| 1986 | $2,494 | -9.1% |
| 1987 | $2,177 | -12.7% |
| 1988 | $3,314 | +52.2% |
| 1989 | $4,219 | +27.3% |
| 1990 | $4,495 | +6.6% |
| 1991 | $7,841 | +74.4% |
| 1992 | $7,794 | -0.6% |
| 1993 | $5,948 | -23.7% |
| 1994 | $6,489 | +9.1% |
| 1995 | $7,108 | +9.5% |
| 1996 | $10,475 | +47.4% |
| 1997 | $10,173 | -2.9% |
| 1998 | $12,580 | +23.7% |
| 1999 | $36,451 | +189.8% |
| 2000 | $44,935 | +23.3% |
| 2001 | $7,630 | -83.0% |
| 2002 | $2,832 | -62.9% |
| 2003 | $8,922 | +215.1% |
| 2004 | $10,068 | +12.8% |
| 2005 | $16,817 | +67.0% |
| 2006 | $16,005 | -4.8% |
| 2007 | $20,613 | +28.8% |
| 2008 | $8,286 | -59.8% |
| 2009 | $17,031 | +105.6% |
| 2010 | $17,241 | +1.2% |
| 2011 | $11,738 | -31.9% |
| 2012 | $11,711 | -0.2% |
| 2013 | $16,984 | +45.0% |
| 2014 | $22,286 | +31.2% |
| 2015 | $18,202 | -18.3% |
| 2016 | $24,797 | +36.2% |
| 2017 | $33,385 | +34.6% |
| 2018 | $32,288 | -3.3% |
| 2019 | $31,957 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | $40,769 | +27.6% |
| 2021 | $43,184 | +5.9% |
| 2022 | $38,190 | -11.6% |
| 2023 | $37,720 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | $60,595 | +60.6% |
| 2025 | $113,772 | +87.8% |
| 2026 | $198,774 | +74.7% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought GLW was 1982-03 ($0.60): $1,000 then is $252,836 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($255): $1,000 then is $597.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in GLW be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Corning Incorporated (GLW) at the start of 1981 would be worth about $198,774 today, a total return of +19777.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for GLW?
Corning Incorporated (GLW)'s strongest calendar year since 1981 was 2003, a +215.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,151 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2001, at -83.0%.
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 GLW have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1981-12 would have grown to about $1.77M on $53,700 invested.
Did GLW beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $62,897. GLW beat the S&P 500 by +216.0% 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
Corning Incorporated (GLW) historical total-return data from 1981-12 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.