What if you'd held BCS?
A $1,000 investment in Barclays PLC (BCS) at the month-end close of 1986-09 would be worth $25,837 at the close of 2026-08 — +2483.7% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $33,322.
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 1986
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | $1,000 | — |
| 1987 | $1,120 | +12.0% |
| 1988 | $1,017 | -9.2% |
| 1989 | $1,359 | +33.6% |
| 1990 | $1,547 | +13.8% |
| 1991 | $1,615 | +4.4% |
| 1992 | $1,453 | -10.1% |
| 1993 | $2,436 | +67.6% |
| 1994 | $2,564 | +5.3% |
| 1995 | $3,171 | +23.7% |
| 1996 | $4,983 | +57.1% |
| 1997 | $8,231 | +65.2% |
| 1998 | $7,043 | -14.4% |
| 1999 | $9,265 | +31.6% |
| 2000 | $10,744 | +16.0% |
| 2001 | $11,573 | +7.7% |
| 2002 | $8,838 | -23.6% |
| 2003 | $13,692 | +54.9% |
| 2004 | $17,949 | +31.1% |
| 2005 | $17,239 | -4.0% |
| 2006 | $24,846 | +44.1% |
| 2007 | $18,085 | -27.2% |
| 2008 | $4,786 | -73.5% |
| 2009 | $8,624 | +80.2% |
| 2010 | $8,214 | -4.8% |
| 2011 | $5,590 | -31.9% |
| 2012 | $9,043 | +61.8% |
| 2013 | $10,496 | +16.1% |
| 2014 | $8,915 | -15.1% |
| 2015 | $7,897 | -11.4% |
| 2016 | $6,880 | -12.9% |
| 2017 | $6,915 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | $4,897 | -29.2% |
| 2019 | $6,462 | +31.9% |
| 2020 | $5,632 | -12.8% |
| 2021 | $7,410 | +31.6% |
| 2022 | $5,786 | -21.9% |
| 2023 | $6,137 | +6.1% |
| 2024 | $10,821 | +76.3% |
| 2025 | $21,256 | +96.4% |
| 2026 | $22,966 | +8.0% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought BCS was 1986-10 ($1.03): $1,000 then is $26,087 today. The worst was 2007-04 ($29.86): $1,000 then is $900.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in BCS be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Barclays PLC (BCS) at the start of 1986 would be worth about $25,837 today, a total return of +2483.7%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for BCS?
Barclays PLC (BCS)'s strongest calendar year since 1986 was 2025, a +96.4% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,964 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2008, at -73.5%.
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 BCS have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1986-09 would have grown to about $281,856 on $48,000 invested.
Did BCS beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $33,322. BCS trailed the S&P 500 by +22.5% 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
Barclays PLC (BCS) historical total-return data from 1986-09 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.