What if you'd held HRL?
A $1,000 investment in Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $218,924 at the close of 2026-08 — +21792.4% 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.
Every year, $1,000 from 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,188 | +18.8% |
| 1982 | $1,830 | +54.1% |
| 1983 | $2,017 | +10.2% |
| 1984 | $1,985 | -1.6% |
| 1985 | $3,335 | +68.0% |
| 1986 | $4,457 | +33.7% |
| 1987 | $5,643 | +26.6% |
| 1988 | $5,928 | +5.1% |
| 1989 | $9,255 | +56.1% |
| 1990 | $10,664 | +15.2% |
| 1991 | $12,103 | +13.5% |
| 1992 | $13,556 | +12.0% |
| 1993 | $13,021 | -4.0% |
| 1994 | $14,908 | +14.5% |
| 1995 | $15,171 | +1.8% |
| 1996 | $16,964 | +11.8% |
| 1997 | $21,137 | +24.6% |
| 1998 | $21,553 | +2.0% |
| 1999 | $27,214 | +26.3% |
| 2000 | $25,467 | -6.4% |
| 2001 | $37,288 | +46.4% |
| 2002 | $32,896 | -11.8% |
| 2003 | $37,055 | +12.6% |
| 2004 | $45,743 | +23.4% |
| 2005 | $48,498 | +6.0% |
| 2006 | $56,311 | +16.1% |
| 2007 | $62,042 | +10.2% |
| 2008 | $48,599 | -21.7% |
| 2009 | $61,522 | +26.6% |
| 2010 | $83,682 | +36.0% |
| 2011 | $97,393 | +16.4% |
| 2012 | $105,954 | +8.8% |
| 2013 | $156,005 | +47.2% |
| 2014 | $182,957 | +17.3% |
| 2015 | $282,606 | +54.5% |
| 2016 | $252,595 | -10.6% |
| 2017 | $269,564 | +6.7% |
| 2018 | $322,642 | +19.7% |
| 2019 | $347,967 | +7.8% |
| 2020 | $366,719 | +5.4% |
| 2021 | $392,355 | +7.0% |
| 2022 | $374,015 | -4.7% |
| 2023 | $271,197 | -27.5% |
| 2024 | $274,484 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | $216,106 | -21.3% |
| 2026 | $231,374 | +7.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought HRL was 1980-06 ($0.10): $1,000 then is $254,006 today. The worst was 2022-04 ($44.88): $1,000 then is $544.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in HRL be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $218,924 today, a total return of +21792.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for HRL?
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1985, a +68.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,680 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2023, at -27.5%.
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 HRL have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $1.59M on $55,800 invested.
Did HRL beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. HRL beat the S&P 500 by +190.0% 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
Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) 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.