What if you'd held ALK?
A $1,000 investment in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $58,816 at the close of 2026-08 — +5781.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $75,502.
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 1980
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $1,000 | — |
| 1981 | $1,559 | +55.9% |
| 1982 | $3,373 | +116.3% |
| 1983 | $3,616 | +7.2% |
| 1984 | $3,916 | +8.3% |
| 1985 | $4,207 | +7.4% |
| 1986 | $5,267 | +25.2% |
| 1987 | $3,575 | -32.1% |
| 1988 | $5,344 | +49.5% |
| 1989 | $5,556 | +4.0% |
| 1990 | $4,759 | -14.3% |
| 1991 | $5,972 | +25.5% |
| 1992 | $4,579 | -23.3% |
| 1993 | $3,921 | -14.4% |
| 1994 | $4,163 | +6.2% |
| 1995 | $4,510 | +8.3% |
| 1996 | $5,828 | +29.2% |
| 1997 | $10,756 | +84.5% |
| 1998 | $12,281 | +14.2% |
| 1999 | $9,749 | -20.6% |
| 2000 | $8,257 | -15.3% |
| 2001 | $8,077 | -2.2% |
| 2002 | $6,009 | -25.6% |
| 2003 | $7,574 | +26.1% |
| 2004 | $9,295 | +22.7% |
| 2005 | $9,914 | +6.7% |
| 2006 | $10,963 | +10.6% |
| 2007 | $6,942 | -36.7% |
| 2008 | $8,119 | +16.9% |
| 2009 | $9,593 | +18.2% |
| 2010 | $15,735 | +64.0% |
| 2011 | $20,841 | +32.5% |
| 2012 | $23,920 | +14.8% |
| 2013 | $40,967 | +71.3% |
| 2014 | $67,454 | +64.7% |
| 2015 | $91,907 | +36.3% |
| 2016 | $102,920 | +12.0% |
| 2017 | $86,554 | -15.9% |
| 2018 | $73,096 | -15.5% |
| 2019 | $83,170 | +13.8% |
| 2020 | $64,198 | -22.8% |
| 2021 | $64,321 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | $53,012 | -17.6% |
| 2023 | $48,235 | -9.0% |
| 2024 | $79,938 | +65.7% |
| 2025 | $62,099 | -22.3% |
| 2026 | $50,901 | -18.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ALK was 1980-04 ($0.68): $1,000 then is $60,811 today. The worst was 2017-02 ($92.19): $1,000 then is $447.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ALK be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $58,816 today, a total return of +5781.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ALK?
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 1982, a +116.3% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,163 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2007, at -36.7%.
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 ALK have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $437,530 on $55,800 invested.
Did ALK beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. ALK trailed the S&P 500 by +22.1% 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
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) historical total-return data from 1980-03 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.