What if you'd held NRG?
A $1,000 investment in NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) at the month-end close of 2003-12 would be worth $14,850 at the close of 2026-08 — +1385.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,932.
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 2003
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $1,000 | — |
| 2004 | $1,647 | +64.7% |
| 2005 | $2,151 | +30.7% |
| 2006 | $2,558 | +18.9% |
| 2007 | $3,958 | +54.7% |
| 2008 | $2,131 | -46.2% |
| 2009 | $2,156 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | $1,784 | -17.2% |
| 2011 | $1,655 | -7.2% |
| 2012 | $2,118 | +28.0% |
| 2013 | $2,691 | +27.0% |
| 2014 | $2,570 | -4.5% |
| 2015 | $1,156 | -55.0% |
| 2016 | $1,230 | +6.4% |
| 2017 | $2,877 | +133.8% |
| 2018 | $4,015 | +39.6% |
| 2019 | $4,043 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | $3,956 | -2.2% |
| 2021 | $4,690 | +18.6% |
| 2022 | $3,589 | -23.5% |
| 2023 | $6,079 | +69.4% |
| 2024 | $10,856 | +78.6% |
| 2025 | $19,421 | +78.9% |
| 2026 | $14,850 | -23.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NRG was 2004-02 ($7.16): $1,000 then is $16,841 today. The worst was 2026-02 ($178): $1,000 then is $678.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NRG be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) at the start of 2003 would be worth about $14,850 today, a total return of +1385.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NRG?
NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG)'s strongest calendar year since 2003 was 2017, a +133.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,338 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2015, at -55.0%.
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 NRG have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2003-12 would have grown to about $161,084 on $27,300 invested.
Did NRG beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,932. NRG beat the S&P 500 by +114.2% 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
NRG Energy, Inc. (NRG) historical total-return data from 2003-12 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.