What if you'd held WLFC?
A $1,000 investment in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) at the month-end close of 1996-09 would be worth $5,851 at the close of 2026-08 — +485.1% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500, dividends reinvested, would be worth $19,152.
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 1996
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,000 | — |
| 1997 | $1,360 | +36.0% |
| 1998 | $1,223 | -10.0% |
| 1999 | $500 | -59.1% |
| 2000 | $777 | +55.2% |
| 2001 | $360 | -53.6% |
| 2002 | $393 | +9.0% |
| 2003 | $571 | +45.5% |
| 2004 | $606 | +6.1% |
| 2005 | $633 | +4.5% |
| 2006 | $802 | +26.6% |
| 2007 | $974 | +21.5% |
| 2008 | $720 | -26.1% |
| 2009 | $1,165 | +61.9% |
| 2010 | $1,013 | -13.1% |
| 2011 | $928 | -8.3% |
| 2012 | $1,112 | +19.7% |
| 2013 | $1,349 | +21.3% |
| 2014 | $1,702 | +26.2% |
| 2015 | $1,562 | -8.2% |
| 2016 | $1,987 | +27.3% |
| 2017 | $1,940 | -2.4% |
| 2018 | $2,688 | +38.6% |
| 2019 | $4,577 | +70.2% |
| 2020 | $2,367 | -48.3% |
| 2021 | $2,925 | +23.6% |
| 2022 | $4,585 | +56.7% |
| 2023 | $3,798 | -17.2% |
| 2024 | $16,229 | +327.3% |
| 2025 | $10,633 | -34.5% |
| 2026 | $4,203 | -60.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought WLFC was 2001-11 ($3.21): $1,000 then is $16,642 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($228): $1,000 then is $234.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in WLFC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) at the start of 1996 would be worth about $5,851 today, a total return of +485.1%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for WLFC?
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC)'s strongest calendar year since 1996 was 2024, a +327.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $4,273 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2026, at -60.5%.
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 WLFC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1996-09 would have grown to about $143,375 on $36,000 invested.
Did WLFC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested (the S&P 500 Total Return index) would be worth $19,152. WLFC trailed the S&P 500 by +69.4% 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
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) historical total-return data from 1996-09 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends, the same convention used by major brokerages. End-of-day and live prices come from EODHD; parts of the deep historical series are carried over from Yahoo Finance data. 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 (EODHD): 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 EODHD and Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.