What if you'd held WAT?
A $1,000 investment in Waters Corporation (WAT) at the month-end close of 1995-11 would be worth $112,694 at the close of 2026-08 — +11169.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $12,733.
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 1995
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1,000 | — |
| 1996 | $1,664 | +66.4% |
| 1997 | $2,090 | +25.6% |
| 1998 | $4,783 | +128.9% |
| 1999 | $5,811 | +21.5% |
| 2000 | $18,311 | +215.1% |
| 2001 | $8,498 | -53.6% |
| 2002 | $4,776 | -43.8% |
| 2003 | $7,272 | +52.2% |
| 2004 | $10,261 | +41.1% |
| 2005 | $8,289 | -19.2% |
| 2006 | $10,739 | +29.6% |
| 2007 | $17,340 | +61.5% |
| 2008 | $8,037 | -53.6% |
| 2009 | $13,588 | +69.1% |
| 2010 | $17,042 | +25.4% |
| 2011 | $16,239 | -4.7% |
| 2012 | $19,105 | +17.7% |
| 2013 | $21,930 | +14.8% |
| 2014 | $24,719 | +12.7% |
| 2015 | $29,513 | +19.4% |
| 2016 | $29,471 | -0.1% |
| 2017 | $42,366 | +43.8% |
| 2018 | $41,371 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | $51,239 | +23.9% |
| 2020 | $54,259 | +5.9% |
| 2021 | $81,711 | +50.6% |
| 2022 | $75,127 | -8.1% |
| 2023 | $72,200 | -3.9% |
| 2024 | $81,355 | +12.7% |
| 2025 | $83,296 | +2.4% |
| 2026 | $91,193 | +9.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WAT was 1995-11 ($3.69): $1,000 then is $112,694 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($416): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WAT be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Waters Corporation (WAT) at the start of 1995 would be worth about $112,694 today, a total return of +11169.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WAT?
Waters Corporation (WAT)'s strongest calendar year since 1995 was 2000, a +215.1% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,151 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -53.6%.
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 WAT have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1995-11 would have grown to about $381,130 on $37,000 invested.
Did WAT beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $12,733. WAT beat the S&P 500 by +785.1% 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
Waters Corporation (WAT) historical total-return data from 1995-11 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.