What if you'd held VRSN?
A $1,000 investment in VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) at the month-end close of 1998-01 would be worth $51,225 at the close of 2026-08 — +5022.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $7,863.
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 1998
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | — |
| 1999 | $12,922 | +1192.2% |
| 2000 | $5,021 | -61.1% |
| 2001 | $2,574 | -48.7% |
| 2002 | $543 | -78.9% |
| 2003 | $1,103 | +103.1% |
| 2004 | $2,274 | +106.2% |
| 2005 | $1,482 | -34.8% |
| 2006 | $1,628 | +9.8% |
| 2007 | $2,545 | +56.4% |
| 2008 | $1,291 | -49.3% |
| 2009 | $1,641 | +27.1% |
| 2010 | $2,406 | +46.6% |
| 2011 | $2,847 | +18.3% |
| 2012 | $3,094 | +8.7% |
| 2013 | $4,765 | +54.0% |
| 2014 | $4,543 | -4.7% |
| 2015 | $6,962 | +53.3% |
| 2016 | $6,062 | -12.9% |
| 2017 | $9,121 | +50.4% |
| 2018 | $11,818 | +29.6% |
| 2019 | $15,356 | +29.9% |
| 2020 | $17,247 | +12.3% |
| 2021 | $20,229 | +17.3% |
| 2022 | $16,373 | -19.1% |
| 2023 | $16,414 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $16,494 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | $19,532 | +18.4% |
| 2026 | $22,090 | +13.1% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought VRSN was 2002-09 ($4.22): $1,000 then is $64,699 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($287): $1,000 then is $953.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in VRSN be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $51,225 today, a total return of +5022.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for VRSN?
VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 1999, a +1192.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $12,922 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2002, at -78.9%.
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 VRSN have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-01 would have grown to about $312,744 on $34,400 invested.
Did VRSN beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $7,863. VRSN beat the S&P 500 by +551.5% 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
VeriSign, Inc. (VRSN) historical total-return data from 1998-01 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.