What if you'd held ASH?
A $1,000 investment in Ashland Inc. (ASH) at the month-end close of 1980-03 would be worth $35,876 at the close of 2026-08 — +3487.6% 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 | $768 | -23.2% |
| 1982 | $715 | -6.8% |
| 1983 | $734 | +2.6% |
| 1984 | $655 | -10.7% |
| 1985 | $1,075 | +64.0% |
| 1986 | $1,667 | +55.1% |
| 1987 | $1,772 | +6.3% |
| 1988 | $2,116 | +19.5% |
| 1989 | $2,596 | +22.7% |
| 1990 | $1,824 | -29.7% |
| 1991 | $2,064 | +13.1% |
| 1992 | $1,888 | -8.5% |
| 1993 | $2,528 | +33.9% |
| 1994 | $2,625 | +3.9% |
| 1995 | $2,760 | +5.1% |
| 1996 | $3,543 | +28.4% |
| 1997 | $4,438 | +25.3% |
| 1998 | $4,086 | -7.9% |
| 1999 | $2,861 | -30.0% |
| 2000 | $3,401 | +18.8% |
| 2001 | $4,487 | +31.9% |
| 2002 | $2,873 | -36.0% |
| 2003 | $4,588 | +59.7% |
| 2004 | $6,213 | +35.4% |
| 2005 | $7,640 | +23.0% |
| 2006 | $9,288 | +21.6% |
| 2007 | $6,491 | -30.1% |
| 2008 | $1,476 | -77.3% |
| 2009 | $5,663 | +283.8% |
| 2010 | $7,345 | +29.7% |
| 2011 | $8,352 | +13.7% |
| 2012 | $11,899 | +42.5% |
| 2013 | $14,562 | +22.4% |
| 2014 | $18,213 | +25.1% |
| 2015 | $15,816 | -13.2% |
| 2016 | $17,079 | +8.0% |
| 2017 | $23,045 | +34.9% |
| 2018 | $23,251 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | $25,442 | +9.4% |
| 2020 | $26,727 | +5.0% |
| 2021 | $36,794 | +37.7% |
| 2022 | $37,217 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $29,682 | -20.2% |
| 2024 | $25,610 | -13.7% |
| 2025 | $21,670 | -15.4% |
| 2026 | $27,142 | +25.3% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought ASH was 1982-03 ($1.39): $1,000 then is $52,137 today. The worst was 2022-11 ($103): $1,000 then is $701.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in ASH be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Ashland Inc. (ASH) at the start of 1980 would be worth about $35,876 today, a total return of +3487.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for ASH?
Ashland Inc. (ASH)'s strongest calendar year since 1980 was 2009, a +283.8% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $3,838 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -77.3%.
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 ASH have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1980-03 would have grown to about $548,050 on $55,800 invested.
Did ASH beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $75,502. ASH trailed the S&P 500 by +52.5% 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
Ashland Inc. (ASH) 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.