What if you'd held WDC?
A $1,000 investment in Western Digital Corporation (WDC) at the month-end close of 1978-10 would be worth $679,544 at the close of 2026-08 — +67854.4% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $82,748.
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 1978
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | $1,000 | — |
| 1979 | $1,601 | +60.1% |
| 1980 | $5,269 | +229.1% |
| 1981 | $3,535 | -32.9% |
| 1982 | $2,468 | -30.2% |
| 1983 | $4,802 | +94.6% |
| 1984 | $4,602 | -4.2% |
| 1985 | $5,602 | +21.7% |
| 1986 | $9,871 | +76.2% |
| 1987 | $8,671 | -12.2% |
| 1988 | $7,871 | -9.2% |
| 1989 | $4,468 | -43.2% |
| 1990 | $2,601 | -41.8% |
| 1991 | $1,401 | -46.1% |
| 1992 | $4,602 | +228.5% |
| 1993 | $4,869 | +5.8% |
| 1994 | $8,938 | +83.6% |
| 1995 | $9,539 | +6.7% |
| 1996 | $30,348 | +218.2% |
| 1997 | $17,076 | -43.7% |
| 1998 | $16,074 | -5.9% |
| 1999 | $4,468 | -72.2% |
| 2000 | $2,601 | -41.8% |
| 2001 | $6,691 | +157.3% |
| 2002 | $6,820 | +1.9% |
| 2003 | $12,583 | +84.5% |
| 2004 | $11,569 | -8.1% |
| 2005 | $19,860 | +71.7% |
| 2006 | $21,836 | +9.9% |
| 2007 | $32,240 | +47.6% |
| 2008 | $12,219 | -62.1% |
| 2009 | $47,117 | +285.6% |
| 2010 | $36,178 | -23.2% |
| 2011 | $33,030 | -8.7% |
| 2012 | $45,935 | +39.1% |
| 2013 | $92,247 | +100.8% |
| 2014 | $123,606 | +34.0% |
| 2015 | $68,892 | -44.3% |
| 2016 | $80,933 | +17.5% |
| 2017 | $96,981 | +19.8% |
| 2018 | $46,645 | -51.9% |
| 2019 | $82,627 | +77.1% |
| 2020 | $73,633 | -10.9% |
| 2021 | $86,687 | +17.7% |
| 2022 | $41,942 | -51.6% |
| 2023 | $69,618 | +66.0% |
| 2024 | $79,269 | +13.9% |
| 2025 | $304,140 | +283.7% |
| 2026 | $816,413 | +168.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WDC was 1978-12 ($0.57): $1,000 then is $816,413 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($639): $1,000 then is $723.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WDC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Western Digital Corporation (WDC) at the start of 1978 would be worth about $679,544 today, a total return of +67854.4%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WDC?
Western Digital Corporation (WDC)'s strongest calendar year since 1978 was 2009, a +285.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,856 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -72.2%.
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 WDC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1978-10 would have grown to about $6.12M on $57,500 invested.
Did WDC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $82,748. WDC beat the S&P 500 by +721.2% 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
Western Digital Corporation (WDC) historical total-return data from 1978-10 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.