What if you'd held NUE?
A $1,000 investment in Nucor Corporation (NUE) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $720,986 at the close of 2026-08 — +71998.6% 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.
Every year, $1,000 from 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $855 | -14.5% |
| 1982 | $894 | +4.5% |
| 1983 | $1,228 | +37.4% |
| 1984 | $937 | -23.7% |
| 1985 | $1,581 | +68.8% |
| 1986 | $1,354 | -14.3% |
| 1987 | $1,775 | +31.1% |
| 1988 | $2,159 | +21.6% |
| 1989 | $2,744 | +27.1% |
| 1990 | $2,846 | +3.7% |
| 1991 | $4,129 | +45.1% |
| 1992 | $7,279 | +76.3% |
| 1993 | $9,878 | +35.7% |
| 1994 | $10,351 | +4.8% |
| 1995 | $10,738 | +3.7% |
| 1996 | $9,644 | -10.2% |
| 1997 | $9,208 | -4.5% |
| 1998 | $8,331 | -9.5% |
| 1999 | $10,673 | +28.1% |
| 2000 | $7,855 | -26.4% |
| 2001 | $10,647 | +35.5% |
| 2002 | $8,431 | -20.8% |
| 2003 | $11,630 | +37.9% |
| 2004 | $21,992 | +89.1% |
| 2005 | $28,777 | +30.8% |
| 2006 | $49,049 | +70.4% |
| 2007 | $55,314 | +12.8% |
| 2008 | $44,602 | -19.4% |
| 2009 | $46,479 | +4.2% |
| 2010 | $45,193 | -2.8% |
| 2011 | $42,351 | -6.3% |
| 2012 | $47,909 | +13.1% |
| 2013 | $61,103 | +27.5% |
| 2014 | $57,801 | -5.4% |
| 2015 | $49,174 | -14.9% |
| 2016 | $74,835 | +52.2% |
| 2017 | $82,020 | +9.6% |
| 2018 | $68,601 | -16.4% |
| 2019 | $76,724 | +11.8% |
| 2020 | $75,373 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | $164,649 | +118.4% |
| 2022 | $193,277 | +17.4% |
| 2023 | $258,513 | +33.8% |
| 2024 | $175,914 | -32.0% |
| 2025 | $249,857 | +42.0% |
| 2026 | $383,267 | +53.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought NUE was 1982-07 ($0.34): $1,000 then is $725,190 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($257): $1,000 then is $967.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in NUE be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Nucor Corporation (NUE) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $720,986 today, a total return of +71998.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for NUE?
Nucor Corporation (NUE)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2021, a +118.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,184 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2024, at -32.0%.
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 NUE have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $5.1M on $55,800 invested.
Did NUE beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. NUE beat the S&P 500 by +854.9% 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
Nucor Corporation (NUE) 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.