What if you'd held PAYX?
A $1,000 investment in Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) at the month-end close of 1983-08 would be worth $1.44M at the close of 2026-08 — +144187.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $46,886.
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 1983
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | $1,000 | — |
| 1984 | $781 | -21.9% |
| 1985 | $1,584 | +102.7% |
| 1986 | $2,905 | +83.5% |
| 1987 | $3,093 | +6.4% |
| 1988 | $3,286 | +6.2% |
| 1989 | $3,683 | +12.1% |
| 1990 | $3,507 | -4.8% |
| 1991 | $6,696 | +91.0% |
| 1992 | $10,256 | +53.2% |
| 1993 | $15,374 | +49.9% |
| 1994 | $17,923 | +16.6% |
| 1995 | $33,368 | +86.2% |
| 1996 | $51,931 | +55.6% |
| 1997 | $77,269 | +48.8% |
| 1998 | $118,579 | +53.5% |
| 1999 | $139,459 | +17.6% |
| 2000 | $256,044 | +83.6% |
| 2001 | $185,411 | -27.6% |
| 2002 | $150,586 | -18.8% |
| 2003 | $203,714 | +35.3% |
| 2004 | $189,359 | -7.0% |
| 2005 | $215,317 | +13.7% |
| 2006 | $227,490 | +5.7% |
| 2007 | $213,795 | -6.0% |
| 2008 | $161,151 | -24.6% |
| 2009 | $196,777 | +22.1% |
| 2010 | $207,318 | +5.4% |
| 2011 | $210,283 | +1.4% |
| 2012 | $230,613 | +9.7% |
| 2013 | $343,429 | +48.9% |
| 2014 | $360,468 | +5.0% |
| 2015 | $426,801 | +18.4% |
| 2016 | $507,792 | +19.0% |
| 2017 | $586,034 | +15.4% |
| 2018 | $579,710 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | $779,862 | +34.5% |
| 2020 | $883,231 | +13.3% |
| 2021 | $1.33M | +50.2% |
| 2022 | $1.15M | -13.2% |
| 2023 | $1.22M | +6.2% |
| 2024 | $1.48M | +21.3% |
| 2025 | $1.22M | -17.5% |
| 2026 | $1.38M | +12.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought PAYX was 1984-02 ($0.06): $1,000 then is $2.14M today. The worst was 2025-05 ($150): $1,000 then is $816.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in PAYX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) at the start of 1983 would be worth about $1.44M today, a total return of +144187.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for PAYX?
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX)'s strongest calendar year since 1983 was 1985, a +102.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,027 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2001, at -27.6%.
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 PAYX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1983-08 would have grown to about $8.05M on $51,700 invested.
Did PAYX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $46,886. PAYX beat the S&P 500 by +2977.4% 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
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) historical total-return data from 1983-08 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.