What if you'd held ^GSPC?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at the month-end close of 1927-12 would be worth $436,465 at the close of 2026-08 — +43546.5% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $436,465.
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. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 1927
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1927 | $1,000 | — |
| 1928 | $1,379 | +37.9% |
| 1929 | $1,215 | -11.9% |
| 1930 | $869 | -28.5% |
| 1931 | $460 | -47.1% |
| 1932 | $392 | -14.8% |
| 1933 | $565 | +44.1% |
| 1934 | $538 | -4.7% |
| 1935 | $760 | +41.4% |
| 1936 | $973 | +27.9% |
| 1937 | $597 | -38.6% |
| 1938 | $744 | +24.5% |
| 1939 | $706 | -5.2% |
| 1940 | $599 | -15.1% |
| 1941 | $492 | -17.9% |
| 1942 | $553 | +12.4% |
| 1943 | $661 | +19.4% |
| 1944 | $752 | +13.8% |
| 1945 | $983 | +30.7% |
| 1946 | $866 | -11.9% |
| 1947 | $866 | 0.0% |
| 1948 | $861 | -0.7% |
| 1949 | $951 | +10.5% |
| 1950 | $1,157 | +21.7% |
| 1951 | $1,346 | +16.3% |
| 1952 | $1,505 | +11.8% |
| 1953 | $1,405 | -6.6% |
| 1954 | $2,037 | +45.0% |
| 1955 | $2,575 | +26.4% |
| 1956 | $2,643 | +2.6% |
| 1957 | $2,264 | -14.3% |
| 1958 | $3,126 | +38.1% |
| 1959 | $3,391 | +8.5% |
| 1960 | $3,290 | -3.0% |
| 1961 | $4,052 | +23.1% |
| 1962 | $3,573 | -11.8% |
| 1963 | $4,248 | +18.9% |
| 1964 | $4,799 | +13.0% |
| 1965 | $5,234 | +9.1% |
| 1966 | $4,549 | -13.1% |
| 1967 | $5,463 | +20.1% |
| 1968 | $5,881 | +7.7% |
| 1969 | $5,213 | -11.4% |
| 1970 | $5,218 | +0.1% |
| 1971 | $5,781 | +10.8% |
| 1972 | $6,685 | +15.6% |
| 1973 | $5,524 | -17.4% |
| 1974 | $3,882 | -29.7% |
| 1975 | $5,107 | +31.5% |
| 1976 | $6,085 | +19.1% |
| 1977 | $5,385 | -11.5% |
| 1978 | $5,442 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | $6,112 | +12.3% |
| 1980 | $7,687 | +25.8% |
| 1981 | $6,939 | -9.7% |
| 1982 | $7,964 | +14.8% |
| 1983 | $9,339 | +17.3% |
| 1984 | $9,470 | +1.4% |
| 1985 | $11,964 | +26.3% |
| 1986 | $13,713 | +14.6% |
| 1987 | $13,991 | +2.0% |
| 1988 | $15,726 | +12.4% |
| 1989 | $20,011 | +27.3% |
| 1990 | $18,699 | -6.6% |
| 1991 | $23,618 | +26.3% |
| 1992 | $24,672 | +4.5% |
| 1993 | $26,413 | +7.1% |
| 1994 | $26,006 | -1.5% |
| 1995 | $34,877 | +34.1% |
| 1996 | $41,945 | +20.3% |
| 1997 | $54,951 | +31.0% |
| 1998 | $69,605 | +26.7% |
| 1999 | $83,196 | +19.5% |
| 2000 | $74,761 | -10.1% |
| 2001 | $65,010 | -13.0% |
| 2002 | $49,820 | -23.4% |
| 2003 | $62,963 | +26.4% |
| 2004 | $68,625 | +9.0% |
| 2005 | $70,685 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | $80,311 | +13.6% |
| 2007 | $83,146 | +3.5% |
| 2008 | $51,147 | -38.5% |
| 2009 | $63,143 | +23.5% |
| 2010 | $71,214 | +12.8% |
| 2011 | $71,212 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | $80,758 | +13.4% |
| 2013 | $104,664 | +29.6% |
| 2014 | $116,586 | +11.4% |
| 2015 | $115,738 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | $126,774 | +9.5% |
| 2017 | $151,394 | +19.4% |
| 2018 | $141,951 | -6.2% |
| 2019 | $182,943 | +28.9% |
| 2020 | $212,688 | +16.3% |
| 2021 | $269,886 | +26.9% |
| 2022 | $217,412 | -19.4% |
| 2023 | $270,092 | +24.2% |
| 2024 | $333,048 | +23.3% |
| 2025 | $387,627 | +16.4% |
| 2026 | $436,465 | +12.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ^GSPC was 1932-06 ($4.43): $1,000 then is $1.74M today. The worst was 2026-08 ($7,708): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ^GSPC be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at the start of 1927 would be worth about $436,465 today, a total return of +43546.5%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ^GSPC?
S&P 500 Index (^GSPC)'s strongest calendar year since 1927 was 1954, a +45.0% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,450 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1931, at -47.1%.
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 ^GSPC have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1927-12 would have grown to about $22.64M on $118,500 invested.
Did ^GSPC beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $436,465. ^GSPC beat the S&P 500 by 0.0% 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
S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) historical total-return data from 1927-12 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.