What if you'd held BMI?
A $1,000 investment in Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $352,938 at the close of 2026-08 — +35193.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $592 | -40.8% |
| 1975 | $798 | +34.8% |
| 1976 | $1,136 | +42.3% |
| 1977 | $1,478 | +30.1% |
| 1978 | $1,289 | -12.8% |
| 1979 | $1,478 | +14.6% |
| 1980 | $1,237 | -16.3% |
| 1981 | $882 | -28.7% |
| 1982 | $952 | +8.0% |
| 1983 | $1,154 | +21.2% |
| 1984 | $1,254 | +8.7% |
| 1985 | $1,645 | +31.1% |
| 1986 | $1,899 | +15.5% |
| 1987 | $1,715 | -9.7% |
| 1988 | $2,461 | +43.5% |
| 1989 | $2,662 | +8.2% |
| 1990 | $1,956 | -26.5% |
| 1991 | $2,250 | +15.0% |
| 1992 | $2,658 | +18.1% |
| 1993 | $3,004 | +13.0% |
| 1994 | $3,868 | +28.8% |
| 1995 | $4,434 | +14.6% |
| 1996 | $6,605 | +49.0% |
| 1997 | $14,246 | +115.7% |
| 1998 | $12,675 | -11.0% |
| 1999 | $10,947 | -13.6% |
| 2000 | $8,614 | -21.3% |
| 2001 | $8,732 | +1.4% |
| 2002 | $12,930 | +48.1% |
| 2003 | $15,877 | +22.8% |
| 2004 | $25,504 | +60.6% |
| 2005 | $33,930 | +33.0% |
| 2006 | $48,469 | +42.9% |
| 2007 | $79,513 | +64.0% |
| 2008 | $51,873 | -34.8% |
| 2009 | $72,149 | +39.1% |
| 2010 | $81,206 | +12.6% |
| 2011 | $55,031 | -32.2% |
| 2012 | $90,250 | +64.0% |
| 2013 | $105,272 | +16.6% |
| 2014 | $116,246 | +10.4% |
| 2015 | $116,250 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | $148,456 | +27.7% |
| 2017 | $194,346 | +30.9% |
| 2018 | $202,303 | +4.1% |
| 2019 | $270,000 | +33.5% |
| 2020 | $395,193 | +46.4% |
| 2021 | $450,969 | +14.1% |
| 2022 | $465,539 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $663,781 | +42.6% |
| 2024 | $917,882 | +38.3% |
| 2025 | $760,461 | -17.2% |
| 2026 | $574,298 | -24.5% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought BMI was 1974-12 ($0.14): $1,000 then is $969,926 today. The worst was 2025-05 ($246): $1,000 then is $533.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in BMI be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $352,938 today, a total return of +35193.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for BMI?
Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 1997, a +115.7% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,157 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1974, at -40.8%.
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 BMI have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $10.93M on $64,300 invested.
Did BMI beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. BMI beat the S&P 500 by +411.4% 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
Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.